Popular director Naoki Yoshida Final Fantasy XIVIt’s definitely a character. Dexerto sat down with the quirky Yoshi P to discuss his reputation in the industry, the legacy he’ll leave behind, and even find out where he buys his clothes.

Yoshi-P is ostensibly FFXIV’s puppet. Taking back the reins in A Realm Reborn, the director transformed the MMORPG into a game loved by fans around the world.

We were lucky enough to speak with Yoshida during his time in Melbourne for PAX Australia 2024, and you can be sure we touched on all kinds of topics, including getting to the bottom of his iconic fashion sense.

A director among fans

Not only is Yoshi-P loved by the community, but the director is also seen as the face of the game. As the MMO has influenced millions around the world, fans always praise Yoshida as someone who changed their lives in a big way.

Although the director never intended to be the MMORPG’s puppet and is happy for people to see him in that light, he frankly feels more embarrassed than anything else. This is especially true at in-person events, where fans can meet the legendary developer in person.

“Of course, I’m always happy to get support from all our fans and players, but I’ll be there at physical events like the Tokyo Game Show in Japan, and when I met some of the fans, they burst into tears when they met me. So I just stood there going, ‘hmm, what should I do?’ “I will think,” said Yoshida.

Square Enix

Yoshi-P is a man of the people, but he represents much more than himself.

The director wanted to point out that although it is well known within the community, the game only exists thanks to the hard work of the entire team.

“Our game exists thanks to our development team and also our operations teams. I am at the top and I stand as the representative of the team. But as a whole team, I’m really grateful for the support we’ve received from our fans.”

A stylish manager

As the most front-facing member of the development team, Yoshida is constantly in the spotlight of fans. With the director being in the spotlight so often, many have pointed out his impeccable sense of style, and it turns out there’s a reason he dresses so well.

Yoshida blushed: “First of all, I want to say, I’m really grateful that people think I’m stylish.” “But actually there is a reason for this.

“It was about 30 years ago when I entered the gaming industry. So at that time, I was on the game design team and we had two sets of supervisors. There was a supervisor in my department who wasn’t the most fashionable, he didn’t even wear good clothes and he wasn’t much of a bather either.

“So he’d be there, his hair would be really greasy, and he’d actually be like, ‘I’m a game developer!’ He’d be wearing clothes that scream. If you went to Akihabara in Tokyo back then, you’d see this kind of fashion, and he was wearing it too. But of course, when I look at it, I think, if that’s what makes him happy, that’s okay.

“But once he was representing the team and he was on Famitsu, so he was basically representing the team. So when I opened Famitsu and saw him there and everyone on the team, I can’t get over the disappointment I felt.”

In contrast, Yoshida’s other supervisor at the time was the exact opposite, saying that he presented a very “gentle and stylish” sense of fashion.

Square Enix

Yoshi-P never misses an opportunity to dress well and reflect his team.

Conscious of his position as the director of Final Fantasy XIV, Yoshida always ensures that he does his best when representing the team.

“I’m very aware of the personal opinions and wishes of everyone on my team, and I’m responsible for representing the team. So if I was going to go represent our game and participate in an interview, I wanted to make sure I did what was best for my team as well,” the director explained.

“I didn’t want them to think, ‘I wish this guy had a little better fashion sense,’ so with all that in mind, that’s one of the reasons why I’m very careful about how I dress.”

However, as Yoshida gets older, he thinks some members of the team may not feel the same way.

“I’m sure everyone is thinking, ‘Hey you, you’re already over 50, it’s time to stop wearing these flashy shirts,'” he admitted with a smile. “I’m sure at every FanFest, there’s some person on the staff who sees this old guy come on stage in this weird costume for his new job.”

And he tends to agree with the team to some extent, which is sure to upset some fans.

“Hey, at the end of the day, I don’t want to cosplay myself.”

If you’ve ever wanted to make a Yoshi-P cosplay, we asked where the director shops and the developer named a store called Isetan. According to Yoshida, they’ll wander through the men’s aisle and choose what suits them without having a specific brand in mind.

Heritage

There’s no doubt that Yoshida left a huge mark on the Final Fantasy series and community; The reaction of players and the many changes the game has undergone show this. But the director claims he didn’t think much about its impact on the big project.

“Final Fantasy has such a long history, and I literally grew up with the Final Fantasy series. So to be able to get to this position and work on a number one title in the series is a huge deal,” said Yoshida. “A lot of people aspire to do this, but they don’t actually get to this point. This is a huge deal for me, and I’m incredibly happy to be able to do this.

“Of course I’m not done right now. I’m still working on Final Fantasy XIV, and even when I die, Final Fantasy XIV will continue. So I don’t think it matters much in terms of legacy. “I think the important thing is now.”

Square Enix

Yoshi-P is adamant that the FFXIV community will continue to thrive long after he is gone.

Even then, Yoshida admitted that he was not the type of person to be thought about and that he would rather live his life over again if he had the chance.

“Of course, when I die, I will return to the Etheric Sea, and I am the kind of person who wants to erase my memory, reset everything and repeat.”

The director stated that no one knows what awaits him in the future and joked that he might leave a bad mark in history.

“You never know, it could be a big mistake and I would leave a bad mark in history. You know, damage me so mentally that I’ll head for the data center with a bomb in my hand!” Yoshida joked playfully.

“But this shows once again how much I haven’t thought about it. “The fun thing for me is to keep working on the game, creating it with the rest of our team, and having a good time along the way.”