Quistis Trepe

Quistis Trepe is a playable character in Final Fantasy VIII. She is a child prodigy and Blue Mage Instructor No. 14 at Balamb Garden. Fans of this character had been known to be referred as "Trepies" after the character's own in-game fan-club.

Appearance & Personality
Quistis is known as a child prodigy around Balamb Garden. At 15, she became a SeeD, while at 18, she is the youngest instructor in the Garden and even has her own fan club. However, because she is so young, she is more lax and not as strict as the other instructors, and this causes problems with some of her students not taking her as seriously as they should. Quistis is of a friendly disposition and always tries to maintain her calm. Due to her quiet assertiveness and restraint, very few people take the trouble to view her as the young woman she still is and so, forced to mull over her thoughts and worries alone, kept at a distance from her pupils by her rank, Quistis tends to brood a lot. It becomes apparent that she would love to develop a more personal relationship with the people around her, particularly with Squall. Yet she is hesitant to make a bold move and maintains her role instead. As a result, she becomes moody and even depressed from time to time. As Quistis herself explains later on in the game, (once she's regained her childhood memories) she got adopted, but things did not worked out too well with her new family for unknown reasons, so she came to Balamb Garden at age 10, became SeeD at 15 and got her Instructor license at 17. Taking that under consideration, it is hardly surprising that she regards the Garden as her home. She is fiercely protective about the Garden and all that SeeD stands for.

Quistis is also known to be a very mentally gifted young woman, and, unbeknownst to the main characters, she's the best Triple Triad player in Balamb Garden. Despite her cool and composed exterior, Quistis is actually quite emotional, though she doesn't show this side of her to her peers with frequency. She thinks of herself as being a "big sister" for the group, and she takes it upon herself to look after everyone, which explains why she feels she shouldn't let the others know how she really feels. Contrasting with her personality, Quistis uses a Chain Whip in combat, which she uses masterfully despite the fact that it is an uncommon weapon and very hard to use effectively too. Quistis wears a orange zippered vest that extends to just above her hips, which also features a high collar. The lower half of the vest is worn open, revealing the midriff. Over her arms she has dark brown arm warmers with brown gloves. Quistis also dons a long orange skirt that has pockets with a silver waistband with black pants, a brown belt and black shoes. She has her blond hair tied up at the back, held with a silver comb accessory, but keeps her fringe free to hang down either side of her face. As an instructor in Balamb Garden she wears her SeeD uniform and also wears a pair of silver rimmed glasses.

Story
Quistis was an orphan at the end of the Sorceress War, growing up in Edea's Orphanage with Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Seifer, Squall, and Ellone. She really admired Edea Kramer. She was nicknamed "Quisty" by her friends and was considered the "bossy" one of the bunch. When Ellone left, she attempted to take her place in being Squall's "big sister", always being there to break him and Seifer up when they fought.

Eventually she was adopted but, due to unknown circumstances that resulted in her adoption "not working out", she was entered into Balamb Garden at the age of 10 and, at the age of 15, she became one of the youngest students to become a SeeD and stayed on to become an Instructor, receiving her license at age 17. When she had entered the Garden she first noticed Seifer and Squall, as the two were always fighting. Even when she became an Instructor she couldn't stop thinking about Squall, confusing her childhood feelings as a "big sister" for love. She hid her feelings though, even more so when she became his Instructor.

During her time as a student Quistis became close friends with Xu, another Garden student, and together they climbed the ranks of Balamb Garden's Card Club with Quistis eventually becoming the card master "King"; the highest ranked and skilled member in the club, at age 14.

Three years later Quistis had become something of an idol to some of the students, so much that they had even created a fan club around her. Naming themselves "Trepies", they respected and idolized everything that she did and was also slightly protective of her. Quistis herself took their actions in stride and ignored them for the most part, concentrating only on her job as Instructor of her class. Two students she kept specific attention on were Squall and Seifer, the former due to her hidden feelings towards him, the latter due to his misconduct.

When the two injured each other in a training match Quistis was called to personally retrieve Squall, who had been admitted to the Infirmary. Due to the mishap she was aware that Squall had become behind in his prerequisite tests for his field exam and went out of her way to assist him in passing. During the field exam she went to his aid again, ensuring that the transport ship stayed and fending off the X-ATM092 with a mounted machine gun while her student boarded.

Despite these admirable actions, during the inauguration ball, she received a letter of dismissal. Informed that she had failed as an instructor and her Instructor License was revoked as of midnight that night, she attempted to confide her feelings to Squall but only received a cold demeanor in return.

Acting now as a SeeD, Quistis was called to track and contain Seifer when he broke out of the disciplinary room. Following him to Timber, she called for assistance from Squall's team, who was also in Timber, as Seifer held the Galbadian President Vinzer Deling hostage in the TV Station. When Seifer disappears, presumed captured, she stays with Squall's team, lying low for a while before they are given word that it was clear to leave town. When Zone hands out the train tickets for their route out of town he hands his ticket to Quistis. She vowed that she would repay him one day, and Rinoa offering a tidbit that Zone liked naughty magazines. In Timber Forest, Quistis experiences the "dreams" of Laguna that the others were having.

Arriving at Galbadia Garden, Quistis offered her help in talking to Headmaster Martine. Later she, along with the rest of Squall's group and a Galbadian SeeD known as Irvine were selected to participate in a mission to assassinate the Galbadian Ambassador Sorceress Edea.

