Seifer Almasy

Seifer Almasy (or Cifer in the German version) is a temporary playable character turned antagonist in Final Fantasy VIII.

Appearance & Personality
Seifer has short blond hair, blue-green eyes, and a scar across his forehead and nose received from Squall Leonhart, the protagonist of the game, during a duel. Seifer wears a white coat with an emblem resembling the symbol of the Knights Templar on the back, as well as black gloves and boots. Aside from Squall, Seifer is the only other student at Balamb Garden to wield a Gunblade. His particular model bears the name Hyperion, and utilizes a pistol integrated into the handle rather than Squall's revolver handles. The Hyperion is decidedly lighter than Squall's Revolver, as Seifer holds it with one hand.

Seifer has great skills in battle, but his stubborn, arrogant, reckless and unpredictable nature has kept him from completing the SeeD exam multiple times. At the beginning of the game, he once again fails the SeeD field exam after his impatient behavior makes him disobey direct orders during the attack on Dollet. The other members in his Squad, Squall and Zell, pass.

There are many parallels between Seifer and Squall. Even though they are rivals, always battling to prove each one's superiority, they have an unspoken mutual respect for each other's prowess in battle. As aforementioned, both Seifer and Squall have a scar in their faces inflicted during their duel in the opening sequence. The scars are mirror images of each other, with Seifer's pointing upright while Squall's points upleft. Seifer is stubborn, arrogant, loud and outspoken, while Squall is a silent strict follower of duty. Both men are nigh-equally skilled in the ways of the Gunblade; however, his temper and impatience often leaves him losing to Squall. Seifer's Triple Triad card is also a mirror of Squall's, both having the same numbers, only mirrored.

Despite his reckless and arrogant nature, Seifer is the head of Balamb Garden's Disciplinary Committee. The other committee members are Fujin and Raijin. Both Fujin and Raijin are extremely loyal to Seifer, and consider themselves a "posse." Other members of Balamb Garden consider them a "gang" more interested in exercising their "disciplinary" powers than actually keeping students in line. When Seifer joins the Sorceress' side, Fujin and Raijin join the Galbadian Army, and helps their friend find a girl called Ellone. Nearing the end of the game, witnessing how Seifer has changed, Fujin begs, in a normal manner of speech, Seifer to stop his wicked plans.

Background
Seifer was born 18 years prior to the events of Final Fantasy VIII. He was orphaned after his parents were killed in the Sorceress War, and sent to Edea's orphanage. From a young age, he bullied the other children in the orphanage, especially Zell. As he grew up, he became a student at Balamb Garden, where he studied to become a SeeD. Seifer would later forget his past in the orphanage due to the memory loss that usage of Guardian Forces cause.

At Balamb Garden, Seifer found friendship in Fujin and Raijin, and their posse was rarely seen apart. The friends later became the Balamb Garden Disciplinary Committee, abusing their power to give fellow students punishment and detention. Even though he forgot his past, he became a rival to another student at Balamb Garden called Squall Leonhart. Of all the students at the Garden, only Seifer and Squall chose a Gunblade as their specialized weapon, and they would often duel to prove each one's skills. Even though Seifer had great potential to become a SeeD, his behavior often made him fail the exams needed to become a SeeD, and he was labeled a "problem child". Seifer also develops a "romantic dream" about becoming a Sorceress Knight, whose job it is to protect the current Sorceress, and borrows several books from the Balamb Garden related to the subject. About a year before the events of Final Fantasy VIII, Seifer started a romantic relationship with Rinoa, a girl working in a resistance group to free the occupied nation of Timber.

Curiously, Seifer can use magic even without Guardian Force and even though he is not a sorcerer: he casts a fire spell during his limit break (also seen in the introduction FMV against Squall). Since Headmaster Cid possesses Seifer's Triple Triad card, some theories claim that Seifer may be Cid and Edea's son (similar to how Laguna possesses Squall's card), thus explaining where he received his magic ability.

Story
At the beginning of Final Fantasy VIII, Seifer and Squall are shown having a fierce duel in a rocky field near Balamb Garden. Neither one seems to be giving an inch, but Seifer casts a Fire spell during the duel, sending Squall to the ground. Seifer strikes at Squall's face, giving him a bloody scar across his face; however, as Seifer lets his guard down after this, Squall strikes back, leaving a mirrored scar in Seifer's face.

