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"This is the capital of Esthar. It's really huge. Just be careful not to get lost."

—Esthar Guard

Esthar City (エスタシティ, Esuta Shiti^?) is a location in Final Fantasy VIII. The capital city of the reclusive nation Esthar, Esthar City spans almost the entirety of the Great Plains of Esthar. It, along with the rest of the country, is hidden behind an OCS (Optical Camouflage System) barrier, an invention that cloaks Esthar from view of the outside world. Esthar City is served by a platform shuttle service that runs throughout the inner city.

StoryEdit

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. (Skip section)

For a long time, Esthar was governed by the cruel sorceress Adel. With the help of Dr. Odine, she sought a child to whom she could give her powers. She set her sights on Ellone, but Laguna Loire used Ellone as bait to seal Adel's powers and launch her into space. After this, Laguna was hailed as the hero of the Esthar revolution, and was elected president, with his two friends Kiros and Ward working together with him. The Sorceress War was thus abruptly ended, and with no explanation, Esthar sealed its borders and shut itself off from the rest of the world, even constructing an optical camouflage system around the entire perimeter of the country to visually conceal it from outsiders.

By the time of Final Fantasy VIII, Squall arrives in Esthar carrying the unconscious Rinoa on his back. Seeing only the Great Salt Lake, and no city in sight, they begin to think the reclusive Esthar no longer exists. They end up discovering that most of the continent is hidden by a cloaking device, enter the city, and meet with Dr. Odine. He advises them to go out into space, and Esthar's Lunar Base, to talk to Ellone about going back into time to find out Rinoa's fate. Squall splits his group into two; his group will go into space, while Zell's group protects the sorceress Edea who has traveled with the party seeking a cure for her sorceress powers.

Later on, Seifer and the Galbadian army have raised the Lunatic Pandora from beneath the ocean, and steer it over Esthar towards Tears' Point. Zell devises a plan to board the Lunatic Pandora, and successfully does so, only to be thrown right out. The Lunatic Pandora reaches Tears' Point and initiates the Lunar Cry with disastrous results; the city becomes overrun with monsters and many civilians are killed as the Esthar Soldiers stationed in the city are overwhelmed. Only the presidential palace remains untouched.

Spoilers end here.

LayoutEdit

The limits of Esthar City actually takes up the entire western side of Esthar. While the city can be explored on the World Map the player only gets to enter the city's central districts closest to the Presidential Palace. The city has one outer skyway and two main inner skyways, all leading to the palace.

Dr. Odine's Laboratory

Located south-west in prospective to the Presidential Residence this laboratory is Odine's primary labs where he conducts sorceress research. While in his other labs outside the city; the Lunatic Pandora Laboratory, he conducts research on the Lunatic Pandora.

Draw points: Double (never refills), Flare (hidden, never refills), Quake (outside the lab)

Esthar Airstation

West in prospective to the Presidential Residence the airstation provides docking privileges for aircraft such as the Ragnarok. The background where Ragnarok is stationed in Esthar Air Station before the Lunar Cry (the sky is blue) exists in the game data, but it can never be seen in-game as the player can access Ragnarok only after Lunar Cry as already occurred, and the sky is always tinted pink.

Presidential Residence.

Added by Netherith

Presidential Palace

Home of the Esthar presidential staff and the president himself. Sorceress Adel once ruled from this palace and now her stasis chamber is shaped in the Presidential Palace's image. The palace serves as president Laguna's abode.

Items: Occult Fan IV magazine (the player must leave the palace after Dr. Odine takes Rinoa to his care, and then return there before going to space to find the magazine).
Draw points: Blizzard (outside the palace)
Triple Triad: A presidential aide has the Phoenix card as part of Queen of Cards sidequest.

Streets

The streets of Esthar are much more expansive than in any other location in the game.

Items: Combat King 004 (obtain from a soldier on a bridge during the Lunatic Pandora incident)
Draw point: Curaga (on a junction near entrance)

Shopping Mall

The shopping mall is a place for shops. The shopping is conducted by operating the terminals.

Items: Rosetta Stone (Cheryl's Shop; the shop is closed but will randomly give a Rosetta Stone when the player attempts to access it)
Draw points: Tornado

Rent-a-Car

Located at the city entrance cars can be hired here for a small fee. Although one can avoid Random Encounters on the field in a car, the car needs fuel to run.

