Zell Dincht Zell Dincht is a playable character in " Final Fantasy VIII " . His loud and energetic personality is a foil to Squall ' s cold silence . Zell is a master of hand - to - hand combat and prefers to let his fists guide him out of situations his mouth cannot . Profile . Appearance . Zell is short and has uniquely styled spiky blond hair and blue eyes . He wears a black vest with a red decor along the zipper , a black beater , baggy denim shorts , and black and red tennis shoes . While in Garden he at times wears the SeeD uniform or the SeeD cadet uniform , though he wears it with the sleeves rolled up and the jacket halfway unzipped , revealing a white t - shirt underneath . He has a black tribal tattoo on the left side of his face . Personality . Zell is a consummate martial artist and his skills are unsurpassed in Garden . Zell never backs down from a challenge and stands up for what he believes is right . He is energetic , loud , overconfident in his abilities , but tends to not think things through and overreact to being teased . He attempts to befriend everyone he meets . He is often in trouble with either the Disciplinary Committee or the Garden Faculty for running through the halls , or riding T - Board s on Balamb Garden premises , but despite this , Zell is a model pupil with an interest in world events ; when the party arrives at a new location , he will often offer a summary of the place ' s history . Zell has a close relationship with his mother and is a prominent figure among Balamb Town , as pretty much everyone there knows him . Zell admires his grandfather , who used to be a soldier , and aspires to follow in his footsteps . Zell loves hot dogs ( bread in the Japanese version ) , but due to high demand there are never any left for him by the time he shows up . Story . Zell grew up Edea ' s Orphanage where he was constantly picked on by a fellow orphan , Seifer , until he was adopted by the Dincht family from Balamb . Inspired by his ( adoptive ) grandfather , Zell joined Balamb Garden at the age of 13 to train as a SeeD , a Balamb Garden special force that specializes in the use of Guardian Force s . Unbeknown to him , equipping a Guardian Force induces amnesia , and Zell lost his childhood memories . A girl in the Garden ' s library committee , the Library Girl with a Pigtail , has a crush on him , but Zell is oblivious and she is too shy to ask him out . For the SeeD field exam in Dollet Zell is assigned to Squad B with Squall and Seifer , with Seifer as the squad leader , much to Zell ' s chagrin . Although Zell no longer remembers their childhood together the two have never gotten along . Seifer picks on Zell throughout the operation at the Siege of Dollet , and Zell is forced to follow Seifer ' s orders when he has them leave their post to investigate the local radio tower where the Galbadia n forces are headed . Seifer abandons his squad and Squall and Zell are joined by Selphie Tilmitt from Squad A delivering a withdrawal order . The cadets barely make it back in time , but Zell passes the exam along with Squall , Selphie , and another student named Nida . In the SeeD graduation ceremony Zell attempts to congratulate Squall who rebuffs him , and dodges Selphie ' s advances about joining her Garden Festival Committee . Zell , Squall and Selphie are assigned a mission in Timber to assist a resistance faction known as the Forest Owls . If they visit the library before heading off , Zell talks with the library girl about a book he wants to read . Zell is elated to discover the train they catch from Balamb has a private cabin for SeeD use , but soon passes out . He dreams of the exploits of a G - soldier named Laguna Loire taking place many years in the past , and upon awakening is surprised to find Squall and Selphie shared the same dream . In Timber the Forest Owls task the SeeD with capturing the president of Galbadia , Vinzer Deling , by hijacking his private train , but the mission fails due to false intelligence . Their next mission is to intercept the president ' s TV broadcast . A rogue Seifer takes the president hostage over the air , and Squall ' s former teacher , Quistis Trepe , who had been pursuing Seifer , calls them to the studio where Zell accidentally lets slip them being from Garden . The president threatens to attack the Gardens unless he is released . The Sorceress Edea arrives and spirits Seifer away with her , saving the president . G - forces storm the town and the SeeD are forced into hiding , a Forest Owls member , Rinoa Heartilly , securing them a safe house . After deciding to convene on the nearest Garden , the Galbadia Garden , Zell worries for Balamb Garden ' s safety and whether the SeeD would prevail against the G - army . Squall coldly replies it depends on the strength of the Galbadian army , leaving Zell discouraged . On their way to Galbadia Garden Squall , Quistis and Selphie pass out , Zell recognizing them having entered a dream world . In Galbadia Garden the group discovers Seifer ' s act is being considered independent , and Garden will not be held accountable . Seifer is said to have been executed and though Zell never liked him , he is nonetheless thrown into sadness at the news . The group is assigned a new mission from both Headmaster Cid and Galbadia Garden ' s Master Martine to assassinate the sorceress who has been declared ambassador of Galbadia . Upon arriving in Deling City , Zell is assigned to the " gateway team " along with Selphie and Quistis , while Squall and Irvine Kinneas , a Galbadia Garden student , are part of the " sniper team " with Rinoa unexpectedly joining them later . Though the gateway team succeeds in trapping the sorceress inside an archway , the assassination fails and they are captured . Zell and the others are sent to the D - District Prison where Zell recognizes the place as the location Ward Zabac worked in when he was retired from the Galbadian army , after having entered another mysterious dream world . Since Zell is the only one of the group apt to fight without weapons , he volunteers to retrieve the group ' s arsenal from the guards . Using his knowledge of the prison layout , he leads the group through it , saving Squall from the torture chamber and escaping with Irvine and Rinoa ' s help . They discover that under Sorceress Edea ' s command , a nearby Galbadian Missile Base has attacked Trabia Garden and is planning to launch missiles at Balamb Garden next . The party splits into two groups with one team heading to the Missile Base to stop the launch , and the other warning Balamb Garden of the impending attack . It is up to Squall to assign Zell in either team . Despite the Missile Base team ' s efforts the missiles are launched , and the team barely survives the base ' s destruction by hiding inside a Galbadian tank . Squall ' s team saves Balamb Garden by enabling its mobile functions and moving it away from the spot the missiles were programmed to target . Left drifting on the ocean currents with its steering mechanisms having failed due to lack of maintenance , the Garden eventually crashes into Fishermans Horizon . The town comes under attack by G - forces looking for a girl called Ellone under Edea ' s orders . A young Ellone has appeared in the group ' s shared Laguna dreams , and is the one sending the SeeD back in time into a dream world . The Galbadian tank the Missile Base team hid inside is brought to FH where the two teams reunite , and the G - army is driven out of FH . The group throws a party for Squall in honor of his promotion to commander of the Garden , where Zell participates in playing an instrument in a concert . They return to Balamb and find the town under Galbadian occupation as G - forces are looking for Ellone . Zell and Squall infiltrate the town and ensure Ma Dincht is unharmed . During their stay at his house , Zell lets the party visit his room . They drive the G - forces out of town by defeating Fujin and Raijin , Seifer ' s friends . Seifer , who is still alive , now works for the sorceress as her knight , and has taken command of the Galbadian army . If they stay at the Balamb Hotel afterward , Zell meets the library girl who gives him a combat magazine , finally able to muster the courage to tell him of her feelings , leaving Zell stunned . They visit Trabia Garden ' s ruins and thanks to Irvine ' s memory preservation as a result of him never junctioning a Guardian Force until recently , Zell and the others become able to recall their past at Edea ' s Orphanage . Zell realizes he is adopted , but it doesn ' t change his feelings toward his mother . Surprised to find Sorceress Edea used to be their beloved Matron , Zell and the others must accept she is now their enemy . They decide to head for the old orphanage to seek clues on why she has turned evil , but along the way Balamb Garden is intercepted by similarly mobile Galbadia Garden and the Battle of the Gardens ensues . Zell organizes a group of SeeD and students to protect the quad . When Squall meets up with him , Zell borrows his Griever ring for Rinoa and gives it to her upon their next meeting for safekeeping . Zell tells her he will make a replica for her so that she can " become a lion " like Squall . Zell and the others fight off Galbadian forces until they face their former Matron , Sorceress Edea . Upon Edea ' s defeat Rinoa falls into a coma and Edea is released from the control of an evil sorceress from the future named Ultimecia , resuming the personality they all remember from their childhoods . Ultimecia ' s goal is time compression , a spell compressing all of time allowing her to recreate the world how she sees fit , but she needs to find Ellone to be able to cast the spell . Everyone worries over Rinoa ' s