Final Fantasy IX Character Designer Toshiyuki Itahana Has Left Square Enix - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 05 January 2026 / 2,581 Views
Final Fantasy IX main character designer Toshiyuki Itahana announced he left Square Enix to work as a freelancer.
"As I began thinking seriously about preparing myself to continue drawing for many years to come, I decided to leave Square Enix at the end of last year," said Itahana.
"Last year marked a major milestone with the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy IX, a truly significant event, and I was deeply grateful to see so many people celebrating Final Fantasy IX.
"With the illustration work and supervision related to the 25th anniversary now complete, I feel a strong sense of accomplishment in having fulfilled the role entrusted to me. At the same time, I felt this was the right moment to draw a line under this chapter and take on new challenges."
He added, "From here on, I will be working as a freelance illustrator and character designer. 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.
"To everyone who played the games I worked on at Square Enix, and to all those I had the pleasure of working with over the years, thank you very much. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude, and I sincerely hope for your continued support in the future.
"May this new year be an exceptionally happy one for all of you."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
