Squall Leonhart is a lot of things. A child soldier. A reluctant commander. A guy who probably needs a very long nap and a therapist who doesn't try to date him. If you played Final Fantasy 8 back in 1999, you probably remember him as the "whatever" guy. He was the brooding, silent protagonist who seemed to hate everyone around him.
But honestly? That’s a surface-level take.
If you actually look at the internal monologue—the text that pops up in brackets while Squall is staring blankly at his friends—you realize he isn't a jerk. He’s terrified. He is a seventeen-year-old kid with massive abandonment issues who was trained by a military academy (Balamb Garden) to be a living weapon. When you're raised to be a mercenary, "emotional vulnerability" isn't exactly on the curriculum.
The "Whatever" Misconception
People love to meme the English localization of Squall. In the US version, his catchphrase is "...Whatever." It makes him sound like a dismissive teenager who just discovered emo music.
However, the original Japanese text paints a different picture. His responses were often more along the lines of "Excuse me" or "I'm sorry," delivered with a heavy dose of social anxiety rather than pure arrogance. Squall doesn't talk because he thinks he's better than you; he doesn't talk because he’s afraid that if he lets people in, they’ll eventually leave.
It’s a defense mechanism.
He lost his "Sis" (Ellone) at a young age, and that trauma effectively froze his emotional development. He decided that if he never depends on anyone, he can never be hurt when they disappear. It’s a lonely way to live, but for a kid whose job involves fighting T-Rexaurs in a training center, it feels like survival.
That Ridiculous Gunblade (And Why It Works)
Let’s talk about the Revolver.
The Gunblade is easily one of the most iconic weapons in gaming history, even if it makes zero sense from a physics standpoint. You aren't actually shooting bullets out of the tip of the sword. That's a common mistake.
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Here is how it actually works:
The Gunblade uses a firing mechanism to trigger a percussion cap or a blank cartridge. This sends a massive vibration through the blade exactly as it hits the target. In the game, you represent this by hitting the R1 trigger (on the old PlayStation controllers) right at the moment of impact.
It’s tactile. It’s rewarding. It’s also wildly impractical.
Think about the recoil. Every time Squall "fires" his blade, he’s absorbing that shock into his wrists and shoulders. It explains why he’s so physically rigid. He’s a specialist in a weapon that almost nobody else can master—Seifer Almasy is his only real rival in this—and that mastery is part of his identity. He defines himself by his utility because he doesn't know how to define himself by his personality.
The Rinoa Heartilly Factor
The romance in Final Fantasy 8 is the actual plot. The time compression and the sorceresses are basically just backdrops for Squall learning how to be a human being.
Rinoa is the polar opposite of Squall. She’s loud, she’s pushy, and she’s a "princess" of a resistance faction (The Forest Owls) that is, frankly, pretty bad at resisting. She forces herself into his space. She makes him dance. She makes him care.
One of the most poignant moments in the game—and one that many players forget—is when Rinoa falls into a coma. Squall, the man who claimed he didn't need anyone, suddenly loses his mind. He carries her on his back across a literal bridge to a forbidden country (Esthar) just for the chance that someone can wake her up.
He abandons his post. He abandons his logic.
It’s messy. It’s desperate. It’s exactly how a teenager in love actually behaves. By the time they’re floating in the vacuum of space on the Ragnarok, Squall has finally dropped the "lone wolf" act. He realizes that the pain of potential loss is worth the warmth of actually being known by someone.
Why Squall Still Matters in 2026
We live in an era where "relatable" protagonists are everywhere, but Squall was ahead of his time. He’s an introvert struggling with imposter syndrome. When Headmaster Cid suddenly makes him the leader of the entire Garden, Squall’s first thought isn't "I'm a hero." It’s "Why me? I can't handle this responsibility."
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He worries about what people say behind his back. He wonders if he’s doing a good job. He’s a leader who would rather be in the back of the room.
Key Takeaways for Your Next Playthrough:
- Read the Monologues: Don't just skip the dialogue. Squall’s internal thoughts are where the real character development happens.
- Trigger Timing: If you’re playing the Remaster, turn off the "auto-critical" cheats. Manually hitting the trigger for the Gunblade is part of the "vibe" of being Squall.
- Laguna Parallel: Pay attention to the Dream World sequences. Squall is the son Laguna never got to raise, and the contrast between Laguna’s bumbling charm and Squall’s icy professionalism is intentional.
If you’re looking to dive back into the world of FF8, try focusing on the Junction system early. Getting high-level magic like Tornado or Quake and junctioning them to Squall’s Strength (STR) stat makes him an absolute monster in combat. You can basically one-shot most bosses if you keep his HP low enough to trigger his "Renzokuken" limit break.
Just don't forget to keep a few Phoenix Downs handy. Even a legendary mercenary needs a little help sometimes.
Next Step: Check out the "Triple Triad" card game within Balamb Garden. You can refine cards into powerful items that give Squall his best weapon, the Lion Heart, as early as Disc 1 if you're patient enough.