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"Why do people depend on each other? In the end you're on your own. I'm fine by myself now. I have all the skills I need to survive. I'm not a child anymore... That's a lie. I don't know anything. I'm confused. I don't want to depend on anyone. How can I do that? Someone tell me... Someone? So I'll end up depending on others after all..."
Years later, im in my 30s and i still find bits of FFVIII that’s super interesting. The Seifer = fire // Squall = water and Fujin & Raijin being named after elemental gods is mindblowing and so well thought of!
He's the character I admire the most, the one who resonates with me the most...I hope I can become more like him, a leader and a specialist who accepts others..Despite being a loner
Even though he gets some hate I can relate to Squall being somewhat of an introvert myself, and given his backstory it is even more understandable he is that way. If you also consider the development that he shows it is easily enough to make him my favorite character in the game.
Excellent video! Love Squall, definitely my favourite FF lead. I found him very relatable, particularly as a teenager. I love that his story is predominantly a personal one - much more about his perceptions and relations than about an external conflict - despite there being that as well. It strikes me as a much more character driven story than plot driven. And that central conflict of his; whether to be as self sufficient as possible, or to open up and lean on others - even at the potential cost of disappointment and hurt - is incredibly real. I love how Squall's often frantic neurotic inner monologue contrasts so much with his outward brevity and stoicism. Very relatable for the more introvered among us, I'd think haha. He's always going off on his own to his room to reflect on everything. And it can be quite comedic how chaotic his inner world is versus his projected exterior. That's one thing I'm actually not sure how they'd do in a remake; would you have all his inner monologue voiced? How would that fit with the flow of a modern cinematic game? I *would* love to see them remake 8 though. 8 was the first FF game I saw as a kid at a friend's house, and it's still definitely one of my favourites - I remember my friend showed me the opening, and then a section of Edea's parade in Deling. It was iconic. I think it must have been the first time I saw motion capture in a video game, and possibly also the first time I'd heard a full live orchestra track in one. The atmosphere in the game is so unique and dreamlike. Very surreal, particularly whenever the sorcery kicks in. Good observations regarding the names! I honestly hadn't made all those water connections with Laguna and Rain, haha. I share your distaste for the term "emo" - it does seem to so often be used to just dismiss any character who struggles with identity or adolescence in any form. Totally agree on the character design; I always liked the slightly more adult, angular look the original design had (and that the FMVs still have, as you say) - it's been a bit disappointing to me that Squall has never retained his original look in any spinoff material, and the remaster is very much his Dissidia aesthetic (which I think is also a style that, despite looking pretty good, runs the risk of making all the different heroes' faces look a bit too similar - and it certainly takes some of the maturity away from Squall).
Love your analysis! Playing through the remaster right now. All his dialogue options and thoughts always pull you into his mind unlike any other ff protagonist. His abandonment issues make him one of the more interesting characters to play as and the game has always stood out for me. It was also my introduction to the series on my PS1 so I’ll always have strong nostalgia for it like so many do. His introspective nature made me love him especially when I was about to reach his age myself as a kid. He seems so young now that I’m older than him but at the time it was the opposite.
Sounds like we're similar ages as my relationship to Squall has similarly shifted over time, and my formative years also overlapped with his own which made the game resonate so much more with me!
@@AlleywayJack It's good man. It's a little soon for me since I was so excited I just replayed the original on my ps3 so I havent finished the remaster but most of the character models look good but some of the other npcs didn't get the touch up and it can really clash with the main cast and they could have done something to the backgrounds because they're still blurry but it had the speed x3 no random encounters (which you can unlock anyway) and infinite limit breaks as the other recent ps1 remasters so I'm happy to have a version I can blow through just for fun with some trophies. I'll be curious to see what you think
@@AlleywayJack totally, it's not a deal breaker by any means, especially for those of us who grew up with the ps1 version. It's just great to see some updates in the game and have it on modern consoles and for only 20 bucks which was totally worth it. keep up the good work man!
thank you for showing some love to ff8...i never understood the amount of hate against it as it is by far my very favorite. i cant really describe what it is but theres always been something about ff8 that no other ff game managed to deliver to the me. fictional but yet feeling so realistic... the more realistic artwork, the character design featuring characters acting like real humans based on motives rooted in basic human desires... all of that makes me feel like ff8 is a story that could easily happen to each of us...in my opinion by far the best written story among all ff games. unlike others i personally really enjoyed squall as a main character to the point i could see myself in him and his actions... dont know if someone else feels the same way too but everytime i replay the game its like a whole new experience making me wonder if the game changed or if i did. getting quite philosophical about this but having played this game from very young age to my late 20s now my perspective on it changes with each playthrough..thank you for the videos! been watching all of them for the last couple of hours!:)
Thanks for the comment, glad you're enjoying the videos! I absolutely agree and my appreciation grows with each playthrough as I get older too, and along with the realism you mentioned I think it's why the game feels timeless and consistently appealing to a lot of us :)
I know it's not the main point of the article but you've put into words exactly why the character redesign/remaster in FF8 bugged me a lot. I'll take the pixellation over the cartoonised version any day
I completely feel for squall, being an introvert myself and not being understood. Also, I don't know about anybody else, I feel that the relationship with Rinoa was forced. At least to me. Also, all his friends just seem to treat squall badly. No one even tries to understand him. It's just sad how everyone in real life think poorly of him. All the more reason I relate to him.
