While the official date of Final Fantasy IX’s 25th anniversary has been and gone, Square Enix is still announcing new pieces of merch alongside other reveals.
Most recently, the iconic Japanese publisher showed off a new figure of Zidane Tribal, the monkey-tailed protagonist of FFIX, as part of the Play Arts Shin range of figures, via the Hobby Japan Web Twitter/X account.
In addition to the dedicated stand, weapons and hand parts are included with a tail. It also comes with a replacement face. The figure is currently unavailable for purchase or pre-order, and there is no pricing or size information available at the time of reporting.
The Play Arts figure is fully movable and posable, and seems to follow the updated character design that the main cast of Final Fantasy IX received as part of the 25th anniversary. We have already seen several other FFIX Play Arts figures revealed as part of the ongoing celebrations. (Link 1, and Link 2).
There was also a new illustration of both Zidane and the most recognizable Black Mage in Final Fantasy history, Vivi Ornitier, that was used as the cover image of the most recent issue of Famitsu, one of the most popular gaming-centric magazines in Japan.
Lastly, Square Enix has opened up online pre-orders for the FINAL FANTASY IX 25th ANNIVERSARY × DAIMARU MATSUZAKAYA COLLECTION, which was originally only available in certain outlets in Japan. Orders are planned to be delivered in September 2025.
While the furore around the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy IX may have peaked earlier this month, that doesn’t seem to be stopping Square Enix from continuing to celebrate one of the most beloved JRPGs ever. (Also, the highest rated game in the FF series on Metacritic!)
Sadly, none of this can still be seen as any sort of confirmation of the long and heavily rumoured Final Fantasy IX Remake. However, that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating about the character redesigns and their use when making the wide range of merchandise now available. Not to mention the FFIX 25th anniversary website Square Enix launched.
You can be sure that we here at the GSC will keep you up to date with all Final Fantasy IX news, so be sure to check back regularly.
What do you think of the new Zidane Tribal Play Arts Shin figure? Are you going to pre-order any of the merch from the FINAL FANTASY IX 25th ANNIVERSARY × DAIMARU MATSUZAKAYA COLLECTION? Let us know in the comments below.
