Yoshitaka Amano (A)

There is only one Final Fantasy. Through more than a dozen wildly diverse adventures, from the release of the first game in 1987 to the most recent expansion on the story, the international influence of the game is legendary both inside the video-game industry and throughout popular culture. It is a tale of bold heroes and heroines, breathtaking landscapes and terrifying creatures. Through Final Fantasy, Luneth, Refia, Rosa Farrell, Cecil Harvey, and many others have become household names to millions of players across the globe. With two feature films, a host of action figures and apparel, posters, soundtracks, and more, the vast landscape defined by the Final Fantasy storylines began with the games. For the first six games those worlds grew from the remarkable vision of one man: Yoshitaka Amano.

Now, for the first time outside Japan, Amano and Square Enix, Inc., have permitted the artwork that inspired the designs of the Final Fantasy games to be published. In Dawn you will see the development of the first four games through Amano's paintings, detailed line art, and preliminary sketches. Plus, in a special afterword, you'll learn the genesis of this history-making collaboration.