

Griever is one of the bosses on the final battle sequence of Final Fantasy
VIII.

You get the option of naming (or using the default name) Griever mid-game,
when Rinoa asks about the lion ring Squall uses.

There is no evidence of Griever existing before he is used by Ultimecia.

Given the mind-games that take place in the story, it is no wonder if Squall's
mind could create a GF.

The ingame flavor text for Griever reads:

> **In Squall's mind** , the strongest GF ...  
>  [emphasis mine]

So it seems like a bit of Chunibyo by Squall's part.

[The wiki on Griever](http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Griever_\(boss\))
speculates that this is indeed true:

> Griever's true nature is made more explicit in the Japanese version of the
> game where Ultimecia claims to summon the one entity Squall views as the
> most powerful whose power would only increase the stronger Squall envisions
> it. This means that this manifestation of Griever is powerful purely because
> of his importance as a symbol in Squall's mind, and could even be seen as
> Squall needing to overcome a part of himself to win the battle.

There we have a hint that Griever did not exist before that final battle. So
how did Griever come to be?


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2016-09-30T13:22:10.487
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2017-05-21T15:31:23.847
2017-05-21T15:31:23.847
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question
final-fantasy
Was Griever created by Squall's mind?


Most probably, **yes**.

Here's Ultimecia's original script in Japanese:

> **アルティミシア**  
>  「 **おまえの思う** 、最も強い者を召喚してやろう」  
>  「おまえが強く思えば思うほど、」  
>  「それは、おまえを苦しめるだろう」  
>  「ふふっ」

translated to:

> **Ultimecia**  
>  "Let me summon **the one you think** is the strongest thing."  
>  "The stronger you think it is,"  
>  "the more it will torment you."  
>  "Heh heh."

This is because Squall admired and believed Lion as a powerful creature, as
described in _Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania File 2: Scenario_ guide
book, page 247:

> ![Explanation on Griever in FF 20th Anniv.
> Ultimania](https://i.stack.imgur.com/nrxMGl.png)
>
> Image courtesy of
> [Squall_of_Seed](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Squall_of_Seed/library/?sort=3&page=1)
>
> * * *
>
> ### Griever
>
> **The legendary lion famous as king of the beasts**
>
> A name attached to Lion, an imaginary animal that doesn't exist in this
> world. Squall, who admires its solitary figure, had his gunblade and
> accessories etched with lion design, and made it as a foundation in his
> closed mind.
>
> ⇐ The sorceress Ultimecia _**materialized Griever from images in Squall's
> mind**_ as a G.F. and used it in the battle.


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answer