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Rinoa Heartilly
Final Fantasy character
Rinoa as drawn by Tetsuya Nomura
First gameFinal Fantasy VIII (1999)[1]
Created byKazushige Nojima
Designed byTetsuya Nomura
Voiced byEN: Skyler Davenport
JA: Kana Hanazawa
In-universe information
WeaponBlaster Edge[2]
HomeGalbadia

Rinoa Heartilly (Japanese: リノア・ハーティリー, Hepburn: Rinoa Hātirī) is a character and the co-protagonist of Square's (now Square Enix) 1999 role-playing video game Final Fantasy VIII. She is a teenaged member of a resistance faction known as the Forest Owls. After she recruits protagonist Squall Leonhart and his friends, she decides to stay with his group and falls in love with Squall in the process. During their adventure, she is briefly possessed by the evil sorceress Ultimecia and becomes a sorceress herself once the spirit leaves her body. After defeating Ultimecia, Rinoa and Squall become a couple. Rinoa has also made cameo appearances in other Final Fantasy and Square Enix games.

Character artist Tetsuya Nomura designed her to be cute, not beautiful, as he wanted to create a character whose personality would leave an impression on the player. He felt that the more realistic graphical capabilities the original PlayStation could provide, along with advances like full motion video, made female characters too beautiful and was overshadowing their personalities. The design team set out from the beginning to make Rinoa's clothing more realistic than past Final Fantasy games.

Critics and players alike have praised Rinoa for her personality and her beauty. They also praised her romance with Squall, calling both their relationship and Final Fantasy VIII one of the most romantic Final Fantasy titles. Some reviewers, however, called their relationship forced and criticized that they expressed their feelings so late in the story.

Character design

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Kana Hanazawa voiced Rinoa in Japanese in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT.

Character artist Tetsuya Nomura found Rinoa the hardest character to design in Final Fantasy VIII.[3] Nomura emphasized that he tried to avoid letting the possibilities presented by the recent advancements in full-motion video technology become the entire focus.[4] He believed that these innovations might tempt developers to make their female characters "too beautiful" and focus more on physical appearance than personality.[4] With this concern in mind, Nomura set out to avoid making Rinoa gorgeous and simply make her "cute" instead.[4] To further emphasize this, he wrote a list of vocabulary traits and physical habits for Rinoa's character that he felt conveyed this idea of "cute, not gorgeous", and sent them to scenario writer Kazushige Nojima along with the character's design.[4]

Designers also based Rinoa's appearance on feedback Nojima got after developing Final Fantasy VII. The women on the development team wanted a different design as they were concerned it was not realistic for a female character to fight in a miniskirt.[5] Yoshinori Kitase, the director of Final Fantasy VIII, designed the game's logo, which shows a male and female character embracing. Kitase wanted to make fans curious about why the couple was embracing.[6] The games' Event Director Hiroki Chiba said that his favorite moment in the Final Fantasy franchise was Squall and Rinoa's embrace with Faye Wong's "Eyes On Me" playing.[7] Chiba listened to the song many times to make the scene's action line up precisely.[7]

For the Kingdom Hearts series, some parts of Squall's design were changed to reference Rinoa's, most notably the wings in his jacket. Nomura stated that the reason Rinoa did not appear in the franchise was because he did not have a clear understanding of Rinoa's personality.[8] Rinoa's first voiced appearance was in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, with Kana Hanazawa providing her voice in Japanese, and Skyler Davenport performing the English version.[9][10]

Appearances

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In Final Fantasy VIII

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Rinoa Heartilly is the 17-year-old daughter of General Caraway, a high-ranking officer in the Galbadian army, and Julia Heartilly, a famous singer.[11][12][13] Over the course of the game, she falls in love with the protagonist, Squall Leonhart.[11][14][15] Rinoa is a member of the "Forest Owls", a tiny resistance faction seeking to liberate the small nation of Timber from Galbadian occupation.[16] She is called the "princess" of the group.[17] Rinoa first meets Squall at the SeeD inauguration ball at Balamb Garden. During the dance, she manages to charm the usually antisocial Squall into dancing with her.[18][11] She then hires Squall and his mercenary friends Zell Dincht and Selphie Tilmitt to fight for the Forest Owls. After failing to assassinate Sorceress Edea for her crimes against Timber, the Forest Owls escape the sorceress and Rinoa decides to stay with the group.[19][20]

While at the Fishermans Horizon, she shares a moment with Squall during a concert performed by other members of her group.[21] Later on, the evil Sorceress Ultimecia possesses Rinoa after losing control of Edea, which causes Rinoa to fall into a coma-like state.[22] Ultimecia then uses Rinoa to release Sorceress Adel from her orbital prison.[23] Ultimecia then possesses Adel and leaves Rinoa to die. Squall rescues her and the two share another personal moment on the Ragnarok spaceship.[24][25] Rinoa discovers that she now has Edea's magical powers from her time possessed by Ultimecia, making her a Sorceress as well.[26] Fearful of sorceresses, the Esthar government imprisons her but Squall convinces himself to rescue her.[27] During the game's ending, she reunites with Squall and kisses him on the Balamb Garden balcony for the first time.