I hate it when everyone says the relationship was forced. I never felt that way. They fought a lot at first because they were opposite types of people, but even then, they showed care for each other. They both gradually open up to each other and spend more time. Rinoa goes out of her way to understand Squall, and the others do eventually come to accept him and get to know him as he is. Squall just wasn't aware of how strongly he felt for her until he didn't have her anymore. If you can't read the subtleties of an atypical romance, it will probably seem forced to you.
I think it's a very interesting fun fact that Squall, Cloud, and Noctis, all characters similar in personality, all have birthdays in August. As someone who's birthday also happens to be in August, it's something that caused me to latch onto all 3 of these characters instantly. Other than Noctis who's a Virgo, I also think it's interesting that both Squall and Cloud don't really have a stereotypical "Leo personality", something I only realized cause it's yet another thing I have in common with them lol
You're totally right about the remaster models. Squall's complexity, for example, is undermined by the bright eyed cartoonish model they have for him. They should have uprezed the originals but kept them as close as possible to the original designs.
A lot like how KH portrayed squall or leon as he goes by in those games They keep his design close to how he was in the original game, just making it higher poly and adding a scar representative of his connection to hollow bastion
I've only just stumbled onto your videos, but I have to say you have a really nice way of putting things and presenting your points. I'm definitely looking forward to what else you're working on.
Interesting how you connect noctis and Squall, for sure there is a sense of existential freedom in Squall, like when he thinks about the possibility of letting go everything, or through his constant whatever attitude.I'd be happy if you develop this idea further more cause i found it very interesting. Unlike you i think that Squall is the opposite of that very freedom, being the perfect little student, following orders without any sense of subjectivity.Even through leadership he is forced to take that place he is not making a choice he is undergoing the situation.To me Seifer is the figure of that freedom, a rebel, not following rules, making his own choices even at the cost of the unknown, following his "dream" like he says, he is the child who does not want to grow and fight for it.Only through love Squall is freed from his slavish life, making his own choice for the fist time in the game (taking Rinoa to esthar).In the ending scene you see Squall bound to the BGU, to his responsabilities, to Rinoa and everyone when you see Seifer fishing and laughing just watching the BGU pass by with a calm glance. Even there I have the feeling that they depicted him as a freer lonely wolf.
Nice. I really like your interpretation of these two and I agree with your idea that Seifer has attained a kind of existential freedom in the ending - it's a very positive spin on him watching Garden pass by and his smile, almost watching the confines of his past life leaving him. Regarding Squall, I agree the turning point is his taking Rinoa to Esthar; the interpretation that the ending is him 'confined' to BGU is an interesting one though. You're right that the leadership was thrust upon him, but I'd never considered his thoughts on the matter post-Ultimecia. Admittedly the game posits the romantic conclusion and everyone happily together as a neat conclusion... but you pose an interesting idea to explore.
@@AlleywayJack Don't get me wrong I do believe that Squall is free after taking Rinoa to Esthar.Although he is doing exactly the same thing than before he is now doing it for the right reasons, by his own will.He is free in that he chooses to take these responsabilities and to bound himself to others which is a very pragmatic choice and an adult form of liberty.On the other hand Seifer has conquered a much idealist form of liberty Squall is now running the BGU and Seifer is fishing.Seifer is an idealist, a dreamer, a child.His path is interesting because he doesn't want things to change, (he wants to become a knight because he saw a movie when he was kid) and yet this dream-shape reality is taking him through great changes because his idealism is confronting the real world.he can't be the person he want at garden when Squall is just accepting to conform himself to what is expected from him Seifer is not because he already has expectations of his own and a pretty strong ego.And I agree whith you that the ending is happy for everyone, I think it's pretty clear.Great channel by the way!
I think I dislike squall simply from disliking the parts of myself that remind me of him. I’d almost say that’s actually good writing if that’s the intent. You’re supposed to learn and grow along with him and understand the first half of game he’s in the wrong.
@Games No, I mean hes always in the rain when we see his flashback, and his moms name was Raine. So, his mom is in a way always with him when we look into his past.
Your analysis is amazing, so happy to see other people who's favorite game is FF8. I know this comes off as a pretty basic question, but who is your overall favorite character of the FF series, and since your favorite game happens to be 8 I would assume it would be someone from 8. Oh also subscribed to your channel. :)
Thanks! I'm really glad you enjoyed this. Favourite FF character is a hard one and does change... but I would probably go with Laguna overall :) How about yours?
@@AlleywayJack Seifer, i loved the character, and loved seeing his eventually growth within the story of the game. I cannot begin to tell you how disappointing it was that he wasn't a permanent member after the mission. Honestly Laguna Seifer Squall Zell Ward Kiros Quistis are just so memorable.
