You may not remember, but there was a time for fierce rivalry between Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Was before 2003, when Square and Enix merged to change history.
Now they are sister sagas, but their birth in the late 80s gave rise to a strong rivalry, especially in the fandom. The first to arrive was Dragon Quest in 1986, and Final Fantasy would arrive a year later, in 1987.
Game Informer asked Yuji Horii, creator of Dragon QuestIf you think both franchises are in any way at odds, even if it’s under a healthy bite. What does he think?
Horii doesn’t call it competition, but He recognizes that it was inevitable to pay attention to the first Final Fantasy in 1987, when it saw the light of day with Square and his friend Hironobu Sakaguchi.
”Back then, when Final Fantasy came out, I paid a lot of attention to it because it was something we had to take into consideration” says the creative veteran.
Let’s remember that Yuji Horii received an important award in Japan and that he is still sure of what makes Dragon Quest a special saga, 40 years after his birth.
What distinguishes Dragon Quest from Final Fantasy?
Both are Japanese RPG franchises, with fantasy elements, turn-based combat and other similar mechanics. To make matters worse, they are both now part of the same company: Square Enix.
However, Yuji Horii believes that There is a fundamental factor that distinguishes Dragon Quest and Final Fantasyand this has to do with their characters.
”There is a fundamental difference that I saw clearly back then: the protagonists of Final Fantasy games talk a lot. On the other hand, in Dragon Quest, the main objective of the games, or the experience offered to the player, is for him to become the protagonist”.
Horii is very right: Dragon Quest games don’t emphasize each character’s personality as muchand these They also don’t engage in as much dialogue. as happens in Final Fantasy, where the player feels like a witness to a great story with ”actors”.
”In Final Fantasy, you watch the protagonist, but you don’t necessarily become him in the games. So I thought it was a really interesting and stark difference between Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, but at that time I didn’t necessarily see them as rivals.”.
To top it off, the creator of Dragon Quest recognizes that there are great games in the Final Fantasy franchise and reveals Which is your favorite and why?:
”When I first saw Final Fantasy X, I remember feeling like it was ultimate Final Fantasy perfection.”.
Yuji Horii is a big fan of Final Fantasy X, like almost everyone who played the 2001-released gem, but Dragon Quest also has its own thing. Many wonder if Dragon Quest VII Reimagined will be the next hit in the saga when it arrives. February 5, 2026.