Laguna Loire

Laguna Loire is a temporarily playable character in Final Fantasy VIII. For most of the game the player experiences Laguna through playable flashbacks that are explained to the player as the main characters' dreams. His weapon of choice is the machine gun.

Appearance and Personality
Laguna is described throughout the story as a handsome man with many faces and even more talents. He has shoulder-length dark hair and green eyes. He is cheerful, generous, kind-hearted, and though he hates fighting, he becomes a Galbadian soldier. He is respected among his comrades, Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac, although they scorn him at times for his impulsive attitude, but still ultimately rely on him for guidance and direction. Laguna is courageous in the face of danger and especially when his friends are in trouble. When given time to think about the danger he is in, Laguna can become hesitant, but he is always willing to put his life on the line for the sake of justice.

Laguna is known for making up phrases on the fly whenever he does not know the correct words to a phrase, or just getting it wrong altogether. Laguna's friends laugh at him for his mistakes to which Laguna usually becomes embarrassed and ends the conversation. He is known for his inability to talk to women, though he exclaims it is only "beautiful women" around whom he gets nervous. When Laguna gets nervous his left leg cramps up.

When the player first meets Laguna he wears his Galbadian soldier uniform, albeit without the helmet. His normal attire consists of a medium blue jacket with white studs and grooves, white undershirt, brown pants, black boots and dog tags. As he ages Laguna adopts a casual appearance, wearing a baby-blue button-up shirt with khaki slacks and sandals with his hair tied back, still sporting his dog tags.

Story
Laguna is said to hail from Deling City, though most of his childhood and early adulthood remain a mystery. During his twenties, Laguna joins the Galbadian Army, and participates in the effort to invade Timber. His real dream is to become a traveling journalist, acquiring information about the world and writing about his experiences. In the army Laguna is best friends with Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac and the three form a platoon where they share each other's dreams and ambitions, Laguna's being the only one mentioned in the game.

Throughout their time and adventures together, the three frequently fall victim to Laguna's clumsy nature, though always managing to complete their mission. During this time Laguna is in love with Deling City hotel's lounge pianist, Julia Heartilly, who feels the same way about him, but all of their interactions end awkwardly due to Laguna's nervousness.

One night, at the behest of Kiros and Ward, Laguna manages the nerve to walk up to Julia's piano while she is playing, and though his leg cramps up and he is forced to retreat, Julia invites him up to her room to talk where the two share their life dreams before confessing they have always watched each other from afar. Julia eventually writes the song "Eyes on Me" as dedication to their love. Their romance is cut short, however, when Laguna, Kiros and Ward are called away to Centra and end up fighting for their lives against Esthar soldiers.

Laguna and his friends are injured while fighting off hordes of enemy forces and with no other options left, Laguna tosses his friends off the side of a cliff into the ocean before following after them himself. Laguna does not make the jump gracefully, plummeting to the waters, unconscious. The three are separated and Laguna drifts until he washes up on a shore where a woman named Raine finds him and together with her adopted daughter, Ellone, looks after him.

For the next six months Laguna is bed-ridden due to his injuries. Raine nurses him back to health and he forms a close bond with her and Ellone, who refers to him as "Uncle Laguna". All the working men in the town of Winhill have been sent off to the war and so Laguna becomes the self-appointed "Monster Hunter of Winhill". He declares Raine to be his commander and Ellone to be the assistant-commander, but never lets either of them go out with him on his hunting.

After another six months roll by; Kiros, who has been searching for Laguna ever since he recovered eleven months ago, finally finds him and tells him what has been going on with Ward and Julia. Ward has permanently lost his voice and become a janitor at the D-District Prison (which Laguna has trouble believing) while Julia's become a famous singer/songwriter and married a General Caraway from the Galbadian army after her "true love" never returned from war.

Laguna takes Kiros out on a monster hunting mission where he declares him his assistant, and the two talk about Laguna's plans of becoming a journalist. Upon arriving back at the house, the two eavesdrop on a conversation between Raine and Ellone about Raine marrying Laguna, to which Raine responds that they are two entirely different people, and that there are things about Laguna that are just too tentative. Afterward, Laguna gives Raine the report of how many monsters were killed and decides to rest. He hopes and prays that when he wakes up, he is not anywhere but where he is right now, so that he can see Ellone and Raine again. Kiros responds that Laguna's changed a lot since they last met.

