Kazuki Takahashi, Creator Of ‘Yu-Gi-Oh’ Series Dead At 60

Kazuki Takahashi, creator of the hit TV collection “Yu-Gi-Oh,” and eventual inspiration for the buying and selling card recreation, has handed away in Japan, in line with the nation’s Coast Guard.

He was 60.

A spokesman instructed the New York Occasions that Takahashi — who had been touring alone whereas vacationing — died from unknown causes whereas snorkeling.

His physique was discovered Wednesday floating off the coast of Nago — a metropolis on Okinawa Island in Southern Japan — the spokesman mentioned.

The Coast Guard is investigating his dying.

Takahashi’s success with anime started in his early 20s, nevertheless it wasn’t till 1996 — when he created “Yu-Gi-Oh” — he would notice simply how in style the collection would develop into.

Takahashi mentioned in 2019 that when he created the manga, the unique idea was to point out other ways to battle every week. Nevertheless, after two weeks of drawing out the characters he created, he determined to make the collection a few buying and selling card recreation.

After all, the Yu-Gi-Oh buying and selling card recreation — which debuted in the US in March 2002 — went on to develop into one of the crucial in style card video games within the nation rivaling the likes of Pokemon.

The franchise is estimated to have remodeled $17.1 billion, together with over $960 million in gross sales of Takahashi’s manga collection, in line with Newsweek.

Followers of Yu-Gi-Oh have been shocked as soon as they realized Takahashi died … together with former NFL participant Cassius Marsh, who posted an image of Yugi — the present’s most important protagonist — on his Instagram story with a tragic emoji.