Irvine Kinneas is assigned to help them achieve this. With Squall as their leader, the group takes a train to Deling City to meet with their contact, General Caraway. Caraway tells the SeeDs of his plan to assassinate the sorceress using two teams; one to trap her under the gateway and the other to snipe her from affair. Squall elects Quistis to be the leader of the gateway team. When the briefing finished Quistis was momentarily diverted by Rinoa, who had another plan to stop the sorceress, but Quistis berated her; thinking that Rinoa's plan was only contrived to oppose her father's plan, and walked off to her position. As the ceremony begins however Quistis begins to feel guilty over what she said to Rinoa, heading back, with her group in tow, to apologize, she instead gets locked inside Caraway Mansion. However, after discovering a secret door to the sewers, they manage to make it back to their position in time to trap the Sorceress.

Unfortunately the Sorceress, with Seifer by her side, proved stronger than anticipated and both teams were captured and imprisoned in D-District Prison. Quistis, Zell, Rinoa, and Selphie were imprisoned together, while Squall was imprisoned separately without their knowledge. Using Zell's knowledge of the prison layout and martial arts skills they recovered their weapons and escaped, finding Squall and Irvine in the process. In retaliation for the attack on Sorceress Edea Galbadia had targeted Balamb and Trabia Gardens for missile attack. Splitting into two groups; Squall's group and Selphie's group, the escapees managed to save Balamb Garden from destruction and finally reunite in Fisherman's Horizon.

Her teaching license re-instated and newly promoted to oversee the care of the students with Dr. Kadowaki, Quistis served, along with Xu, as Squall's assistant while on board the mobile Balamb Garden and, as his first command as the new "Commander", Squall liberated Balamb from Galbadian occupation. The next order was then to head to Trabia Garden, Selphie's original Garden. Squall offered the Trabia students Balamb Garden's support and, while waiting for Selphie to return and due to a segment in Rinoa's conversation, the SeeD remember their past together in the orphanage. It is during this that Quistis realizes that her feelings for Squall were not that of love but of "sisterly caring" and voices her revelations out loud. Decisions were made and the Garden next embarked to the old orphanage, but it was intercepted by similarly mobile Galbadia Garden. The Battle of the Gardens ensues, ending in Sorceress Edea's defeat and Rinoa becoming comatose.

Intensely concerned over Rinoa's state, Squall nonetheless carries on with the mission, this time the search for Ellone by the behest of Edea Kramer who was now free from the tyrannical grip of an evil sorceress from the future named Ultimecia. Learning from the White SeeD that Ellone was now in Esthar, Squall opted to go alone, carrying Rinoa on his back, but Quistis and his friends followed him and together they entered Esthar and from there to the Esthar space station. It was then discovered that Ultimecia had taken control of Rinoa and used her to free Sorceress Adel from her space-bound tomb. The station is evacuated as the Lunar Cry begins, but Squall instead goes after a re-awakened and free Rinoa as she is left in space. Coming across an abandoned spaceship called Ragnarok the couple use it to return to the planet. Here Squall, with his friends' urgings, declares his intentions to protect the new Sorceress Rinoa and defends her from Esthar, and declaring himself her Knight. They return to Esthar by request of Laguna to stop Ultimecia once and for all.

Using the Ragnarok they invade the Lunatic Pandora and fight through Seifer and Adel. Using Ellone's time powers, they were able to start a Time Compression, and enter Ultimecia Castle in the future, where Ultimecia awaited. Upon Ultimecia's demise the group was momentarily trapped in Time but, due to their belief and reliance on each other, they managed to return to their time safely.

Weapons
Quistis wields the whip as her default weapon. A precise weapon that requires a lot of practice and skill to use effectively.

There are four whip models available for Quistis to use throughout the game, they are the Chain Whip, the Slaying Tail, the Red Scorpion, and the Save the Queen

Limit Breaks
The blue magic system in Final Fantasy VIII is similar to those of the other installments. The difference is that it can only be used as Quistis' Limit Break. Blue magic involves learning enemy abilities, some of which are very powerful. Quistis learns Blue Magic by using special items that are obtained in various ways (winning a battle finishing a subquest, etc.). Once an item is used on Quistis, she will learn that ability permanently.

CC group member King
As King of Balamb Garden's Card Club Quistis is the final challenger to face in the CC Group side event. To get her to challenge Squall you must first defeat Heart then you have to head to the Infirmary and play cards with Dr. Kadowaki. After she mentions the king return to Squall's room and take a nap. When he wakes up Quistis will be standing in Squall's room, decked in her SeeD uniform, ready to challenge you.

From the King you can win the Gilgamesh Card.

Creation and Development
When designing the characters, Nomura had wanted at least one female character to wear a skirt. Quistis was originally supposed to fill this part, but Nomura decided a long skirt worn over pants would look better. The role was eventually passed to Selphie.

Musical Themes
Quistis's theme is considered to be the song Tell Me, a song on the original soundtrack. The song first plays when she and Squall are talking in the secret meeting place in Balamb Garden's Training Center, and she's lamenting the loss of her instructor position to him.

Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable
Quistis appears in this edition of the Monopoly-like video game available only in Japan for the PSP. Although not a playable character she assists the player in learning the game through the tutorial mode, giving helpful advice as the player's instructor.

Trivia

 * In the Demo of Final Fantasy VIII, Quistis is not featured. In the evacuation of Dollet FMV a SeeD is seen manning the gun turret that Quistis will later use in the actual game to fight off the X-ATM092.
 * Quistis makes a small cameo in Dissidia Final Fantasy as a tutor from the in-game manuals.

Etymology
Quistis' name in Romanji is Kisutisu Turīpu, and it is pronounced (in English) as "Kistis Treep". So far, the true origin of her name and its meaning are completely unknown.

Quistis Trepe