Biography

At the beginning of Final Fantasy VIII, Quistis Trepe is first introduced to players as Squall Leonhart's instructor; after his training session with Seifer Almasy, Dr. Kadowaki calls Quistis from her room to pick him up. One of the first things you notice about her is that she does not fit with the generalization of how an instructor, professor, or teacher is supposed to look like: she is very young and not at all the typical "old-man-and-balding" stereotype many of us keep in our minds. We later learn that Quistis is the youngest Instructor in Garden and perhaps the youngest SeeD to graduate - at the ripe age of 15, she was able to earn her rank and only two years later her Instructor's license. She is around the same age as her students and seems to have a group of fans of her own.

However, before any of this happened and before she attained her prodigal status, Quistis was an orphan; on the shores of Centra in a little white lighthouse, Quistis as well as five others - Squall Leonhart, Seifer Almasy, Zell Dincht, Selphie Tilmitt, and Irvine Kinneas - coincidentally resided in the same orphanage during the early years of their childhood, forming relationships that would be somewhat forgotten but revived again in the future. All of their parents were most likely killed in the Sorceress War between Sorceress Adel and Galbadia, save Squall's father Laguna who during the game has no clue who the hero is or the fact that he's alive. During this time, Quistis was known as "bossy little Quisty" because she acted the most mature (after Ellone) and probably took it upon herself to look after the children, ever at such a young age.

Quistis and Zell are the only two out of the six who are adopted; however, her relationship with her adoptive parents does not mirror Zell's. Unlike Zell's happy life with "Ma", there was obviously some trouble at her third home - she admits that things didn't work out well at her new home during the group's revelation at Trabia, so it can be assumed that she came to Garden to seek a new life or they abandoned her at Garden at the age of 10. There, she quickly adapted and her intelligence and determination became obvious - her SeeD status and Instructor's License have practically made her the trophy child of Balamb Garden.

This takes us all the way back to the beginning of the game (like that circle I made us go around in?). Her two most outstanding students are without a doubt Squall Leonhart and Seifer Almasy, however she does later loose her Instructor's license - much of the Final Fantasy VIII fanbase theorize that she lost it because of Seifer Almasy himself, due to the comments on her report ("lacking leadership qualities", i.e. not being able to contain her students). Because of this report, we start to see the insecure side of Quistis as she confesses and unsucessfully tries to get the attention of her student-turned-peer Squall Leonhart. We find Quistis the next day supervising Seifer Almasy, who unsuprisingly has gotten himself into detention for the umpteenth time, and then chasing him to Timber when he storms out of the Disciplinary Room once he learns that a dangerous mission has been given to "rookie SeeDs" Squall, Zell, and newcomer Selphie Tilmitt. However, once they arrive in Galbadia-occupied Timber, Seifer becomes seduced by the sorceress and joins her side, leaving his fellow SeeDs behind.

This begins the main plot of the game. Quistis, Squall, Zell, and Selphie meet others along the way - Rinoa Heartilly and Irvine Kinneas - who quickly become part of their group. Other various events pass, but it is at Trabia Garden where they all learn about their childhood and past. Irvine comes to realize that he grew up with the people he is traveling with (with the exception of Rinoa) and the Sorceress they are currently fighting is their one and only Matron. These memories had been forgotten by Quistis and her peers due to their use of Guardian Forces (GFs) who take memories in payment for their use over time.

A few other battles between the children and their Matron pass before they learn that it is another Sorceress, Sorceress Ultimecia, who is behind what is happening and possessing Edea. Her goal is to create Time Compression, which would destroy everything but her. In order to prevent this, Quistis and the group must go into the future and kill her. Through many trials and tribulations, they finally accomplish their goal and Quistis returns home to Balamb, where all of them are praised as heroes.

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