Dragon Ball Creator, Akira Toriyama Passes Away At the Age of 68

Akira Toriyama, the creator of the Dragon Ball series has passed away at the age of 68. The news was confirmed in a statement from Bird Studio, a manga company created by Toriyama. According to the statement, Toriyama died on the 1st of March 2024 from an acute subdural haematoma. 

In the statement, the company eulogized him, “It’s our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm,

“Also, he would have many more things to achieve.”

“He has left many manga titles and works of art to this world,” the statement continued. “Thanks to the support of so many people around the world, he has been able to continue his creative activities for over 45 years.”

He was buried in a small, quiet ceremony and  fans have been asked not to send flowers or anything else. There are currently no plans for a commemorative event. 

Toriyama was a private man, but he had steely resolve which was what led to the creation of Dragon Ball after many attempts which didn't end well.

Dragon Ball was a smash hit spawning many sequels and other adaptations including anime, movies, and video games. 

Within the FGC, Dragon Ball FighterZ is perhaps the most popular of the games. Released in 2018, it has gone on to become a mainstay in the FGC with a world tour, tournaments, and a tonne of content created around it. 

The fighting game community intersects heavily with the manga and anime community and many players of DBFZ are also fans of the manga and  anime. For many, it was the first piece of Japanese media they ever consumed and was a huge part of their childhood.

His legacy will live on