@@viseman9253 Yeah Seifer is up there for me too, as you say he has a great story-arc, perfectly written antagonism/respect with Squall and made a great foil for him throughout the game.
Me too. I've been waiting since they rumored Final Fantasy 8 Gaiden back in the day. Google search that for a fun history lesson! It's what we've been waiting for 20 years. ;)
Squall is a very well written character, but he suffers from what I call "the Holden Caulfield" effect. People who hate him hate him because he rubs them the wrong way, not because of any fault on the writer's part. Shinji from NGE is very much in the same boat, he's very well written but everyone hates him due to their personal taste. I personally find the complaints about Squall and Shinji to be very shallow, so I've always enjoyed them.
Another thing I've found is that a large amount of people who resonate with Squall, Catcher, and Neon Genesis, first discovered them in their adolescence and had thus had very similar thoughts and feelings at that time - a lot of people I know picking these things up as adults just don't get them the same way.
This breakdown of Squall makes him so much more relatable. I think the original game was too slow in pace to present this. Also, it’s harder to feel the emotions when it’s all subtitle dialogue. Think they should remake the game like with FF VII
Based on his showdown with Edea at the end of Disc 1, I'd say he has a pretty dicey relationship with ice magic... but personally I haven't seen anything that indicates he has preferential growth with certain magic/Shiva etc. Might be wrong.
@@AlleywayJack i always make him a fire character cause he (like me) have a thing for Lions, Lion is an animal of the Zodiac thing (funny cause is my sign) and Leo is from fire element. So for me Squall has affinity with fire and Ifrit is his main G.F. cause of the fire and in this game looks like a Lion.
The problem with Squall is that he doesn't fit the role of a main hero in FF8. The most characters in FF8 have silly, lighthearted tone to them. This doesn't match Squall as a character. Squall would fit in better in a game with serious, angry, and dangerous characters, like Batman. Squall would fit a game where the characters are extremely cold and threatening. Squall simply got put in the wrong setting. Rinoa doesn't fit Squall at all. Quistis would actually be a better girlfriend for Squall.
I love your character analyses. Very informing and thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you very much for doing them! I was thinking how the ATE system of IX would be a good addition to VIII, I feel. Like, you could do one where Irvine is showing Selphie around Fisherman's Horizon. Then, they come to the theater part of the town and Irvine says something "Hey, why don't we see a movie and chill?" And Selphie says something like: "Okay! Sounds fun!" and then Irvine points to a poster, showing the movie Laguna made with the Dragon, and says something like: "Let's go with this one. I hear it's a classic, babe." and then maybe it ends there, or goes a bit further. Or maybe one with Zell on his T-Board. He runs into Quistis and thinks she needs to loosen up more so he convinces her to try hopping on and using it. Eventually, she does, but it becomes apparent it takes a bit of practice to use and she falls off, lol. Then Zell gives pointers and Quistis tries again. Moving slowly on it, Quistis gets the hang of it and Zell congratulates her and asks if it's fun. Quistis agrees, but is concerned of being seen on one as she thinks it's juvenile to use T-Boards that late in age. Zell disregards it and again tells her to loosen up and have fun. And you could do many others like those. Would really help build the characters of ones that could use it the most. What do you think of an ATE system in VIII, Jack? And do you like my examples? LOL!
I've always loved IX's ATE system and think it would benefit most Final Fantasy games. Your examples are great, very faithful to the characters and I can easily see these scenarios taking place in the background :D
@@AlleywayJack Same! I feel it's a shame they haven't implemented it in any other games. Thank you! They were just something I thought up pretty quickly, but I thought they were pretty faithful to the characters as well.
While I like the updated graphics and look forward to playing the remastered game, I really wish they would have gone with a more realistic art style. I can't help but feel like making it look so anime was a bit of a cheap move. It's not that it looks bad, I guess I just long for that more realistic style.
I think give it some more time. I have a strong impression Square Enix is going to remake a lot of the originals in the near future. Next 5 - 10 years will be exciting. But I understand the disappointment of having to wait this long. I think a remake of 6 would be amazing.
@@Shirogarasu9 On the concept of remakes, remasters, especially 8. I agree with your position on wanting a more realistic art style but I think we won't receive these types of detail for a little while until 8 is remade entirely. Hope that makes sense. I'd love to see the remake treatment of 7 applied to the other final fantasies 9 and under. Personally, I think 6 would be another good one to remake after 8 and 9.
I won’t be playing the remake specifically because of the new cartoony look of the characters. It just doesn’t align with the rest of the game’s aesthetic to me and is really distracting.
I also don't like Nomura's insistence that every male character look androgynous or feminine. This was something he was challenged for in Squall's design, but you can see he was made to look much more feminine in the remake.
Just saw the video. And yep could relate to squall back in the day and now. Down to squalls thing with his branding of griever(mine was the phoenix due a motorcycle crash were I got a hard reset from a brain injury)like enough that my highschool class ring has a phoenix on it and almost all of my usernames revolve around it. Wearing mostly black. to his abandonment issues ( me personally i had all those and more). To being rather silent most of the time and taking an inordinate amount of time to open up. Yea..Got some personal experience with all that. Don't want to be the leader but once forced into it I can be really competent albeit reluctant to do it.. Too bad I saw this video 3-years after it dropped lol. Squall is particularly a human, who's seen some shit.
