Hyperion

In the game of Final Fantasy VIII, the name of Seifer's gunblade is 'Hyperion.' Gunblades are dangerous weapons used by only two of Garden's cadets - Seifer, and of course, Squall Leonhart. The weapons consisted of a blade, like a sword, and a gun portion, thus the name of the weapon.


Seifer's Hyperion was a special model of the gunblade, or a different variation of the initial gunblade. It was probably stronger and sharper, if only by a little bit. Hyperion had a more triangular blade, as well as a sleeker look.


Hyperion is also the name of a figure in Greek mythology - he was the Titan of light, as well as an early sun god. He was the son of Gaea and Uranus, and it has been said that he was most famous for his role in fathering Helios (the sun), Selene (the moon), and Eos (the dawn). These children of Hyperion each represent light. Sun gods were often gods of truth, honesty, virtue, prophecy, intellect and fertility. Perhaps naming Seifer's gunblade 'Hyperion' was meant to balance out Seifer's malevolence - everywhere there is evil, there has to be some good. Or maybe it represented that in all of Seifer's bad attitude towards his instructors, peers, and comrades, there is some good qualities about him that you have to look for.

There is also another link to another Hyperion, as in the poem entitled Hyperion written by John Keats. Linked here is a short analysis of the poem itself by Wikipedia, and the fact that strikes me the most is that Hyperion is a poem about the Titans, of whom are destined to fall. It is very easy to make the connection to Seifer himself using this information; perhaps Square wanted to allude to the fact that Seifer, the troubled yet driven dreamer and SeeD cadet, was destined to take the fall in his quest as a sorceress' knight and one of the fated children.

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