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Final Fantasy IX at 25: why Squaresoft’s last hurrah on PlayStation still resonates today
17.2.2026
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
To end the nineties, Squaresoft’s dream team came together one last time and delivered one of the best games of all time. A sentimental look back.
«You taught me that life doesn’t last forever. (…) Why I was born… How I wanted to live… Thanks for giving me time to think (…) But I guess we all have to say goodbye someday.»
This paragraph could just as well have been penned by Friedrich Nietzsche. Or any author whose works dance on that fine line between existentialism and nihilism. However, this quote doesn’t stem from one of the great poets or thinkers. Instead, it’s said by Vivi Ornitier, a young black mage from Final Fantasy IX.
Source: Square Enix
Given the colourful setting of the game – hamster people inhabit the landscape and characters make little braking noises when they halt abruptly – deep quotes might seem out of place.
But it’s precisely this antithesis that makes Final Fantasy IX so special. Squaresoft’s last game for the very first PlayStation is a life-affirming masterpiece, and one of the greatest moments in modern pop culture.
To celebrate its 25th birthday, I’m looking back on this extraordinary game.
One last ride
Summer 1998. While Switzerland is trapped in the stranglehold of Loona Bailando, work on the ninth instalment of the Final Fantasy series begins in Japan. Nobody knew it at the time, but it’d be the last game in the franchise under the direction of the Big 3. This honorific refers to series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, developer and producer Hiroyuki Ito and composer Nobuo Uematsu.
Or did they perhaps suspect it’d be the last time they’d come together in this form?
Either way, their declared aim is to celebrate the series – everything’s happened and everything that makes up Final Fantasy. At the same time, the developers want to get back to basics. No more modern setting as in FF VIII, move away from the cyberpunk elements of FF VII. Sakaguchi calls it his ideal version of Final Fantasy.
Nothing makes this plan clearer than the core team making up the Adventure Party – a thief, a knight, a white mage and a black mage. The same default lineup featured in the series debut, almost 40 years ago today.
Looking back, it all looks like a planned farewell, even if subsequent events speak against it. More on this later.
Gaia awakens
Final Fantasy IX is released in Japan on 7 July 2000. European fans will have to wait until 16 February 2001, but will receive a solid translation – certainly not a given at the time.
The game establishes its desire to be different from the start.
Source: Square Enix
Gaia, the setting for this RPG, feels like a fantasy version of the European Middle Ages. The character design is playful and childlike. It’s based on the Chibi style, which characterises the 2D games.
Sakaguchi got inspired by both his own works as well as Jim Henson. According to the Japanese director, cult film Dark Crystal is the biggest inspiration for the vibe in FF IX.
Saviours of the world…
Life on Gaia feels carefree on the surface, which is also reflected in Zidane, the boundlessly optimistic protagonist – at least superficially. I love my depressed darling Cloud, and the constantly sulking Squall also has a firm place in my heart. But an RPG party leader who doesn’t feel like he’s experimenting with razor blades to My Chemical Romance is a nice change of pace.
Source: Square Enix
Although this loud-mouthed thief leads the party, he’s surprisingly generous in sharing the spotlight with the rest of his crew. Vivi, the aforementioned mage and poet, is closely linked to the plot of Final Fantasy IX more than anyone. He goes through the most impressive character arc.
Garnet isn’t far behind, however. In the course of the story, this initially insecure princess discovers her true origins and herself. Always by her side: Adelbert Steiner. The loyal soldier acts as comic relief, but without being degraded to a parody.
Source: Square Enix
Steiner also develops a deep relationship with Vivi. The resulting dialogues between the knight and mage form an emotional anchor, giving both characters another layer of personality.
… and the B-Team
Unfortunately, some party members receive less attention. Eiko Carol is a summoner and a punk. Beyond that, she remains somewhat flat.
Freya Crescent, the tranquil dragon knight, is slightly more interesting. In the second act, her lover, who she thought was dead, suddenly returns to her, albeit without any memories. Sounds like asinine soap opera stuff, but on closer inspection it addresses the same existential issues as the main story: who are we without our memories and experiences?
Unfortunately, Freya’s drama bogs down and comes to an abrupt end, killing the gravitas of this subplot.
There’s Quina Quen, a genderless blue mage. Their only personality trait: eating everything they come across. Quina is a clown – and I hate clowns. Besides, they add nothing to the story.
The ensemble is rounded off by the fierce Amarant Coral. However, he doesn’t really impact the main plot either. I still like him, though. He’s completely antisocial and often follows the mantra: «Peace out, I don’t care about your problems and I’m doing my own thing now.»
Source: Square Enix
Lifting the curtain
Final Fantasy IX begins with a play put together by the Tantalus organisation, a motley band of artists and kindhearted delinquents – including Zidane.
However, the performance is just a distraction. Tantalus is looking to kidnap Princess Garnet, heir to the throne of Alexandria, to find out why her mother – Queen Brahne – recently went to war. To Zidane’s surprise, Garnet doesn’t resist – in fact, the royal can’t get away from her palace fast enough. Alongside Vivi and Steiner, the troupe flees Alexandria.
