Most people consider Final Fantasy VIII to be the black sheep of the franchise, and it's easy to see why this is the case. After all, this game was launched just two years after the smash hit that was Final Fantasy VII, and expectations were through the roof when it came to the next title in the Final Fantasy franchise.
However, when Final Fantasy VIII was released, it was obvious that this unrealistic hype would not be met. People targeted the nonsensical story and the broken Junction system as two of the major faults of this game... but aside from these small missteps, Final Fantasy VIII is actually a brilliant title. The graphics present in this title were truly revolutionary, and the combat had never felt as advanced or fun to play before.
One of the major reasons why the combat is so memorable in Final Fantasy VIII is due to the Desperation Attacks featured in the game, with each Limit Break being a brilliant visual spectacle in every sense of the word. Keeping this in mind, here are all the ultimate Limit Breaks of each party member, ranked in terms of sheer usefulness and epicness.
7 Quistis Trepe — Blue Magic
Quistis serves as the role of a Blue Mage in the most disappointing manner possible, with her abilities locked behind her Limit Break — something that can only be activated if her health is low or she has Aura cast on her.
What makes Quistis' Blue Magic so inherently useless when compared to other Limit Breaks is that its damage potential is second to none in comparison, meaning that most of her Limit Breaks will not really turn the tide of battle like they ideally should.
6 Selphie Tilmitt — Slot
The Slot Limit Break is easily one of the worst abilities any character can have, which makes it somewhat fitting that this Limit Break is given to what just might be one of the worst Final Fantasy characters of all time.
Selphie is easily one of the most annoying characters in Final Fantasy VIII, and her Slot Limit Break is the most unreliable load of crap ever. Most of the time, the only benefit players will get is the ability to cast spells multiple times, with abilities like Rapture and The End being so incredibly rare that trying to scroll through these Slots will pretty much take an eternity.
5 Rinoa Heartilly — Combine
Rinoa is one of the most endearing characters in Final Fantasy VIII, and her relationship with Squall is undoubtedly the highlight of the game. However, that being said, Rinoa also plays a vital role in combat, with her Limit Breaks having the potential to change the tide of battle.
Rinoa is the only character in the game with two distinct Limit Breaks, making her one of the more unique and enjoyable characters in the entire game. Her initial Limit Break, Combine, can lead to one of several possibilities, with Wishing Star being the most powerful — albeit rare — outcome.
4 Irvine Kinneas — Shot
Irvine is the last member to join the party, and anyone who's played any JRPG even can understand how last member syndrome can really hurt a party member's overall impact in the grand scheme of things. However, Irvine isn't really affected by this. If anything, he's the one who reveals a major plot point to the party since he joined them so late!
It certainly helps that Irvine has one of the most useful Limit Breaks in the entire game, with his Shot Limit Break hitting for massive damage if his stats are maxed out and he keeps on spamming Fast Ammo over and over again.
3 Rinoa Heartilly — Angel Wing
The second Limit Break that Rinoa receives after being forcefully turned into a sorceress is Angel Wing, an ability that allows for Rinoa to cast multiple magic spells at a higher power without wasting any of her magic reserves, and the cost of the player losing all control over her character.
To manipulate this system, the player can manipulate Rinoa's Junctions in such a way that Meteor becomes the weakest offensive spell in her arsenal. This'll allow her to cast Meteor over and over again without wasting her spells with boosted damage as well, allowing for a ridiculous damage output that'll take care of any enemy in mere seconds.
2 Zell Dincht— Duel
Zell might be a somewhat annoying character as well — a problem shared by most characters in Final Fantasy VIII — but there's no denying the fact that he's an absolute powerhouse in battle. He definitely fulfills the role of the Monk in the game with style.
A big part of why Zell is such an indispensable party member is because of his Limit Break. Duel is easily one of the most abusable powers in any Final Fantasy game ever, since the player can just cycle out the moves Booya! and Punch Rush (with Heel Kick being added to the mix, if required) over and over again to deal out a ridiculous amount of damage, which surpasses anything that Zell's finishing moves could've pulled off.
This move has been dubbed "Armageddon Fist", and rightfully so — no enemy will be able to deal with this beatdown and still remain standing.
1 Squall Leonhart — Renzokuken
Of course, it would be impossible to talk about the best Limit Breaks in Final Fantasy VIII without mentioning the iconic Renzokuken, which is always a blast to pull off no matter what. Nailing the R1 button presses as Squall lands his hits is always satisfying... but it's what follows that serves as the perfect icing on the cake.
There are several finishing moves that Squall can cap off Renzokuken with, and Lion Heart is easily the best and most effective finishing move in this regard. During this phase, Squall hits the enemy several times with his gunblade and deals massive damage with every hit, leading to a visual spectacle that looks incredibly powerful to boot.