Final Fantasy VIII (Anime Structure)

Season One:

Episode #1 “”: After recovering from a nasty injury received while training with Seifer, Squall is further goaded by Seifer into seeing which of them can earn Ifrit at the nearby Fire Cavern. Selphie and Zell join Squall’s team as he competes against Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin. Ifrit agrees to the terms, but also proves himself to be a strong foe. Squall deals the finishing blow to Ifrit and earns him as a Guardian Force ally.

Episode #2 “”: Quistis scolds the six when they return for their irresponsibility, but Headmaster Cid writes it off as the fire of youth and that a SeeD needs to be able to think for himself. The next day the cadets are sent to Dollet for their first mission. Seifer, Squall and Zell make up B Squad, but Seifer’s impatience leads them to climbing the broadcasting tower and battling Biggs and Wedge. Even though the two Galbaldian soldiers are defeated they accomplished their mission of reactivating the tower.

Episode #3 “”: Squall, Zell and Selphie run back to the beach all while evading the X-ATM092.

Episode #4 “”: Squall and friends graduate. Squall dances with Rinoa at the party then meets up with Quistis later.

Episode #5 “”: Cid gives Squall the lantern but Zell accidentally triggers it when they arrive at Balamb. It’s up to Squall and his team to stop Diablos from destroying Balamb. They succeed and Diablos joins their party as a GF.

Episode #6 “”: While on the train to Timber, Squall and friends enter a ‘dream world’ where they live through the eyes of three Galbaldian soldiers.

Episode #7 “”: Arriving in Timber, Squall and friends meet the Forest Owls and learn of their mission.

Episode #8 “”: SeeD and the Forest Owls execute their plan, but it all goes to waste when it turns out that the President of Galbaldia was faked. It was a trap! After escaping, Squall and the others go into hiding until they learn of a planned broadcast.

Episode #9 “”: SeeD and Rinoa barge into the television broadcast studio to capture the President, but it turns out Seifer and Quistis are already there! Zell accidentally reveals that they’re from Balamb Garden. The Sorceress appears and lures Seifer away. The entire mission is botched and everyone decides to head for Galbaldia Garden.

Episode #10 “”: In Galbaldia Forest, the gang once again lives through Laguna, Ward, and Kiros’ eyes.

Episode #11 “”: At Galbaldia Garden Squall and friends learn of a new mission, assassinate the sorceress, Edea. Irvine joins the group as the sniper and they head for Deling City. Irvine reveals that to complete his training as a SeeD he acquired the Brothers GF.

Episode #12 “”: At Deling, General Caraway explains the mission. The gang also learns that Rinoa is the general’s daughter, but they aren’t on very good terms at the moment. Rinoa locks Quistis, Zell, and Selphie in Caraway’s mansion so that she can prove that she can be useful, too.

Episode #13 “”: Edea blocks Irvine’s snipe, forcing all of SeeD to attack head on. Squall engages in a duel with Seifer, who has become the Sorceress’ Knight.  Edea uses her Limit Break, knocking Squall out cold.

Episode #14 “”: Squall lives through Laguna again, learning about how Laguna met Elleon and Rain and his time in Winhill.

Episode #15 “”: Zell awakens in a prison with Selphie and Quistis (Rinoa was taken away earlier). Using his fists, Zell punches his way to the gang’s weapons and a full prison break begins. Meanwhile, Seifer tortures Squall for information about SeeD.

Episode #16 “”: Rinoa and Irvine rescue Squall and the two teams meet up. In a daring escape, Squall and the others barely make it out alive as the desert prison begins to submerge below the sand. Squall, Rinoa, and Zell head back to the Balamb Garden while Selphie leads Irvine and Quistis to the Galbaldia missile base to stop the strikes on Trabia and Balamb Gardens.

Episode #17 “”: Team Selphie infiltrates the Galbaldian missile base, but is too soon to stop the strike on Trabia. Disguised as soldiers, Selphie and friends sabotage the base, but are found out. A big battle breaks out as the base is set to self-destruct and the missiles are launched, heading for...?!