Laguna and Raine fall in love and Laguna proposes to her in the middle of a field and the two marry shortly after. One day Sorceress Adel's forces kidnap Ellone to Esthar while Laguna is away with Kiros getting his first article published in the Timber Maniacs magazine. Laguna promises Raine he will bring Ellone back to Winhill, and an unknowingly pregnant Raine promises she will be waiting for him. Laguna and Kiros recruit their old friend Ward and the search for Ellone begins.

Along the way, the three encounter many difficulties in finding Ellone and getting into Esthar. They participate in a movie deal to raise money for their travels where Laguna fights a Ruby Dragon with a gunblade, a weapon he hasn't used since his training at the military academy. With the help of Kiros and Ward, they escape from the dragons' nest hidden on the mountainside. At one point, Laguna meets with Edea Kramer in her orphanage and asks her to keep an eye out for Ellone, as well as Sorceress Adel, as she's looking for a successor for her Sorceress Power. Laguna eventually becomes separated from Kiros and Ward and becomes injured, this time winding up in Shumi Village where he repays the Shumis' kindness and befriends the Moombas, attempting to teach them to speak. The Moombas learn only a single word, "Laguna", which they exclaim whenever they see him.

Laguna reunites with Kiros and Ward and they find a way into Esthar by walking across the Horizon Bridge, but are captured and become imprisoned within the Lunatic Pandora Laboratory, where they join the resistance against Sorceress Adel. Laguna is appointed their leader after displaying his kindness to one of the Moombas, and immediately afterwards stages a jailbreak. After escaping, Laguna and the others find Ellone, who has been kept safe the entire time by Dr. Odine who wants to study her power to send a person's consciousness back in time.

To come up with a plan for capturing Sorceress Adel the resistance end up at the Sorceress Memorial, and as part of their plan to seal away the evil sorceress, they construct an armored cryo-capsule, placing it inside the Memorial. They craft a simulacrum image of Ellone, whom Adel is searching to continue her reign of terror through her successor, and use it as a bait. Once Adel is informed Ellone is being held inside the newly constructed building, the sorceress transports herself there at once. Within the Memorial Adel sees the fake Ellone, but before she can act Laguna pushes her into the cryo-tomb (later known as Adel's Tomb) where she is trapped and flash-frozen.

Because of his bravery and wisdom, the people of Esthar appoint Laguna the new president, replacing Adel's former reign. Laguna sends Ellone back to Winhill where she stays with Raine as she gives birth to Laguna's child. Raine dies soon after giving birth and Ellone and the child are sent to Edea's Orphanage on Centra. Laguna later hears Raine has died and Ellone has been taken to an orphanage, but never learns his son's fate.

Laguna remains the president of Esthar for the next seventeen years, and because of his duties to uphold a policy of seclusion and neutrality for his nation, he cannot get away to see Ellone, who has been hidden away from the world to protect her on the White SeeD Ship. He eventually sends for Ellone to bring her to Esthar, and when visiting the Lunar Base to oversee Adel's Tomb with Ellone, Squall arrives on the base with Rinoa, seeking Ellone's powers to revive Rinoa. Laguna only interacts with Squall and his friends with his space suit on, concealing his identity.

Towards the end of the game, Laguna finally meets Squall and the forces of SeeD face-to-face when they are called to Esthar for a mission to defeat Sorceress Ultimecia. Laguna aids Squall's party in infiltrating Lunatic Pandora, a fortress-like structure excavated from the ruined civilization of Centra, where Adel, being possessed by Ultimecia, is being held after her tomb fell due to the recent Lunar Cry incident. When Ellone sends Ultimecia's consciousness back in time it triggers the time compression, which lets Squall and his friends travel to the future and defeat her once and for all. In the end Laguna visits Raine's grave in Winhill and is joined by Ellone, Kiros and Ward, while Balamb Garden soars overhead.