Two days later, for the SeeD field examination, Squall and Zell, with Seifer as their leader, are chosen as a squadron for a military operation against the Galbadian Army. Because of his disobedience during the engagement, he fails his SeeD exam once more. He grudgingly applauds Squall, Zell and Selphie, all of whom passed.

Later, Squall, Zell, Selphie and Quistis are assigned a new mission, their first as SeeD mercenaries: to aid a resistance faction known as the Forest Owls in their mission to free the occupied nation Timber. In this resistance faction, Rinoa, Seifer's former love interest, is a member. Squall, almost unknowingly, falls in love with her. After failing to kidnap the President of Galbadia, Vinzer Deling, they hear that the real President is going to broadcast a worldwide message from the Timber TV Station. They make their way into the station, but halfway through his speech, Seifer appears and holds President Deling hostage to impress Rinoa. The Sorceress Edea appears from out of nowhere, and, appealing to Seifer's darker sides, convinces him to follow her. Seifer is officially announced executed by the Galbadian government, and a saddened Rinoa reveals her past with Seifer to Squall.

Seifer is believed dead until he suddenly shows up in Deling City, standing at the side of the Sorceress, Edea. He has become the Sorceress' protective Knight. Squall and their new ally Irvine have been assigned to assassinate the Sorceress by shooting her, but Irvine, remembering his past at the orphanage (he has not forgotten his memories due to the fact that he is neither a SeeD nor has he ever used GFs), refuses to shoot Edea and disguises it as merely nerves getting to him. He is convinced by Squall to shoot, but Edea blocks the shot with a magical spell. Squall is then forced to break into the Sorceress' parade and fight her man-to-man; however, Seifer stops him, and claiming his new status as hero and Knight of the Sorceress, fights Squall. After his defeat, Squall fights the Sorceress herself. Edea casts a mighty ice spell, which pierces Squall's shoulder and leaves him unconscious.

Squall wakes up in Galbadia's D-District Prison, where he is quickly transported to the torture room. Seifer appears, and tortures Squall to make him reveal the truth about what SeeD really is. He does not understand the question, and further enrages Seifer. Seifer then turns on the electrical torture instrument to full, which leaves Squall unconscious and incapacitated. He is released by Moombas. Him and all of his friends escape the prison. They learn that Galbadia has ordered missiles to attack both Balamb Garden and Trabia Garden, Selphie's original Garden. They arrive at a bombed Trabia Garden, where Irvine reminds them of their shared past at the orphanage. They also remember the truth about Edea, that she was their "matron" in the orphanage, and that she has now become the feared Sorceress. They decide to go to the old orphanage to find any clues about the Sorceress. On their way, they are stopped by the now airborne Galbadia Garden, the Sorceress' headquarters. They launch an assault on Galbadia Garden, and make their way inside, where they meet Seifer once again. He is defeated once again, and is left unconscious and disgraced on the floor. They fight the Sorceress Edea. After the battle, Rinoa falls into a coma-like state, and Seifer escapes. Edea becomes her old self again, and reveals that she was being mind-controlled by Ultimecia, a Sorceress from the future.

Squall, now tortured by the fact that his love is now caught in a sleep-like state, goes to the eastern city of Esthar, to find a way to wake her up. The truth about the Sorceress War is revealed, and Squall and Rinoa are sent into space to talk to Ellone, a girl who lived at the orphanage with the rest of them as children, but was taken away because of her gift to make people experience the past. Squall reckons she can help them, but while he talks to her, Rinoa wakes up. She is now being controlled by Ultimecia. She goes out into space, and breaks the seal on the Sorceress Adel, and Ultimecia leaves her to die in space. Squall goes after her and rescues her.

