Rinoa Heartilly

Rinoa Heartilly is the heroine of Final Fantasy VIII.

Background
Rinoa Heartilly (possibly born Rinoa Caraway) was the daughter of General Caraway of the Galbadian Army, and Julia Heartilly, a famous singer. When Rinoa was five, Julia died in a car accident, and her relationship with her father was rocky. She eventually left home and joined an anti-Galbadian resistance group in Timber called the Forest Owls.

Rinoa first meets Squall Leonhart at the SeeD celebration ball, where she convinces him to dance with her. Her purpose for being at the ball was to convince Cid Kramer to let her hire a small group of SeeDs to help her group liberate Timber from Galbadian occupation. The three chosen were Squall, Zell Dincht, and Selphie Tilmitt, and according to the contract between Cid and Rinoa, they were to be bound to the Forest Owls until they liberated Timber. Because of this, Rinoa joined the party, along with her faithful dog Angelo.

Rinoa's personality is everything's Squall's is not: Fiesty, compassionate, warm and friendly, and these traits annoy Squall to no end at first. However, opposites attract, and through the course of the game, they fall in love.

After an attack on Edea at Galbadia Garden, Rinoa received Edea's powers and became a sorceress. Ultimecia possessed Rinoa and made her open the seal to Adel's tomb for the express purpose of possessing her. After the seal was broken, Ultimecia left Rinoa for dead in space, but Squall rescued her.