# Yoshinori Kitase

Yoshinori Kitase (北瀬 佳範, Kitase Yoshinori, born September 23, 1966) is a Japanese game director and producer working for Square Enix. He is known as the director of Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy X, and the producer of the Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XIII series.
He is currently the head of Square Enix's Creative Studios I and II, the Final Fantasy series Brand Manager, an executive officer at Square Enix and a member of the board of directors at both Square Enix Co, Ltd and Square Enix Holdings.
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 is also part of the Final Fantasy Committee that is 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 |
| 1992 | 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, system designer, event scene director |
| 2001 | Final Fantasy X | Chief director, producer, scenario |
| 2002 | Kingdom Hearts | Producer |
| 2003 | Final Fantasy X-2 | Producer, scenario |
| 2004 | Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII | Executive producer |
| 2004 | Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories | Producer |
| 2005 | Kingdom Hearts II | Producer |
| 2006 | Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII | Producer |
| 2006 | Final Fantasy V Advance | Supervisor |
| 2006 | Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode: Final Fantasy VII | Executive producer |
| 2006 | Final Fantasy VI Advance | Supervisor |
| 2007 | Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII | Executive producer, event planner |
| 2008 | Sigma Harmonics | Producer |
| 2008 | Dissidia Final Fantasy | Producer |
| 2009 | Final Fantasy XIII | Producer |
| 2010 | The 3rd Birthday | Producer |
| 2011 | Final Fantasy Type-0 | Producer |
| 2011 | Final Fantasy XIII-2 | Producer |
| 2013 | Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII | Producer |
| 2013 | Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster | Producer |
| 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 |
| 2021 | Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster | Supervisor |
| 2021 | Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster | Supervisor |
| 2021 | Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster | Supervisor |
| 2021 | Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster | Supervisor |
| 2021 | Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier | Executive producer |
| 2022 | Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster | Supervisor |
| 2022 | Chocobo GP | Executive producer |
| 2022 | Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion | Executive producer |
| 2023 | Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis | Executive producer |
| 2024 | Final Fantasy VII Rebirth | Producer |

### Other media

| Year | Title | Credit(s) |
| 1995 | Final Fantasy VI The Interactive CG Game | Director |
| 1999 | Party from Final Fantasy VIII | Director |
| 2001 | Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | Thanks |
| 2005 | Final Fantasy VII Technical Demo for PS3 | Producer |
| 2005 | Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children | Producer |
| 2005 | Last Order: Final Fantasy VII | Executive producer |
| 2009 | Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete | Producer |
| 2009 | On 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 |
| 2006 | Dawn of Mana | Special thanks |
| 2007 | Heroes of Mana | Special thanks |
| 2009 | Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light | Special thanks |
| 2010 | Final Fantasy XIV | Crystal tools |
| 2011 | Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy | Special thanks |
| 2012 | Theatrhythm Final Fantasy | Special thanks |
| 2013 | Final Fantasy: All The Bravest | Special thanks |
| 2014 | Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call | Special thanks |
| 2015 | Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster for PlayStation 4 | Special thanks |
| 2015 | Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius | Special thanks |
| 2015 | Dissidia Final Fantasy (2015 video game) Arcade | Special thanks |
| 2016 | Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster for Microsoft Windows | Special thanks |
| 2017 | Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (Patch 3.56) | Special thanks |
| 2017 | Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood | Special thanks |
| 2017 | Pictologica Final Fantasy | Special thanks |
| 2017 | Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary | Special thanks |
| 2017 | Final Fantasy Dimensions II | Special thanks |
| 2018 | Dissidia Final Fantasy NT | Special thanks |
| 2018 | Chrono Trigger Upgrade Version | Special thanks |
| 2018 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Original game supervisor |
| 2019 | Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers | Special thanks |
| 2019 | Romancing SaGa 3 remaster | Executive officer |
| 2019 | SaGa: Scarlet Grace Ambitions English Version | Executive officer |
| 2019 | War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius | Special thanks |
| 2019 | Star Ocean: First Departure R | Vice president |
| 2020 | Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition | Vice president |
| 2020 | Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory | Vice president |
| 2020 | Collection of SaGa | Executive officer |
| 2021 | SaGa Frontier Remastered | Executive officer |
| 2021 | Neo: The World Ends with You | Vice president |
| 2021 | Dungeon Encounters | Vice president |
| 2021 | Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker | Special thanks |
| 2022 | Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin | Vice president |
| 2022 | Chrono Cross The Radical Dreamers Edition | Vice president |
| 2022 | Star Ocean: The Divine Force | Vice president |
| 2022 | Tactics Ogre: Reborn | Vice president |
| 2022 | Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered | Executive officer |
| 2023 | Theatrhythm Final Bar Line | Vice president |
| 2023 | Final Fantasy XVI | Special thanks |
| 2023 | Star Ocean: The Second Story R | Vice president |
| 2024 | Foamstars | Square Enix special tester |
| 2024 | SaGa Emerald Beyond | Vice president |
| 2024 | Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail | Special thanks |
| 2024 | Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven | Head of studio |