Episode #18 “”: Team Squall returns to Balamb Garden, shocked to find it in a state of civil war. After doing some research, the gang learns that the Garden Master has decreed that Headmaster Cid is a traitor and is to be killed.  Squall and Zell are forced to decide who their allegiance lies with.

Episode #19 “”: Deciding that the kind and wise Headmaster Cid that has guided them throughout their years is where their loyalty lies, Team Squall fight their way to the Headmaster and ask for orders. With missiles on the way, there is only one way to insure the Garden’s safety, the gang must head down to the MD Level. There, Team Squall eventually makes its way to a control room. With no time to study the thing, Squall hits all the buttons, triggering the Garden’s flight system. Just then, the missiles hit…!!

Episode #20 “”: The Garden is safe, thanks to Selphie re-directing the missiles’ coordinates. With order restored to the Garden, Cid, Squall, Rinoa, and Zell confront the Garden Master in the basement, NORG. In an intense battle, NORG is eventually slain and Leviathan freed from being sealed in NORG’s pod. Cid reveals that Edea is in fact his wife, stunning the group.

Episode #21 “”: Rinoa arm-twists Squall into giving her a tour of the Garden. Mid-way through Squall receives new orders: the Garden has crashed into…er, rather, docked at Fisherman’s Horizon. They are to apologize to the mayor and offer any necessary help for repairs to the docks. The mayor’s a bit of an ass-wipe, though, so Squall and the others leave. On their way back to the Garden Team Squall spots Galbaldian soldiers and follow. A battle breaks out, but Selphie’s group arrives with the BGH251F2 to help. Squall shows unexpected emotion in their return, glad his soldiers have returned alive.

Episode #22 “”: Selphie organizes a romantic date for Squall and Rinoa under the guise of the Balamb Garden Festival. Squall knows what she’s up to, but plays along. Things end up a little rocky, though, when Squall and Rinoa have an argument. Ack.

Episode #23 “”: Squall orders the Garden moved to Trabia Garden’s location after Selphie shows signs of worry. There, Squall, Zell, Quistis, Selphie, and Irvine remember that they all once lived together at an orphanage with Elleon and Edea. Figuring that it must be using the GF that is erasing their memories, the gang decides to visit the old orphanage.

Episode #24 “”: Finding that Galbaldia Garden is hovering above the old orphanage, Squall realizes it is time for a final battle with their ‘Matron’. Balamb smashes into Galbaldia, both sides deploying their troops for a war across both Gardens. As the battle heats up, Rinoa falls while helping student. Hanging onto the Balamb Garden by a thread, Rinoa wishes Squall would save her (talk about a one track mind)!

Episode #25 “”: Squall engages in combat with a paratrooper and happens by Rinoa. Knocing the paratrooper off his jet-powered hover balloon-pack-thingy, Squall picks up Rinoa and the two crash in the middle of the battle taking place on the front lawn of Galbaldia Garden. The two share a moment, Squall allowing Rinoa to keep his ring, Griever. Afterwards, Squall and Rinoa fight their way into the Garden and meet up with the others. Cerberus, a GF under Edea’s control, attacks, but Selphie, Irvine, and Quitis hold it off while Team Squall head for the Sorceress. Seifer confronts Squall, challenging him to a duel.

Episode #26 “”: While Squall and Seifer duke it out, Rinoa and Zell battle Fuujin and Raijin. Seifer reveals that Edea has given him Alexander, a powerful Holy-element GF. Meanwhile, Team Selphie battles and defeats Cerberus, freeing him from Edea’s magic and adding him to the team.

Episode #27 “”: Fuujin and Raijin are beaten. Combing their GFs, Team Squall defeats Alexander. The Holy GF, furious with being used for evil, zaps Seifer with his remaining strength so that Squall can save his strength for Edea. While Alexander has joined the team, he’s in no shape to fight Edea this time around.
Episode #28 “”: Team Squall battles Edea, but has their asses handed to them. Even when Team Selphie shows up, Edea proves more than capable of handling the exhausted six. Finally, everyone unleashes their Limit Breaks and causes some real damage to Edea. Shockingly, Edea is herself freed from a spell, but Rinoa falls into a coma as a result.

