Hironobu Sakaguchi, Japanese game designer, founded Mistwalker
Hironobu Sakaguchi (坂口 博信, Sakaguchi Hironobu, born November 25, 1962) is a Japanese game designer, director, producer and writer. Originally working for Square (later Square Enix) from 1983 to 2003, he departed the company and founded independent studio Mistwalker in 2004. He is known as the creator of the Final Fantasy franchise, in addition to other titles during his time at Square. At Mistwalker, he is known for creating the Blue Dragon and Terra Battle series among several standalone titles, moving away from home consoles and creating titles for mobile platforms.

Originally intending to become a musician, he briefly studied electronics and programming, joining Square as part-time employee, then later a full-time employee when Square became an independent company in 1986. He led development on several titles before helping to create the original Final Fantasy, which proved highly successful and cemented his status within the company. Following the financial failure of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, his debut as a film director, Sakaguchi withdrew from Square's management and eventually resigned in 2003. He continued his game career through Mistwalker, first co-developing projects through external partners and then smaller in-studio mobile projects.

Born in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, he now lives in Honolulu, Hawaii where one of Mistwalker's offices is based. Several of his projects after Final Fantasy III, including Final Fantasy VII and The Spirits Within, were influenced by his thoughts on what happened after death following the loss of his mother in an accident at that time. He is also credited with direct or indirect influence on multiple Square Enix projects including Kingdom Hearts. He has received several industry honours acknowledging his contribution to and influence on video games.