Kazuki Takahashi, creator of the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, was found dead on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, according to NPR. Takashi’s body was found floating off the coast of Nago in Okinawa. He was 60 years old.
Yu-Gi-Oh was Takahashi’s gateway to success. It was first published in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series focused on a boy named Yugi, who after solving an ancient puzzle, becomes possessed by a spirit that helps him challenge foes and mystic games.
The comic ran for several years and led to the inspiration for a trading card game and a popular anime series that ran in the United States. There have many been other spin-offs in the forms of movies, shows, and games.
Takahashi continued working on various comics following the success of Yu-Gi-Oh. Most recently he published The Comiq, and he was also collaborating with Marvel on a book starring Iron Man and Spider-Man.
Takahashi’s death is currently being investigated by the Coast Guard.
