Final Fantasy VIII allusions

List of references Final Fantasy VIII makes to previous Final Fantasy titles and other media.

Final Fantasy Series

 * In the residence of Mayor Dobe and Flo in Fishermans Horizon, a number of model aircraft are suspended from the ceiling. They are meant to crudely resemble the Nautilus of Final Fantasy III, the Lunar Whale of Final Fantasy IV, the Blackjack of Final Fantasy VI, and the Tiny Bronco of Final Fantasy VII.

Final Fantasy

 * In the background in one of the Triple Triad tutorials, the player can spot a Black Mage. Black Mages first appeared in the original Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy II

 * Leon's Japanese name, Leonhart, is the surname of Squall. In the Kingdom Hearts series, Squall even changes his name to Leon.

Final Fantasy III

 * The Great Hyne is a reference to Hein from Final Fantasy III.

Final Fantasy IV

 * Like the Red Moon of Final Fantasy IV, the surface Final Fantasy VIII's moon is overrun with monsters.
 * The Giant of Babil and Lunatic Pandora are similar in concept: astronomically massive, mobile super weapons; so large, in fact, that during each weapon's respective Moon-to-Earth assault, the party must board the weapon and conquer it as a dungeon from within.

Final Fantasy V

 * The first time a player catches a chocobo from a forest, they are given a chicobo whose default name is "Boko". Boco was Bartz's chocobo in Final Fantasy V.
 * In the Final Fantasy VIII minigame, Chocobo World, Boko meets a girl chocobo called Koko. Koko was Boco's girlfriend in Final Fantasy V.
 * If the player chooses the "Irish Jig" to play at the Garden Festival concert in Fishermans Horizon, the party will play the tune of Final Fantasy V town music.
 * Gilgamesh, the summon who replaces Odin at the end of Disc 3, is a character that first appeared in Final Fantasy V, and skipped between the two universes through the Void.
 * The Horizon Bridge that spans the natural sea between the Esthar and Galbadia Continents bears resemblance to the Big Bridge, acting as both a convenient means of transportation and an impregnable nautical barrier.

Final Fantasy VI

 * Ultima Weapon first appeared in Final Fantasy VI though it was mistranslated as Atma Weapon.

Final Fantasy VII

 * Cactuar Island is based on the similar Cactus Island inhabited only by Cactuars in Final Fantasy VII.
 * The monster Ultima Weapon wields Cloud Strife's Ultima Weapon sword from Final Fantasy VII.
 * Several of Zell's Duels were first used by Tifa Lockhart.
 * Deep Sea Research Center is a hidden island located in the corner of the world map where the player can obtain the game's ultimate summon. Final Fantasy VII had a hidden island in the corner of the map that also housed the game's most powerful summon.
 * The various Greens available for raising Chocobo in Final Fantasy VII, while no longer available to the player, appear as names for alcoholic beverages in the Timber's Aphorora Pub.

Allusions to Other Square Games

 * Zell's final weapon, Ehrgeiz, is a reference to the game Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring.

Allusions to the Number Eight
Being the eighth installment of the series, Final Fantasy VIII makes some references to the number itself. Although many of these are not necessarily deliberate allusions to the number 8 (whether they are or not is speculative), they are nonetheless present.


 * The uniform of a regular G-Soldier has the number eight carved on a plate.
 * The article that tells SeeDs to report to the nearest Garden in case returning to the assigned Garden is not possible, is in article number eight.
 * In Deling City, Rinoa advises the party to take the bus number eight. In fact, all buses in Deling City show that number.
 * Edea passes under the archway during her parade at exactly eight o'clock, which was the time for Squall and Irvine to assassinate her.
 * In the D-District Prison, the Galbadian soldiers were checking out the party's weapons on Floor 8. It is also the location of Squall saving Zell from the prison warden and the reunion of Rinoa and Irvine with the imprisoned SeeDs.
 * During the Battle of the Gardens, those who have student ID numbers ending with an eight have to take care of the junior classmen.
 * On the Ragnarok, Squall and Rinoa must defeat eight Propagators before gaining use of the ship.
 * There is an enemy called Mobile Type 8.
 * On the clock tower in Ultimecia Castle, the minute hand is pointing to "VIII".
 * Centra was destroyed 80 years ago, by the Lunar Cry.

Star Wars

 * Biggs and Wedge are named after the Star Wars characters Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles, Luke Skywalker's Red Squadron wingmen in Episode IV: A New Hope.
 * Piet is named after Fleet Admiral Firmus Piett, an Imperial officer from the Star Wars movies.
 * Martine is named Dodonna in the Japanese, Spanish and German version, and in the Italian version he is called Dodonn. In Star Wars, Dodonna was one of the first generals in the Rebel Alliance.
 * At one point Ellone whispers to Squall, "You are my only hope." The line was said by Princess Leia in Episode IV: A New Hope

Music

 * The dancers in Edea's parade in Deling City are dancing to the moves of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video.

Theater

 * An NPC female on the platform of Timber's train station mentions "Romeo and Juliet", a play by William Shakespeare.