It’s Officially the End of an Era for Dragon Ball Fans

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For the first time in 40 years, fans are seeing a brand new major character created by Akira Toriyama, the mind behind the series.

The news came through Toriyama’s work on Dragon Quest. In addition to creating manga, Toriyama was the main character designer for the Dragon Quest role-playing game series for more than forty years, starting when it first launched in 1986.

Toriyama was an incredibly productive artist, and even after his passing in 2024, he had a large collection of unused artwork. This allowed both the Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest series to continue releasing new designs for the last two years. Sadly, that supply of pre-made artwork has now been exhausted.

Dragon Quest Just Revealed the Final Main Character Designed By Akira Toriyama

During the live stream celebrating the 40th anniversary of Dragon Quest on May 27th, a new trailer for the upcoming Dragon Quest 12 was revealed. The trailer also introduced the game’s new main character, designed by Akira Toriyama.

The new character design is impressive, but it’s also a little sad. This main character will be the last one in the series – ending a long line of heroes that includes those from Dragon Quest and Dragon Ball.

The latest character designs from Akira Toriyama for the Dragon Ball series were created for the upcoming Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 video game. He designed two new playable characters – a boy and a girl – and also created a new character who appears to be the player’s main companion in the game’s story.

The new character in Dragon Quest XII has a unique design, reminiscent of another well-known creation, but some fans have criticized him for looking “tired.” However, this appearance is likely intentional, fitting with the game’s overall story.

Based on what we’ve seen of DQXII, the game centers around a young man troubled by his dreams. The trailer features a lizard-like character, and some fans believe this could be how the young man appears inside his dream world. It makes sense that this character looks tired, as the young man is likely exhausted from battling his dream-related issues.

Akira Toriyama Personally Curated the Most Recognizable Art Style of Japan For Over 40 Years

No matter how people feel about the new look of the main character in Dragon Quest XII, it’s important to remember this will be the final design for a Dragon Quest hero personally created by Akira Toriyama.

Akira Toriyama has been a hugely influential figure in Japanese pop culture since his early work, starting with hits like Dr. Slump in 1984 and continuing with Dragon Ball. From the famous Slime monster in Dragon Quest to Dragon Ball’s Goku, anyone familiar with Japanese entertainment has undoubtedly encountered his creations.

With the recent reveals of the main characters for both Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 and Dragon Quest XII, fans realize these were the last character designs drawn by Akira Toriyama before his passing in 2024. Moving forward, Toriyama’s student, Toyotarou, will continue the Dragon Ball Super manga independently. For Dragon Quest, Toriyama’s other assistants at Bird Studio might step in, or Square Enix could choose to work with a new artist to develop a different look for the series.

Though it’s sad to see him go for his fans, his work will undoubtedly inspire artists for many years to come.

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2026-05-28 00:17