Famed storyteller and artist Akira Toriyama dies at 68

Various outlets are reporting that the influential creator of Dragon Ball and character designer for games like the Dragon Quest series and Chrono Trigger, Akira Toriyama, died on March 1 of a subdural hematoma.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a game developer in Japan who wasn’t influenced by Toriyama in some way. His work on Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball has pervaded the culture there and even found popularity in the West. Because of this recognition, he was tapped to design the characters for Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior in North America) which itself became a cultural phenomenon in its home country.

As Streets of Rage and Actraiser composer Yuzo Koshiro put it on Twitter, “Toriyama’s work, with its unique art style, captivating characters, and warm, comforting stories, really made an impact on us kids.”

From there, Toriyama continued to work on the Dragon Quest series throughout his life. He later assisted with the creation of Chrono Trigger, often cited as one of the best RPGs ever made. He also lent his character design to the Tobal series and Blue Dragon. April will see the release of the adaptation of his manga, Sand Land.

This comes as quite a shock. Many people, including myself and the rest of Destructoid, are deeply saddened by this. But while Akira Toriyama may have passed too soon, his influence and his works will live on for a long, long time.

Lead image via Yahoo News.