Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga Creator Kazuki Takahashi Has Died

According to local news reports, Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of the Yu-Gi-Oh manga, has died. He was sixty years old.

A passing boat found his body off the coast of Nago in Okinawa prefecture on the morning of July 6, 2022, and alerted the Japanese Coast Guard. He was wearing snorkeling equipment at the time. His identity was confirmed on July 7, 2022. Police and the Japanese Coast Guard are still investigating the exact circumstances of Takahashi’s death.

Check out a news report broadcast by the NHK below.

６日、沖縄県名護市の沖合でスノーケリングの器具を装着している男性が浮いている状態で見つかり、その後、死亡が確認されました。死亡したのは東京都在住の少年向けの人気漫画「遊戯王」の作者の高橋和希さん、本名、一雅さん（６０）と確認されたということです。https://t.co/tBrLWlRIi1

— NHK沖縄さぁたぁちゃん (@okinawa_nhk) July 7, 2022

Also known as Kazuo, Kazuki Takahashi began his career as a manga artist in 1982. His debut manga, Tokiou no Taka (Fighting Hawk), published in 1990. His breakout work was the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga, which went to print in 1996. The series told the tale of Yugi Muto, a kind young man who solves the ancient Millennium Puzzle. The act causes him to become the host of the spirit contained within the puzzle, a former Pharaoh from ancient Egypt. This ghost came to be known as “Dark Yugi” or “Yami Yugi”, and showed himself whenever Yugi and his friends were threatened by those with darkness in their hearts. Together they also played dangerous “Shadow Games”, risking their lives and souls to help Dark Yugi recover his memories and challenge various trials.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! manga inspired the creation of a trading card game based on the series, which became the most famous incarnation of the franchise. It continues to this day, with various manga, anime, and video game spin-offs in operation.

Kazuki Takahashi received recognition for his work, including the 2015 Inkpot Award from Comic-Con International. Besides the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga, he also also created works like The Comiq, a celebration of Weekly Shonen Jump. His latest work was Marvel’s Secret Reverse, a one-shot comic featuring Marvel superheroes Iron Man and Spider-Man.

The Yu-Gi-Oh manga is published in English by Viz Media, and the card game is managed by Konami. Its anime spin-offs can be streamed on various streaming services, including Crunchyroll and Netflix.