Summary
- Final Fantasy 14 players are honoring the late Akira Toriyama with campfire vigils and outfits based on his works like Dragon Ball and Chrono Trigger.
- The community has gathered across data centers to pay respect to Toriyama, highlighting his impact on popular culture over four decades.
- Players are showing solidarity for Toriyama, similar to past vigils for other creators, showcasing the unique bond within the Final Fantasy 14 community.
Several Final Fantasy 14 players took to the streets of Ul'dah to pay respects to the late Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, with campfire vigils and outfits based on characters that Toriyama drew over his career. These vigils in Final Fantasy 14 are ongoing at the time of writing and are being held across several data centers, such as Aether and Crystal in North America.
On March 8, it was reported that Akira Toriyama died on March 1 at age 68. The reported cause of death was listed as acute subdural hematoma, but further details were not made public. Known for creating the Dragon Ball anime/manga franchise, and other works such as Sand Land and Dr. Slump, Toriyama was also the character designer for Chrono Trigger, Blue Dragon, and the Dragon Quest series. The upcoming Dragon Ball Daima was one of several upcoming projects that Toriyama was involved with before his death. With a career that spanned over four decades, Toriyama's works left their mark on popular culture globally.
Hours after news spread of Akira Toriyama's death, the Final Fantasy 14 player community took it upon themselves to honor him in a way that they had done before. Similar to the vigils held in 2021 for Berserk creator Kentaro Miura, several Final Fantasy 14 players took to Reddit to post where servers held vigils for Toriyama. They posted screenshots of the gatherings happening in the city of Ul'dah. In one post, a Redditor named mfpoke posted a small but growing vigil on the Cactuar server in North America. In the replies, other players posted their screenshots of vigils on servers such as Zodiark in Europe, and other cities such as Rhalgr's Reach.
Final Fantasy 14 Players Hold Vigil for Akira Toriyama
At each vigil, Final Fantasy 14 players lit campfires and wore outfits based on characters that Toriyama created. While Goku and other characters from the Dragon Ball franchise were among the most prominent characters portrayed, characters from the timeless RPG Chrono Trigger, such as Crono, Marle, Lucca, and Frog, were also seen on different servers. Only time will tell how many of Toriyama's works will see representation as the vigils continue.
Though Final Fantasy 14 is in a content lull, that has not stopped players from gathering and paying respect to an author who gave them joy and inspiration, as Toriyama did. As players wait for more news of the Dawntrail expansion in the coming weeks, what else players will do in the weeks ahead remains to be seen.
Final Fantasy 14 (2010)
- Released
- August 27, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
Begin your adventure in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn
Create your very own Warrior of Light and embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.
Take to the skies in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward
Take your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.
Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Stormblood
Journey to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.
Become the darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers
Travel to a world where light ushers all unto oblivion. But hope is not yet lost, for where there is light there is shadow.
Journey to the very stars above in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker
A great calamity has been building - a second advent of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light must journey ever higher and stand firm as hope's last bastion.
Set forth for new horizons in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail
Blue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await! Explore uncharted territories with familiar faces as hope's light dawns once more.
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Crystal Tools
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS4 & PS5
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
