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Final Fantasy IX Game's Character Designer Toshiyuki Itahana Leaves Square Enix
posted on by Alex Mateo
The Final Fantasy IX game's character designer Toshiyuki Itahana announced on Monday that he left Square Enix at the end of last year. He left following the end of Final Fantasy IX's 25th anniversary, which he supervised and provided new illustrations for. He will continue on as a freelance illustrator and character designer.
Itahana also served as a character designer for the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles and Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon series. He was the illustrator for Chocobo and the Airship: A Final Fantasy Picture Book.
Square Enix commemorated the 25th anniversary for Final Fantasy IX last year with new illustrations, a vinyl record, merchandise, an exhibit, café collaborations, and a crossover with the Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space game, among other projects.
Zidane and the Tantalus Theater Troupe have kidnapped Princess Garnet, the heir of Alexandria. To their surprise, however, the princess herself yearned to escape the castle. Through a series of unusual circumstances, she and her personal guard, Steiner, fall in with Zidane and set out on an incredible journey. Meeting unforgettable characters like Vivi and Quina along the way, they learn about themselves, the secrets of the Crystal, and a malevolent force that threatens to destroy their world.
Final Fantasy IX debuted on PlayStation in 2000. Square Enix most recently rereleased the game on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One in March 2019. Square Enix rereleased Final Fantasy IX on PlayStation 4 in September 2017. It previously rereleased the game on iOS and Android devices in February 2016, and on PC via Steam in April 2016.
Paris-based Cyber Group Studios had signed a co-development and co-production deal with Square Enix to create animated series based on Final Fantasy IX for 8- to 13-year-olds. Cyber Group Studios' CEO Pierre Sissman had previously stated that the company aimed to begin production by the end of 2021 or beginning of 2022. However, Cyber Group Studios closed in April 2025.
Sources: Toshiyuki Itahana's note page
