is a Japanese company director, video game producer and former game director working for Square Enix. He is known for directing Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy X, and for producing the Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy VII Remake series.
Kitase currently serves as a member of the board of directors at both Square Enix Co, Ltd and Square Enix Holdings as well as the executive officer of Square Enix's Creative Studios 1 and 2 as well as the studio head for the latter.
He has also served as the Final Fantasy series brand manager since 2021.
He was the head of Square Enix's Creative Business Unit 1 as well as Business Division 1 during their entire respective existences as well as a Corporate Executive. He was also part of the Final Fantasy Committee that was tasked with keeping the franchise's releases and content consistent.
Biography In July 1978, at the age of 11, Kitase watched the movie Star Wars for the first time and was deeply impressed with it. He later examined the making-of video to it and became interested in the creative process of the film industry. Kitase decided to attend the Nihon University College of Art and studied screenwriting and filmmaking. Although he enjoyed filming, he showed a much greater passion for post-production editing as he felt it allowed him to give the footage a completely new meaning and to appeal to the viewers' feelings. In his first year after the graduation, Kitase worked at a small animation studio that produced animated television programs and commercials. When he played Final Fantasy for the first time, he considered a switch to the game industry as he felt that it had potential when it came to animation and storytelling. Despite having no software development knowledge, he applied at the game development company Square and was hired in March 1990. In the ten years to follow, he gathered experience as an "event scripter", directing the characters' movements and facial expressions on the game screen as well as setting the timings and music transitions. He has compared this work to directing film actors. Kitase continued directing cutscenes in spite of filling other roles in later projects; for example, he directed part of the event scenes in Final Fantasy VIII and was event planner for the Nibelheim section of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.
When many players responded to the sci-fi world of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII by requesting a "simple fantasy world", Kitase tried to expand the definition of the word "fantasy" beyond that of a medieval European setting. This led to Southeast Asia being the backdrop for Final Fantasy X. Kitase referred to Final Fantasy VII and its protagonist Cloud Strife as his favorite game and character, respectively. In an interview, he said that he loves first-person shooters. Kitase supervised the Final Fantasy VII: Technical Demo for PS3. Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi feels that he "handed the torch to" Kitase as far as heading the series is concerned.
Works Video games Year Title Role(s) 1991 Final Fantasy Adventure Game design, scenario 1992 Romancing SaGa Field map design Final Fantasy V Field planner, event planner, scenario 1994 Final Fantasy VI Director, event planner, scenario 1995 Chrono Trigger Director, scenario 1997 Final Fantasy VII Director, story 1999 Final Fantasy VIII Director, story 2001 Final Fantasy X Chief director, producer, scenario 2002 Kingdom Hearts Co-producer 2003 Final Fantasy X-2 Producer, scenario 2004 Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII Executive producer Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Producer 2005 Kingdom Hearts II Co-producer 2006 Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII Producer Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode: Final Fantasy VII Executive producer Final Fantasy V Advance Supervisor Final Fantasy VI Advance Supervisor 2007 Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Executive producer, event planner 2008 Sigma Harmonics Producer Dissidia Final Fantasy 2009 Final Fantasy XIII 2010 The 3rd Birthday 2011 Final Fantasy Type-0 Final Fantasy XIII-2 2013 Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster 2014 Final Fantasy VII G-Bike Executive producer 2015 Mobius Final Fantasy Producer 2016 Final Fantasy XV Special thanks, original producer 2017 Flame vs Blaze Executive producer 2019 Final Fantasy VIII Remastered Special thanks, supervisor 2020 Final Fantasy VII Remake Producer 2021 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Supervisor Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier Executive producer 2022 Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster Supervisor Chocobo GP Executive producer Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion 2023 Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis 2024Final Fantasy VII RebirthProducer2026Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail (Patch 7.56)Guest creator (Keybound Brawler)2027Final Fantasy VII RevelationProducer
Other media Year Title Credit(s) 1995 Final Fantasy VI The Interactive CG Game Director 1999 Party from Final Fantasy VIII Director, producer 2001 Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Thanks2005 Final Fantasy VII Technical Demo for PS3 Producer Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Producer Last Order: Final Fantasy VII Executive producer2009 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete ProducerOn the Way to a Smile - Episode: Denzel Executive producer 2016 Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Special thanks
Additional credits Year Title Credit(s) 1998 Xenogears (Japanese version) Cooperation 1998 Ehrgeiz FF VII staff 1999 Chrono Cross (Japanese version) Development cooperation 2002 Unlimited Saga Special thanks 2003 Hanjuku Hero Tai 3D Development cooperation 2004 Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Special Final Fantasy part cooperation 2005 Romancing SaGa Special thanks 2006 Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable Final Fantasy part cooperation Dawn of Mana Special thanks 2007 Heroes of Mana 2009 Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light 2010 Final Fantasy XIV Crystal tools 2011 Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy Special thanks 2012 Theatrhythm Final Fantasy 2013 Final Fantasy: All The Bravest 2014 Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call 2015 Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster for PlayStation 4 Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius Dissidia Final Fantasy (2015 video game) Arcade 2016 Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster for Microsoft Windows 2017 Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (Patch 3.56) Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood Pictologica Final Fantasy Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Final Fantasy Dimensions II 2018 Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Chrono Trigger Upgrade Version Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Original game supervisor 2019 Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Special thanks Romancing SaGa 3 remaster Executive officer SaGa: Scarlet Grace Ambitions English Version War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Special thanks Star Ocean: First Departure R Vice president 2020 Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition Collection of SaGa Executive officer Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory Vice president Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe Executive officer 2021 SaGa Frontier Remastered Neo: The World Ends with You Vice president Dungeon Encounters Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Special thanks 2022 Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Vice president Chrono Cross The Radical Dreamers Edition Star Ocean: The Divine Force Tactics Ogre: Reborn Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered Executive officer 2023 Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Vice president Final Fantasy XVI Special thanks Star Ocean: The Second Story R Vice president 2024 Foamstars Square Enix special tester SaGa Emerald Beyond Vice president Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Special thanks Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Head of studio 2025 SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered
Notes Kitase was a producer on Final Fantasy XV until the end of 2013.
References
External links Yoshinori Kitase's official English blog