/vr/ - Retro Games

>>1184163
I think it's symbolic of destiny and romance.

Like >>1184329 says, romance is quite obvious, most characters have some sort of romantic ideal that drives them through their lives. Romance is also what makes Squall mature into his destiny and what ultimately overcomes Time Compression.

Destiny mostly comes from the time loop. All of the game's events start because you beat it in the first place. Utimecia is trying to escape her foretold destiny, and in doing se she ultimately causes her destiny to be foretold in the first place.

But it's not just about submitting to fate, it's also about overcoming it. Ultimacia does this the wrong way: she wants to deny all reality in order to avoid her fate. Squall and Rinoa do this the right way (through romance, you could say) because Rinoa is fated to become a sorceress and thus an enemy of the world, but their love saves her. She embraces the reality and so she is able to change it.

By the way, I love Ultimecia as a character (you know, when she's within Edea) and I like both angles: her being a witch trying to escape her fate, and her being Rinoa. The latter one ties in perfectly with the theme of destiny the game has, and if this is true then maybe this destiny IS being changed with romance.

I think >>1184342 is right and >>1184182 also makes a great point, VIII emphasizes feminine power. Witches are the makers and the destroyers of the world, and knights are there to preserve or slay the powerful female. Women have power over the universe, men just make mock-ups and fight amongst themselves. And while Hyne seems to be male, the only ones able to whitstand using his power are female.

The moon being the source of monsters is also maningful in this respect. You can overanalyze this and say that the Lunatic Pandora is phallic and causes a reaction from the moon, which is traditionally a feminine symbol. Monsters can be seen as the wrath of the feminine towards the symbols male dominance.