Kazushige Nojima Explains How Dragon Quest Influenced His Early Final Fantasy Work
- ⚡Xe⚡
- 1 minute ago
- 3 min read
Kazushige Nojima has shared some insight into how his approach to Final Fantasy protagonists changed over the years. His comments were posted on Twitter in response to ongoing discussion about the contrast between Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy storytelling mentioned in an interview with Yuji Horii, creator of Dragon Quest.
Nojima explained that his early ideas about how a main character should act were shaped by growing up with Dragon Quest. He said this influenced how he handled the early stages of scenario writing for the titles he worked on.
“I worked on the setting and scenarios for [Final Fantasy] 7, 8, and 10, but because I grew up with Dragon Quest, I had the belief that a protagonist should not speak and should act as a vessel for the player. Once character animation became essential, actions that were not controlled by the player reflected a character’s individuality, which made me rethink the idea that the protagonist must remain silent.
My habits did not change immediately. Some characters appear quiet but still talk, some stay silent while thinking a lot internally, and eventually I reached characters who speak honestly. I am pleased with that progression.”
This shift can be seen when comparing protagonists like Cloud and Tidus, who represent different stages in Nojima’s evolving approach to character writing.
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