Other appearances

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Rinoa appears in Square's and Sony's PlayStation 2 technology demo. Originally a pre-rendered video, the demo recreated the ballroom dance scene in real-time.[28][29] She appears in several other games, such as the 2012 rhythm video game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy and in the role-playing video game Puzzle & Dragons as part of a Final Fantasy collaboration.[30][31] Her outfits are available for players to put on their characters in the video game Gunslinger Stratos 2.[32] Rinoa, accompanied by her pet dog Angelo, appears as a playable character in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT.[33] Rinoa and Angelo are also available for recruitment in the free-to-play mobile game Dissidia Opera Omnia.[34]

Reception

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Rinoa Heartilly has been mostly well received by video game critics and the general public. Japanese fans voted Rinoa as the tenth favorite female Final Fantasy character in an official Square Enix survey in 2013.[35] In 2020 NHK conducted an All-Final Fantasy Grand Poll of Japanese players, with Rinoa ranked as the thirty fifth greatest Final Fantasy character by Japanese respondents.[36] David Smith at IGN UK regarded her as one of the franchises' most memorable characters.[37]

Natalie Flores from Paste Magazine praised her character arc as Rinoa starts as a pacifist heroine and becomes motivated to aid SeeD to defeat Edea and Ultimecia.[38] Mike Gorby, writing for Goomba Stomp, observed that Rinoa subverts gender stereotypes and roles expected of a typical female character and compared her favorably to Squall as he found her more realistic.[39] When Game Revolution's Johnny Liu expressed the wish that the game had voice acting, he specifically mentioned Rinoa.[15] She has been noted due to her beauty by multiple video game publications.[28][40] IGN's Justin Kaehler and Naomi Cheung remembered the "hot" Rinoa as one of the game's main strengths.[41] GamesRadar described her as "rough around the polygonal edges", but also "feminine enough to make fanboys latch on for years to come".[42]

Some critics focused on the relationship between Rinoa and Squall. IGN noted that their first dance together was both cute and awkward.[43] Aneni Soren of RPGamer wrote a feature article about the "great" relationship between Squall and Rinoa.[44] Jenni Lada of TechnologyTell ranked Final Fantasy VIII as the third most romantic Final Fantasy game.[45] IGN's Ryan Clements called Final Fantasy VIII "one of the best examples of the innocent relationship" based on how subtle it was.[46] IGN UK also ranked the pair as one of the best romances in Final Fantasy and gaming in general.[47][48] RPGFan found their relationship complicated to like as despite Rinoa's being easygoing with Squall on their first meetings with the protagonist, the fact that she previously dated the antagonistic Seifer made it complicated to take Rinoa properly and instead cannot find himself able to flirt with Rinoa back.[49]

On the other hand, Charlie Barratt of GamesRadar listed her as an example of "lazy character cliches".[50] Ashley Reed of GamesRadar criticized the over-reliance of Rinoa's character on the damsel in distress cliche, alongside other traits that made the character unlikable.[51] Brett Elston, also from GamesRadar, believed her character was too stereotypical.[52] Elston opined that the couple's relationship was a "most forced, uninteresting romance" comparing them to the main cast from the film Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.[52] IGN's Jeff Lundigran criticized that they did not express their feelings until late in the game and that players expected more romance from the game's promotional images.[14] Reflecting on the divisive reception received, Flores from Paste Magazine called them the most misunderstood characters in the Final Fantasy series.[38]

A popular fan theory about the game was that the overarching antagonist of Final Fantasy VIII, Ultimecia, is Rinoa from the future.[53] Reed also included the theory of Rinoa being Ultimecia on the list of top nine lingering plotlines in video games.[54] According to Glenn Morrow of RPGamer, most of the arguments in favor of it have potential but also opined that the theory is "in no way" plausible.[53] Kitase debunked this theory when interviewed during the PAX West 2017 event, conceding that while there are similarities, such as both being sorceresses, they are not the same person.[55]

