‘Yu-Gi-Oh’ Creator Dies In Tragic Snorkeling Accident

kazuki takahashi yugioh - instgram - youtube
Nick Davis

It is an incredibly somber day for anybody who grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons. The creator of one of the biggest children’s anime shows from that time, Yu-Gi-Oh, is sadly no longer with us. His name was Kazuki Takahashi and he was 60 years old at the time of his passing. The legacy he leaves behind is one of having made one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

Rest In Peace Kazuki Takahashi

The exact cause of Takahashi’s death is, as of right now, either unclear or just yet to have confirmation. What we do know is that the Japanese Coast Guard found his body in the ocean off the shore of the city of Nago. Nago is a city on the Japanese island of Okinawa, a southern island that is well known for its luxury beach resorts. Kazuki was found wearing snorkeling gear. So, while the official cause has yet to come out to the public, it’s likely the cause is that he was on vacation and had an accident or some kind of medical emergency while out in the ocean.

yugi of yugioh
A shot of Yugi, the lead character from the anime ‘Yu-Gi-Oh’

Kazuki Takahashi began the Yu-Gi-Oh story back in 1996, having no idea that it would ever be more than a manga. Flash forward 25 years and it’s a massive franchise that spans television shows, movies, video games, and one of the best-selling trading card games ever. Takahashi did work on a number of other short manga series and games throughout his life. However, Yu-Gi-Oh was his constant money maker. After ending the original manga series, he went on to be a supervisor for future manga, anime, and movies.

Yu-Gi-Oh Lives On

Kazuki Takahashi is no longer with us, but his creation lives on as strong as ever. The Yu-Gi-Oh franchise has yet to slow down since the premiere of the anime in 2000. There has essentially always been an ongoing series running for the last 22 years. The newest anime, Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!! began in April of this year following the end of the previous series Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens.

The trading card game is also still going strong and is definitively the most profitable part of the franchise. In 2011, it received the Guinness World Records title for the top-selling trading card game in history. To this day, it’s said to have sold over 35 billion cards worldwide.

The death of Kazuki Takahashi is a massive blow to the franchise he created, and to the fans who love it so much. Rest in peace, Kazuki.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *