Yu-Gi-Oh! visionary Kazuki Takahashi has passed away, according to a report from Japanese media outlet NHK.
The 60-year-old manga series creator was found unresponsive near the coast of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, a popular destination for snorkeling and diving. At the time of his death, he was alone and wearing snorkeling equipment, a coast guard official confirmed.
Takahashi, real name Kazuo Takahashi, was known for his comic strip Yu-Gi-Oh!, first published in 1996. The comic strip followed the story of a young boy named Yugi Moto who obtains possession of a millennial artifact that releases the spirit of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Yugi and the ancient spirit form a bond to battle against evil in duels.
Yu-Gi-Oh! became a global hit, morphing into a game of trading cards used to emulate the dueling battles illustrated in the comic strip. The trading card game broke records for being the best-selling of all time with over 25.1 billion card sets sold across 45 countries, according to Konami.
Soon, the game would transform into an anime series that was televised in the U.S. from 2000 through 2006. The franchise also included books, such as Marvel’s Secret Reverse, his recent collaboration with Marvel, along with films.
The investigation of Takahashi’s death is ongoing.