Legacy

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According to Official PlayStation Magazine, "the Final Fantasy VIII characters have certainly been embraced by the Japanese gaming public. At the Tokyo Game Show [1999], there were hundreds of people dressed up as Final Fantasy VIII characters", including Rinoa. Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima said that "it is scary to think about the impact that a game can give to the society". Art director Yusuke Naora also said that "I sometimes really admire them for the time, energy, and money they spent on the costumes".[3] Rinoa, an English post-metal group active from 2007 to 2010, was named after the Final Fantasy character.[56] The 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World includes a dream sequence referencing a similar scene involving Squall and Rinoa at the end of the game.[57] In 2011, American beauty YouTuber Michelle Phan made a tutorial on how to recreate Rinoa Heartilly's make-up.[58]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Rinoa Heartilly Profile". IGN UK. June 1, 2014. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  2. ^ "Final Fantasy VIII Characters Rinoa". Square Enix. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Hill, Jason (November 1999). "Fantasy World". Official NZ PlayStation Magazine. ACP Publishing (NZ). Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d Knight, Sheila (2003). "Tetsuya Nomura 20s". FLAREgamer. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2006.
  5. ^ Sato (October 9, 2019). "Kazushige Nojima Talks About Early Internet Criticism On FF7 That Influenced Final Fantasy VIII". Siliconera. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  6. ^ Coxon, Sachi (June 5, 2003). "Final Fantasy VIII interview". PlayStation Tripod. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Wallace, Kimberley (April 29, 2016). "Final Fantasy Masterminds Reminisce About Their Favorite Moments". Game Informer. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  8. ^ Kingdom Hearts Ultimania. Square Enix. 2002. p. 530.
  9. ^ "【速報】『FFVIII』のリノア（声：花澤香菜）が『ディシディア ファイナルファンタジー』に参戦！！". Famitsu. July 10, 2018. Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  10. ^ Square Enix Team (August 13, 2018). "DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY NT Gives Rinoa a voice and introduces a new level!". Square Enix. Archived from the original on June 19, 2020. Retrieved Jun 18, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c Square Electronic Arts, ed. (1999). Final Fantasy VIII North American instruction manual. Square Electronic Arts. pp. 6–9. SLUS-00892GH.
  12. ^ Square Co. Final Fantasy VIII. Square Co. Kiros: "Heard she recently got married." / Raine: "Oh yeah! To some army general, right? General Caraway or something?" / Kiros: "I'm not too sure." / Raine: "I read in a magazine that her true love went off to war and never came back. General Caraway comforted her while she was feeling down. That's how they got to know each other."
  13. ^ Square Co. Final Fantasy VIII. Square Co. Squall: "Where's Rinoa?" / General Caraway: "She has not receive the type of training you all have, and may become a burden. It's for the best that she stays out of this operation." / Selphie: "So you're Rinoa's father?" / General Caraway: "I can't remember the last time she called me that." / Zell: "So the father's a top military officer, and the daughter's a member of an anti-government faction!? That's bad... Really BAD!" / General Caraway: "Yes, indeed. It's a serious problem. But it doesn't concern you. It's our problem.
  14. ^ a b Lundigran, Jeff (September 11, 1999). "Final Fantasy VIII Review". IGN. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2007.
  15. ^ a b Liu, Johnny (September 1999). "Final Fantasy VIII Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on May 4, 2006. Retrieved March 15, 2007.
  16. ^ Square Co. Final Fantasy VIII. Square Co. Zone: "Just stand anywhere you want. This is a full-scale operation. Our resistance, 'The Forest Owls', will be forever known in the pages of Timber's independence! Exciting, huh? It all started when we got a hold of top-secret info from Galbadia.
  17. ^ Square Co. Final Fantasy VIII. Square Co. Zone: "Just take it easy. Here, let me introduce you. Looks like you already met Watts. I guess it's just our princess then.
  18. ^ Square Co. Final Fantasy VIII. Square Co. Rinoa: SeeD members dance quite well, don't they? / Squall: Approach your target inconspicuously at a dance party... There may be missions requiring this sort of subterfuge. It's expected of SeeD to learn various skills.
  19. ^ Square Co (September 9, 1999). Final Fantasy VIII (PlayStation). Square EA. Squall: Our next mission... This is no ordinary mission. It's a direct order from both Balamb and Galbadia Garden. We're to [...] assassinate the sorceress.
  20. ^ Square Co (September 9, 1999). Final Fantasy VIII (PlayStation). Square EA.
