He hated being in the spotlight. Honestly, for a guy who created the most recognizable blonde-haired warriors on the planet, Akira Toriyama was remarkably quiet. He lived in Aichi Prefecture, far from the chaotic buzz of Tokyo’s editorial offices. He drew himself as a bird in a gas mask. While fans were busy screaming in their backyards trying to turn Super Saiyan, the man behind the curtain was mostly worried about his plastic model kits and whether he could finish his latest chapter before the deadline monster caught up to him.
The world felt a collective gut-punch in early 2024 when news broke that the creator of Dragon Ball had passed away. It wasn't just a "celebrity death" in the traditional sense; it felt like losing the architect of modern childhood. Whether you grew up watching Dragon Ball Z on Toonami in the 90s or you're just getting into Dragon Ball Super now, his DNA is everywhere.
The Accidental Revolution of Akira Toriyama
You might think someone who changed global media forever had a grand master plan. Nope. Toriyama got into manga basically because he was broke and saw a contest in Weekly Shonen Jump. He had quit his job at an advertising agency because he hated waking up early. Think about that for a second. If Akira Toriyama had been a morning person, Goku might not exist.
His early work, like Dr. Slump, showed off his weird, scatological, and brilliant humor. It was a massive hit in Japan, winning the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1981. But it was Dragon Ball—initially a loose, comedic retelling of the Chinese classic Journey to the West—that shifted the tectonic plates of the industry.
He didn't mean to create a battle epic. He just kept following the "rule of cool." If a character looked cool, they stayed. If a fight felt like it needed more stakes, he raised them. This improvisational style is why the series feels so kinetic and unpredictable.
Why Dragon Ball Z Changed the World
When people talk about the creator of Dragon Ball, they often focus on the power levels and the screaming. But Toriyama’s real genius was his sense of "spatial awareness." If you look at a manga page drawn by Toriyama, you always know exactly where the characters are in relation to each other. That sounds simple. It’s actually incredibly hard to do.
He pioneered the "decompressed" fight scene. Before him, manga battles were often quick affairs. Toriyama turned them into multi-volume ballets of destruction. He understood the "flow" of action better than almost anyone in the history of the medium.
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- The Silhouette Rule: Every character he designed—from Frieza to Cell to Majin Buu—has a distinct silhouette. You could black out the entire drawing and still know exactly who it is.
- The "Less is More" Approach: Why did Super Saiyans have blonde hair? Because Toriyama’s assistant spent too much time inking Goku’s black hair. Blonde (white in the manga) saved time. It was a practical shortcut that became the most iconic transformation in history.
- Mechanical Design: Toriyama loved vehicles. His drawings of bikes, mechs, and planes are legendary for their functional look. They looked like they could actually work, which added a layer of grounded reality to a world where people fly and shoot lasers.
The Heavy Weight of Influence
Look at the "Big Three" of the 2000s: One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach.
Eiichiro Oda (the creator of One Piece) has gone on record saying Toriyama was like a god to him. Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto) basically used Dragon Ball as his textbook for how to pace a story. Even outside of Japan, the influence is staggering. Rappers like Lupe Fiasco and Megan Thee Stallion reference the series. NBA players do the "Fusion Dance" after a big play.
It’s a universal language of self-improvement. That’s the core. Goku isn't a traditional hero who fights for "justice"—he fights because he wants to be better today than he was yesterday. That’s a deeply human motivation that resonates whether you’re in Tokyo, New York, or Mexico City.
The Creator of Dragon Ball and the Struggle of Success
Success wasn't always easy. Toriyama was famously exhausted by the end of the "Cell Games" arc. He wanted to pass the torch to Gohan, but the fans (and likely the editors) weren't ready to let Goku go. You can see his shifting interests in the Majin Buu arc, which gets much weirder and more comedic, almost looping back to his Dr. Slump roots.
