Ultimecia
Ultimecia is the main villain of the Square Co., Ltd. computer role-playing game Final Fantasy VIII. An evil sorceress from the future, Ultimecia intends to compress all of time into one single moment. She has the power to control sorceresses from her past, and uses them to enact her plan.
Ultimecia's history is not explicitly described throughout the course of the game, and her motivations are unclear, as are the reasons for her seemingly pathological hatred of all SeeDs. For this reason, many fans do not hold Ultimecia in high regard, seeing her as little more than a stereotypical foil for the main characters of the game. Many have also ridiculed her vocal mannerisms: in the English language localization of the game, Ultimecia speaks words normally spelled with a hard "C" with a "K." Questions surrounding Ultimecia's past and her motivations have led some fans to suggest a unrevealed connection between the sorceress and Final Fantasy VIII's female protagonist, Rinoa Heartilly.
A Hidden Past?
Rinoa becomes a sorceress partway through the game. Sorceresses in the world of Final Fantasy VIII are prone to becoming evil and wreaking terrible destruction; at the time of the game, the world is just recovering from a conflict known as "the Sorceress War." Concerned, Rinoa goes to Edea Kramer, a former sorceress herself, for advice. Edea explains that sorceresses can easily become corrupted by their power, but that this can be avoided by relying on the support of friends. In particular, Edea advises Rinoa to find a knight who can offer her emotional support. Rinoa's love interest, Squall Leonhart, volunteers to be her knight.
Based on this conversation, one theory suggests that Ultimecia is actually a future version of Rinoa, driven mad by grief after Squall's death, who intends to compress time as a way of regaining her beloved. The theory is attractive because it provides Ultimecia with the depth, background, and motivation that many felt she lacked. However, all the alleged evidence for the theory is highly debatable, and it remains purely speculative. The most commonly cited arguments for the theory are discussed below.
- Edea looks significantly younger than her husband, Cid Kramer. Based on this, many players believe that sorceresses do not age. If this is true, Rinoa would almost inevitably outlive her "knight," leading to her becoming evil. However, the game actually makes it clear that sorceresses do in fact age - Edea was five years old when she became a sorceress, but is clearly an adult at the time of the game. It is possible that sorceresses age more slowly than ordinary humans, or that they age until adulthood and then stop. If this is true, though, then it seems extremely unusual that no one in the game - especially Edea herself - ever mentions it.
- Proponents of the theory often claim that Rinoa and Ultimecia have the same facial structure. However, this is highly subjective; many see no resemblance, or point out other characters in the game who look more alike.
- The theory's advocates often argue that the game says a sorceress must die in order to pass on her powers. Rinoa received her powers from Edea, yet Edea did not die. This mystery surrounding the source of Rinoa's powers is often used to suggest that somehow Rinoa must be Ultimecia. However, this argument is based on a misinterpretation. The game does not say a sorceress must die to pass on her powers; rather, it says that a sorceress must pass on her powers before she can die peacefully, which is not the same thing.
- Ultimecia has black feathered wings on her back. Rinoa has a design suggesting white angel's wings on the back of her duster, and ghostly white wings appear on her back when she goes into Angelwing, one of her limit breaks. However, Edea also has black feathers on her gown, and the Sorceress Adel has a wing-like structure on her back, so it's possible that wings are simply a symbol associated with sorceresses in general, rather than any particular sorceress.
- While on the Ragnarok with Squall, Rinoa says that she wishes time would stand still. Opponents of the theory point out that time, memory, and the importance of moving forward rather than clinging to the past are all major themes in the game, and that it's therefore not surprising if multiple characters voice similar sentiments.
- Rinoa and Squall promise one another that if they are ever separated, they will meet in the field of flowers next to Edea's cottage. Ultimecia's castle is located near the cottage, and proponents of the theory suggest that Ultimecia placed her palace there due to her hopes of finding Squall through time compression. Those opposed to the theory say this is simply coincidence, and point out that the castle must be located near the field of flowers to make possible the romantic scene in which Rinoa finds Squall there after the final battle.
- After becoming a sorceress, Rinoa worries about the possibility that she will become evil and her friends will be forced to fight her; "Squall's sword will pierce my heart," she says. Advocates of the theory interpret this as foreshadowing.
- Squall has a ring and pendant with the image of a stylized lion that he calls "Griever." He gives the ring to Rinoa during the game. In the final battle, Ultimecia summons a powerful Guardian Force - a winged lion named Griever. Some fans suggest that Ultimecia actually obtained Griever from Squall's ring; another GF in the game, Doomtrain, is obtained through an item called the Solomon Ring. However, this argument is contradicted by the original Japanese-language version of the game, which makes it clear that Ultimecia actually draws Griever from within Squall's mind.
- In the game's ending FMV, the image of Ultimecia's face flashes quickly over Rinoa's face three times. This is the only FMV footage of Ultimecia in the entire game. However, it comes in a hallucination that contains a number of bizarre and unexplained images.
- The junctioning of GFs has the side effect of causing severe long-term memory loss. Proponents of the theory invoke this fact to explain why Ultimecia would attempt to kill Squall, her long-lost love, when he confronts her. However, while GFs do cause loss of conscious memories, it is clear that the memories are not completely destroyed, and that emotional reactions based on the lost memories remain. Squall's rivalry with Seifer and Quistis' crush on Squall are both caused by childhood events that Squall and Quistis have forgotten due to their GF use. However, Ultimecia shows no reaction at all to meeting either Squall or Rinoa. This fact is perhaps the strongest argument against the theory; the love story between Rinoa and Squall is a major focus of the game, and it seems highly unlikely that a future version of Rinoa would not react in some way to meeting her lost love.
Opponents of the theory point to an editorial posted on SquareX, the writer of which claims to have spoken with an unnamed source at Square who denies the connection. The veracity of this account, and the identity of the source, are unclear, and proponents of the theory have expressed doubts as to its authenticity.