Back on earth, a mighty pillar known as the Lunatic Pandora, has risen from its imprisonment under the sea. Seifer has done this, under the control of Ultimecia. Zell and his chosen party members try to make it aboard the Pandora, but quickly fall out. Squall and Rinoa have found the spaceship Ragnarok, and rides it back to earth. They get aboard the Lunatic Pandora again, and make their way to the top, where Seifer and Adel are. On their way, they fight Fujin and Raijin one last time. They finally make their way to the top. His many toils have taken their toll on Seifer, as his hair is unkempt and his coat is blackened and falling apart. Here, Fujin begs Seifer to stop what he is doing and just go back to being their friend. Seifer claims that it is too late to go back, and wishes them a good life, before he fights Squall one last time. During this fight, if the player has obtained Odin, Seifer manages to bisect him when he is summoned in battle, and Gilgamesh takes his place, and knocks Seifer down. Now, the evil essence that was corrupting Seifer's heart is gone.

After Squall and the others go into the future to defeat Ultimecia, Seifer is seen in the ending as an entirely different person. He is fishing together with Fujin and Raijin, and smiles towards Balamb Garden as it flies by him.

It is unknown what happens to him after this, but it could be that he will go back to Balamb Garden to become the SeeD he was destined to be. His future and his ambiguous change of personality has become the topic of many fan fiction works.

Battle
Seifer is fought against four times in the game.

At the first battle, Squall faces Seifer one-on-one. Then Edea joins him, and Squall is joined by Rinoa and Irvine.

At the second battle, Seifer is faced alone.

At the third battle, Edea joins Seifer.

At the fourth battle, Seifer is faced alone.

Limit Breaks
No Mercy DAPS_XXJ2D0 Seifer's set of Limit Breaks is called Fire Cross. The three others are used in battles against him. Every Fire Cross Limit starts with him casting a non-drawn Fire spell at his target.

The only one that can be used while Seifer is a player character, is No Mercy. Seifer casts a fire spell onto all of his enemies and takes a balanced battle stance. He then spins his gunblade around wildly with one hand, starts focusing energy into it, and then, in an upward slash-motion, launches circular blades of energy at his foe. The blasts fly through the enemies and continue towards the sky, dealing exploding damage on the foes.Unlike the rest of the characters, Seifer can use his limit break quite often, because the chance it becomes available, is at 84% or lower, from his max HP.

Triple Triad
Seifer's card is a Level 10 Card, notable for one of its highest point A. The card carries no elemental attribute. One Seifer card can be refined into 3 Diamond Armors. It can be obtained either by winning a card game against Cid in his office on the 3rd Floor of Balamb Garden (before the party heads to Timber), by winning a card game against Cid at Edea's Orphanage, or by winning in a card game against the CC Group in the Ragnarok Airship during Disc 4.

It is noted that Seifer's card bears the same numbers as Squall's card, but rotated on their opposite sides.

Kingdom Hearts II
Seifer makes an appearance in the Square-Disney crossover Kingdom Hearts II, as a much younger man. He is the leader of the Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee, together with Fujin, Raijin and Final Fantasy IX's Vivi. Like the other Final Fantasy characters that appear in the Kingdom Hearts series, he is apparently not the same character that appears in his respective game, but rather an "alternate" version. In DiZ's simulated Twilight Town, he is a rival of Roxas and his friends, and fights him in the dueling tournament known as the Struggle. In the real life Twilight Town, he is still the rival of the friends, but since Roxas does not exist here, Hayner is his main rival. He is exceedingly antagonistic against Sora, the main character of the Kingdom Hearts series, but after he saves Seifer's gang from the Nobodies, Seifer gives him the Struggle Trophy, an unspoken sign of great respect.

His appearance has changed to reflect him as a younger man, although he shares little similarity with the younger Seifer seen in Final Fantasy VIII. His coat is smaller and does not have long sleeves, he wears no gloves and he wears a beanie-type hat. He does not have his Hyperion Gunblade, but utilizes a blue club-like weapon, like Roxas', in battle. His battle stance is a variety of the one seen in Final Fantasy VIII.

Seifer's cameo has received some criticism from fans, especially for his out-of-character quote "And that's undeniable proof that we totally owned you lamers!"

Trivia
The red cross that is usually worn by Seifer, is a variant of the Cruz de Santiago (Cross of St. James), the emblem of an ancient spanish order destinated to protect the european pilgrims from the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.

Cifer Almasy Seifer Almasy