Final Fantasy 9: Denouement officially announced
Square Enix is offering a 1000-piece Final Fantasy 9 jigsaw puzzle, measuring 51 x 74 cm (20 x 29 inches), titled “Denouement.” It depicts the game’s heroes in front of the gigantic Iifa tree. It costs $39.99 in the US and £32.99 in the UK. No matter where you are, it’s a great way to spend some time on Gaia, the game’s planet. And perhaps some of you have already found the perfect Christmas gift.
Final Fantasy 9: Denouement and the two other puzzles in the series, Integrity and Reclusion, are part of the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the 2000 PlayStation role-playing game. These celebrations began in March 2025 with an anniversary website and will continue well beyond the game’s birthday in July. Square Enix has spared no expense for the occasion, releasing, among other things, a vinyl record of Timeless Tale, a picture book about Vivi, music boxes, plush toys, and a Zidane action figure.
Final Fantasy 9 and the Iifa Tree
Final Fantasy 9 tells the story of Zidane, a thief who kidnaps Princess Garnet on behalf of a neighboring kingdom. However, this simple heist escalates into a war between nations and a plot to replace the souls of one planet with those of another. In the finale, Zidane, Garnet, and their companions stand before the Iifa Tree, a colossal tree planted long ago to prevent Gaia’s souls from returning to the planet’s crystal, where they would normally be reborn. The tree expels these souls as mist through its roots, which the game’s main antagonist, Kuja, uses to create dark mages.
Later in the game, as the group follows Kuja to the tree, they fight their way through the tree’s guardian, a monster called Soul Cage, then through Kuja himself, and finally through Necron, a being intent on wiping out all life. The tree then collapses, and the trapped souls are finally able to return home. (Hence the name of the puzzle: A denouement is the part of a story where the plot threads are resolved.)
The other two puzzles revolve around Kuja and Vivi. “Retreat” shows Kuja inside the tree next to his silver dragon: a villain created to help the tree exchange Gaia’s souls more quickly. “Integrity” shows Vivi, the group’s black mage and one of Kuja’s early prototypes, looking up at Zidane in front of a large moon.
Pre-orders for Final Fantasy 9: Denouement, which is scheduled for release in November 2026, are available on the UK website. However, Square Enix notes that the release date and number of pieces are subject to change. (The puzzle is already sold out on the US Denouement website; further information from Square Enix is pending.)
If you can’t wait until November or can’t get your hands on the Final Fantasy 9: Denouement puzzle in time, the US store is offering Reclusion and Integrity for $39.99 each, as well as a foil-stamped Denouement playmat for $39.99, a holographic Ultra PRO playmat for $36.99, and music boxes for $25.99 each. In the game, the Iifa Tree collapses. Now it’s up to you to put it back together, piece by piece.
