Rinoa Heartilly (Japanese: リノア・ハーティリー, Hepburn: Rinoa Hātirī) is the fictional character and co-protagonist of Square's (now Square Enix) 1999 role-playing video game Final Fantasy VIII. She is a teenaged member of a resistance faction known as the Forest Owls. After she recruits protagonist Squall Leonhart and his friends, she decides to stay with his group and falls in love with Squall in the process. During their adventure, she is briefly possessed by the evil sorceress Ultimecia and becomes a sorceress herself once the spirit leaves her body. After defeating Ultimecia, Rinoa and Squall become a couple. Rinoa has also made cameo appearances in other Final Fantasy and Square Enix games.