  21. ^ Square Co. Final Fantasy VIII. Square Co. Rinoa: "Fine... I guess I'll have to bug you for the rest of the night. And I'm gonna keep chanting 'concert, concert, concert' and drive you nuts. Is that what you want?" / Squall: "...Oh man..." / Rinoa: "I'm getting to you already, huh? Looks like you have no choice!
  22. ^ Square Co. Final Fantasy VIII. Square Co. Zell: "Is the princess still asleep?" / Quistis: "She might wake up with a kiss from the prince." / Squall: "Is that why you came all the way out here? To tell me that?" / Quistis: "You're going to Esthar, right? We're coming, too.
  23. ^ Square Co. Final Fantasy VIII. Square Co. Rinoa: "But Edea's still... I can't guarantee anything, either, if Ultimecia possesses me again... You saw me. She controlled me in outer space and made me break Adel's seal. What might happen next time? What will I end up doing? Will I end up fighting everyone? ...Scary thought, isn't it?" "
  24. ^ Square Co. Final Fantasy VIII. Square Co. Squall: "Why are you holding onto me like this?" / Rinoa: "You don't like this, Squall?" / Squall: "Just not used to it."
  25. ^ Square Co. Final Fantasy VIII. Square Co. Rinoa: "I don't want the future. I want the present to stand still. I want to stay here with you..." / Squall: (Rinoa...) / Squall: (I don't know what to do... This is just another crossroad in my life. But, for the first time, I don't know which way to go. I've come this far because I've...fallen for you. ......Rinoa...... Now...am I just supposed to let you go?" / Voice: "Respond, Ragnarok!"
  26. ^ Square Co. Final Fantasy VIII. Square Co. Voice: "Rinoa? The sorceress!?" She's on the ship!?" / Squall: (So... It's true? Rinoa is a sorceress?) / Rinoa: "I've...become a sorceress. I can't stay with you anymore, Squall."
  27. ^ Square Co. Final Fantasy VIII. Square Co. Squall: (A fool, huh?) "...Maybe." (What am I doing...? I may never get to hear Rinoa's voice ever again... What the hell am I doing? What can I do? ...Of course...) / Quistis: "Have you decided?" / Zell: "Heading to Esthar, right?" / Squall: "Pandora whatever and Sorceress Adel are out of my hands. I don't even know where to look for Sis. The only think I know is Rinoa. The only thing I want to do for sure right now is for Rinoa. We're going to get Rinoa back!"
  28. ^ a b "Eyes on Me". Computer and Video Games. EMAP Images (UK). May 1999. p. 8. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  29. ^ Scammell, David (February 20, 2013). "A look back at some of PlayStation's historical reveal events". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  30. ^ Drake, Audrey (December 19, 2012). "Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Review". IGN UK. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  31. ^ Sato (April 10, 2015). "Zidane, Vivi, And Other Final Fantasy Characters Join Puzzle & Dragons". Siliconera. Archived from the original on June 19, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  32. ^ Romano, Sal (September 19, 2014). "Final Fantasy costumes coming to Gunslinger Stratos 2". Gematsu. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  33. ^ Harradence, Mike (August 17, 2018). "Dissidia Final Fantasy NT adds Rinoa Heartilly". Video Gamer. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  34. ^ Lada, Jenni (June 28, 2019). "The Rinoa Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia Global Debut Has Arrived". Siliconera. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  35. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 17, 2013). "Square Enix Poll: Favorite Female Final Fantasy Character". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  36. ^ Wong, Alistair (February 29, 2020). "Japan's Favorite Final Fantasy Game According to NHK's Grand Poll Is… Final Fantasy X". Siliconera. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
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  45. ^ Lada, Jenni (February 3, 2010). "5 Most romantic Final Fantasy games". TechnologyTell. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
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  54. ^ Reed, Ashley (July 1, 2014). "9 theories that transform two characters into the same person". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
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  56. ^ Robertson, Oli (August 2008). "Exposure, The Best New Music: Rinoa". Rock Sound. No. 112. London. p. 36. ISSN 1465-0185. Naming yourself after a princess from first-wave manga heaven, Final Fantasy VIII, may form a set of preconceived judgments in the potential listeners' mind...
  57. ^ Antista, Chris (November 9, 2010). "Every Scott Pilgrim vs The World videogame reference". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on July 18, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  58. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (November 7, 2011). "Watch This Lady Transform Final Fantasy VIII's Rinoa Before Your Eyes". Kotaku. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
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