Final Fantasy VIII: Seifer’s Romantic Dream

“One of these days, I'm gonna tell ya 'bout my ROMANTIC dream!”

Seifer Almasy is the foil to the beloved Squall Leonhart in Square Enix's hit JRPG Final Fantasy VIII (1999). He is characterized by his brash personality and attitude, his disobedience toward any governing force, his hostility towards the main cast, and his idealistic romantic dream. Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima positions Seifer in the most unfavorable setting in light of his characterization: a mercenary for Balamb Garden, where following orders and respecting the chain of command come before everything.

Unlike Squall, who is the ideal SeeD posterboy, Seifer constantly asserts his agency and individuality despite his circumstances and the consequences. Xu, a senior SeeD operative at Balamb Garden, makes a comment that suggests Seifer has failed the SeeD exam numerous times. This isn't because he is not a capable soldier; in fact, he is only rivaled by Squall in terms of combat ability and overall potential. Pair that with being a highly desirable gunblade specialist, and it comes as somewhat of a surprise when Seifer does not pass the SeeD exam while Squall does.

Quistis: “I guess I was right. You and Seifer are in a class of your own. You both have amazing strength and potential.”

What sets them apart is that Seifer is a romantic. Not in the "pursuing a romantic love" way that is recognized more commonly today, his motivations are more emblematic of the late 18th-century Romanticist movement, which celebrated the individual above all else. The term "Romanticism" originated in Europe, and it emphasized the importance of the individual realizing their goals and ambitions, responding to emotion rather than reason. The pursuit of their desires should take precedence over authoritative institutions such as the government or any social group. Romanticism was a response and countermovement to rationalism, which emphasized that actions should be based on reason rather than emotion. Romantics glorify the past and seek to restore their childlike perspective on the world that was lost once they came of age. Reconnecting with the past is a prominent theme in Final Fantasy VIII. Squall, Zell, Selphie, Quistis, Irvine, and Seifer forget about their lives before SeeD, citing memory loss as a side effect of using the Guardian Forces (GF).

Zell: “So if we keep relying on the GF, we won't be able to remember a lot of things?”

Using GFs is standard for SeeD operatives, so naturally, SeeD is responsible for the main cast losing touch with their childhood. SeeD as an institution directly opposes Seifer and his romantic ideals in more ways than one, so his departure from SeeD following the Dollet mission is what's best for him as an individual seeking to realize a grand dream.

“I prefer to be called her knight. This has always been my dream.”

The Sorceress’ Knight

At the end of Disc 1, Seifer finally reveals his romantic dream to Squall. to be the sorceress' knight. Although it's not explicitly stated, this has been his dream since he was a child at Edea's orphanage, and there are a couple hints that allude to this that are revealed later on in the narrative. The most damning piece of evidence is the way Seifer wields his gunblade. It's exceedingly unorthodox, and it isn't a stance that he taught himself. During a dream sequence in Disc 3, Laguna is starring in a movie appropriately titled "The Sorceress' Knight," where he improperly wields a gunblade due to being unfamiliar with the weapon. However, the way he holds his gunblade in the film is identical to the way Seifer holds it throughout the game.

It's a small detail, yet it's something that Nojima kept consistent across several game titles. For example, he is also the scenario writer for Kingdom Hearts 2 (2005), where Seifer makes a cameo in the prologue wielding his weapon in the exact same way. Nojima is extremely particular about this minor detail, which reflects how integral Laguna and "The Sorceress' Knight" are to Seifer. He models his romantic dream after an idealized version of Laguna and dedicates his life to living up to that standard.

Ironically, the man who served as the baseline model for Seifer's dream actually led a revolution against the sorceress of his time, Adel. Laguna defeated Adel and became recognized as a hero in Esthar. Shortly after, he was appointed president of Esthar. However, during his time in Esthar, his wife, Raine, passed away after giving birth to Squall. If Laguna was anything like the romantic Seifer envisioned him to be, he would have been there for his wife, and he certainly would not have plotted against the sorceress Adel.

The earliest hint of Seifer's fascination with "The Sorceress' Knight" can be found within minutes of starting a new game save, and it's easy to miss. On the computer in Balamb Garden's classroom, if the player selects "A message from Garden" and then "Library Committee Announcements," there's an announcement that reveals that a student requested "The Sorceress' Knight (Scenario Edition)" and that it had arrived in the library. The game does not explicitly state that Seifer ordered the movie, but the subtext and repeated motif suggest that it was him.

Seifer attempts to fulfill his romantic dream even before his encounter with Edea. Seifer spent a summer with Rinoa, where they developed a somewhat intimate and personal relationship. This is presumably where he learns about the "Forest Owls," a resistance group that Rinoa is a part of and who are attempting to liberate Timber from the Galbadian Republic. Although it is not exactly the grand dream of being a sorceress' knight that he envisioned for himself, he settles on serving Rinoa and helping her free Timber as her "knight." This is conjecture, but it is likely that Seifer went to Balamb Garden and attempted to become SeeD in order to get them to support Timber's resistance efforts. After the SeeD exam, there is an inauguration party held at Balamb Garden to celebrate the new recruits. This is when Squall meets Rinoa for the first time.

Rinoa: “You're the best looking guy here. Dance with me? Let me guess... You'll only dance with someone you like. Ok then... Look into my eyes... You're-going-to-like-me...You're-going-to-like-me... Did it work?”

Squall: “...I can't dance.”

Rinoa: “You'll be fine. Come on. I'm looking for someone. I can't be on the dance floor alone.”