Though not directly confirmed, it is heavily implied that Laguna's unknown son is Squall. Kiros remarks Squall looks like his mother and should be grateful he doesn't look like his father, implying he knows Squall's parents. Near the end of the game, Laguna mentions that Ellone has "told him everything", and tells Squall that once Ultimecia is defeated, the two of them have a lot to talk about. This would also explain several other connections between them, such as the Moomba recognizing Squall's blood as Laguna's, and why Squall's mind is the one always connected to Laguna's when Ellone uses her powers to send Squall back in time.

In Battle
Laguna is playable in the dream sequences and always takes over Squall's junctions during the scenes. Battles fought as Laguna have unique battle music.

Weapons
Laguna's machine gun is a standard Galbadian machine gun he wields during his travels in Final Fantasy VIII. During a minigame Laguna also briefly fights with a gunblade.

In Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy Laguna continues to use his machine gun as his primary weapon, but also has an arsenal of different firearms and explosives: shotgun, a close range weapon capable of being charged up to increase its range and damage; sniper rifle, which, aside from shooting directly at the target, can aim at walls, the ground and ceilings to make the bullet ricochet, and, like the shotgun, the rifle can be charged up, enabling it to shoot multiple bullets; sticky bombs, special grenades that stick to the target before blowing up, and a miniature Ragnarok Cannon, a scaled version of the Ragnarok airship that works as a portable laser cannon. When performing his EX Burst Laguna rides the Ragnarok cannon while blasting the opponent with laser beams.

Limit Break
Desperado – Laguna's Limit Break – damages all enemies at once. He first pulls out a hand-grenade, arms and tosses it into the middle of his opponents, then shoots a grappling hook above him and, as he swings from side to side on the grapple, fires multiple rounds with his machine gun down upon his enemies. Laguna jumps off the rope and lands with his back towards the foes as the grenade explodes, dealing damage to all enemies. It has a base attack power of 140.

Creation and Development
Kazushige Nojima planned for the two playable parties featured in the game — Squall Leonhart's present day group and Laguna Loire's group of twenty years in the past — to contrast with one another. Laguna's group consists of characters in their late twenties who have a lot of combat experience and are close friends who have fought together for a long time and trust one another. Squall's party on the other hand is young and inexperienced, and Squall himself does not initially understand the value of friendship.

The concept of two main characters was planned since the beginning of the game's development. Tetsuya Nomura tried to create a contrast between Laguna's and Squall's occupations; thus, Laguna became a soldier and Squall became a mercenary student. The designers intended Laguna to be similar to the previous protagonists in the Final Fantasy series to complement Squall, who is different from previous main characters.

Though it is never directly stated, it is heavily implied that Laguna is Squall's father. When Laguna left Winhill Raine was pregnant, and both the baby and Ellone were taken to Edea's orphanage, which is where Squall grew up. Additionally, it is stated that Moombas can recognize people after having tasted or smelled their blood - Squall being Laguna's son would explain why the Moombas in the prison chant "Laguna" upon meeting him.

Laguna always shares Squall's stats during the flashback sequences, and carries Squall's Triple Triad card. Ward and Kiros seem to be aware of their relationship: if they are spoken to aboard the Ragnarok at the end of the game, Ward tells Squall he should be glad he does not resemble his father, and Kiros states he resembles his mother, indicating the two of them know Squall's parents.

Various examples of unused backgrounds hint that Laguna may have possessed a lime-green convertible truck during his time in Winhill and used it during Ellone's second abduction. Laguna's black-and-white intro picture depicts him driving the said car and the artisan in Shumi Village has a miniature model of it, Shumi Village being one of the locations Laguna spent time in. The car, however, is never used as Laguna's car in the final game.

Musical Themes
Laguna's theme is "The Man with the Machine Gun", which is used as the battle theme for the scenes in which the player controls Laguna's party. The song has also appeared in the Dissidia Final Fantasy series, in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy and in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon, and has appeared in numerous arranged albums and been performed in Final Fantasy concerts.

