Final Fantasy

The Series • The Final Fantasy series is a franchise which is commonly heard throughout the gaming world. Millions upon millions of fans eagerly devour the games, figurines, books, heck even cell phones - you name it, they've got it - associated with the series. Square's last-ditch attempt at conquering the market sure met its mark, if I do say so myself.

The Eighth Installment • It's kind of easy to tell - Final Fantasy VIII is my absolute favorite game out of the series. Not only do my two top favorite video game characters Seifer Almasy and Quistis Trepe come from the game, but VIII's story is one that pulls at your heartstrings and comes jam packed with beautiful graphics.

Introduction • Garden? SeeD? Sorceresses? With all the chaos and political crossfire that happens in the game, where exactly does Seifer Almasy himself stand?

Seifer Almasy

Profile • The act of skimming the surface of Seifer's character through his official profile. Square-Enix never gives you much information, but I've been known to look into things that I love too deeply - and trust me, I've had a life-long obsession with Seifer.

Biography • A complete chronicle of all things that have happened to him, from his childhood before the game to the events after the game. And of course, as you can see, life events surely do effect his character.

Personality • Seifer has always been somewhat of a troubled young man; as Garden's resident bad boy and troublemaker he causes ruckus in the establishment, but as a dreamer he's gotten himself into some tight spots.

Appearance • In addition to being cocky, he could be narcisstic if he really wanted to. Every trademark Final Fantasy character is known to be swanky, suave, and at least good-looking - Seifer is, of course, no exception.

Romantic Dream • Seifer is first and foremost a dreamer; he's held his dreams ever since childhood and would do anything to attain his goal - even go against his peers and wreak havoc upon the world.

Love Square • For a brief moment, Seifer is entangled in some weird type of Love Square - it's just like high school again! Quistis likes Squall but Squall likes no one, but wait? Suddenly Rinoa comes in the picture and all eyes are on her until she professes her love for Seifer? What a web.

Love • Seifer never really has a chance to persue any real romantic interest, so as some sort of a crack section, I've decided to pair him up with various people and see what happens.
     Seiftis - The romantic relationship between Seifer and Quistis, although completely made up by its fanbase, has always been a favorite of mine. Why do they work?

Relationships

Interdependence • A person's company and how he acts with them always tells much of his character. The following people have had an influence on Seifer - whether good or bad and help define him.
      Squall Leonhart - the taciturn and reluctant hero
      Rinoa Heartilly - a beautiful and spirited young woman
      Quistis Trepe - a top-notch member of SeeD who acts as Squall's instructor
      Zell Dincht - a SeeD cadet with unsurpassed martial arts skills
      Selphie Tilmitt - a spunky young woman with a carefree spirit
      Irvine Kinneas - an expert gunman and consummate lady's man
      Fujin and Raijin - of friends and followers
      Others - various minor characters

Sorceresses • Of course, being a sorceress' knight entails interaction with a sorceress right? Fortunately for Seifer, his Romantic Dream lives within not one, but three different sorceresses. A knight's gotta do his job, eh?
      Sorceress Edea - mother and son, sorceress and knight?
      Sorceress Adel - freaky crossdressing ambiguously gendered sorceress
      Sorceress Ultimecia - the mastermind behind it all

In-depth

Brotherhood • The rivalry and relationship between Seifer and Squall is one of the most complex and important ones in the game. They're like two entirely different sides of a coin, but ironically they share some type of awkward sense of brotherhood.

Summer Flings • One summer in Deling one year prior to the game, Seifer and Rinoa had a fling. Not just any fling, ohoho, but a fling that eventually leads Rinoa to Squall! (Maybe unintentionally, but still...) Are Rinoa's feelings for Seifer genuine? Did Seifer even have feelings for Rinoa?

Liberi Fatali • Liberi Fatali translates into Fated Children; along with six others, Seifer has been fated from birth to rise to his role as a sorceress' knight.

Blood • It runs through his veins, so it's gotta mean something, right? Of course, add in the Japanese trait of somehow giving traits to characters that all make sense and you've got a fitting blood type for Seifer.

Color • I thought I'd be interesting to define Seifer through a color he's been associated with ever since he's been introduced. I don't know about you, but apparently labeling him "red" reveals some things.

Name • And what in-depth section would be without a name analysis? Yes, Kabalarians is included in here but there's more philosophies I look into - with commentary.

Capricorn • If you're like me, you like reading up on any astrological analysis and seeing if it matches your personality. And if you're also like me, you like to apply this same technique to your favorite characters.

Rooster • And of course, there's more than one type of astrological analysis - the Chinese have a system all their own! Am I the type to pass this up? Of course not.

Metamorphosis • Like all the other major characters in Final Fantasy VIII, Seifer undergoes a transformation in attitude in personality. In fact, Seifer's change is one of the things I love most about his character.

Symbolism

Cross/Crusades • Of Holy Grails, eternal glory, and saving damsels in distress!

Hyperion • Seifer's one-of-a-kind gunblade is named after a mighty sun god. Perhaps it means something? (Of course it does.)

In his defense

Grey Area • I love Seifer, and I really can't understand why a percentage of the Final Fantasy VIII fandom labels Seifer as exceedingly evil. Life is not always black and white, and I attempt to pick the right shade of grey.

In-game

Stats • Okay, so he's only playable for a scant amount of minutes (without GameShark, of course), but apparently you can also level him up all the way to 100!

Walkthrough • Being on the opposing side entails fighting boss battles with him, right? I don't know why, but I've provided ways in which you can defeat my favorite sorceress' knight.
      Disc 1: Sorceress Parade in Deling City - first battle
      Disc 2: Galbadia Garden, Master Room - more powerful than ever
      Disc 2: Galbadia Garden, Auditorium - two in a row?
      Disc 3: Lunatic Pandora - knight bows out

Card • Like every other major character, Seifer has his own Triple Triad card. Whoo hoo!

Quotes • Much of a character's personality is revealed through his dialogue, and trust me when I say this: every single thing that came out of his mouth completely defines him.

Kingdom Hearts 2

Role • Unsurprisingly, Seifer's role in KH2 is not all that different from his role in FFVIII, but that's the way I'd have it.

Quotes • Seifer's (witty?) dialogues in the game cracked me up, and my friends know which one in particular especially amused me.

Voice • Information on the people who have brought Seifer to life.

Miscellaneous

Final Fantasy Gaiden • It was a rather cruel April Fool's joke that heightened my hopes for a Final Fantasy VIII sequel for a day, but unfortunately not all good things come true.