Matsuno Denies Basch as Original Protagonist in Final Fantasy XII.
Yasumi Matsuno, the co-director of Final Fantasy XII, has denied the long-standing rumor that Basch was originally supposed to be the game's protagonist. Matsuno-san called the rumor a "fake story" on Twitter, stating that it was misinterpreted or lost in translation from interviews with the development team. Matsuno-san is credited with creating the world of Ivalice, which served as a setting for previous games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story.