As much as people say Cloud and Tifa from "Final Fantasy VII" is the best couple out of the "Final Fantasy" video game franchise, I'll say Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly from "Final Fantasy VIII" is the best. Here are the reasons why.
1. The first meeting between them is amazing
During the Seed inauguration party, Squall leans against the wall with a sullen face and stays distant from the people dancing on the ballroom floor. He catches the attention of the charming Rinoa, who walks towards him and drags him onto the dance floor even though he tells her that he does not know how to dance. What's beautiful about this moment is that even though Squall messes up on dancing, Rinoa never gives up on him. She continuously gets him dancing with her and even they bumped into another dancing couple, Rinoa scowls at the couple instead of at Squall. In the end, Squall dances perfectly and is at sync with Rinoa and with the rest of the dancing couples. The dance concludes with them looking into each other's eyes, their faces and lips inches apart while fireworks soar up in the sky. Rinoa and Squall look up at the fireworks and at one moment we get to see Squall finally smile for once. Then Rinoa leaves him to go see Headmaster Cid, leaving Squall dumbfounded as he sees her walking away from him.
2. The interactions between them are so poignant
The bond between them becomes more romantic and it's evident that Squall is falling in love with her. Squall becomes more open about him when he tells Rinoa things about himself that he never tells his friends. Rinoa also confesses that Squall is her happiness and comfort. Then upon learning that Rinoa is a sorceress that is a vessel to the powerful Ultimecia and that she is to be arrested by the Esthar government once they land, Squall comforts her and hugs her tightly. After Rinoa is arrested, Squall and his friends go rescue Rinoa. Squall frees Rinoa, and the two embraces. After, Rinoa asks Squall to kill her if any case she is possessed by Ultimecia but Squall tells her he will never do such a thing and that Ultimecia is his enemy, not her. Squall also reassures that even if Rinoa becomes the world's enemy, he will be her knight to protect her. At the end of the game, Squall smiles at Rinoa and pulls her to a kiss.
3. Their love story is a lot deeper than we think
Apparently, Squall and Rinoa's romance represents the reconciled love of Squall's father, Laguna Loire, and Rinoa's mother, Julie Heartilly. Laguna is a soldier who falls in love with night bar singer Julie and as soon as they gained mutual feelings for each other, Laguna is called away on an important mission and Julie waits for his return. However, she never hears from him again. She then marries someone else and composes her number one hit song, "Eyes on Me," which is used as the theme song of the game as well as the accompanying theme to the blossoming love between Squall and Rinoa.
Do you agree with these reasons? Do they make you love the couple even more?
