Kupo Chronicle #15 - Whatever Do You Mean?

"(I dreamt they thought I was a moron.)"

Welcome to the Kupo Chronicle, the premium edition of the Wark Digest newsletter, where we explore the Final Fantasy universe in long-form and drill down into unique moments of the series’ history. I’m Chris, aka Hoogathy, and in this installment we get inside the head of one of the franchise’s most misunderstood heroes—how the reception to him and his game have changed over the years, and why the current misconceptions do him a disservice.

This week’s newsletter is 3035 words, a 14-minute read.

---

The Lone Lion

Smack-dab in the middle of the PlayStation 1’s lifecycle, the “golden age” of JRPGs, and the height of Final Fantasy’s ascension on Sony’s new hardware, came Final Fantasy VIII and its protagonist, the gunblade-wielding Squall Leonhart. Final Fantasy VII had left big (oversized) footsteps to fill; Cloud Strife and his signature Buster Sword had quickly become icons in the industry, thanks to the game’s success, so all eyes were on Squaresoft to create another iconic hero.

Flip through the comment sections of articles about the game¹, or discussions reminiscing about the experience of playing it in 1999, and you’ll quickly see him called something to the effect of “whiny” or “brooding.” Many players recall that either they or their schoolyard friends hated him, even if they loved the game itself.

Like his game itself, time has left Squall somewhat misunderstood. So, as the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy VIII’s English release approaches, let’s take a deep dive into this young mercenary to see if he really is a lion, or if he’s just cryin’. (Okay, one thing’s for sure, he would hate that pun.)

---

Time Compression