Akira Toriyama, legendary Japanese manga artist and Dragon Ball creator, dies at 68

Akira Toriyama, a Japanese manga artist and creator of the influential Dragon Ball franchise, has died. He was 68.

Toriyama's death was confirmed on Friday by his manga and design production studio, Bird Studio, and Capsule Corporation Tokyo. The studio said Toriyama died on March 1 due to acute subdural hematoma, a condition where blood collects between the skull and the surface of the brain.

Only his family and very few friends attended his funeral, according to a statement from the studio.

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

"We hope that Akira Toriyama's unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time," the statement continued.

Born on April 5, 1955, in Nagoya, Japan, Toriyama began drawing at a young age and entered the manga industry in his early 20s when he submitted his work to the Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. He later received mainstream recognition for creating Dr. Slump, a highly successful manga that was published in the 1980s.

In 1984, Toriyama created Dragon Ball, which has since been regarded as one of the greatest manga series ever made and has become a major pop culture influencer. The series, which was inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West and martial arts films, follows the now well-known character Son Goku and his adventures as a martial arts trainee searching for seven dragon balls.

The initial manga was serialized in 519 chapters in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine from 1984 to 1995 and sold over 150 million copies in Japan by 2008. The series then grew into a multimedia franchise and became one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, spawning several animated series and spin-offs; over 20 films; and various video games.

By the 1990s, Toriyama's popularity grew outside of Japan as the animated series, Dragon Ball, and its sequel, Dragon Ball Z, received international acclaim. The series, especially its protagonist Goku, has been referenced by artists, athletes, and celebrities around the world.

Toriyama also worked as a character designer for numerous popular video games, such as the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger and Blue Dragon. At the time of his death, Bird Studio said Toriyama had "several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm."

“Also, he would have many more things to achieve," the studio wrote in the statement.