Final Fantasy VIII is my favorite game in the series, at least from a sentimental standpoint. Some call it the black sheep of the series, but when it comes to setting and characters, this entry is top-notch as far as I’m concerned. Within the game, we have several interesting party members, but other than my undying love for Quistis Trepe, I spend most of my time thinking about Irvine Kinneas, who is often considered the disappointment in this tale.
The truth is that I’ve hated Irvine for years, ever since I first beat the game. I distinctly remember bashing him with another friend who was also a fan of FF8, talking about how this weak-sauce cowboy could have saved everyone a lot of trouble if he wasn’t “such a bitch.” We weren’t alone. Others weren’t friendly to the choke-artist marksman either, but more because they thought after the first disc he lost most of his importance to the overall story. Here we are years later, though, playing it with fresh eyes, or maybe just experiencing the saga older and with a different perspective, I’m coming to appreciate the character more.
Irvine is the last main group member to join the party and is an effective fighter. Hailing from Galbadia Garden, he is the team’s sharpshooter for their first major mission. According to the man himself, his expertise is in guns and women, as he comes across as a cocky loner who immediately begins aggressively flirting with the ladies of the group. When splitting the party is discussed, he quickly chooses Rinoa and Selphie. In some interactions, he almost seems like a con man, fast-talking and manipulative, even if he doesn’t realize it. He’s the youngest of the group – but not by much – and the strongest connection to their mysterious past.
The gunslinger looks the part, embracing the macho cowboy persona with the appropriate monochromatic black hat, long khaki jacket, and brown chaps for a rustic look that blends with a handsome face, long hair, and mischievous smile. Some say he looks like a young Brad Pitt from Thelma and Louise, with a handsome face and a deadly eye.
Irvine is an expert marksman, but in what seems like his first real-world test, he chokes. When it comes time to take the shot, he hesitates and has to receive a pep talk from Squall so he can re-evaluate the situation and fire. Sadly, it doesn’t matter. Whether it was Rinoa’s presence or Irvine’s hesitation that tipped the Sorceress off, his perfectly fired bullet was stopped almost effortlessly. Now, there’s still a bit of an argument as to why he couldn’t do it at first. We either take his words at face value, that he always chokes when the pressure is on, or say that he recognized his target and couldn’t do it (which is supported in conversations later), but either way, this is seen as the character’s defining moment even though there is little chance that firing immediately at his target would have yielded a different result.
Like many, that scene was what made me angry at Irvine and caused me to despise him for the rest of the game on my original run. This time around, however, I thought about his words more. Even though Irvine realizes he can’t shoot because he knows the Sorceress is important to him in saving face in the long run, I enjoyed reading his character differently this time.
Most of what Irvine puts out there in the early hours is all a guise, the cold and callous loner who is only there for womanizing and a few thrills. The front he pushes on others is backed up by everyone saying he’s the best, hyping him up for the job, and in my headcanon, that’s because he’s always practiced on targets, monsters, and maybe a few attackers who made the mistake of getting within range of his shotgun. Assassinating someone is different, however, there’s no honor in it and he had a ton of pressure to perform in what he points out would have been a historic act. That’s the kind of situation that can make anyone freeze up, even those who can do the job expertly. I liked this side of him better.
Some fans like to say he becomes pointless after the end of disc one, that Irvine feels more tacked on. In this playthrough, I started to see him more as meshing into the group, becoming the glue that helps them bond while also working on himself. That moment back there with the shot made him realize he wanted to be different and pushed him toward his new warmonger comrades. Low key, Irvine helps establish a small bit of conflict in the group when there isn’t much action going on but also motivates them toward activities and fulfilling their various roles. He may be insecure and learning to find himself, but Irvine is incredibly observant in social situations and uses that to help others, like setting up the concert.
He isn’t perfect, and none of this is immediate. Rinoa literally kicks him down the steps and tells him to stop acting so nonchalant and cool after he rescued her and not everyone else from the prison. Maybe he didn’t think he could or thought the best thing to do was follow orders and make sure she was okay first, but he tried to make up for this by holding off the guards during their escape. Some of his decisions are questionable, but in the end, we see that Irvine is compassionate and embraces his new dynamic.
While in Fishermans Horizon, Irvine tells someone he doesn’t like being a lone sniper. This is most likely him admitting he doesn’t want to be alone anymore, but I also get the feeling that he’s willing to fight for his world, even if being a sniper doesn’t sit well with him. We see him fight, but not in the way he was originally brought on for. Irvine plays a scoundrel but also has more qualms than he lets on.
I’m approaching the endgame, and times have changed. I’m still crushing on Quistis, but now, instead of Zell, I find myself picking Irvine more. My opinion of him has shifted, but possibly because I’m choosing to look a lot deeper into his words than I should. Perhaps that’s one of the things that keeps a game like FF8 so intriguing all these years later: being able to look at it in different ways with a little more experience and from a different perspective. Now, if I could just figure out this Junction system more, I’d be set.