Around 15 hours pass before we find out what lies behind Queen Brahne’s ambitions to conquer the world. Then Kuja enters the stage – and briefly makes me question my heterosexuality. However, the main antagonist’s motivations remain a mystery for the time being.
Source: Square Enix
FF IX takes its time telling the story – and gets lost a few times along the way. Still, no big deal. After all – and this may sound weird at first – saving Gaia isn’t the main goal in this role-playing game.
What’s the meaning of life?
Warning: from here on out, massive spoilers await.
Now, you may be thinking: «Nonsense, the game ends when the credits roll, and that starts as soon as the main story is through.» Sure, you might be right about that. But to me, everything that happens along the way is more important to the message of Final Fantasy IX.
Throughout the adventure, Vivi finds out he was artificially created and that his time on Gaia is coming to an end. Zidane learns he was designed to be a weapon for war. And Kuja’s motives appear in a new light when it turns out he isn’t the god he thinks he is.
Stopping Kuja is still the declared goal of the party. In addition, several characters are faced with challenges that are just as important, perhaps even more so. Vivi confronts his mortality, Zidane accepts he can determine his own path, and Kuja’s fear of death redefines his actions. Themes of acceptance, rebellion and repression – real human emotions we have to face throughout life.
Source: Square Enix
The story forms a framework, but the highlights really are those small interpersonal plotlines.
Like a fine wine…
Still, everything I’m writing here largely passed me by on my first run of Final Fantasy IX on the PlayStation. Including the fact that Vivi unfortunately doesn’t live to see a happy ending. A late realisation that brings tears to my eyes as I play through the game again for this retrospective.
I now know how post-war kids felt when that hunter shot Bambi’s mother.
Source: Rainer Etzweiler
The fact that a game can still trigger such strong feelings in me so long after its release shows how well game nine in the RPG series has aged. Same goes for the tech. Sure, FF IX is 25 years old and you can tell. But the pre-rendered backgrounds squeeze every drop out of the old PlayStation. The picture book aesthetic turns every frame into a small work of art.
Source: Square Enix
Nobuo Uematsu’s score is once again beyond any doubt. If video game soundtracks ever get their own Grammy category, the artist should retroactively win every award.
Not Alone is my favourite.
… a slightly corked wine
Final Fantasy IX isn’t perfect. Strictly speaking, the sluggish, turn-based gameplay was already outdated back then. Many side quests are so obtuse that they can rarely be solved without a guide, and the skill system requires regular grinding. On top of that, the card game is ridiculous and a blatant downgrade after the great Triple Triad in FF VIII.
A remaster was released in 2018, with quality-of-life upgrades to mitigate some retro annoyances. As a Scanlines fan, however, I’m missing filter options in the port. In addition, the graphics aren’t consistently upscaled, and unsightly low-res elements repeatedly ruin the immersion.
Source: Square Enix
Still, if you’re looking for an uncomplicated new entry to the classic, you’ll be well served here.
25 years later
Final Fantasy IX is Sakaguchi’s uncompromising magnum opus. It’s a result of the confidence and skills the 63-year-old developer honed over almost two decades. A declaration of love to the series itself as well as to all long-time fans.
In a 2017 sketch, Sakaguchi declares FF IX his favourite instalment– while throwing up an unidentifiable gang sign to the camera. Regardless of what this meant: keeping his original intention in mind, it most likely is his actual favourite.
However, his life’s work is only honoured to a limited extent. With 5.5 million units sold, Zidane’s epic lags far behind Final Fantasy VII (10 million) and Final Fantasy VIII (8.6 million).
Timing and the zeitgeist are responsible for this. FF IX comes out just a few months before the release of the PlayStation 2. All everyone cares about is Sony’s newest console. Trailers reveal impressive car chases for the time and an almost photorealistic Jin Kazama.
Squaresoft’s «little» role-playing game featuring cute manga boys and girls, on the other hand, just looks old.
Shortly afterwards, Sakaguchi experienced the biggest setback of his career. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, a film adaptation of the franchise, was a colossal flop. The film cost Squaresoft 85 million US dollars and Sakaguchi his job.
However, the developer is still active today. His latest game Fantasian was released on all modern consoles in 2024. Fellow editor Kevin praised the throwback RPG in every regard.
So, what is the meaning of life?
Final Fantasy IX doesn’t clarify the true meaning of life. However, it provides a lot of food for thought, dealing with the topic in a very sensitive and surprisingly liberal way.
The quote I used in the intro comes from Vivi’s farewell letter to Zidane. The words are deeply sad, but I also see some acceptance. Vivi, whose name in Latin is a declaration of life, has made peace with his finite existence.
Source: Square Enix
Somewhere between this realisation and the fact the game is TWENTY-FIVE YEARS old, I’m experiencing an existential crisis myself. But I’ll deal with that tomorrow, I’m celebrating today. Happy Birthday, Final Fantasy IX. You’ve held up better than me.
Rainer Etzweiler
Freelance Editor
rainer@rockstar.chIn the early 90s, my older brother gave me his NES with The Legend of Zelda on it. It was the start of an obsession that continues to this day.
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