The fact that Squall thinks that Laguna is a moron is so, so deeply, comically, ironic. I like Laguna a lot more than Squall, he's so much more easy going and personable. A lot like Zack.
Squall Leonheart is the Cyclops of Final Fantasy. Likewise, Cloud is its Wolverine. Just like how Cloud overshadows Squall, Wolverine overshadows Cyclops
Terra was a young lady ho founds the force to live a protect the others (proporse) Cloud was a young adult ho thinks he knows himself but that isn't the case (identity) Squall was a young boy ho has abandoment issues and protect himself of other people to not get hurt, he doesn't hate people or his partnerts he is just afraid of love people like Elleone and they just left him (leaving the past away) Squall is the most human of these three and the fact of reading his thoughts make it more believable and nottable his change, cause he change from the inside to outside (like a loner quiet person).
@Praveen Loganathan I have to disagree with that comparrisson. Wolverine "overshadows" cyclops because he is, generally speaking, the better and more interesting character that got way more shine than any other X-Men. Cloud however overshadows Squall for popularity alone. He is neither more compelling nor is he better written. Cloud is the Face of the FF Heroes because 7 is the face of FF. Same as Sephiroth is the face of the FF Villains despite being written not as good as Kefka or Ardyn. From a writing perspective I greatly prefer Squall over Cloud. Not only because he is written to be more human and relatable than Cloud is but also because for the majority of the FF7 story, Cloud is respected and put on a pedestal for something he is NOT. He is viewed as being composed, while he isn't, respected as a former member of Soldier, which he never was, seen as strong while he is arguably the mentally weakest main character the franchize has. Squall, as a character, is greater than he looks from the outside while Cloud is the exact opposite. Also Squall seemingly never gets credit for what he did while Cloud gets credit for things he never even accomplished.
@@matthew__creek I would agree that the popularity of 7, and by proxy, Cloud, do overshadow the character that is Squall. But I do contend that Cloud is still and excellent character with his own merit. And I do say this as a Squall fan. What I will saybis squall is a rather 'real' character in an unreal story and that is quite awesome, as he feels like a tangible human
I take it one step further. I believe Seifer can be viewed as almost a mental projection of Squalls innermost feelings. I often refer to him as "Squall with balls" He's everything Squall wants to be. And I've always had this feeling that Seifer remembers everything, like Irvine does.
imo, its more like Squall is everything Seifer wants to be. Squall kinda sees Seifer as more of a jackass than anything. A lot of the time Squall just kinda lingers around Seifer with less complaints about him than everyone else. He likes Seifer because he's someone who can distract him but not someone Squall can get attached to. Not to mention Siefer was the only person that Squall was never separated from. Squall has never really admired Seifer for anything
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"Why do people depend on each other? In the end you're on your own. I'm fine by myself now. I have all the skills I need to survive. I'm not a child anymore... That's a lie. I don't know anything. I'm confused. I don't want to depend on anyone. How can I do that? Someone tell me... Someone? So I'll end up depending on others after all..."
Lol, nice explanation 😂
Definitely how my mind talks to me sometimes, full of contradictions
I felt the same way because my dad bailed on us, but thats a lie. I do need people. I just don't rely on them based on them usually being fake
I love this character! Probably the most realistic final fantasy character ever, and you gotta love his hair
I ageee. I don't even like FF8, but Squall might be my favorite FF character regardless
Years later, im in my 30s and i still find bits of FFVIII that’s super interesting. The Seifer = fire // Squall = water and Fujin & Raijin being named after elemental gods is mindblowing and so well thought of!
He's the character I admire the most, the one who resonates with me the most...I hope I can become more like him, a leader and a specialist who accepts others..Despite being a loner
Even though he gets some hate I can relate to Squall being somewhat of an introvert myself, and given his backstory it is even more understandable he is that way. If you also consider the development that he shows it is easily enough to make him my favorite character in the game.
Same here, in some ways and for bad and good i think too much like him
He is a bit of a jerk though. Sometimes I can't justify why he is being an ass on some scenes.
Excellent video! Love Squall, definitely my favourite FF lead. I found him very relatable, particularly as a teenager. I love that his story is predominantly a personal one - much more about his perceptions and relations than about an external conflict - despite there being that as well. It strikes me as a much more character driven story than plot driven. And that central conflict of his; whether to be as self sufficient as possible, or to open up and lean on others - even at the potential cost of disappointment and hurt - is incredibly real.
I love how Squall's often frantic neurotic inner monologue contrasts so much with his outward brevity and stoicism. Very relatable for the more introvered among us, I'd think haha. He's always going off on his own to his room to reflect on everything. And it can be quite comedic how chaotic his inner world is versus his projected exterior. That's one thing I'm actually not sure how they'd do in a remake; would you have all his inner monologue voiced? How would that fit with the flow of a modern cinematic game? I *would* love to see them remake 8 though.