He was a man who preferred his privacy. He rarely did televised interviews. He lived a relatively quiet life with his wife, Nachi Mikami (a former manga artist herself), and their children. This detachment from the "celebrity" aspect of his fame allowed him to keep his work feeling honest. He wasn't chasing trends. He was making things he thought were funny or cool.
Misconceptions About His Later Work
A lot of people think Toriyama just "handed off" Dragon Ball Super to others. That's not quite right. While Toyotarou handles the actual drawing of the manga, Toriyama was deeply involved in the plot outlines, character designs, and the "feel" of the new stories.
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He was also the driving force behind the Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movies. In Super Hero, he pushed for a focus on Piccolo and Gohan because he genuinely loved those characters, even if the marketing department always wanted more Goku. He was still the boss.
The Artistic Legacy Beyond the Screen
We can't talk about the creator of Dragon Ball without mentioning Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest.
If you’ve ever played a JRPG, you’ve felt Toriyama’s influence. He designed the monsters and characters for Dragon Quest since the very first game in 1986. That blue Slime? That's a Toriyama design. It changed the way monsters were perceived in games—moving away from "scary blobs" to characters with personality and charm.
Chrono Trigger is often cited as the greatest RPG ever made. Toriyama’s art gave that game a sense of timeless adventure that hasn't aged a day since 1995. His art style is "clean." It’s deceptively simple, but the draftsmanship required to make lines that crisp is immense.
The Human Side of the Legend
Toriyama was known to be a bit of a hermit, sure, but he was also deeply kind to his peers. When he passed, the tributes from other artists weren't just professional courtesies; they were heart-wrenching letters of grief.
He taught a generation of artists that it was okay to be silly. He taught a generation of kids that you can always overcome your limits. He didn't do it with a heavy hand or a lecture. He did it with a goofy alien who eats too much and loves to fight.
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Honestly, the world feels a little less vibrant without him. But the beauty of his work is that it’s circular. Every day, a kid somewhere discovers Dragon Ball for the first time. They see Goku meeting Bulma, they see the first Kamehameha, and the cycle starts all over again.
How to Appreciate Toriyama’s Work Today
If you want to truly understand the genius of the creator of Dragon Ball, don't just watch the anime. The pacing of the original manga is where his skill truly shines.
- Read the original Dragon Ball manga: Start from the very beginning. The art in the early chapters is incredibly lush and rounded, showing a different side of his talent before the style became more angular in the "Z" era.
- Check out Sand Land: This short series is a perfect distillation of everything Toriyama loves: tanks, demons, and a grumpy old man. It recently got a movie and a game, and it’s a great way to see his "pure" vision outside the Dragon Ball machine.
- Look at his design books: There are several "Art of Dragon Ball" collections that show his mechanical sketches and watercolor paintings. The level of detail in his non-manga work is staggering.
Akira Toriyama’s impact isn't just about sales numbers—though those are astronomical—it’s about the "spirit" of the Shonen genre. He defined the tropes we now take for granted: the rival who becomes an ally, the training montage, the power-up transformation, and the idea that even the most terrifying villain might just need a good meal and a second chance.
He was a master of his craft who never quite seemed to realize how much of a master he was. And maybe that's why we loved him so much. He was just a guy who liked to draw, who ended up changing the world.
To honor his legacy, the best thing a fan can do is keep creating. Whether it’s drawing, writing, or just pushing yourself to be a little bit better at whatever you do, that’s the real "Ultra Instinct." Keep moving forward. Don't worry too much about the deadline monster. And never, ever forget to have a sense of humor about it all.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators:
- Study his paneling: If you're an aspiring artist, trace the "flow" of a Toriyama fight scene to see how he leads the eye.
- Support official releases: The best way to respect his legacy is to support the official manga and anime releases that keep his world alive.
- Explore his "one-shots": Works like Cowa! and Jaco the Galactic Patrolman offer a glimpse into his personal style outside of the main franchise.
- Revisit Dragon Quest: Play some of the modern entries (like Dragon Quest XI) to see how his character designs still define the "look" of adventure in gaming.