Kazushige Nojima
Squall Leonhart was the first character Nomura designed for "Final Fantasy VIII"; he was inspired by actor River Phoenix, although Nomura said "nobody understood it". Squall is tall, and initially had long hair and a feminine appearance. After objections from the game's director Yoshinori Kitase, Nomura made the character more masculine and added a scar across Squall's brow and the bridge of his nose to make him more recognizable, leaving its cause up to scenario writer Kazushige Nojima. The first illustration of Squall was used to create the world around him. The game's logo that depicted Squall embracing Rinoa was left open for interpretation by players. The scar on Squall's forehead was also left ambiguous although Nomura said it was important for him.