8 was the first FF game I saw as a kid at a friend's house, and it's still definitely one of my favourites - I remember my friend showed me the opening, and then a section of Edea's parade in Deling. It was iconic. I think it must have been the first time I saw motion capture in a video game, and possibly also the first time I'd heard a full live orchestra track in one.
The atmosphere in the game is so unique and dreamlike. Very surreal, particularly whenever the sorcery kicks in.
Good observations regarding the names! I honestly hadn't made all those water connections with Laguna and Rain, haha.
I share your distaste for the term "emo" - it does seem to so often be used to just dismiss any character who struggles with identity or adolescence in any form.
Totally agree on the character design; I always liked the slightly more adult, angular look the original design had (and that the FMVs still have, as you say) - it's been a bit disappointing to me that Squall has never retained his original look in any spinoff material, and the remaster is very much his Dissidia aesthetic (which I think is also a style that, despite looking pretty good, runs the risk of making all the different heroes' faces look a bit too similar - and it certainly takes some of the maturity away from Squall).
Love your analysis! Playing through the remaster right now. All his dialogue options and thoughts always pull you into his mind unlike any other ff protagonist. His abandonment issues make him one of the more interesting characters to play as and the game has always stood out for me. It was also my introduction to the series on my PS1 so I’ll always have strong nostalgia for it like so many do. His introspective nature made me love him especially when I was about to reach his age myself as a kid. He seems so young now that I’m older than him but at the time it was the opposite.
Sounds like we're similar ages as my relationship to Squall has similarly shifted over time, and my formative years also overlapped with his own which made the game resonate so much more with me!
Btw how are you finding the remaster so far? I haven't started it yet.
@@AlleywayJack It's good man. It's a little soon for me since I was so excited I just replayed the original on my ps3 so I havent finished the remaster but most of the character models look good but some of the other npcs didn't get the touch up and it can really clash with the main cast and they could have done something to the backgrounds because they're still blurry but it had the speed x3 no random encounters (which you can unlock anyway) and infinite limit breaks as the other recent ps1 remasters so I'm happy to have a version I can blow through just for fun with some trophies. I'll be curious to see what you think
Nice thanks for the feedback, a recurring issue with people seems to be the backgrounds, but from what I've seen it's not the worst thing ever
@@AlleywayJack totally, it's not a deal breaker by any means, especially for those of us who grew up with the ps1 version. It's just great to see some updates in the game and have it on modern consoles and for only 20 bucks which was totally worth it. keep up the good work man!
thank you for showing some love to ff8...i never understood the amount of hate against it as it is by far my very favorite.
i cant really describe what it is but theres always been something about ff8 that no other ff game managed to deliver to the me. fictional but yet feeling so realistic... the more realistic artwork, the character design featuring characters acting like real humans based on motives rooted in basic human desires... all of that makes me feel like ff8 is a story that could easily happen to each of us...in my opinion by far the best written story among all ff games.
unlike others i personally really enjoyed squall as a main character to the point i could see myself in him and his actions... dont know if someone else feels the same way too but everytime i replay the game its like a whole new experience making me wonder if the game changed or if i did. getting quite philosophical about this but having played this game from very young age to my late 20s now my perspective on it changes with each playthrough..thank you for the videos! been watching all of them for the last couple of hours!:)
Thanks for the comment, glad you're enjoying the videos! I absolutely agree and my appreciation grows with each playthrough as I get older too, and along with the realism you mentioned I think it's why the game feels timeless and consistently appealing to a lot of us :)
I know it's not the main point of the article but you've put into words exactly why the character redesign/remaster in FF8 bugged me a lot. I'll take the pixellation over the cartoonised version any day
Protect the hot-dogs!
When the remaster releases, I may just have to make some. :D
The war is over if we can't protect the hotdogs!
I agree. I thought the "Squall is dead" theory was intriguing but I don't side with it.
I completely feel for squall, being an introvert myself and not being understood. Also, I don't know about anybody else, I feel that the relationship with Rinoa was forced. At least to me. Also, all his friends just seem to treat squall badly. No one even tries to understand him. It's just sad how everyone in real life think poorly of him. All the more reason I relate to him.
@Kosename it was meant to say rinoa, not fiona. Stupid autocorrect.
Thats why God give Rinoa to Squall. HE knows they need each other.
I hate it when everyone says the relationship was forced. I never felt that way. They fought a lot at first because they were opposite types of people, but even then, they showed care for each other. They both gradually open up to each other and spend more time. Rinoa goes out of her way to understand Squall, and the others do eventually come to accept him and get to know him as he is. Squall just wasn't aware of how strongly he felt for her until he didn't have her anymore. If you can't read the subtleties of an atypical romance, it will probably seem forced to you.
@@freeeagle08 EXACTLY, bless
@@xelestial_sky this is so true and it is so hopeful and adorable to see Squall slowly open up to her, how could anyone hate it?
