Ultimecia's words (FFVIII SPOILER)

[Seunia]

Near the end of FFVIII, while fighting Ultimecia's final form, she says these words: "Reflect on your...childhood...your sensation...your words...your emotions.......Time...it will not wait...no matter...how hard you hold on...it escapes you...and......."
I wonder what she wanted to say. It doesn't sound as intimidating as before. More like she wants to warn her opponents. Almost as if she was accepting her defeat and admitting that she wasn't able to control time. But it's only my opinion. What do you think?

 

[Ite]

WARNING: Post written under the influence:

I don't know. I always assumed it was generic bull, but this line stands out all of a sudden.

"Reflect on your childhood..?"

Is this a reference to the scene at the orphanage where Ultimecia dies and Edea absorbs her power?

Hmm... Ultimecia said this *before* she arrived in Squall's past, so she shouldn't be able to know that she appears in Squall's childhood, although that's a neat coincidence. I'm not sure what kind of effect Time Compression had on people's memories, if they could remember their futures or not. Because that scene happens in Squall's past, but Ultimecia's future. I don't think anyone else caught up in Time Compression could see their futures... unless that was what Squall witnessed in his crazy LSD trip, but mostly he just saw his memories being eaten by the GFs in his brain.

Alternate solution: she was reading Squall's mind. Using the same technique she used to create Griever.

We know she shows up in Squall's childhood wanting to die -- perhaps she saw a vision of her future death, of herself losing the fight, and wanted to direct Squall's mind to that place so that she could just get it over with..?

Man, when you create a story with static time model and then compress it into a wet ball, it sure is a mind screw.

(or maybe she's Rinoa, and knows the story that way)

 

[Ghost X]

What's the original japanese wording of that sentence? Perhaps its been taken out of context . I sure as hell don't remember what she was talking about. She said other stuff too, no?

 

[Makoeyes987]

The entire statement is a reflection of Ultimecia's ultimate motivation in terms of her enacting Time Compression.

Ultimecia ultimately wants to stop time forever. By compressing time, space, existence...everything into one singularity that all is apart of her being..she controls everything. Because time is the ultimate, all powerful force that enslaves one's life and existence.

"Reflect on your...childhood...your sensation...your words...your emotions.......Time...it will not wait...no matter...how hard you hold on...it escapes you...and......."

Basically, she's saying that no matter how hard you try to hold onto something...be it a memory, a person, a feeling, or an event...eventually it ends. Eventually, time progresses and leaves it behind so that it no longer exists. Your childhood friends will grow up and die, your emotions will dull, your memories will fade, and eventually you too will be lost to time.

Ultimecia wanted to dominate time through Time Compression. And never be shackled by the chains of time again.

The whole theme of FFVIII is basically "time" and how unfortunately, the past moves on and you have to deal with it, grow up, and move on. Ultimecia, unfortunately never accepted that.

 

[Ite]

Hmmm interesting. Gonna ponder that for a while...

What I like about FFVIII is how NOT-often I think about it, and then once every two years I re-read TresDias' Time Travel manifesto (which fucking changed my life) or read a thread like this that sends me into like two-day-long philisophocal tangents. FFVIII's strength is its ability to upset your brain outside of playtime. If only all games had that.

 

[Lex]

once every two years I re-read TresDias' Time Travel manifesto

Could you or someone possibly link me to this? I can't find it.

EDIT: Never mind, found it. I assume you mean the time/Ultimecia plot FAQ that's posted on GameFAQ's and co-authored by the 2 other peeps.

 

[Seunia]

Thanks for your time Mr. Ite and Makoeyes987. Those are interesting theories
You know, when I finished the game, these words just stayed in my head for days...I dunno why. FFVIII has such a memorable story...

 

[Arianna]

The whole theme of FFVIII is basically "time" and how unfortunately, the past moves on and you have to deal with it, grow up, and move on. Ultimecia, unfortunately never accepted that.

Or, she learned and accepted it at the final moments of her life, when it's too late to do anything. Sad.

 

[Seunia]

Here's the Japanese translation of her speech. It surely makes it a lot easier to understand:

http://radiantbutterfly.tumblr.com/p...gue-comparison
Thanks to Squall Leonhart for providing the link

 

[Jason Tandro]

Four Words: Squall Is Dead Theory

 

[trash panda]

Four Words: Squall Is Dead Theory

These fan theories (Rin/Ulti included) make FFVIII much more interesting to me. I think my favorite thing about the game was Ultimecia's final dungeon. The story on the other hand...well...thank goodness the fanbase is creative enough to flesh it out with good theories.