Yu-Gi-Oh! vol. 1 News 

Kazuki Takahashi, Creator of “Yu-Gi-Oh!,” Dead at 60

By | July 7th, 2022
Posted in News | % Comments

Update, October 12, 2022:

American military newspaper Stars and Stripes reports Takahashi died trying to help save three people from a riptide at a popular diving spot. Major Robert Bourgeau, a scuba diving instructor serving as the deputy operations officer for the 10th Support Group at Torii Station in Yomitan, was in the process of rescuing a woman, her daughter, and another soldier when Takahashi tried to intervene. Bourgeau stated he was unaware of Takahashi’s presence during the incident, although his students said they saw him. Bourgeau stated Takahashi was “a hero. He died trying to save someone else.”

Original story is as follows:


Kazuki Takahashi at San
Diego Comic-Con in 2015

Per Variety, the BBC and other sources, Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of the manga “Yu-Gi-Oh!,” was found dead on on Wednesday, July 6. He was 60 years old. According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, Takahashi’s body was discovered about 300 meters off the coast of Nago, Okinawa, wearing snorkeling gear; authorities are currently working to verify the cause of death.

Kazuki was born Kazuo Takahashi in Tokyo on October 4, 1961, and began his comics career in 1982. He eventually achieved success with the launch of “Yu-Gi-Oh!” (English: “King of Games”) in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1996: the manga, which ran until 2004, tells the story of Yugi Mutou, a boy who loves card games, and becomes the host for the spirit of a pharaoh, that aids him as he begins to participate in supernatural competitions. The series spawned a popular trading card game in 1999, and a hit anime franchise in 2000, the latest spin-off of which launched in Japan earlier this year.

As well as “Yu-Gi-Oh!,” Takahashi also created “The Comiq,” a limited series about a rookie manga creator to mark the 50th anniversary of Weekly Shonen Jump in 2018, and “Secret Reverse,” a Marvel manga starring Iron Man and Spider-Man, that was only published by Viz Media in English a few weeks ago on June 14, 2022. He was recognized during his lifetime with the Inkpot Award, an annual career achievement prize, at San Diego Comic-Con in 2015. His untimely passing has caused much sorrow online from fans who were only children when “Yu-Gi-Oh!” became popular: The New York Times quoted Rhymestyle, a 29-year old YouTuber with a million subscribers, as saying “thank you for giving me the greatest childhood ever and something that I STILL play today.”

Konami, which publishes the Yu-Gi-Oh card game in Japan, put out a statement that reads, “We are shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Mr. Kazuki Takahashi. We are deeply grateful for the wonderful ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ universe that he has created, and our thoughts are with his friends and family at this difficult time. Together with his countless fans, we pledge to carry on the ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ legacy with all the love and care it deserves.”


//TAGS | obit

Christopher Chiu-Tabet

Chris is the news manager of Multiversity Comics. A writer from London on the autistic spectrum, he enjoys tweeting and blogging on Medium about his favourite films, TV shows, books, music, and games, plus history and religion. He is Lebanese/Chinese, although he can't speak Cantonese or Arabic.

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