Kitase Traces Final Fantasy's Blitzball and Biggs and Wedge to Star Wars
Star Wars gave Yoshinori Kitase a model for Final Fantasy X's fictional sport and the names of two Final Fantasy VII characters. Speaking with IGN at Lucca Comics & Games Festival 2026, the longtime Final Fantasy creator identified Podracing as an inspiration for Blitzball and Rebel pilots as the namesakes of Biggs and Wedge.
Mariam Al Mansoori
From Podracing to Blitzball
For Final Fantasy X, Kitase wanted a sport that belonged within the game's fantasy world. The pod race in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace provided that model. He said the concept of placing a sport in a fantasy setting came "directly from Star Wars"; Final Fantasy X's version was Blitzball, an underwater team sport that players can take part in as a minigame.
Kitase distinguished that kind of borrowing from copying. According to IGN, he said he has deliberately avoided lifting material directly from Star Wars, aiming for homage rather than imitation.
The Rebel pilots behind Biggs and Wedge
The names Biggs and Wedge in Final Fantasy VII were Kitase's clearest examples of an overt Star Wars reference. Both came from members of the Rebel Alliance.
The Lifestream identifies the namesakes as Biggs Darklighter, Luke Skywalker's childhood friend from Tatooine, and Wedge Antilles, a Corellian pilot. They both served in Red Squadron during the Battle of Yavin. Darth Vader shot down Biggs, while Wedge survived and later helped establish Rogue Squadron.
The pairing extends well beyond Final Fantasy VII. As The Lifestream notes, Biggs and Wedge appear in Final Fantasy VI, VII, VIII and X, along with Chrono Trigger and Kingdom Hearts II. Their roles vary from allies to enemies. The site places them alongside Chocobos, Moogles and the recurring Cid as familiar fixtures of the series.
A cycle of creative influence
IGN's Michael Peyton prompted the discussion by asking how Kitase felt about Final Fantasy's influence on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Kitase said he was familiar with the game and had spoken with its creators. He welcomed their use of Final Fantasy as a starting point for something new, relating it to his own experience of drawing on films he loved when he was young, "in particular by Star Wars".
Kitase's work spans several generations of Square Enix games. At the time of the interview, he was producing the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy and serving as the franchise's brand manager. His directing credits include the original Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VI, VIII and X, and Chrono Trigger.
Asked in the same interview whether film adaptations remained important to Square Enix, Kitase also left open the possibility of other works drawing on Final Fantasy. He said it "would be nice to have in the future games or TV series inspired by the story of Final Fantasy" and saw no reason to rule that out.
New games and the remake trilogy's finale
On Square Enix's development priorities, Kitase said the company was "more likely to invest in new titles and new games" going forward. That did not exclude occasional remakes, particularly when creators feel a strong personal attachment to an older project.
Meanwhile, Square Enix is preparing to finish the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy with Final Fantasy VII Revelation. The game's director has said he would rather pursue a new grand-scale RPG than another remake after Revelation.
According to Square Enix's press release, Revelation is scheduled for April 8, 2027, on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The PS5 disc edition will require a download before it can be played.