ShopsEdit

Rinrin's Store
Item	Price
G-Potion	200
G-Hi-Potion	600
G-Returner	500
Pet House	1,000
Amnesia Greens	1,000
HP-J Scroll	10,000
Str-J Scroll	10,000
Vit-J Scroll	10,000
Mag-J Scroll	10,000
Spr-J Scroll	10,000
Pet Pals Vol. 5	1,000
Pet Pals Vol. 6	1,000
Giant's Ring^[A]	20,000
Power Wrist^[A]	20,000
Force Armlet^[A]	20,000
Hypno Crown^[A]	20,000

Johnny's Shop
Item	Price
Potion	100
Hi-Potion	500
X-Potion^[A]	5,000
Mega-Potion^[A]	10,000
Phoenix Down	500
Mega Phoenix^[A]	10,000
Elixir^[A]	50,000
Antidote	100
Eye Drops	100
Soft	100
Echo Screen	100
Holy Water	100
Remedy	1,000
Tent	1,000
Cottage	1,800
G-Potion	200

Karen's Store
Item	Price
Weapons Mon 1st^[A]	50,000
Weapons Mon Mar	1,000
Weapons Mon Apr	1,000
Weapons Mon May	1,000
Weapons Mon Jun	1,000
Weapons Mon Jul	1,000
Weapons Mon Aug	1,000
Combat King 001	1,000
Combat King 002	1,000
Combat King 003	1,000
Combat King 004^[A]	1,000
Combat King 005^[A]	30,000
Pet Pals Vol. 1	1,000
Pet Pals Vol. 2	1,000
Occult Fan I^[A]	35,000
Occult Fan II^[A]	35,000

Cloud's Shop
Item	Price
Hi-Potion	500
Phoenix Down	500
Eye Drops	100
Soft	100
Remedy	1,000
Tent	1,000
Fuel	3,000
Normal Ammo	20
Shotgun Ammo	40
Dark Ammo	300
Fire Ammo	500
Demolition Ammo^[A]	800
Fast Ammo^[A]	100
G-Potion	200
G-Hi-Potion	600
G-Returner	500

Don Juan's Shop

Main article: Junk Shop

Cheryl's Store

The shop is always closed. The player may receive a Rosetta Stone for trying to access it.

A - Items only appear with the Familiar ability.

LocationEdit

The largest location in terms of size on the World Map, Esthar City covers the entire western portion of the Esthar continent. Players can enter the "location proper" by either landing on the airstation or driving/traveling to the Presidential Building on the world map.

QuestsEdit

ShopsEdit

Cheryl's Shop is always closed, but if the player keeps selecting it from the shopping arcade terminal they will get a free Rosetta Stone. Johnny's Shop (Esthar Shop!!!) is closed at first but can be opened and will sell some potent items that are not available in any other shop. If the player opens Johnny's Shop they can also visit it with Tonberry's Call Shop ability. Johnny's Shop will open at random when the plater tries to enter it.

Rare MagazinesEdit

There are two rare magazines that can be found in Esthar City. The first one is Occult Fan IV. To get it, the player must leave Rinoa in Dr. Odine's care in the palace. Next, the player can talk to a presidential aide near the Airstation, who leaves the screen. Returning to the palace the player can find the presidential aide has left a stack of magazines on the floor, among which the player may find the Occult Fan IV. This must be done before Lunar Cry floods the city.

During the Lunatic Pandora chase, the player can obtain the Combat King 004 by talking to a soldier on a bridge near the Airstation.

Triple TriadEdit

Estharians play with Esthar region rules, where Elemental and Same Wall are the starting rule. However, Same Wall doesn't appear in games unless the player spreads the rule Same to the region first.

Phoenix card can be won off a presidential aide in the palace as part of the Queen of Cards sidequest.
Ward's card can be won off Dr. Odine.
Squall's card can be won off the president of Esthar in the palace or on the Ragnarok before the final battle at the Lunatic Pandora.

EnemiesEdit

Esthar City, peaceful as it is, may be overwhelmed with monsters, and this will happen permanently due to the Lunar Cry. Before the Lunar Cry, monsters may be encountered on the overworld map of Esthar only, but after the said event, monsters can be found inside.

Before Lunar CryEdit

Overworld

Lunatic Pandora AttackEdit

City Interior

After Lunar CryEdit

City Interior

Overworld

Behemoth
Imp
Iron Giant
Torama
Turtapod
Elnoyle (on certain streets)

Musical ThemesEdit

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"Silence and Motion"

Trouble with the audio sample?

"Silence and Motion" is Esthar's theme. It is an ambient composition of electronic synth whistles and chimes that give the impression of technological progress and marvels that Esthar is abundant with. A piano arrangement of the theme is included on the Piano Collections: Final Fantasy VIII album. "SeeD" is played during and after the Lunar Cry incident in Esthar.

Other AppearancesEdit

Theatrhythm Final FantasyEdit

Esthar City appears as the battle locale during the "The Man with the Machine Gun" and Force Your Way Battle Music Sequence of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. When played during a Dark Note, the sky in the background turns red, a reference to the Lunar Cry (Final Fantasy VIII).

GalleryEdit

Concept art of the city.

Concept art of city structures.

Possible Esthar Shopping Arcade Concept.

Concept art of Presidential Palace.

Artwork of Presidential Palace; unused map.

Concept art of Presidential Palace.

Concept art of the Shopping Arcade.

Concept art of Dr. Odine's lab.

Esthar screenshot.

Esthar screenshot.

Esthar screenshot.

Esthar screenshot.

TriviaEdit

The protagonist of Final Fantasy VII, Cloud Strife, is referenced in the shop title; Cloud's Shop. However, this is not the case in the original Japanese version of the game, where the shop is called "Esthar Shop" (エスタショップ, Esuta Shoppu^?).