Final Fantasy 9 character designer Toshiyuki Itahana leaves Square Enix to pursue freelance work

Toshiyuki Itahana, one of the main character designers on 2000’s Final Fantasy 9, has announced his departure from Square Enix to work as a freelancer, having stepped away from the company at the end of 2025.

The details:

• Itahana, who also served as the character designer on the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles and Chocobo series, announced his move from the company in a message posted to Note. The veteran shared that he plans to continue working as both an illustrator and character designer going forward, but as a freelancer, allowing him to develop his skills. “From here on, I will be working as a freelance illustrator and character designer,” he wrote. “While remaining deeply grateful for all the connections I’ve been fortunate to receive through my work so far, I hope to draw upon my experience and continue creating a wide variety of new artwork. At the moment, I’m still finding my way—listening to advice and learning from senior freelance illustrators—but if you happen to come across my work somewhere, I would be truly happy if you could support me.”
• His departure coincides with the conclusion of his work on Final Fantasy IX's 25th anniversary celebrations, a significant milestone for the fan-favorite RPG. Itahana thanked fans for their continued support for the celebrations and his work on FF9, saying that with his involvement coming to an end, it "felt this was the right moment to draw a line under this chapter and take on new challenges."
• While Square Enix has yet to announce any new gaming project involving FF9, a remake of the RPG was mentioned in the 2021 GeForce Now database leak, which revealed several then-unannounced projects from major publishers that were later accurate. Several insiders have also claimed that the remake has been in development for years, with the title said to be different from that of the FF7 Remake Trilogy by retaining the traditional visual style and turn-based combat found in the original PS1 game.