Within the autumn honors record, the Japanese authorities has given Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii the Order of the Rising Solar. This is likely one of the highest awards the federal government of Japan can bestow on residents. It’s awarded to those that have made important contributions of their area, and Horii is the primary sport creator to obtain it.
“I believe it is a terrific honor, I am shocked.” Horii responded in a video interview with TBS. “I’ve been making video games for fairly a very long time now, about 40 years, however I didn’t do it alone. It is all due to the workers who helped create the video games alongside me, and to all of the gamers who’ve repeatedly supported us.”
Yuji Horii’s first sport was 1983’s Love Match Tennis, which he entered right into a sport contest the place it caught the eye of Enix. This was adopted by the genre-defining visible novel thriller The Portopia Serial Homicide Case. He would change into most well-known for his work on the sport design and state of affairs for Enix’s long-running Dragon Quest sequence (1986-present).
Sq. Enix’s current 2D-HD remakes of Dragon Quest I, II and III have purchased new consideration to the RPG sequence’ origins. Horii is at present nonetheless laborious at work on Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Destiny, the much-awaited subsequent sport, which was introduced again in 2021 in the course of the thirty fifth anniversary celebrations.
In Could, Horii confirmed Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Destiny had not been canceled. “Sure, certainly, I can not say something, I apologize,” he mentioned on the time. “I’m making it, placing a number of work into it… I can solely say that the following work shall be nice too, [I’m] working actually laborious. Please sit up for it’s the solely factor I can say.” It’s set to be the primary mainline entry since 2017’s Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age.
Within the TBS interview, Horii additionally supplied phrases of encouragement to future creators: “It is vital to truly create one thing tangible, do not simply give it some thought,” he suggested. “Simply attempt making it.”
The Order of the Rising Solar at present has six courses. As reported by nippon.com, Yuji Horii obtained the 4th class honors: Gold Rays with Rosette. Among the many others to obtain this specific award in 2025 was Devilman and Cutie Honey manga artist Go Nagai.
Picture by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP through Getty Pictures.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance author who beforehand served as editor, contributor and translator for the sport information web site Automaton West. She has additionally written about Japanese tradition and films for numerous publications.