Akira Toriyama was a legendary artist in the world of anime and manga whose whimsical designs captured the imaginations of people all over the globe. His contributions to video games have been just as significant, with some of the medium’s most beloved series having Toriyama’s unmistakable touch of magic across their artwork.
From seminal JRPGs to cult favourite fighting games, Akira Toriyama’s impact on video games – particularly in his preferred realm of character designs – runs much deeper than you may originally expect. Through these games, as well as all his other amazing works, his artistic legacy will live on.
With a launch on July 07, 2025, this title is the last video game to have a beautiful rendering of the characters and world designs from Akira Toriyama. The character models in particular are crisp and detailed without losing any of the charm that made them so memorable in the first place.
Sand Land is a Toriyama manga released in 2000 that tells of the power struggles in a world without a proper supply of water. With its vast sand dunes and diesel-punk-inspired machinery, Sand Land is shaping up to be one ofgaming’s best desert areasand a fitting adaptation to Toriyama’s original work.
Jump Force is an epic crossover fighting game that celebrates 50 years of the Shueisha’s Shonen Jump anthology. While the game features characters from several iconic manga series, Toriyama’s Dragon Ball franchise enjoys a healthy representation with playable characters like Goku, Vegeta, and Frieza.
It’s also worth noting that Toriyama’s characters and designs were also featured in the lessor-known, Japan-only RPG Famicom Jump 2. This was also a Shonen Jump crossover that had Goku as a playable character while also including Dark Raid – a brand new Toriyama character design.
5Tobal
A Hidden Gem Fighting Franchise
Tobal doesn’t get talked about much these days, but in its prime, it was a fighting game series on the original PlayStation that some considered to be on the same level as Tekken or Virtua Fighter. Both Tobal games were 3D fighters that ran at a buttery smooth frame rate, ensuring a slick combat experience that was well-balanced for all experience levels.
Akira Toriyama provided his character design services to both games, ensuring the character roster is just as fun to look at as they are to play. With his signature style clearly visible across the Tobal games, these forgotten fighters are worth revisiting for his work alone.
4Blue Dragon
An Overlooked JRPG From The Xbox 360 Days
Of all the games that Akira Toriyama worked on that featured the word “Dragon” in their title, Blue Dragon probably isn’t the first that comes to mind. Which is a shame, as this underrated turn-based JRPG showcases some of Toriyama’s most imaginative designs.
Throw in the fact that the original Xbox 360 game was also written by Hironobu Sakaguchi and composed by Nobuo Uematsu, and it almost feels like a half-reunion of the dream team behind Chrono Trigger. Toriyama would also go on to provide character designs for the Blue Dragon’s Nintendo DS sequels.
The Dragon Ball extended universe is what Akira Toriyama is most well-known for, and the franchise has a rich history of beloved video game adaptations. From RPGs to fighting games, Dragon Ball games have allowed fans of the manga or anime to further immerse themselves within the wonderful mind of Toriyama.
But on top of being the original writer and illustrator of the manga, Toriyama has also directly contributed original character design to some of thebest Dragon Ball games of all time. Notably, he designed the character of Android 21 in Dragon Ball FighterZ and Bonyu in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot.
The miracle of Chrono Trigger is that it is one of those rare pieces of art created by a dream team of industry legends at the peak of their powers, and it somehow still managed to exceed expectations. One of thegreatest JRPGs ever made, Chrono Trigger is an enduring classic that refuses to age thanks to its powerful story, engaging combat, and of course, magnificent artwork.
The designs of Crono, Lucca, Marle, Robo, Frog, Ayla, and Magus are each proof of Toriyama’s genius – managing to convey such character and personality without going overboard on the linework or colouring. And that’s just the main party. Chrono Trigger is filled to the brim with some of Toriyama’s best work, showcasing the exceptional talent of an artist at the top of their game.
To understand the beauty of Akira Toriyama’s simple but effective designs, you only need to look at the Slime from Dragon Quest. For what is essentially a blue orb with a smiley face on it, Slimes have transcended generations and cultures to become one of the most recognisable mascots in all of gaming. That’s the magic of Toriyama.
And it’s a magic that you can find all over the Dragon Quest series. Every character, every monster, every NPC is Toriyama gifting us with his timeless visual style and imagination. And because of that, his special talent will continue inspiring gamers and artists for years to come.
