Square Enix recently shared updates on , but the news came with a touch of sadness. Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams will be the last main installment in the series as we know it, potentially signaling a major shift for the franchise.
A defining feature of the Dragon Quest series is its art style, consistently created by Akira Toriyama, the artist best known for Dragon Ball. Toriyama’s work is iconic to gamers and anime enthusiasts, and it’s well-known that he frequently reused designs between the two series – for example, the Dragon Quest 5 character Nimzo is essentially a bearded version of Piccolo from Dragon Ball.
Dragon Quest 12 Is The Last Entry With Akira Toriyama Artwork
Akira Toriyama had a huge impact on comics and video games, making news of his death on March 1, 2024, especially shocking to fans around the world.
After Akira Toriyama’s passing, many fans were curious if he’d had a chance to work on any future Dragon Quest titles. Square Enix has now confirmed that he did – Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams includes character designs created by Toriyama, and the designs shown in the game’s trailer are his work.
Akira Toriyama isn’t the only key creator no longer involved with future Dragon Quest games. Composer Koichi Sugiyama, who also played a vital role in the series, passed away in 2021, as reported by Famitsu.
Dragon Quest’s Whole Aesthetic Hangs In The Balance
It’s rumored that Akira Toriyama created some character designs for future Dragon Quest games and shared them with Square Enix. However, Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams was probably the last game he contributed to before his death. The fact that Dragon Quest 12 faced development issues suggests that planning for Dragon Quest 13 hasn’t begun.
Akira Toriyama’s passing will permanently alter the visual style of the Dragon Quest games. While future installments might feature artists influenced by his work, they risk feeling like simple copies rather than original creations.
A great thing about the Final Fantasy games is that they’re always trying new things, so they don’t feel stuck in one particular style. While Yoshitaka Amano’s art is famous for Final Fantasy, other artists like Tetsuya Nomura have also played a big role in how the games look. Dragon Quest, on the other hand, has become very closely linked to the art of Akira Toriyama, and might feel less special now that he’s no longer creating its worlds.
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2026-06-02 04:10