🔗 Share this article

This FF series includes many iconic places. Starting with Elfheim in the original Final Fantasy, Midgar in Final Fantasy 7, all the way to Limsa Lominsa in Final Fantasy 14, every one has earned a cherished place in players' hearts, who celebrate the distinctive idiosyncrasies that make these worlds so unique. However, if one place that deserves more recognition than the rest, it is undoubtedly Balamb Garden from Final Fantasy 8, not just because of its beautiful design, but also for being a truly bizarre school.

An Pure Movie Moment

First, we must mention the obvious. Balamb Garden morphing into an airship and escaping from a missile attack was absolute cinema. This institution was not only intended to be a training camp for mercenaries. It is a mobile base that permits them to develop new tactics and move, based on the requirements of those in charge. Many readily regard it as one of the coolest airship creations in the franchise, along with Final Fantasy 10's Fahrenheit and several of the Final Fantasy 12 military airships.

The transformation of Balamb Garden into an airship remains one of the most unforgettable moments in video game history.

The Initial View of a Brooding Sanctuary

As we start playing Final Fantasy 8 and watch Quistis leading Squall out of the infirmary, we get our first view of the environment this sullen-looking teenager calls home. A panoramic shot starts from the floor of the school and rises to zoom in on the impressive scale of the building. Balamb Garden has a design that feels futuristic, but also divine. The rounded structures recall a distinctly late ‘90s idea of how the future would look. On the other hand, because of the golden details on the building and the extended trails of light coming from the enormous glowing ring on top of the school, Balamb Garden evokes a massive angel. It was built to be a tranquil place — too peaceful for an academy that transforms teenagers into mercenaries.

The Memorable Theme Song

Matching the tranquility that the appearance of Balamb Garden portrays, we have the school’s soundtrack. One of the fondest memories I have from my youth is strolling around the main area of Balamb Garden, seeing those aquatic statues spurting water, and hearing to the soothing theme song. The issue is that it keeps playing in your head constantly. Whenever it comes back to my mind, I’m forced to search on YouTube for a extended “Balamb Garden” song video. The sole way to end playing inside my head is to listen to it repeatedly of it.

• Gentle melody that sticks in your mind
• Main area with water features
• Nostalgic memories for countless players

The Fascinating Academy

Balamb Garden is compelling as a location and also an institution. For starters, it enrolls kids from 5 to 15 years old to mold them into mercenaries, but it looks like a enormous church. There are numerous military schools in RPGs, like in Trails of Cold Steel, but not one look less militaristic than Balamb Garden.

The Ironic Motto

When you use the Balamb Garden Network using one of the in-game terminals, you discover that the slogan of the institution is “Work hard, study hard, and play hard.” Apologies, but I never have the feeling that those teenagers preparing to be mercenaries are “playing hard” — except for Zell. However, given that the facility, where students find living monsters they can kill, is the sole place in the entire school available at all hours during the day, maybe that’s what they mean by “playing.” While training is the primary part of a student’s life in Balamb Garden, their nutrition is awful, since students are devouring so many frankfurters that the faculty have no other response to say besides “No more hot dogs today.”

Strict Rules

Students are governed by a rigid set of rules, which, on one hand, we should anticipate from a combat school, but conversely seems strangely funny. For example, there’s not a dress code in the school, but they are not allowed to leave their dorms in the evenings, except it’s for training. A student can be expelled if they lag in their curriculum, for aggressive acts, and for… “sexual promiscuity.” It might not look like it, but Balamb Garden is genuinely concerned about its students’ romantic activities. The school formally suggests that students “take time to think things through before starting a relationship.” (After all, the true danger of being a student of Balamb Garden is love affairs, not fighting with gunblades and slashing each other's faces like Squall and Seifer were doing in the opening cutscene.)

More Than Just Appearance

Starting with the delicate futuristic design of the building to the paradoxes and dubious practices of the institution, there are many elements of Balamb Garden to appreciate. Many of us like to joke about Squall, but Balamb Garden reminds us that there’s more to Final Fantasy 8 than only good looks.