this post was submitted on 09 Dec 2024
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FF8 spoiler
Was Ultimecia characterized as (a) god, or wanting to be one?
I think Ultimecia wanted a world that consists of only her, hence she could be considered a god in her own world. She succeeded until the power of friendship and love defeated her but ...
I don't think it counts under what I understood the prompt in the OP is all about. But then again, it's been a while since I last played that game, and I hardly paid much attention to the story (got too icked out by the love story). Cool game mechanics tho.
spoiler
In a way, I guess technically her goal was very godlike as she wanted to control and compress time to create a favourable timeline for herself.
That goal however just created a self-fulling circular loop prophesy as her fear of SeeD was ultimately her demise.
As for the time shenanigans:
I suppose one can think of her desperately trying to win a time loop and going mad from failure
Edit
spoiler
Laguna's Love Story wasn't too bad, although a little on the nose for Squall falling in love with Laguna's first Crush, but him settling down with Raine was bitter sweet at the end.
That last sentence in the first spoiler is more or less my take on her situation.
FF8 spoiler
I saw Ultimecia as more of a tragic character than someone who really wanted power for its own sake, which is why I don't really see her as wanting to be a god. She just wanted a way out of the time loop. As you've said: she went mad from repeated (?) failure.
Coincidentally, I thought Squall, at the very end, could have had ended the time loop. In that cutscene after Ultimecia's defeat, as he was wandering back to his own time, he met a much younger Edea, who has then just inherited Ultimecia's power. He could have chosen not to tell Edea about SeeD at this point, but I don't think he's aware he was talking to that Edea he knew (even though I think the surroundings should have sufficiently clued him in).
FF8 B-plot spoilers
I found Squall falling in love with the daughter of Laguna's first crush to be a nice little thing. I also liked Laguna far better as a character, and his love story with Raine a far superior love story than the main one. I think he really fell in love with Raine, but his fatherly love for Ellone far outweighed it.
FF8 spoiler response
spoiler
Yeah, I agree especially with her being a tragic character her final lines sounds line someone desperate:
"Recall a memory from your childhood. The sensations, emotions, the words from back then. Growing up means leaving something behind and throwing something away. Time will not wait, no matter how hard you hold onto it, it escapes you. And ...",
especially considering how Ellone's powers work
I think it is repeated (at least once already) or she achieved some form of omnipotence with her time compression as her plans seem to have a definitive goal to them like she knows who to look for (Adel and Ellone) and what to do to achieve her ends. Edea (forgot her name) probably still had enough power to "guide" her a bit but ultimately she was overpowered most likely, until Ultimecia released her power to hop to the next one.
Yeah, Squall could have finished that in a few ways - although, I guess seeing Ultimecia survive (especially after she implanted that final thought, in retrospect), his instincts probably didn't want to take the chance of her time hopping again and wanted the time line to be prepared. Also he couldn't kill an innocent person either and risk one of the orphans getting the power as Edea tells him
The love story between Squall and Rinoa can be melodramatic, but it is done well enough with Rinoa peeling away the layers of edge off of Squall.
Laguna and Raine though, I agree was a lot better and I think Raine understood the type of person Laguna was and supported him - her personality was like his in some ways. She probably saw Ellone as a daughter as well and knew how far he would go to protect her, which is why she probably kept her pregnancy quiet to not distract him on his quest to save their "daughter".
Oh! Forgot which event happened after which other event in that long cutscene after the final boss battle.
FF8 spoilers
I thought Squall met the younger Edea after receiving Ultimecia's powers. I only remembered the fact that Squall implanted the idea of SeeD into Edea, but I couldn't remember how exactly it happened.
As for Rinoa, back when I first played the game, I was a bit younger than Squall is, and Rinoa annoyed the hell out of me—far more than I got annoyed with Selphie, supposedly the annoying one. Younger me would have preferred if Squall fell in love with someone else, heck, even Seifer would have been a better love interest for Squall as far as younger me was concerned. I guess then, their love story worked nicely, and younger me was just too stubbornly edgy to appreciate that.
I think Laguna and Raine's love story resonated with me far better because it's far less "abrasive" and in-your-face. It might be a more bland and ordinary love story, but it's a nice foil to the main love story between Squall and Rinoa.
EDIT: failed my spoiler formatting
FF 8 Spoiler Response
spoiler
If I recall, Squall sees a defeated Ultimecia staggering and ready to pass her powers on before dying, but Edea stops him from finishing her off They sort of have a conversation and SeeD is mentioned and young Squall comes running to Edea
Rinoa grew on me, at first hated the brattiness but over time she grew on me as a character who acts a blunt force determined to break Squall out of his shell. The Ragnarok scene and her becoming a sorceress locked her in as she matured and leaned on Squall for support in a reversal of her wanting to be his support and Squall being more "human"
The real love story is Zell and Hot Dogs (oh, almost forgot, Pig-tail girl)
Laguna and Raine was a lot more wholesome and mature with it not having any internal drama. The drama is more external elements leading to a more bitter sweet tale of Laguna accomplishing his mission but living with guilt of his failures