Iconic mangaka and Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama has died. He was 68 years of age.
With a career spanning more than 45 years, Toriyama created some of the most iconic characters and stories in manga history with Dragon Ball, but he also worked on other incredibly popular series like Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. More recently he created the manga Sand Land, which will get its first game adaptation later this year.
Toriyama died on March 1 after suffering an acute subdural hematoma. News of his death was first shared via the official Dragon Ball social media account on March. 8.
While the mangaka made his career in the manga and anime spaces, he also assisted with a variety of gaming projects, including some of the biggest RPGs Japan has produced. The most notable of his game offerings are the Dragon Ball games, which include the Budokai series, modern hits like Xenoverse and FighterZ, as well as the upcoming Sparking: Zero.
It wasn’t just games based on his original manga projects that Toriyama assisted on either; he also created characters and designed artwork for Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. From just a glance you can instantly tell these series have a touch of that signature Toriyama flair. The next game release from Toriyama’s trove of designs will be Sand Land, which boasts a story entirely created by the icon. It will launch for PS5 on April 24.
Dragon Ball and its characters paved the way for modern anime and are undoubtedly some of the most popular in all of entertainment. His first series, Dr. Slump, launched in 1980, four years before Dragon Ball skyrocketed him to stardom. Even after his death the legacy of Toriyama and his incredible creations will live on, bringing joy to millions of fans.