Pocket Station Memorycard Icons
An icon sprite of Laguna appears in the Pocket Station memorycard file manager.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy


Laguna appears in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy as a new warrior fighting for Cosmos. He acts as a brother-like figure to the other warriors, mediating them and offering advice, but is at odds with Lightning and Squall, who dislike his carefree and friendly attitude. Laguna and Vaan travel together but are separated before Laguna meets the Cloud of Darkness.

Denying his attraction to her and admitting he fights only to return home and not out of a personal interest in Cosmos's victory, the Cloud of Darkness is intrigued by him and tells him where the manikins are coming from, desiring to see if he will seek them out knowing it is a suicide mission. Laguna relays this information to the other Warriors of Cosmos, and six of the survivors find the portal the manikins are coming from and sacrifice themselves to close it, Laguna among them.

Though Laguna interacts with Squall in the Reports, neither is aware of their true connection.

Laguna's first alternate outfit is his Galbadian soldier uniform, giving him a blue outfit with gray armor on the arms and torso. His second alternate outfit is his attire while president of Esthar, a light blue shirt with khaki pants. As a bonus fourth outfit available for download, Laguna dons his Sorceress Knight armor from the film he stars in one of the flashbacks in Final Fantasy VIII, a full suit of plate armor with a purple skirt-like covering over the thighs.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Laguna appears in many cards in Final Fantasy Trading Card Game.

Etymology
Laguna is the Romanian, Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Tagalog and Spanish word for "lagoon", a shallow body of salt water separated from larger seas by small sandbanks or coral reefs. This is fitting as both his wife and son share a name linking to water, although the word Laguna is a feminine noun in each language. His surname, Loire, may come from a French river.

Additionally, "Laguna" is a Spanish term for a "mental blackout"; periods where one loses consciousness and is unable to remember what happened during that time when one wakes up. This resembles how Squall and his party lose consciousness every time they are entering a Laguna flashback.

In Basque, "laguna" means "the friend".

Further contrast between the two protagonists can be seen in their etymology of their names:, "Laguna" referring to a calm and serene body of water, and "Squall" referring to a chaotic and tempestuous windstorm.

Laguna's name in Japanese, ラグナ, "Raguna" is spelled the same as the first three characters in the name of the Ragnarok . This is noted in-game when Laguna says, "I always wanted to ride that thing. Plus the name sounds so cool!".

Trivia

 * The film Laguna and his friends were in while raising money, would directly inspire the dream of Squall's rival, Seifer Almasy. After seeing the film, Seifer became inspired to become a Sorceress Knight like the character Laguna played, who, according to the Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania, was named "Zefer", similar to "Seifer". This is why, if one looks closely, Seifer has the same battle stance as Laguna did when playing in the film - Seifer copied his stance from Laguna's portrayal.
 * When approaching his office within the presidential palace in Esthar, a detailed portrait of downtown Winhill is placed just above the doors.
 * In the Debug Menu, amongst the FMVs listed for disc 2, are ones called Laguna/Squall watching the moon. When played, they show scenes from the Clash of the Gardens - indicating these FMVs were left out. There also exists a promotional CG artwork that depicts Squall and Laguna looking at the night sky, which may have been part of this unused FMV at one point.
 * Laguna's Limit Break, Desperado, is the Japanese name of Sazh Katzroy's Full ATB Skill in Final Fantasy XIII. The name was changed in the English releases.
 * In Dissidia Final Fantasy, a Ghost Card bearing Laguna's name can be fought. The Laguna ghost is a Level 24 Squall, equipped with Mythril equipment and the Machine Gun weapon, a reference to Laguna's signature artillery. The accessories White Gem and Occult Fan can be won from the ghost via battlegen. The quote on the card "Just for that, you're gettin' the Cuchi-cuchi treatment" is what Laguna said to Ward during their escape from Esthar soldiers in Centra Excavation Site. The Occult Fan is in reference to the magazine that can be collected in the Estharian presidential palace.
 * Laguna was originally planned to appear in Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, and a scenario was planned where he would be the one in charge of the Mirage Arena. However, due to his inclusion in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, he was left out.