Given their past relationship, the person she is looking for is none other than Seifer. It's insinuated that she is expecting to find Seifer at the party on the pretense that he passed the SeeD exam, which he did not. Rinoa asks for Seifer again when she meets Squall for the second time in Timber.

Rinoa: “Ok, let's go! Umm, Squall. Is 'he' here?”

Squall: ('He'?)

Rinoa: “Seifer.”

Squall: “...... No, he's not a SeeD.”

Despite coming up short in achieving his goals at SeeD, Seifer never gave up on serving Rinoa as her knight. Seifer captures Deling, the Galbadian President, by himself after Squall and company failed to do so shortly before. This is in an effort to make it up to Rinoa while simultaneously undermining SeeD. On the brink of losing his dream and everything he has worked to achieve to Squall, this is Seifer's final desperate attempt to take it back from him. This is his most vulnerable moment in the entire narrative, so naturally, this is the exact moment where Edea enchants him with the promise of becoming a real sorceress' knight, reviving his childhood dream from the verge of collapse.

Seifer: “Stay back!”

Edea: “The boy in you is telling you to come. The adult in you is telling you to back off. You can't make up your mind. You don't know the right answer. You want help, don't you? You want to be saved from this predicament.”

Seifer: “Shut up!”

Seifer experiences an inner conflict and faces a tough decision that leaves him at a crossroads. He can join Edea and fulfill his romantic dream, or he can resist her and watch his dream crumble before his very eyes. In the end, he caves into the boy in him and joins forces with the sorceress, appealing to the romantic imagination of the 18th-century movement.

The Tragedy of Seifer Almasy

Unfortunately for Seifer, he fulfills and experiences his romantic dream in the worst possible way. He becomes a knight for the most wicked and treacherous sorceress of all time, Ultimecia. Her end goal is to become the only being in existence by achieving time compression, where the past, present, and future exist all at once. Seifer understands that Ultimecia's goals are evil, yet he swears by her and protects her to the bitter end because he stubbornly refuses to surrender his dream. His most loyal friends, Fujin and Raijin, never left his side throughout the course of the game.

Raijin: “Hey, jus' like Fujin said, ya know!? We're with Seifer. Always have, always will.”

But even his closest friends turn their backs on him when they realize he has taken it too far.

Raijin: “Seifer, we're quittin', ya know? Don't know what's right anymore, ya know...”

Seifer: “Exactly my thoughts. I thought we were a posse.”

Fujin: “POSSE... We are. We always will be. Because we're a posse, we want to help you. Whatever it takes to fulfill your dream, we're willing to do. But... You're being manipulated, Seifer. You've lost yourself and your dream. You're just eating out of someone's hand. We want the old you back! Since we can't get through to you, all we have now to rely on is Squall! It's sad... Sad that we only have Squall to rely on... Seifer! Are you still gonna keep goin'?”

A common misunderstanding of what Fujin is saying here is that Seifer is being controlled by Ultimecia and that his behavior and actions are not his own. This would be a terrible disservice to everything his character has been established to be in the final stretch of the narrative. The more appropriate interpretation is that Seifer never lost agency; he is just illuminating how romanticism could go wrong. The result of prioritizing himself and his emotions on behalf of a romantic dream is that very dream being the only thing he has left by the end of the game.

Squall bests Seifer in combat at every turn; he is living out his romantic dream as Rinoa's knight before his very eyes; he gets to experience the life of his idol Laguna in his dreams; he gains the support of his only comrades who have stood by Seifer's side since the beginning, Fujin and Raijin; and to top it off, he achieves a grand purpose of saving the world. By all means, Squall is living the life that Seifer longed for, and he resents Squall for that very reason.

Seifer has nothing left to lose at this point as he desperately tries to hold it all together. In his final confrontation with Squall, the condition of his clothes is significantly different than what the player is accustomed to seeing.

The European-style trench coat is filthy, tattered, and ripped along the ends. It's all falling apart right in front of him, and the status of his clothing reflects the dire position he finds himself in. His only chance of redemption is to return Rinoa to Squall after kidnapping her in Lunatic Pandora at the end of disc 3. Rinoa pleads for Seifer to be reasonable and hang up his dream, and he subtly considers it, even if it's just for a moment, before Squall barges in and promptly reminds him of the person who took it all away.

Rinoa: “......Seifer. No more... Please?”

Seifer: “Rinoa...”

[Squall runs into the room.]

Squall: “Seifer!!! NO!”

Seifer: “Rinoa and Adel! The sorceresses as one! Watch closely, Squall!”

Bitter and resentful to the very end, he gives up Rinoa to Adel. Ultimecia begins to compress time, and the events that lead to the end of the game unfold.

“I've always gotta be doing somethin' BIG! I don't wanna stop. I'm gonna keep running!”

Beyond the Romantic Dream

Seifer's final appearance in Final Fantasy VIII is a bittersweet one. He briefly appears in an epilogue FMV cutscene that gives proper closure and resolution to the main cast of characters. However, Seifer is the only character who is left in an unusual, inconclusive spot. He didn't quite accomplish what he had set out to do the way he envisioned, and his romantic dream was short-lived.

The entire sequence is a brilliant and multilayered metaphor for Seifer's future. It begins with imagery of Seifer fishing. He is impatiently waiting for the bobber to move, to reveal his next big catch and his next big dream. He gets frustrated when he sees that Raijin has already caught a fish, reflecting Seifer's frustration with everyone else achieving their dreams but him. Fujin kicks Raijin into the water, allowing Seifer a brief laugh that is quickly interrupted. Balamb Garden flies above and past Seifer, harshly creating distance between them as they head towards a world unknown to him. He is left behind, and all he can do is solemnly watch as they fly far away, like a dream forever out of reach.