Squall Leonhart
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is the protagonist from Squaresoft's (now Square Enix) role-playing game Final Fantasy VIII. At 17 years old, Squall is a student at Balamb Garden, a prestigious military academy for elite mercenaries.Final Fantasy VIII is one of the more character-driven titles of the series. At the beginning of the game, Squall is taciturn, moody and withdrawn, and harshly pushes away those who attempt to get close to him. Over the course of the game, the causes of Squall's angst are explored. It is gradually revealed that although he tries to maintain a cold, antisocial attitude, he is actually a natural leader, and can be extremely rash and impulsive when his emotions overwhelm his control. As a result of his friendships with Quistis Trepe, Zell Dincht, Selphie Tilmitt and Irvine Kinneas, and especially his growing romance with Rinoa Heartilly, he gradually becomes more open and caring.
Appearance and development
As part of a theme desired by Kitase to give the game a foreign atmosphere ("foreign" being in relation to Japan), the objective with the character designs was to give them largely European appearances. The first character Nomura designed specifically for use in Final Fantasy VIII was Squall, initially giving him longer hair and a more feminine appearance. However, Yoshinori Kitase felt that this design did not work, and asked Nomura to shorten his hair and make him look more masculine, which lead to the final design of Squall seen in-game. When designing Cloud Strife, Final Fantasy VII
Also as part of Squall's design, Nomura wanted to include silver accessories, which took the form of his ring, necklace and weapon. Squall calls the lion "Griever" and it seems to be symbolic of his angst and takes on significance as the plot of the game progresses. Squall's weapon, the gunblade (a revolver-sword hybrid that functions primarily as a sword, given a damaging vibration feature by use of the gun mechanism), was also intended to offer a new way for players to control weapons in battle, though, by Nomura's own admission, he feels that the weapon bears an odd appearance. Squall's model is simply called the 'Revolver', though he can upgrade the weapon at junk stores throughout the game. Squall and Seifer are the only gunblade specialists who appear in the game, although Laguna Loire also uses one very briefly.
Squall's physical appearance consists of medium-length brown hair and cold blue eyes. Character designer Tetsuya Nomura has stated that actor River Phoenix was the influence for Squall; both share the same birthday and physical appearance. A small scar runs diagonally across the bridge of Squall's nose; he received it at the beginning of the game in a training duel against his rival Seifer Almasy, and left Seifer with a similar (mirror-image) scar in return.
Overview
In the game, Squall is known as a "lone wolf" by his peers, especially when they wish to understand how he is feeling. Rinoa: That's it! Just let out anything! Anything... We want you to talk to us a little more. That's all. Y'know, if there's anything you want to tell us, or anything we can do, don't hesitate to let us know. I know it's not easy but I wish you would trust us and rely on us a little more. (Final Fantasy VIII) Even compared to the originally indifferent Cloud Strife of Final Fantasy VII, he comes off as cold and deeply cynical to his allies. Rinoa: Don't you ever worry about or even think about the well-being of your comrades!? / Squall: (I don't believe in relying on others.) / Rinoa: Don't you understand!? / Squall:(...Whatever.) (Final Fantasy VIII) His superiors, such as his teacher, Quistis Trepe, regard him as difficult to deal with but greatly respect his loyalty, courage, intelligence, and natural fighting skill. Quistis: I guess I was right. You and Seifer are in a class of your own. You both have amazing strength and potential. (Final Fantasy VIII) Quistis: Aren't there times when you want to share feelings with someone? / Squall: Everyone has to take care of themselves? I don't want to carry anyone's burden. (Final Fantasy VIII) He is known to be stoic, phlegmatic and sometimes melancholic in certain situations. Quistis: You know, the boys often choke on this test when I come with them. I guess my charm makes them nervous. / Squall:(...Whatever.) (Final Fantasy VIII)Squall is unwillingly dragged into the role of the hero when headmaster of Balamb Garden appoints him as leader of the academy early in the game. Headmaster Cid: Squall, we're under your command from now on. This is your fate. It is your destiny to lead the way in defeating the sorceress. / Squall: Don't talk about this like it's been decided since by birth! (I don't mind fighting the sorceress. It's unavoidable as long as I'm a SeeD member.) (What? AS long as I'm a SeeD member?) (What if I quit?) (Quit... Then what? What do I have left?) (Don't even want to think about it. Just stop thinking...) (Final Fantasy VIII) He is often thrown into a leadership role, as is evident in the Timber and Galbadia missions. During a late battle against Galbadia Garden, Squall