Esthar Esthar is one of the main political powers in " Final Fantasy VIII " , and also the name of the nation ' s capital , Esthar City . Located on the large continent to the east of Galbadia , Esthar is Galbadia ' s major political rival and its territory spans the entire eastern continent . Esthar is technologically - advanced and is governed by a president . Esthar has , since the Sorceress War , been hidden from the world using a cloaking device , known as Optical Camouflage System , or OCS for short . Founded by people who immigrated to a continent east of Centra around the same time Dollet Empire was founded . The mild climate and temperament of the people soon gave way to scientific advancement . Started the Sorceress War and fought against the world under Adel ' s rule . Their sorceress and their scientific powers posed a worldwide threat . After abruptly declaring an end to the war , Esthar closed its borders and has kept silent ever since . No details are known . Governed by President Laguna and his aides . Due to their concern over Dr . Odine ' s inventions having a negative effect on the state of world security , they closed off their country for 17 years . It is very likely that President Laguna will be criticized for keeping silent for so long . Story . Four thousand years ago the civilization of Centra created two major empires : Holy Dollet Empire and Esthar . While Dollet in the west excelled in military force , Esthar , in the east , grew scientifically advanced . Eventually they began to focus on military affairs aided by their superior technology , which culminated as the Sorceress War under the rule of Sorceress Adel . It is unknown when Adel was inaugurated as the nation ' s ruler , but she made a bid for world domination , which was opposed by Galbadia ' s growing military . During the war Adel sought out potential heirs to her sorceress power and sent out search teams across the world . She set her eyes on a young girl named Ellone in the rural Galbadian town of Winhill , but when the Estharian forces kidnapped her Laguna Loire , her caretaker , went after her . Following her to Esthar , he would become instrumental in Adel ' s downfall , staging a coup , trapping her in a stasis chamber and blasting her into space to prevent her from passing on her sorceress power . Esthar closed its borders to the rest of the world , and was ever since known as " The Silent Nation . " Unbeknown to the rest of the world Adel ' s Tomb , which Esthar launched into orbit , is the reason behind the worldwide radio interference . The president rules the nation from the palace in the center of the city , though in the " Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania " it is mentioned that the title is more symbolic and most of the political affairs are handled by the aides and the rest of the government . The city is hidden from the rest of the world by a cloaking device that renders it invisible to persons crossing the Great Salt Lake . Crossing the Horizon Bridge is considered the only way of entering the country , as air travel doesn ' t appear to exist in the world of " Final Fantasy VIII " , perhaps due to the radio interference . According to the " Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania " , Esthar ' s military power exceeds Galbadia ' s . Its soldiers ' powers are enhanced by their special armor , and they wield swords that have built - in shotguns . The " Ultimania " reveals that Esthar is developing mechanized soldiers , which will eventually replace people in military service . A common concern is that the soldiers rely too much on the enhancement suits , and the refining of their natural strength is neglected . Adel and her time in power are somewhat of taboo subjects , and the younger generation , never having experienced the torments of living under the sorceress ' s rule , are largely ignorant on the details . Seventeen years after Esthar hid itself away from the the world Squall is searching for Ellone , wanting her help in saving a comatose Rinoa . After speaking to the White SeeD he discovers Ellone has departed for Esthar . Squall sets out to cross the Horizon Bridge on foot , the only known way into the mysterious nation . The rest of the party follows him with Sorceress Edea , who wants Dr . Odine ' s help in getting rid of her sorceress powers so that Ultimecia , an evil sorceress from the future who reaches back in time to inhabit other sorceresses to do her bidding , may not possess her again . They meet Dr . Odine in Esthar who examines Edea and Rinoa . Edea is no longer a sorceress , as she had unknowingly passed her powers on during the Battle of the Gardens . Squall learns Ellone has gone to the Lunar Base , Esthar ' s space station said to study the moon , but its true purpose is to oversee Adel ' s tomb that rests on the earth ' s orbit . While Squall and Rinoa set off to space to find Ellone , the Galbadian army , led by Seifer , comes to Esthar . They have salvaged the Lunatic Pandora from the bottom of the sea , and with it , induce the Lunar Cry , which brings down Adel ' s tomb , along with a swarm of monsters . Esthar takes a heavy blow from the Lunar Cry , the capital being overridden by lunar creatures . After having learned Rinoa is a sorceress , the Esthar government wants her contained , similar to Adel . As soon as Rinoa , now out of her coma , returns from orbit , she is taken to the Sorceress Memorial . Squall , with the aid of Ward Zabac ( though Squall doesn ' t know it at the time ) rescues her , and the party flees Esthar . Having heard of Ultimecia ' s plan to destroy the world with time compression , Esthar comes up with a plan to save the world by sending a team of soldiers to the future to kill Ultimecia . They want to hire out Squall ' s team for the task , and so the party sets out to Esthar for their final mission . They meet President Laguna in his office who explains the mission with the help of Dr . Odine , and afterward Laguna joins Squall ' s party on their airship , the " Ragnarok " . They infiltrate the Lunatic Pandora , defeat Seifer and free Ellone from his clutches . After felling Sorceress Adel who had been recuperating under Seifer ' s care for Ultimecia to take over her body , Ultimecia possesses Rinoa allowing for Ellone to use her mystical powers to send her consciousness back in time . Ultimecia casts her time compression spell allowing for Squall and his friends to travel to the future and defeat her , halting the spell . Locations . Some of the locations found in Esthar include : Other appearances . " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " . Esthar is present as a room for preset characters of the Multiplayer Mode Online Lobby . " Theatrhythm Final Fantasy " . Esthar is used as the background during Battle Music Sequence s for " Man With The Machine Gun " and " Force Your Way " . Etymology . Esthar likely a reference to either " Ishtar Gate " — which was the eighth gate to the inner city of Babylon , named after the Mesopotamian goddess of love , who was the daughter of Sin , the god of the moon — or the biblical Queen Esther . The former echoes Esthar ' s interest in the moon , and being the eighth gate , may be an allusion to the number eight as well .