8. Squall Dies (Final Fantasy VIII)
During Final Fantasy VIII, protagonist Squall is mortally wounded by a huge icicle, and after a prompt disc change, we find Squall in a prison with a fairly insignificant wound given the trauma his body just went through. The theory? Squall died from this attack, and the rest of the game is his "final fantasy" as he fades away. This ending makes sense because, while it can be a cheap affectation in many films, TV shows and so on, it does add another emotional dimension to what we've just spent 40 hours playing through. Consider the fact that the game starts getting pretty surreal after the disc change and it's not hard to imagine that this really is just some guy's dying dream. The most suggestive evidence is the ending itself, which goes full-on trippy, with Squall's own and Rinoa's likenesses distorting, which many have suggested signifies his dream coming to an end. Then, it ends on an idyllic, calm, contemplative note which suggests that Squall is now at peace in death.