demonstrates some leadership difficulties, which are tied to his isolationism that has yet to be vanquished. Squall: (I've had it up to here with this leader thing... Alright, alright...I'll choose.) (Final Fantasy VIII) Headmaster Cid: Squall, I understand how you feel. But you are in a position of leadership. The other students at Garden have a right to know about the outcome of the battle and what's to come. Take whatever information you can get here, back to Garden. Remember, it wasn't just Rinoa. Everyone fought. (Final Fantasy VIII) Likewise, other characters have to make efforts to pull him out of his isolation, and Rinoa has to expend a lot of energy to pursue a romance with him. It takes considerable time for him to accept the others' offered friendship and become romantically involved with Rinoa to the point where he develops an attachment with her. Squall: Pandora whatever and Sorceress Adel are out of my hands. I don't know where to look for Sis. The only thing I know is Rinoa. The only thing I want to do for sure right now is for Rinoa. We're going to get Rinoa back! (Final Fantasy VIII) As time progresses, he grows more confortable with the leadership role, especially when it comes time to defeat Ultimecia, the main antagonist. Squall: I don't know what's going on. But since we're still here, I think we still have some time to finish our job. / Quistis: What are we going to do, Squall? / Squall: We'll divide into two parties. (Final Fantasy VIII)
He has a distinct rivalry with Seifer Almasy, which continues throughout the game. The opening sequence depicts the duel in which Squall obtained his characteristic facial scar (and subsequently gave an almost identical one to Seifer immediately following) and scenes in which Squall and Seifer are supposed to be cooperating are characterized by squabbles between the two cadets. Seifer: Yeah, yeah... (to Squall Well then, Squall. Go see what's going on outside. / Squall: ......Ok. / Seifer: Good. Because it's MY order. (Final Fantasy VIII) Later, Seifer allies himself with the Sorceress, requiring Squall to battle him several times. Nevertheless, despite their conflict, Squall still feels an underlying comraderie for Seifer, and mourns him in his own way when he believes Seifer to have been executed after an attempted kidnapping of Galbadian President Vinzer Deling. Squall: (I liked him... wasn't really a bad guy... He was one of us...) (Seifer... You've just become just a memory.) (Will they... Will they talk about me this way if I die, too?) (Squall was this and that. Using past tense, saying whatever they want?) (So this is what death is all about...) (...Not for me.) (I won't have it!!!) (Final Fantasy VIII)
According to flashbacks in the game, Squall grew up in an orphanage, along with practically all of the other main characters—Zell, Seifer, Selphie, Irvine and Quistis. Though he remembers practically nothing of this past, it causes him to develop into an emotionally detached, highly cynical and introverted boy (his original goal is to go through life without any emotional links or dependencies). Squall: (I don't believe in relying on others.) (Final Fantasy VIII) However, Squall gradually warms as the game progresses, and it is later revealed that his deliberate detachment from his companions is a defensive mechanism in order to protect himself from emotional pain, like he experienced when his older sister figure at the orphanage, one of the sole emotional supports in his early life, was forcibly separated from him. Young Squall: ...Sis... I'm...all alone. But I'm doing my best... I'll be ok without you, Sis. I'll be able to take care of myself. (Final Fantasy VIII) Squall: (I wonder what everyone's doing...?) (They're probably laughing at me. Or maybe they're angry...?) What do you think? To tell you the truth... I worry too much about what others think of me. I hate that side of me... That's why I didn't want anyone to get to know me. I wanted to hide that side of myself. I hate it. Squall is an unfriendly, introverted guy. It made it easy for me when people perceived me that way. That's a secret between you and me. Got that? (Final Fantasy VIII)
Squall is the crux of a time loop encompassing the events of Final Fantasy VIII as well as about twelve years prior. Upon defeating Ultimecia, as his comrades are pulled back from time compression into their own respective places in the timeline, Squall takes a detour back to the orphanage, where he encounters a younger Edea. Since she does not want to involve any of the children, Edea ends up absorbing the dying Ultimecia's powers as part of the cycle of sorceresses (a sorceress must pass on her powers to a successor before she is allowed to die peacefully), and wonders aloud about endings and beginnings (dialogue mirroring words to Squall years later, on Disc 3). Edea: It's ok. There's no need to fight. That sorceress is just looking for someone to pass her power on to. In order to die in peace, a sorceress must free of all her powers. I know...for I am one, too. I shall take over that sorceress' powers. I do not want one of the children to become one. (Final Fantasy VIII) Squall plants the ideas for Garden and SeeD in her mind, creating a loop in which he must become the leader of Balamb Garden so that he can make it to this point again. Edea: SeeD? Garden? / Squall: Both Garden and SeeD were your ideas. Garden trains SeeDs. SeeDs are trained to defeat the sorceress. / Edea: What are you saying? You're...that boy from the future? (Final Fantasy VIII)
