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Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball mangaka, Chrono Trigger designer and creator of Dragon Quest’s Slime, has diedVideo game developers pay tribute after influential artist and writer dies aged 68
Video game developers pay tribute after influential artist and writer dies aged 68
Image credit:Square Enix
Image credit:Square Enix
Akira Toriyama, the mangaka whose work in video games included designing the characters for two of the most influentialRPGsever made,Chrono TriggerandDragon Quest, on top of creating one of the most influential series across all of pop-culture inDragon Ball, has passed away.
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Toriyama, of course, was best known for writing and illustratingDragon Ball, his massively influential eighties manga that spawned a hit anime, sequels including the even more popular Dragon Ball Z and countless video game adaptations over the years, including (at least in more recent years) Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot - a playable retelling of the Z sagas as an open-world RPG - and flashyfighting gameDragon Ball FighterZ. (Karakot developers CyberConnect2closed their offices for the day in mourning.) Toriyama contributed directly to many of the series’ video game spin-offs and the appearance of his characters in other titles, such as Goku’s starring role in anime ensembleJump Force.
Away from Dragon Ball, Toriyama was just as influential, serving as the lead character designer for the firstDragon Questgame in 1986. Said to have created dozens of the game’s character and monster designs in a matter of mere months, Toriyama’s designs went on to help the seminal JRPG become acclaimed as one of the greatest RPGs of all time and spawn the long-running series that continues to today. Toriyama continued to contribute designs to the series throughout the decades, alongside the enduring reappearances and popularity of his original monsters - including the iconic teardrop-shaped Slime.
当初ドラゴンクエストのキャラデザを左の図で依頼したら右のデザインで鳥山明先生が返してきたって話思い出したスライムがこのデザインじゃなかったら世の中にドラクエ広まってないんじゃ無いかとも思えるドラクエ、ドラゴンボールといい一杯思い出をありがとうございました#鳥山明pic.twitter.com/fBFlk4Nbto— ゆーたろ (@53d8XyZJef86590)March 8, 2024
当初ドラゴンクエストのキャラデザを左の図で依頼したら右のデザインで鳥山明先生が返してきたって話思い出したスライムがこのデザインじゃなかったら世の中にドラクエ広まってないんじゃ無いかとも思えるドラクエ、ドラゴンボールといい一杯思い出をありがとうございました#鳥山明pic.twitter.com/fBFlk4Nbto
After Chrono Trigger, Toriyama and Sakaguchi would work together again multiple times over the decades, contributing artwork to Xbox 360 RPG Blue Dragon and a diorama level in recent mobile RPGFantasian.
Toriyama’s enormous influence between Dragon Ball, Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger stretches over comics, TV, film,tabletop gamesand video games, leading to a wide outpouring of grief following the news that he had died from an acute subdural hematoma on March 1st, aged 68.
Among the many developers, writers, artists and other creators and fans to express their shock and grief was Horii, who paid tribute to Toriyama’s work on “countless fascinating character designs” for Dragon Quest over the last 37 years beforesaying: “I can’t believe he is gone… I am at a loss for words.”
Image credit:Square Enix
Among others who recognised Toriyama’s influence on their video games wereTekken director Katsuhiro Haradaand formerStreet Fighterproducer Yoshinori Ono, whocalledToriyama’s work “a beacon for my creativity”.
Inthe announcement of his death, Toriyama was said to have had “several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm”. A video game based on his lesser-known mangaSand Landisdue for release at the end of April, whileDragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate- which may presumably feature some of the artist’s final designs - wasannounced in May 2021but is yet to be given a release date.
