Translator Brody Phillips Reflects on Final Fantasy IX Localization for 25th Anniversary
- ⚡Xe⚡
- Aug 31
- 3 min read
To mark the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy IX, Time Extension spoke with translator Brody Phillips, who worked on the game’s English localization alongside Maki Yamane and Ryosuke Taketomi. Phillips discussed the team’s workflow, the challenges of adapting character voices, and the creative decisions that shaped the English script.
He described the workflow as messy, relying on regex-based search tools, file timestamps as version control, and file sharing through Outlook email. Despite those limitations, Phillips said he was proud of the translation and its role in bringing Final Fantasy IX to Western players, while also admitting that some parts could have been sharper.
Work was divided by file size, measured in kilobytes for each location or menu, rather than by character or story order. Editor Richard Amtower was responsible for keeping the text consistent. Phillips added his own touches to the script, giving the Tantalus troupe an Elizabethan stage flavor and writing the dwarves with Scots-inspired dialogue.
“Our whole goal was to capture the sheer variety and texture that was in the Japanese script, but in a way that sounded like it was written in English to begin with—not like it was ‘translated.’”
Several names and character details were adjusted to better fit English-speaking players. The most well-known example is Amarant, who was originally called “Salamander.”
“The philosophy we followed was: try to recreate the emotional effect the Japanese audience got. So in Japanese, ‘Salamander’ sounded exotic and tough—it fit. But in English, a salamander is this small, delicate animal. It just didn’t match the look or feel of the character. So we went with Amarant instead.”
Adapting character voices was often the hardest part. Quina, for example, was written in Japanese with distinctive quirks and no set gender. In English, Phillips used simplified grammar with a playful, pidgin-like style to make Quina stand out, while other characters referred to Quina as “s/he” to keep the ambiguity.
Other notable changes included Zidane’s insult for Steiner. In Japanese, Zidane calls him "ossan", a slang term meaning “uncle” or “middle-aged man,” used in a dismissive way. In English, this became “Rusty,” tying the insult to Steiner’s armor while keeping Zidane’s cheeky tone.
Phillips also recalled renaming the king in the game’s opening stage play. In Japanese, the name sounded too close to King Lear, which Phillips thought would be distracting. The king was renamed King Leo, after Phillips’ father.
The queen’s jesters were another challenge. In Japanese, both spoke in unison using quirky archaic verb endings. To recreate that effect in English, one spoke normally while the other reversed his grammar in a Yoda-like style.
Not every idea made it into the final game. At one point, the team considered renaming the elemental spell tiers with playful suffixes like “-rrific” and “-rama,” which would have produced names such as “Firrific,” “Firama,” “Blizzarrific,” and “Blizzarama.” The idea was dropped for being too silly for the game’s tone.
Phillips admitted that some references to earlier Final Fantasy titles were missed during localization, partly because many of those games had not yet been released outside Japan. Looking back, he said he wished more nostalgic details had been included for Western audiences.
When asked about a possible remaster/remake, Phillips said he would prefer to see a modern team take on the localization.
“I’d honestly love to see what a new team could do. Localization’s come a long way in the last 25 years, and now translators have tools that make the process so much smoother.”
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-⚡Xe⚡
About FINAL FANTASY IX
FINAL FANTASY IX tells a grand story of love, war and betrayal in a world of incredible magic and larger-than-life characters. Zidane and the Tantalus Theater Troupe have kidnapped Princess Garnet, the heir of Alexandria, but to their surprise, the princess herself yearned to escape the castle and see the world for herself. Together, they explore the world and encounter new friends and enemies to embark on an adventure unlike any other.
FINAL FANTASY IX is available on App Store, Google Play, STEAM, Playstation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and Windows.
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