condition , and Squall decides to find Ellone himself , hoping her mysterious abilities over time could help him find out what happened to Rinoa . When the White SeeD tell them Ellone is in Esthar , Squall docks the Garden against the Horizon Bridge and ventures alone with Rinoa on his back . Zell and the others catch up with him and berate him for not trusting in his friends , Edea coming along as she worries about being possessed again by Ultimecia and thus wants to meet Dr . Odine of Esthar whom she hopes could help her . They arrive in Esthar City and discover Ellone to be in the Estharian space station , Lunar Base , which orbits the planet in the same scope as the moon to watch over Sorceress Adel — Esthar ' s former dictator — in her spacebound tomb . Squall travels into space with Rinoa , while Zell volunteers to protect Edea , who learns from Dr . Odine she has lost her sorceress power and thus is no longer in danger of being possessed . The Lunatic Pandora , a monstrous hovering tower that was once planned to be Esthar ' s weapon of mass destruction during Adel ' s reign , has been revived by the Galbadian army and is being controlled by Seifer and the remaining G - forces . As the Lunatic Pandora crosses the city Zell and Dr . Odine argue over time constraints , before an overzealous Zell leads his team to board the structure before Dr . Odine can finish explaining its capabilities . If the party boards the tower they are repelled by a Mobile Type 8 . Lunatic Pandora docks at Tears ' Point triggering the Lunar Cry , which brings Sorceress Adel ' s tomb back to the planet from its orbit . It is discovered Rinoa has inherited Edea ' s sorceress power and become a sorceress . Squall and a recovered Rinoa return from space , bringing an Estharian spaceship , " Ragnarok " , with them , and the team returns to the old orphanage for a safe haven . Zell tells Squall how much he ' s changed since meeting Rinoa and informs the couple of them being summoned back to Esthar , where they discover Laguna Loire , the man from their shared dream world , is the president of Esthar . With Laguna and Dr . Odine ' s help , the team concocts a plan for defeating Ultimecia once and for all . They invade the Lunatic Pandora where Zell aids in fighting through Raijin , Fujin , Seifer and eventually a possessed Sorceress Adel . Rinoa inherits Adel ' s sorceress power and as Ultimecia possesses her , Ellone , who ended up in Lunatic Pandora after escaping the space station during Lunar Cry , sends Ultimecia ' s mind back in time allowing her to cast time compression . Zell and the others survive its effects by believing in each others ' existence , and travel to the future where they destroy Ultimecia before the time compression is completed . By having faith in his friends , Zell is able to return to his own era as the timeline begins to unravel to its original form . Balamb Garden celebrates Ultimecia ' s demise and during the party Zell talks with the library girl while stuffing his face with hot dogs , almost choking . Zell is peeved to discover his mishap was caught on video and throws a piece of bread at the camera . Gameplay . Zell wields gloves as weapons , and his Limit Break is Duel . Duel features various attacks which can be pulled off by successfully inputting button sequences for the attacks within an allotted time . The attacks are martial arts moves , and new attacks are learnt by reading Combat King magazines . His ultimate weapon is Ehrgeiz . As with other player characters , a Triple Triad card is based on Zell . He is also available as a challenger after the Balamb Garden becomes mobile . Creation and development . Zell was designed to look and act like a main character of a ( Japanese comic - books intended primarily for teenage boys ) . The spiky hair , his boyish outfit , and his comedic though confident personality , are all reminiscent of the qualities a protagonist of these comics usually exhibits . According to the " Final Fantasy VIII Official Strategy Guide " , this concept is reflected by Zell ' s neighbors in Balamb Town , who think of him as a " comic - book type superhero " . The inspiration for Zell ' s tattoo came from a music video that featured a man with a full body tattoo resembling tribal origin and design . also has a similar facial tattoo . Other appearances . Zell has made appearances in the following " Final Fantasy " media : Merchandise . Zell has a Triple Triad card in the physical version of the game , released by Bandai in 1999 . Zell and Irvine appear on the Guardian Force Diablos in a collectible resin statue made by KOTOBUKIYA . He has also appeared in Coca - Cola bottle cap figure and action figures . Etymology . Zell is a German family name and many locations called Zell exist in Germany . Perhaps for this reason Zell is called Xell in the German version of " Final Fantasy VIII " .