Episode #29 “”: Grief-stricken, Squall watches over Rinoa. A few days have passed since the battle with Edea and Rinoa has yet to awake. At the orphanage, Edea explains that she was being controlled by a sorceress from the future. Frustrated by his lack of power over the situation, Squall goes to see Rinoa. There, he re-enters the dream world.

Episode #30 “”: Laguna, Kiros, and Ward star in a B-movie, but that’s no fake Ruby Dragon!

Episode #31 “”: Edea recalls that Elleon was hiding on a White SeeD ship. Squall and friends set out to find it, but come across the Centra Ruins instead. There, they find themselves swarmed by Tonberry and its king. Exhausted and injured, Squall proclaims that he will save Rinoa. Using his Limit Break, Squall defeats the Tonberry King. Impressed, the Tonberry King and Odin lend their blades to Squall.

Episode #32 “”: The gang finds the White SeeD ship, but Elleon is actually in Esthar. Learning that going to Esthar might help; Squall carries Rinoa on his back and treks from Fisherman’s Horizon, alone.

Episode #33 “”: Squall carries Rinoa through a terrible snow storm and is eventually cornered by the Abadon. The rest of the gang (plus Edea) show up and help Squall defeat the Abadon, scolding and praising him for his passionate course of action. The seven continue onward to Esthar.

Episode #34 “”: Finding themselves at the holographic wall protecting Esthar, the gang enters through a gltichy section of the wall. Inside, Squall re-enters the dream world and learns of Laguna’s time in Esthar as a prisoner and the rise of the rebellion against Sorceress Adel.

Episode #35 “”: At the Esthar Presidential Palace Squall and the others learn that they must go to Luna Gate to try to help Rinoa. There, Squall and Quistis take Rinoa into space. Meanwhile, Zell’s group heads back to Esthar to hop aboard Lunatic Pandora.

Episode #36 “”: Team Zell chase Lunatic Pandora across Esthar, finally managing to jump onto it. Inside, a mysterious mecha blasts them off!

Episode #37 “”: Squall’s team arrive at the Lunar Base, but a possessed Rinoa breaks Adel’s seal. Adel falls back towards Earth.

Episode #38 “”: Squall relives some of Rinoa’s memories from her perspective before going out into space to rescue her. After a daring rescue in which both nearly run out of oxygen, the two reunite and embrace on the Ragnarok.

Episode #39 “”: Squall and Rinoa clear the Ragnarok of the monsters and pilot it back to Earth.

Episode #40 “”: Everyone reunites, but to Squall’s horror it is learned that Rinoa is to be sealed away like Adel was so that Ultimecia cannot possess her again. After some soul-searching, Squall decides to say “To Hell with this!” and stages a breakout.

Episode #41 “”: The Ragnarok, having freed Rinoa, blast off to avoid pursuit. With their options limited, they decide to explore an old deep sea research station they find in the middle of the ocean. There they discover the legendary GF, Bahamut. Knowing they’ll need all the help they can to battle Adel and Ultimecia, Squall leads the charge against the king of dragons. Quistis reveals that after he escape pod landed it landed near the Jumbo Cactuar, which she defeated and gained the Cactuar GF.

Episode #42 “”: Bahamut is beaten, but the floor gives way and all six members of Team Squall fall below. Surprised that the station is still operational, Zell wants to explore. At the bottom lies a most powerful foe…

Episode #43 “”: Team Squall battles Ultima Weapon fight, everyone using their strongest Limit Breaks to defeat the behemoth. Eden is acquired.

Episode #44 “”: Warships from Esthar arrive at the Deep Seas Research Center asking Squall and the others to return with them to meet the president. Reluctantly, the Ragnarok crew agrees. To everyone’s astonishment, Laguna is the President of Esthar. Laguna explains how he wound up the leader of a freed superpower and how he lost Rain. Rinoa, seeing Laguna for the first time, says he looks really familiar. Squall rolls his eyes at this, and asks what the plan is for battling Adel. Skipping ahead in time, the Ragnarok crashes into Lunatic Pandora!