I think it's a very interesting fun fact that Squall, Cloud, and Noctis, all characters similar in personality, all have birthdays in August. As someone who's birthday also happens to be in August, it's something that caused me to latch onto all 3 of these characters instantly. Other than Noctis who's a Virgo, I also think it's interesting that both Squall and Cloud don't really have a stereotypical "Leo personality", something I only realized cause it's yet another thing I have in common with them lol
Wow I had no idea about that. I have a similar personality and I'm also born in August
You're totally right about the remaster models. Squall's complexity, for example, is undermined by the bright eyed cartoonish model they have for him. They should have uprezed the originals but kept them as close as possible to the original designs.
A lot like how KH portrayed squall or leon as he goes by in those games
They keep his design close to how he was in the original game, just making it higher poly and adding a scar representative of his connection to hollow bastion
Amazing. My favorite character in all of media
I'm so relieved you agree about the remaster!
Squall is literally my childhood hero and always will be
My fav ff character. Even better then cloud sephiroth all of em squall Trump's them all.
This is a next level analysis video. Solid job mate!
Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it.
I've only just stumbled onto your videos, but I have to say you have a really nice way of putting things and presenting your points. I'm definitely looking forward to what else you're working on.
Thanks for the comment I appreciate it! And I'm glad you enjoy the videos so far.
One of the greatest characters written in gaming
Just got done watching ur ff8-2 video and loved it glad this came out.
It was soooo good! Hoping we get a sequel or a prequel with Laguna, Kairos, and Ward. :D
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
Interesting how you connect noctis and Squall, for sure there is a sense of existential freedom in Squall, like when he thinks about the possibility of letting go everything, or through his constant whatever attitude.I'd be happy if you develop this idea further more cause i found it very interesting.
Unlike you i think that Squall is the opposite of that very freedom, being the perfect little student, following orders without any sense of subjectivity.Even through leadership he is forced to take that place he is not making a choice he is undergoing the situation.To me Seifer is the figure of that freedom, a rebel, not following rules, making his own choices even at the cost of the unknown, following his "dream" like he says, he is the child who does not want to grow and fight for it.Only through love Squall is freed from his slavish life, making his own choice for the fist time in the game (taking Rinoa to esthar).In the ending scene you see Squall bound to the BGU, to his responsabilities, to Rinoa and everyone when you see Seifer fishing and laughing just watching the BGU pass by with a calm glance. Even there I have the feeling that they depicted him as a freer lonely wolf.
Nice. I really like your interpretation of these two and I agree with your idea that Seifer has attained a kind of existential freedom in the ending - it's a very positive spin on him watching Garden pass by and his smile, almost watching the confines of his past life leaving him.
Regarding Squall, I agree the turning point is his taking Rinoa to Esthar; the interpretation that the ending is him 'confined' to BGU is an interesting one though. You're right that the leadership was thrust upon him, but I'd never considered his thoughts on the matter post-Ultimecia. Admittedly the game posits the romantic conclusion and everyone happily together as a neat conclusion... but you pose an interesting idea to explore.
@@AlleywayJack Don't get me wrong I do believe that Squall is free after taking Rinoa to Esthar.Although he is doing exactly the same thing than before he is now doing it for the right reasons, by his own will.He is free in that he chooses to take these responsabilities and to bound himself to others which is a very pragmatic choice and an adult form of liberty.On the other hand Seifer has conquered a much idealist form of liberty Squall is now running the BGU and Seifer is fishing.Seifer is an idealist, a dreamer, a child.His path is interesting because he doesn't want things to change, (he wants to become a knight because he saw a movie when he was kid) and yet this dream-shape reality is taking him through great changes because his idealism is confronting the real world.he can't be the person he want at garden when Squall is just accepting to conform himself to what is expected from him Seifer is not because he already has expectations of his own and a pretty strong ego.And I agree whith you that the ending is happy for everyone, I think it's pretty clear.Great channel by the way!
@@bluebike8508 Thanks, and I really liked your observations :)
I think I dislike squall simply from disliking the parts of myself that remind me of him. I’d almost say that’s actually good writing if that’s the intent. You’re supposed to learn and grow along with him and understand the first half of game he’s in the wrong.
Squall was alone as a child, but atleast he still had the Raine to keep him company.
@Games No, I mean hes always in the rain when we see his flashback, and his moms name was Raine.
So, his mom is in a way always with him when we look into his past.
@@BoyKagome his mother is Squall and the pronunciation of his mother's name is Rain. It's funny but i can see the logic.
That's darkly ironic and I approve.
Your analysis is amazing, so happy to see other people who's favorite game is FF8. I know this comes off as a pretty basic question, but who is your overall favorite character of the FF series, and since your favorite game happens to be 8 I would assume it would be someone from 8. Oh also subscribed to your channel. :)
Thanks! I'm really glad you enjoyed this. Favourite FF character is a
hard one and does change... but I would probably go with Laguna overall
:) How about yours?
@@AlleywayJack Seifer, i loved the character, and loved seeing his eventually growth within the story of the game. I cannot begin to tell you how disappointing it was that he wasn't a permanent member after the mission. Honestly Laguna Seifer Squall Zell Ward Kiros Quistis are just so memorable.
