Anime fans worldwide are in mourning as “Akira Toriyama,” the renowned manga artist of the Dragon Ball series, passed away at the age of 68. This unfortunate news was shared by the Dragon Ball Official account on X (formerly Twitter) earlier today.
As shared in the official statement, Akira Toriyama sensei died on March 1, 2024, and the cause of death was reported to be a subdural hematoma (a condition where a blood clot develops between the surface of the brain and the skull). Only his family and very few close relatives attended his funeral service, as per the message in the X post below.
Furthermore, the message mentions that Toriyama “still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm.” While we might not get to see in-progress works from the legendary mangaka, we already have a wide collection of Dragon Ball manga and well their anime adaptations. There’s also a ton of sequels, spin-offs, and games set in the DB world as well.
In addition to his magnum opus, Toriyama is also well-known for the character design of a number of popular games like the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. I mean, there’s just a plethora of content that will keep fans glued to their screens for years to come.
As for his posthumous works, we are scheduled to get the Sand Land RPG based on the book of the same name by the author, in April 2024. Fans are also looking forward to the Dragon Ball Daima anime, which includes chibi characters with Goku and Vegeta making their return in Fall 2024.
Rest in peace, Toriyama sensei. You made our childhood joyful; we will always cherish your creations with fond memories.
