There was an interesting post asking about the future plans for the Japanese class names in A Realm Reborn from a Japanese user and the Lore Team responded with a pretty lengthy comment that we wanted to pass along to you all!

Quote Originally Posted by The Lore Team
Class names, eh?

The classes and their names will remain as is in A Realm Reborn.

The main reasons being:
  • There are those that have a bond with the current class names
  • There is a risk that changing the name to something similar would lead to confusion
  • The lore and story are based on the current class names
  • Even if created new names, it wouldn’t necessarily make them easy to understand (especially for those players who are not familiar with the FINAL FANTASY series).
  • Does it fit FINAL FANTASY lore?

    The question of whether these fit the lore of FF is largely a question of each individual’s opinion and experience.

    However, as different variations of class names have been used in past FF titles, it’s not like they will be completely unrelated. While some player’s familiarity with these names may differ, the Lore Team does not feel that the adoption of these names would destroy the lore.

    Black mage is a job name that has appeared many times in past games and is quite well known. In the future we plan on introducing more of these “classic jobs” into Eorzea. For example, after A Realm Reborn…*COUGH*

  • What if new weapons are introduced?

    If we were to implement a new weapon category such as "great sword," it doesn't necessarily mean we would need to introduce a brand-new class specifically for this. We would have to discuss with the battle team on this, including the possibility of allowing gladiators to choose between one-hand swords and great swords.

  • How do you read the Japanese for each class?

    There are actually multiple ways of reading the Japanese characters for each class, and either way is fine!

    But the Lore Team has decided on a suggested way of reading each one. Below are the readings for the classes that have guilds:
    (*Note: here comes the Japanese lesson!)
    • Gladiator 剣術士 Ken-jutsu-shi
    • Pugilist 格闘士 Kaku-tou-shi
    • Marauder 斧術士 Fu-jutsu-shi (also read ono-jutsu-shi)
    • Lancer 槍術士 Sou-jutsu-shi (also read yari-jutsu-shi)
    • Archer 弓術士 Kyuu-jutsu-shi
    • Musketeer 銃術士 Jyuu-jutsu-shi
    • Conjurer 幻術士 Gen-jutsu-shi
    • Thaumaturge 呪術士 Jyu-jutsu-shi
    • Arcanist 巴術士 Ha-jutsu-shi