Yu-Gi-Oh! is an incredibly popular anime and manga franchise, as well as one of the best-selling card games in the world. Kazuki Takahashi, the Japanese author, and creator of Yu-Gi-Oh! has unfortunately died at the age of 60.
NHK, a Japanese public broadcaster, and the Japan Times reported the news and mentioned that he was found in the sea, 300 meters away from the coast of Nago City in Okinawa. A coastal guard stated that Takahashi was found dead after an apparent snorkeling trip in Okinawa Prefecture. The coastal guard and police are investigating these circumstances further.
The official Twitter account for Konami Europe posted a Tweet to send out its condolences to Takahashi and his family. It 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.”
An outpouring of tributes and condolences have been posted online today. Even the voice actor of Seto Kaiba, Kenjiro Tsuda, posted a touching statement, which you can view below.
A lasting legacy
Takahashi made a strong first impression as the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!. The original manga ran from September 1996 to March 2004. The franchise exponentially grew into one of the highest-grossing entertainment franchises in the world thanks to numerous shows, videogames, and the extremely popular trading card game.
Yu-Gi-Oh! saw major success very early on, and the popularity of the real-life trading card game remains impressive. Various developers have attempted to translate the formula of the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game into enjoyable video games over the years with a variety of results.
The latest game in the series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, released earlier this year as a free-to-play title with a robust selection of modes and cards. It has since seen an all-time peak of around 262,000 players on Steam.
— 津田健次郎 KENJIRO TSUDA (@tsuda_ken) July 7, 2022