@@viseman9253 Yeah Seifer is up there for me too, as you say he has a great story-arc, perfectly written antagonism/respect with Squall and made a great foil for him throughout the game.
In the ending fmv when he's fishing and the garden passes over his head, when he exhales and smiles, it's a great moment.
Love the more realistic design
Me too. I've been waiting since they rumored Final Fantasy 8 Gaiden back in the day. Google search that for a fun history lesson! It's what we've been waiting for 20 years. ;)
No idea how I didn't find this place.. You hide well with this beautiful information.
Thank you, I have always been cursed by the algorithm but working on remastering some of these discussions and bringing them up to scratch!
@@AlleywayJack Still tons of beautiful work! Thank you again!
Squall is a very well written character, but he suffers from what I call "the Holden Caulfield" effect. People who hate him hate him because he rubs them the wrong way, not because of any fault on the writer's part. Shinji from NGE is very much in the same boat, he's very well written but everyone hates him due to their personal taste. I personally find the complaints about Squall and Shinji to be very shallow, so I've always enjoyed them.
Another thing I've found is that a large amount of people who resonate with Squall, Catcher, and Neon Genesis, first discovered them in their adolescence and had thus had very similar thoughts and feelings at that time - a lot of people I know picking these things up as adults just don't get them the same way.
The moment he's walking over the train tracks thats when i got him
4:55 Of course we must protect the hot dogs. Leave nothing for the enemy!
This breakdown of Squall makes him so much more relatable. I think the original game was too slow in pace to present this. Also, it’s harder to feel the emotions when it’s all subtitle dialogue. Think they should remake the game like with FF VII
So is Squall better with ice magic?
Based on his showdown with Edea at the end of Disc 1, I'd say he has a pretty dicey relationship with ice magic... but personally I haven't seen anything that indicates he has preferential growth with certain magic/Shiva etc. Might be wrong.
@@AlleywayJack i always make him a fire character cause he (like me) have a thing for Lions, Lion is an animal of the Zodiac thing (funny cause is my sign) and Leo is from fire element.
So for me Squall has affinity with fire and Ifrit is his main G.F. cause of the fire and in this game looks like a Lion.
Squall is my favourite FF character
Thank you!
I always viewed Squall as me. A guy trying to grow up way too fast. I was that guy growing up.
The problem with Squall is that he doesn't fit the role of a main hero in FF8. The most characters in FF8 have silly, lighthearted tone to them. This doesn't match Squall as a character. Squall would fit in better in a game with serious, angry, and dangerous characters, like Batman. Squall would fit a game where the characters are extremely cold and threatening. Squall simply got put in the wrong setting. Rinoa doesn't fit Squall at all. Quistis would actually be a better girlfriend for Squall.
I love this game.
I love your character analyses. Very informing and thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you very much for doing them!
I was thinking how the ATE system of IX would be a good addition to VIII, I feel.
Like, you could do one where Irvine is showing Selphie around Fisherman's Horizon. Then, they come to the theater part of the town and Irvine says something "Hey, why don't we see a movie and chill?" And Selphie says something like: "Okay! Sounds fun!" and then Irvine points to a poster, showing the movie Laguna made with the Dragon, and says something like: "Let's go with this one. I hear it's a classic, babe." and then maybe it ends there, or goes a bit further.
Or maybe one with Zell on his T-Board. He runs into Quistis and thinks she needs to loosen up more so he convinces her to try hopping on and using it. Eventually, she does, but it becomes apparent it takes a bit of practice to use and she falls off, lol. Then Zell gives pointers and Quistis tries again. Moving slowly on it, Quistis gets the hang of it and Zell congratulates her and asks if it's fun. Quistis agrees, but is concerned of being seen on one as she thinks it's juvenile to use T-Boards that late in age. Zell disregards it and again tells her to loosen up and have fun.
And you could do many others like those. Would really help build the characters of ones that could use it the most.
What do you think of an ATE system in VIII, Jack? And do you like my examples? LOL!
I've always loved IX's ATE system and think it would benefit most Final Fantasy games. Your examples are great, very faithful to the characters and I can easily see these scenarios taking place in the background :D
@@AlleywayJack Same! I feel it's a shame they haven't implemented it in any other games. Thank you! They were just something I thought up pretty quickly, but I thought they were pretty faithful to the characters as well.
While I like the updated graphics and look forward to playing the remastered game, I really wish they would have gone with a more realistic art style. I can't help but feel like making it look so anime was a bit of a cheap move. It's not that it looks bad, I guess I just long for that more realistic style.
I think give it some more time. I have a strong impression Square Enix is going to remake a lot of the originals in the near future. Next 5 - 10 years will be exciting. But I understand the disappointment of having to wait this long. I think a remake of 6 would be amazing.
@@BarryIrwinBrophy I appreciate the comment, but I guess I'm not seeing the connection to what I was talking about.
@@Shirogarasu9 On the concept of remakes, remasters, especially 8. I agree with your position on wanting a more realistic art style but I think we won't receive these types of detail for a little while until 8 is remade entirely. Hope that makes sense.