Episode #45 “”: The Ragnarok blasts its way through Lunatic Pandora’s shields and smashes into it. Raijin and Fuujin await inside, but Selphie, Quistis, and Irvine hold them off while Team Squall goes on ahead. Squall and the others fight the Mobile Type 8, but it’s a tough battle for both parties.

Episode #46 “”: Fujin, Raijin, and the Mobile Type 8 are defeated. Team Squall reaches Seifer, but Odin intervenes to battle. Seifer kills Odins, slicing him in half. Gilgamesh appears and takes Odin’s sword, adding it to his collection. Squall begins his climatic duel with Seifer, but Seifer detonates charges set under the floor. Rinoa falls through into the room that Adel is resting in. With Seifer holding Squall off, Zell goes in to try to help Rinoa, but she has already been absorbed!

Episode #47 “”: With Rinoa having junctioned Rinoa Zell finds himself in a real bind. Luckily, Team Selphie shows up to aide. Squall finally tears through Seifer with his Lion Heart Limit Break, but Seifer won’t give in. Suddenly, Raijin and Fuuji appear, appealing to him to give up. Finally, Seifer surrenders, and Squall goes to help the others.

Episode #48 “”: Squall and the others defeat Adel after a hard fought battle. Rinoa is freed, but time has already begun to compress…

Episode #49 “”: As time compresses, Squall and friends battle many sorceresses across time. Eventually, the world is remade into a future in which Ultimecia reigns. Faced with the final battle, Team Squall climbs up to Ultimecia’s castle in the sky.

Episode #50 “”: With their abilities sealed by Ultimecia’s magic, the soldiers of Team Squall set out to defeat Ultimecia’s forces. The Sphinxaur is first, but he falls quickly. With their items restored the gang treks to the art gallery where they must face Trauma.

Episode #51 “”: After a grueling battle with Trauma, the gang splits into two to battle the remaining guardians. Irvine, Selphie, and Quistis begin a fight with Tri-Point while Squall’s team battles Red Giant.

Episode #52 “”: Tri-Point and Red Giant are defeated.

Episode #53 “”: Gargantua v. Team Selphie.

Episode #54 “”: Catoblepas v. Team Squall.

Episode #55 “”: Team Selphie battles Krysta. Team Squall faces Tiamat, but the battles have taken their toll on Squall and he passes out mid-battle.

Episode #56 “”: Team Selphie shows up to help Team Squall, but even three extra heads aren’t enough. Squall recovers thanks to Selphie’s Limit Break and Bahamut destroys Tiamat.

Episode #57 “”: On their way to Ultimecia’s throne room, the Ragnarok crew is attacked by the Omega Weapon. The most trying battle yet breaks out!

Episode #58 “”: In a last ditch effort, Squall and the others defeat Omega Weapon.

Episode #59 “”: The six heroes confront Ultimecia who recites the tale of how she came to power.

Episode #60 “”: Ultimecia’s flashback continues.

Episode #61 “”: The battle with Ultimecia begins, but Squall and the others make little progress.

Episode #62 “”: Ultimecia summons Griever, a mighty GF. Griever tears through and destroys many of Squall’s GFs. Finally, and combination of attacks renders Griever vulnerable to a combination attack from Rinoa and Quistis.

Episode #63 “”: Ultimecia mergers with Grieve and destroys the remaining GFs. Even Gilgamesh falls! Squall uses Gilgamesh’s arsenal of swords for a combination attack, but even when stripped of Griever, Ultimecia proves too mighty as she assumes her final form.

Episode #64 “”: A combination assault from the Limit Breaks of all six heroes finally breaks Ultimecia. Lost in time, Squall and Rinoa find each other.

Episode #65 “”: The epilogue. Everyone celebrates the end of the battle at Balamb Garden. Squall and Rinoa meet up.