His taciturn attitude is also used for comic relief. In the cutscene where he first meets Rinoa, she coerces him into dancing with her at the SeeD graduation ball. Rinoa: You're the best guy here. Dance with me? Let me guess... You'll only dance with someone you like. Ok then... Look into my eyes... You're-going-to-like-me... You're-going-to-like-me... Did it work? / Squall: ...I can't dance. / Rinoa: You'll be fine. (Final Fantasy VIII) He awkwardly bumps into other partygoers while staring constantly at his feet with a look of confusion. Rinoa, however, perseveres in partnering him, and Squall eventually reveals that he's quite capable of dancing, as it is a mandatory aspect of his training.Squall: Approach your target inconspicuously at a dance party... There may be missions requiring this sort of subterfuge. It's expected of SeeD to learn various skills. (Final Fantasy VIII)
There is also strong indication that Laguna Loire is Squall's father. During flashbacks involving Ellone, Squall constantly is placed within the body of Laguna, despite the fact that any of the other SeeDs in Squall's party can be placed in Kiros or Ward's bodies. If Squall travels to Winhill after Garden is activated, he will encounter inexplicable visions of Raine throughout the town. Ellone also mentions that Raine died - apparently in childbirth - and that she had a baby boy. Toward the end of the game, aboard the Ragnarok, Kiros and Ward make commentary as to Squall's resemblance to his mother and his dissimilarity to his father. Kiros: You look a lot like your mother. Ward: ..... Kiros: Ward says its a good thing you don't look like your father. Laguna also intends to speak on something to Squall, but he opts not to due to the circumstances.
Other appearances
His role in Kingdom Hearts is to help to guide Sora, the game's protagonist, on his battle with the Heartless, alongside various other Final Fantasy heroes. While his appearance and age change (in Kingdom Hearts Leon is 25 [link], whereas in Final Fantasy VIII, Squall is 17), his personality remains somewhat confrontational and rude. Of the Final Fantasy characters in the game Squall has arguably the largest role.
A memory-based version of himself appears in . He seems to not remember Sora, but somehow knows his name; Sora, Donald and Goofy are surprised when he says Sora's name without realizing it. He also remembers the last words he said to Sora("We may never see each other again, but we'll never forget each other") when prompted, and Aerith believes that Sora's memories are influencing his. He teaches Sora how to use sleights and break cards, and also gives Sora a Simba summon card.
He returns in Kingdom Hearts II and was voiced by Doug Erholtz for the English version . Here, Leon is seen to be slightly more cheerful than he is seen in the original Kingdom Hearts — which could depict his personality after Final Fantasy VIII. He actually fights along side Sora in one of the fights in the beginning of the game. He also has a change of clothes more like the one in Final Fantasy VIII. He is a partner of Cloud Strife who joined forces with him in the Hades Cup in the original Kingdom Hearts. Sleeping Lion, a Keyblade in Kingdom Hearts II, is another reference to Squall. Leon seems to be the leader of the "Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee", which is composed of the returning Final Fantasy cameos from the first Kingdom Hearts and includes Merlin. Leon also plays the largest role for any Final Fantasy character in Kingdom Hearts II story wise and is the only Final Fantasy character that has relations to King Mickey and works very close to Sora and company. Leon is also the only Final Fantasy character in the game to come face to face with the Organization and fight the Nobodies. At the ending credits of Kingdom Hearts 2, Leon is seen opening a letter that many fans believe to be from Rinoa.
Squall is also an unlockable character in Chocobo Racing and Itadaki Street Special. In addition, a 2D sprite of Squall occasionally makes an appearance on the loading screen of the PlayStation version of Final Fantasy VI.
Squall's gunblade, the Lionheart, appears as a Paladin weapon Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. It also appears as a high-level sword for Tidus in Final Fantasy X and a Keyblade weapon for Sora in Kingdom Hearts. The gunblade also makes an appearance in Parasite Eve II as a weapon that the gorilla like Number 9 uses. It also becomes available for use after completing the game meeting certain requirements.
In addition, Gilgamesh (Final Fantasy) carries Squall's Gunblade as well as other popular Final Fantasy weapons from throughout the series in Final Fantasy XII.
References
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