Final Fantasy 8 Theory

[laceblade]

OKAY. So, FF8 is not my favorite Final Fantasy game, partly because a lot of it didn't make sense to me at the time.
People talking about it has me feeling a little nostalgic, and maybe I'll re-play it (after I beat XII and finally play X).

BUT. I read this theory on the Internet a while ago that purports that after a specific point in the game, Squall dies and remains dead for the rest of the game.

You can read the whole theory at SquallsDead.com.
Note that if you don't want to be spoiled for FF8, this site will spoil you for events that happen during the game.

Had you heard about this theory before this post?
What do you think?

Comments

serious reply is serious! and also typed up on my phone

[lindorie]

(Brb deleting first attempt at a response!)

When you first mentioned this to me on Twitter, my first thought was "wait what, so is thia like the Paul is Dead theory?" Sorta -- but not really, self :p And then I got to googling!

I appreciate that the author is this theory is coherent enough and presents it in a logical, well-reasoned fashion. I mean, for a fan theory, it sure beats the pants of some other half-baked ones I've seen! It could work. It really, really could. Wouldn't that make for some funn fanfic!

And yet, personally, I don't put much stock into it! It's interesting and has its merits; it just isn't my cup of tea the same way the traditional view of the game is.

One of the arguments of this theory (and again, I'm working off my phone, so potential reasoning errors ahoy!) is that it justifies the existence of an otherwise highly cracked out plot with pieces that fit really really well together in that "oh, what a coinky-dink~!" sort of way. (Time compression? Bueller?)

I don't quite follow that. One can argue that the plots from the other FF games are just as cracked out and highly convenient! (I want to mention FF4: Cecil becoming a paladin and being half Lunarian, and there should be a joke about the After Years here somewhere...) I think it's just inherent in the nature of such a sci-fi fantasy series!

part 2 because my phone is being stupid

[lindorie]

The biggest theme in the game is fate. We've got the children of fate, sound tracks alluding to fate, the works. I believe that fate is Square's way of justifying their cracked out plot; fate contains elements of the supernatural in that your course is not your own, someone is pulling your puppet strings for a greater purpose, and FF8 definitely as the supernatural feeling going on. (I mean, with Hyne's story and the magic and time compression? Okay I know this isn't one of my better points.)

The Squall is Dead theory is a pretty neat and refreshingly different way to look at things; however, I think it detracts from Squall's character development and the beauty of the whole love of the previous generation reconciling itself through its descendants. I've noticed in Asian dramas/stories that they're highly fatalistic, especially the romantic ones, and this game shouldn't be an exception!

Now, let's get other people in on this discussion! You picked a really good topic for this post :)