reached its conclusion in February 2025.

Like other successful franchises, Toriyama's contributions to his series didn't end with his original manga. Often the artist would design characters or settings for Dragon Ball projects to follow, and eventually took over writing duties on the ongoing Dragon Ball Super manga, as well as its two films and Dragon Ball Daima. Unlike other artists, however, Toriyama would never go on to do another full manga series following Dragon Ball's completion. Thanks to an interview with three of Toriyama's editors, translated by X Venixys, the reason why has been revealed.

Toriyama's Editors Reveal Why They Believe He Never Created Another Manga Series

The Legendary Artist Showed Little Desire to Continue Drawing

Kazuhiko Torishima, Yu Kondo, and Fuyuto Takeda, three of Dragon Ball's original editors, recently sat down for an interview with Japanese podcast KosoKoso to discuss the series, Toriyama, Shueisha, and more. Takeda, who took over as editor after Kondo stepped down during the Cell Saga, shared that it was Toriyama's decision alone to stop proposing new projects following the completion of Dragon Ball, and the artist would jokingly say that he didn't want to work anymore.

He also believes the artist seemingly lost motivation because he felt he couldn't possibly top Dragon Ball with a new project. Torishima, who discovered Toriyama and helped bring him to Shōnen Jump with 1980's Dr. Slump, expressed mixed feelings about Toriyama's decision to step back from manga. He recalled the artist making thin excuses each time he asked him about drawing something new, and realized there was likely nothing that could convince him to continue.

While Akira Toriyama never drew another full major manga series, he hadn't fully stopped working. The artist did several illustrations for 1997's Dragon Ball GT, and heavily contributed to both Dragon Ball Z movies, which were released just before he and Toyotarou began work on the Dragon Ball Super manga. He also drew four short stories, including Sand Land, all collected into single volumes, and revisited the Dragon Ball universe in 2013's Jaco the Galactic Patrolman.

Other Factors May Have Led to Toriyama Leaving Manga Behind

The Life of a Manga Artist Is Not Easy

While Toriyama's feelings that he could never top Dragon Ball might be a major reason why the artist stepped away from manga, it likely isn't the only one. A professional manga artist does not have an easy job, and as the editors revealed in the interview, that was no different for Toriyama. They recalled an instance when he was suffering from tendonitis and claimed he could no longer draw. Due to Jump's strict deadlines, Torishima challenged Toriyama to write his name, and when he did so successfully, he convinced him he could draw after all.

Though nothing has ever been explicitly confirmed, it isn't a stretch to assume that Toriyama was burned out by the time Dragon Ball reached its conclusion, especially since the series was originally supposed to end with the Cell Saga before editors and Shueisha convinced him to continue. After giving his all to the series for the better part of 11 years, the manga creator deserved to be able to walk away from the art form on his own .

Dragon Ball remains one of the most iconic, groundbreaking, and influential manga franchises 40 years after its debut in Shōnen Jump, and though its creator never worked on another major title, his contributions to the series have allowed it to survive long past its original ending. With Dragon Ball Daima, Toriyama's final vision for his masterpiece series, officially in the books, it's uncertain where Dragon Ball will head next. Whichever direction it takes, however, any future developments will only be possible thanks to the hard work of its creator.

Source: KosoKoso (translated by Venixys on X)