Kohei Horikoshi, the creator of My Hero Academia, has paid homage to the legendary Akira Toriyama in the latest volume of the manga series. In Volume 40, Horikoshi honors Toriyama by referencing one of the most iconic covers in Dragon Ball Z history.
A social media user, @SupaChronicles, shared an image from My Hero Academia Volume 40 that caught the attention of fans. The image depicts All For One in his youth engaged in a tense confrontation with a weakened All Might.
What makes this illustration particularly noteworthy is its resemblance to the cover of Chapter 309 of the Dragon Ball manga.
In the Dragon Ball cover, a diminutive Frieza is depicted facing off against a towering Goku, creating a dramatic visual contrast. While fans may be more familiar with this storyline from Dragon Ball Z, it’s worth noting that the manga continued under the original Dragon Ball title in Japan.
Horikoshi’s homage to Toriyama’s iconic cover serves as a touching tribute to the late manga legend, highlighting the enduring impact of Toriyama’s work on contemporary manga creators like Horikoshi.
Shonen Jump Artists Pay Homage to the Legendary Manga Artist
The recent My Hero Academia cover serves as another poignant tribute to Akira Toriyama, following his passing in March. Notably, Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, and Tite Kubo, known for Bleach, were among the first Shonen Jump artists to release statements mourning Toriyama’s loss.
Subsequently, other prominent Shonen Jump authors, including Gege Akutami (Jujutsu Kaisen), Yoshifumi Tozuka (Undead Unluck), and Yusei Matsui (The Elusive Samurai), paid their respects in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17 of 2024.
Furthermore, Takao Koyama, a screenwriter involved in the Dragon Ball Z anime series, participated in a worldwide event encouraging fans to perform the Spirit Bomb technique in Toriyama’s honor.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Toriyama’s iconic artwork from Dragon Ball has been honored by fellow Shonen Jump artists. Takeshi Obata, the artist behind Death Note, recreated the cover of Dragon Ball Volume 29 for the series’ 40th anniversary.
Similarly, Yoshifumi Tozuka contributed his rendition of Dragon Ball Volume 21 for the same anniversary project.
Before his passing, Toriyama was actively involved in the production of the new Dragon Ball Daima anime series, slated to air this fall as part of the franchise’s upcoming anniversary celebrations.
Despite Toriyama’s passing, his influence and legacy continue to be felt across the manga and anime community. The Dragon Ball Super manga is currently on hiatus, but Toriyama’s final touch on Chapter 103 added an emotional farewell from the revered manga artist himself.