She is not Ultimecia. That's just ridiculus.

The time gap between Rinoa and Ultimecia pretty much rules out any chance of them being the same person imo.

I must say that I agree with this theory about Rinoa and Ultimecia, but I am interested in what people think as to whether it was a cycle that continued to occur or if the game is based on you breaking the cycle. I really liked how it was pointed out by Spira that in the ending FMV when Squall is trying to remember everything he knows about Rinoa and everything is getting all screwed up in his mind that they show ultimecia's face following rinoa's. I actually recorded the clip and freeze framed my way through it and there are definately similarities between Rinoa's and Ultimecia's facial features. Anyway I agree that there are definate grounds to say that Rinoa is Ultimecia, however I also know that they won't release a sequel to seal our debating about the topic either. Too bad eh?

Ultimecia may not be a future Rinoa, but her GF griever does suggest a knowlege of their time, and a connection to it.Maybe the powers carry a whole conciousness, a separate being...almost like a parasite with a host? Almost the same way that ultimecia controlled rinoa, it may have been through this "conciousness" that the powers carry.......just a thought..

Of course she isn't Ultimecia. In one of the conversations she tells Squall that if she is allowed to be free that eventually her powers would be passed down to Ultimecia.

I can agree one that your theory sounds interesting, but I can't really say I belive it. It's a bit far-fetched.

well, final fantasy wasn't built on common occurances, at least the ones i played(678910 tactics)

Something Rinoa said in the Ragnarok (disk four) really interested me- something like "when we kill Ultimecia, what will we do when she is born in the future?"
does this mean that Rinoa and Ultimecia are different people? Or does Rinoa not realize that she is Ultimecia?