Beloved Japanese manga artist Kazuki Takahashi has died. He was best known for creating the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise and penning its manga collection. On July 6, 2022, Takahashi was found dead just off the shore of Nago, Okinawa, by Japan Coast Guards who were investigating the scene after a passing boat reported a sighting of the body. At his time of death, Takahashi had been wearing snorkeling gear; it was later confirmed that he had been attacked by a reef shark and died two days prior to authorities discovering his body.
According to Japan public broadcaster NHK, Takahashi succumbed to his injuries days before, but the Japanese Coast Guard officers are conducting an official investigation into the incident to rule out any foul play.
Takahashi, born Oct. 4, 1961, began his career as a manga artist in 1982 and published his first work in 1990, titled Tokiō no taka. It wasn’t until 1996 that Takahashi created Yu-Gi-Oh! and found commercial success. The Yu-Gi-Oh! manga series led to the creation of the trading card game that swept the world. Even after the manga’s official run ended, Takahashi continued to supervise its production, including specials and spin-offs that deviated from the main published storyline.
The renowned manga artist received the Inkpot Award from Comic-Con International for his outstanding contributions to comics in 2015. Three years later, Takahashi published The Comiq in Weekly Shōnen Jump.
Everyone at We Got This Covered is deeply saddened by the loss of a great manga artist, and we will be forever grateful for the existence of Yu-Gi-Oh! as Takahashi’s legacy lives in his incredible work.
