Toshiyuki Kusakihara (草木原俊行) is video game developer at Intelligent Systems and currently a lead director on the Fire Emblem series. Kusakihara first began working on the series as director of Fire Emblem Wii, a prototype meant to follow up from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. However, as its predecessor was a commercial disappointment and the prototype failed to come together, development on the title was cancelled.
Kusakihara was later brought on as art director for Fire Emblem: Awakening after the departure of Daisuke Izuka, as producer Masahiro Higuchi wanted an artist who could bring a fresh and radical new look to the series. Kusakihara recruited famed illustrator Yusuke Kozaki to work on the character design, and together they helped make Awakening one of the most successful games in franchise history. In 2015, Kusakihara and Kozaki once again collaborated on development of Fire Emblem: Fates, another massively successful entry in the series.
Following the release of Fates, Kusakihara worked as lead director on Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, this time collaborating with Hidari as his character designer. He would return as the lead director for Fire Emblem: Three Houses, with Chinatsu Kurahana as the character designer.
Outside of his role as director and designer for core series entries in the Fire Emblem series, Kusakihara has also done character art and artwork for both Fire Emblem Heroes and Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher).
Fire Emblem Related Credits[]
- Fire Emblem Wii (Director)
- Fire Emblem: Awakening (Art Director, Battle Unit Designer)
- Fire Emblem: Fates (Art Director, Battle Unit Designer)
- Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher) - Various Illustrations
- Fire Emblem Heroes - (Special Thanks, Illustrator)
- Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia - (Director, Unit Designer, Ending Song Lyrics)
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Director, Opening and Ending Song Lyrics)
- One Hundred Songs of Heroes - Illustrator (Eirika)
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