Final Fantasy 9 is Officially Getting a Prequel in May, But…

English-speaking Final Fantasy 9 fans will finally get to read fan-favorite black mage Vivi Ornitier’s backstory when Final Fantasy 9 Picture Book: Vivi and Grandpa’s Memories for the Sky releases in the United States on May 18, 2026. The PlayStation classic the book is based on recently celebrated its 25th anniversary on July 7th, 2025. Vivi is one of the best characters in Final Fantasy 9, so while it isn’t the remake fans have been asking for, it will be nice to be able to learn more about him.

Final Fantasy 9 Picture Book: Vivi and Grandpa’s Memories for the Sky originally released in Japanese in 2025. It was part of a greater FF9 anniversary celebration from Square Enix, which included new merchandise releases, a new vinyl music album, and even a real-life exhibition in Tokyo that ran from November 22 through December 7th, 2025. Unfortunately, the long-rumored FF9 remake didn't make an appearance during the anniversary celebrations. For the worldwide fans who couldn’t afford a plane ticket to Tokyo, getting the Vivi book translated will be a nice consolation prize.

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Final Fantasy 9 Picture Book: Vivi and Grandpa's Memories for the Sky Gives Readers a New View of Vivi

Final Fantasy 9 Picture Book: Vivi and Grandpa's Memories for the Sky will release as a hardcover book in the United States on May 18, 2026. Vivi Ornitier is a character from Final Fantasy 9, filling the recurring series niche as the party’s “black mage” – a character who fights primarily using spells to deal heavy damage. The player actually starts the game as him rather than the “intended” main protagonist, Zidane Tribal. After Vivi comes face-to-face with the mysterious black mages serving the evil Queen Brahne, he has to face an existential question that no nine-year-old should ever have to go through: what is he, and what is mortality?

Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.

Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)

The 48-page picture book tells the story of Vivi and his “grandpa,” Quan, before the black mage joined the party in the main game. The story was written by the original game's event director, Kazuhiko Aoki, and illustrated by FF9's character designer, Toshiyuki Itahana, both of whom have previous experience with FF9. Both Aoki and Itahana have had long tenures with Square Enix, even outside of FF9, so the book was clearly made by people who would do it justice.

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The official description of the book on its page in the Square Enix Store provides the release date of May 18, 2026 and a general idea of what the story is about:

Join FINAL FANTASY IX's beloved black mage Vivi as Grandpa teaches him how to live a good life!

Vivi is a mysterious boy who was fished out of the ocean by Grandpa Quan, a gourmand trying to master the art of food. Once Grandpa Quan realizes that Vivi is not food, he begins to raise Vivi and teach him about the world. Together, they live a peaceful life of fine feasts and friends, eventually leading up to Vivi's day of departure.

Written by Final Fantasy IX event designer Kazuhiko Aoki, and illustrated by character designer Toshiyuki Itahana, this original story is a delectable addition to Vivi and Grandpa’s tale!

Even if the book is short, it will still be a treat for anyone wanting more of Vivi. The black mage’s story is one of FF9’s strongest plotlines in an already well-written game. But after so many rumors of a remake, as well as the announcement and possible cancellation and then possible revival of a FF9 animated series, it’s natural that fans wish they could get something a little more substantial than a picture book. Still, something is better than nothing, and it’s not like Square Enix wouldn’t have gotten away with making the book a Japan exclusive. Bothering to write and translate a book about Vivi at all shows that the company is well aware that FF9 has fans waiting for more content – but unfortunately, money talks, so financially, Square Enix might genuinely think that some anniversary merchandise is the best they can do for the game right now.

The hardcover edition of Final Fantasy 9 Picture Book: Vivi and Grandpa’s Memories for the Sky is currently available for pre-order on the following websites: