Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama dies at 68

Akira Toriyama, one of the most influential and best-selling manga authors of all time, has passed away aged 68. 

Akira Toriyama, the creator of the best-selling Dragon Ball and other popular anime who influenced Japanese comics, has died, his studio confirmed on Friday. 

Toriyama died on March 1 of a blood clot in his brain, Bird Studio said in a statement.

“It’s our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm,” the studio said in a statement posted on the official “Dragon Ball” website.

“We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come.”

Following the announcement, messages of condolences and grief from fellow creators and fans filled social media.

News of Toriyama’s death became a top trending topic on the social media platform Weibo, with 450 million views.

His fans, and Japan’s top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi, paid tribute to Toriyama and the global influence of his work.

Toriyama’s work has led to the widespread recognition of Japan’s manga content worldwide. 

Toriyama was born in Aichi prefecture in central Japan in 1955. 

He made his manga debut in 1978 with the adventure comic “Wonder Island,” published in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.

His Dr. Slump series started in 1980 and became his first major hit.

Toriyama started his iconic Dragon Ball manga series in 1984. It has sold millions of copies globally and was adapted into hugely popular animated TV shows, video games, and films. 

A new TV adaptation of Toriyama’s “Sand Land,” a desert adventure story released in 2000 will be released on Disney+ in the spring.

It was also adapted into a 2023 anime film.