He wants to finish the trilogy on a positive note without leaving behind any unfinished business
For more than thirty years, Yoshinori Kitase has been one of the principal architects of the Final Fantasy universe — and now, as the Remake trilogy nears its conclusion, he is quietly preparing to hand the world he helped build to those who will come after him. Speaking through the pages of the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Ultimania, Kitase expressed both a desire to see the franchise endure and a graceful acceptance that his own chapter within it is drawing to a close. There is something deeply human in this posture: the craftsman who cares more about the integrity of the ending than the continuation of his own name within it.
- A titan of game design is approaching the threshold of his final major contribution to a franchise he has shaped since 1991, and the weight of that transition is beginning to surface publicly.
- The pressure to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the Remake trilogy is immense — Kitase has explicitly committed to resolving every storyline before allowing himself to think about what follows.
- The question of who stewards Final Fantasy 7 after Part 3 remains unanswered, creating quiet uncertainty about the creative identity of any future projects.
- Square Enix has a proven playbook for extending beloved worlds — spin-offs, films, and live-service titles like Ever Crisis suggest the franchise will not simply go quiet after the trilogy ends.
- The Ultimania guidebook has become an unexpected stage for these reflections, with fans and observers already dissecting Kitase's words for clues about the road ahead.
Yoshinori Kitase has spent more than three decades shaping the Final Fantasy universe, but his comments in the recently released Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Ultimania suggest he is already thinking beyond his own tenure. The legendary director — who has helmed some of the franchise's most celebrated entries, including the original Final Fantasy 7, as well as 6 and 8 — acknowledged that age makes it unlikely he will play a significant role in whatever the series becomes after the Remake trilogy concludes.
Rather than dwell on his own exit, Kitase has trained his attention on the immediate task: finishing Part 3 well. His stated priority is to bring Cloud's story to a complete and satisfying close, with no loose threads left unresolved. The goal is a sense of genuine completion — not a launchpad for the next installment, but an ending that honors everything that came before it.
What follows that ending is an open question, though Final Fantasy 7 has never been a world content to stay within a single story. Spin-offs like Before Crisis, the film Advent Children, and the recent Ever Crisis have each extended the universe in different directions. There is no shortage of narrative territory left to explore, and Square Enix has shown both the appetite and the infrastructure to keep returning to it.
For now, the Ultimania serves as a rare window into how Kitase and his collaborators think about these stories — part reference guide, part creative testament. Whether Final Fantasy 7 continues after Part 3, and under whose vision, remains a question for whoever steps into the space Kitase will leave behind.
Yoshinori Kitase has spent more than three decades building the Final Fantasy universe, but he's already thinking about what happens when he steps away. In comments surfaced from the recently released Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Ultimania—a Japanese guidebook packed with developer insights and supplementary lore—the legendary director expressed hope that the world of Final Fantasy 7 will endure beyond the Remake trilogy, even as he acknowledges his own role in that future is likely finished.
Kitase's tenure at Square Enix stretches back to 1991. He directed some of the franchise's most celebrated entries, including the original Final Fantasy 7, along with Final Fantasy 6 and 8. Over the decades, he ascended through the company's ranks, transitioning from director to producer roles as his seniority grew. Part 3 of the Remake project, however, may represent the end of that arc. Age considerations make it unlikely he'll be significantly involved in whatever comes after the trilogy concludes.
But that's not how Kitase frames it. Rather than dwell on his own exit, he's focused on the immediate task: finishing the trilogy well. He wants the story of Cloud and his companions to reach a satisfying conclusion, with no loose threads left dangling. The goal, as he put it, is to close this chapter on a positive note—to give players a sense of completion rather than a setup for the next thing.
What that next thing might be remains an open question. Final Fantasy 7 has never been confined to a single game. The franchise has spawned spin-offs before: Before Crisis in 2004, the film Advent Children in 2005, and more recently Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis in 2023. Each expanded the world in different directions, exploring different corners of the story or different time periods. There's no shortage of narrative territory left to mine.
The Ultimania itself is a window into how Square Enix thinks about these stories. These guidebooks, released after major entries, compile developer commentary, expanded lore, and artwork—they're part reference manual, part creative statement. An English translation will likely arrive eventually, though fans in Japan have already begun parsing what Kitase and others have said about Rebirth and the road ahead.
For now, the focus remains on Part 3. Kitase wants to deliver something that feels complete, that honors the original game and the two Remake entries that preceded it. Whether Final Fantasy 7 continues after that, and in what form, is a question for whoever comes next.
Citas Notables
He wants to finish the trilogy on a positive note without leaving behind any unfinished business, but that's just his own personal opinion on the matter.— Audrey, Aitai Japan CEO, summarizing Kitase's comments from the Rebirth Ultimania
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter that Kitase is stepping back? He's one person.
Because he's been the creative through-line for three decades. His fingerprints are on the DNA of this franchise. When he leaves, it's not just a personnel change—it's a shift in who gets to decide what Final Fantasy 7 becomes.
But he says he hopes it continues. That sounds optimistic.
It is. But there's something bittersweet in it too. He's saying: I want this to live on, but I probably won't be here to see it. That's the perspective of someone who knows their time in a role is ending.
Do you think Part 3 will actually wrap everything up?
That's the bet Kitase is making. He's saying that's the goal—to finish without unfinished business. Whether the market or the company will let him do that is another question entirely.
What happens if they don't? If there are loose threads?
Then someone else gets to decide how to tie them. And that someone might take the story in a direction Kitase never imagined. That's both the risk and the possibility.
So this is really about legacy.
Exactly. He's trying to hand off something whole, something that can stand on its own. Whether what comes next honors that or ignores it—that's out of his hands.