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Final Fantasy 9 Animated Series Officially in the Works, Co-Developed by Square Enix


Final Fantasy IX, one of the beloved games in Square Enix's popular JRPG series, is getting an animated series aimed at 8 to 13-years-old.

Kidscreen originally reported the news that Square Enix and French production company Cyber Group Studios, known for their children's edutainment titles, are teaming up to produce this project.

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Credit: Square Enix

"We are honored and enthusiastic to participate with our friends of Square Enix in such a great adventure," Pierre Sissmann, CEO of Cyber Group Studios said in a press release.

"It is a dream come true for our teams in France and in the U.S and we already look forward to creating a great piece of entertainment that respects this fantastic brand," added Cyber Group Studios COO Dominique Bourse.

Originally released in 2000 for the first PlayStation console, Final Fantasy IX was seen as a return to the JRPG series' fantasy roots after the previous entries, Final FantasyVII and VIII, introduced to a darker, more sci-fi, technopunk version of the franchise.

Final Fantasy IX follows the story of Zidane Tribal, a thief contracted to kidnap a princess, Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, from her home in royal city of Alexandria. Just like most Final Fantasy games, there are plot twists along the way, and the game features a band of misfits consisting of a young black mage, a genderless gourmet chef, an autonomous construct with a soul, an others.

It will be interesting to see how Cyber Group will tackle Final Fantasy IX's darker themes of death, war, and genocide in ways appropriate for 8 to 13-years-olds.

Related: Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Revealed with Final Fantasy 1-6 Remasters

Cyber Group Studios will also handle merchandise licensing for Final Fantasy IX, so expect some cute plushes depicting various characters from the iconic JRPG.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Final Fantasy page.