Laguna Loire
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JA: Hiroaki Hirata
| Laguna Loire | |
|---|---|
| Final Fantasy character | |
 Laguna Loire as drawn by Tetsuya Nomura | |
| First game | Final Fantasy VIII (1999) |
| Created by | Kazushige Nojima |
| Designed by | Tetsuya Nomura |
| Voiced by | EN: Armando Valdes-Kennedy JA: Hiroaki Hirata |
| In-universe information | |
| Weapon | Machine gun |
| Home | Galbadia |
Laguna Loire (Japanese: ラグナ・レウァール, Hepburn: Raguna Rewāru) is a fictional character from Square's role-playing game Final Fantasy VIII. He is a man whose past and relation to the main characters are revealed throughout the game. Most sequences involving Laguna appear in the form of "dreams" experienced by the primary protagonists. Squall Leonhart experiences these dreams from Laguna's point of view, which shows his life as a Galbadian soldier teaming up with his two best friends, Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac. He also appears in the crossover fighting game Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy as playable character as a soldier chosen by Cosmos alongside other Final Fantasy characters.
Kazushige Nojima created his character based on negative feedback from Final Fantasy VII involving several dark flashbacks. The concept of two main characters, Squall and Laguna, was planned since the beginning of the game's development. Artist Tetsuya Nomura tried to create a contrast between Laguna's and Squall's occupations; thus, Laguna became a soldier with light-hearted charisma, and Squall became a reserved mercenary student. The designers intended Laguna to be more similar to the previous protagonists in the series to complement Squall, who is different from the previous main characters.
Critical response to Laguna's character has been positive, with several writers praising his upbeat and cheerful personality which contrasts the moody Squall. The connection these two characters have has also been the subject of discussion in regards to theories involving how the two appear to be father and son, but the narrative never confirms it, leading to discussion about the lack of potential in developing Squall while seeing his father's days.
In Final Fantasy VIII, the player controls Laguna during dream sequences experienced by Squall Leonhart, alongside his companions Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac. During the first two dream segments, Laguna and his team are shown getting lost and visiting the hotel where Julia Heartilly, Laguna's romantic interest, performs. Julia appears to respond to Laguna's feelings but war makes the two split.[1][2] Laguna is a twenty-seven-year-old soldier in the Galbadian army who wields a machine gun,[3] using it to perform attacks alongside a swinging rope and a grenade.
After a scouting mission at Centra, Laguna and his friends are separated and Laguna is injured. A young woman named Raine nurses him back to health after he is brought to Winhill.[4] During his time in Winhill, Laguna starts working as a monster hunter while taking after the young girl Ellone. It is eventually revealed Julia got married with another man but Laguna is interested into Raine. He falls in love with and marries her, but is drawn away from his new home when Ellone is kidnapped. Laguna tracks her down in Esthar, where he helps liberate the nation from the despotic rule of Sorceress Adel. The people of Esthar elect Laguna as their president and Ellone is sent back to Winhill without him.[5] After Raine dies, her child, whom Ward and Kiros imply to be Squall in a conversation aboard the Ragnarok ship, and Ellone are sent to an orphanage.[6] Laguna is unable to leave his post to visit her and remains president of Esthar to the present day.[7] Ellone and Laguna are later reunited in space,[8] and Laguna helps Squall which Ellone took part in after preparation for their fight against Ultimecia. Following Ultimecia's defeat, Laguna visits his wife's grave, and reunites with his friends and Ellone again.
Outside Final Fantasy VIII, Laguna appears in the fighting game Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. In the story, Laguna is involved in the twelfth cycle of the eternal conflict between the gods Cosmos and Chaos, who have both summoned several warriors from different worlds [9] Laguna and other Final Fantasy characters fight creatures known as Manikins.[10] Though they succeed, Cosmos is reduced to a weakened state after using much of her power to diminish the Manikin army when they attempt to kill her and the Warrior of Light,[11] They are successful, but the group disappears from Cosmos' side in the process.[12]