I'd love to see the remake treatment of 7 applied to the other final fantasies 9 and under. Personally, I think 6 would be another good one to remake after 8 and 9.
@@BarryIrwinBrophy I see! And of course, I would absolutely love a full ffviii remake! A fan can dream lol.
@@Shirogarasu9 Maybe some fans will publish an Unreal 4 mod? ;)
I won’t be playing the remake specifically because of the new cartoony look of the characters. It just doesn’t align with the rest of the game’s aesthetic to me and is really distracting.
I also don't like Nomura's insistence that every male character look androgynous or feminine.
This was something he was challenged for in Squall's design, but you can see he was made to look much more feminine in the remake.
Thx, that was instructive.
++
much as i love ff7 squalls lionheart looks cooler and does more damage then omnislash
Let them Both fight and I bet you that Squall beats Cloud 7/10
Just saw the video. And yep could relate to squall back in the day and now. Down to squalls thing with his branding of griever(mine was the phoenix due a motorcycle crash were I got a hard reset from a brain injury)like enough that my highschool class ring has a phoenix on it and almost all of my usernames revolve around it. Wearing mostly black. to his abandonment issues ( me personally i had all those and more). To being rather silent most of the time and taking an inordinate amount of time to open up. Yea..Got some personal experience with all that. Don't want to be the leader but once forced into it I can be really competent albeit reluctant to do it.. Too bad I saw this video 3-years after it dropped lol. Squall is particularly a human, who's seen some shit.
Rather have squall be a cold and ruthless machine than “mature” squall. Reference: Tatsuya, mahou koukou rettusei
The most Sad Boy of all FF heroes
ff8 squal leon heart my best katakter, skill,and playing games
The fact that Squall thinks that Laguna is a moron is so, so deeply, comically, ironic. I like Laguna a lot more than Squall, he's so much more easy going and personable. A lot like Zack.
Yeah I love that Squall thinks Lagunas a moron, that humour is great.
Well to be fair, Laguna is a moron. But thats one thing that makes him actually likable.
I think Laguna is if Squall didn't have to suffer thru all that abandonment and warped him to a distrustful introvert.
@@user-ko5ul7yi1x no, I disagree, Raine is exactly who un-traumatized Squall would be.
“What to do with hot dogs” ….forever an iconic battle command from Squall 🤡
This guy are sick ;)
Squall Leonheart is the Cyclops of Final Fantasy. Likewise, Cloud is its Wolverine. Just like how Cloud overshadows Squall, Wolverine overshadows Cyclops
Terra was a young lady ho founds the force to live a protect the others (proporse)
Cloud was a young adult ho thinks he knows himself but that isn't the case (identity)
Squall was a young boy ho has abandoment issues and protect himself of other people to not get hurt, he doesn't hate people or his partnerts he is just afraid of love people like Elleone and they just left him (leaving the past away)
Squall is the most human of these three and the fact of reading his thoughts make it more believable and nottable his change, cause he change from the inside to outside (like a loner quiet person).
@Praveen Loganathan I have to disagree with that comparrisson. Wolverine "overshadows" cyclops because he is, generally speaking, the better and more interesting character that got way more shine than any other X-Men. Cloud however overshadows Squall for popularity alone. He is neither more compelling nor is he better written. Cloud is the Face of the FF Heroes because 7 is the face of FF. Same as Sephiroth is the face of the FF Villains despite being written not as good as Kefka or Ardyn. From a writing perspective I greatly prefer Squall over Cloud. Not only because he is written to be more human and relatable than Cloud is but also because for the majority of the FF7 story, Cloud is respected and put on a pedestal for something he is NOT. He is viewed as being composed, while he isn't, respected as a former member of Soldier, which he never was, seen as strong while he is arguably the mentally weakest main character the franchize has. Squall, as a character, is greater than he looks from the outside while Cloud is the exact opposite. Also Squall seemingly never gets credit for what he did while Cloud gets credit for things he never even accomplished.
@@matthew__creek I would agree that the popularity of 7, and by proxy, Cloud, do overshadow the character that is Squall. But I do contend that Cloud is still and excellent character with his own merit. And I do say this as a Squall fan. What I will saybis squall is a rather 'real' character in an unreal story and that is quite awesome, as he feels like a tangible human
My favorite Final Fantasy protagonist after Tidus.
I take it one step further. I believe Seifer can be viewed as almost a mental projection of Squalls innermost feelings. I often refer to him as "Squall with balls"
He's everything Squall wants to be.
And I've always had this feeling that Seifer remembers everything, like Irvine does.
imo, its more like Squall is everything Seifer wants to be. Squall kinda sees Seifer as more of a jackass than anything. A lot of the time Squall just kinda lingers around Seifer with less complaints about him than everyone else. He likes Seifer because he's someone who can distract him but not someone Squall can get attached to. Not to mention Siefer was the only person that Squall was never separated from. Squall has never really admired Seifer for anything
Please stop calling a clearly anime look "cartoony". I think you are a good reviewer, but the anime community can always find anyone.