Legendary DC Artist Jim Lee Pays Respect to Dragon Ball's Akira Toriyama With Stunning New Goku Art (2024)

Akira Toriyama, the influential anime and manga creator of Dragon Ball, recently passed through Other World on his way to his next adventure, leaving behind an incredible legacy that fans will not soon forget. To honor Akira Toriyama as well as give his take on what Dragon Ball’s main protagonist would look like drawn by his hand, legendary DC Comics artist Jim Lee has whipped up his own Goku fanart that does Toriyama’s character justice.

A piece first drawn live on Twitch and then uploaded to Instagram by industry veteran and current Chief Creative Officer of DC Jim Lee (@jimlee), Mr. Lee is no stranger to sharing sketches both official and unofficial, utilizing his signature art style to bring to life some of the best fictional characters of all time.

In the past, Mr. Lee has shared fanart of Star Wars’ Baylan Skull and Darth Vader, Katana from Mortal Kombat fame, Ultraman, and even Marvel’s Black Panther, with this Goku illustration being a welcome addition to Jim Lee's non-DC Comics work.

Jim Lee Honors Akira Toriyama With New Black and White Goku Sketch

Fanart Design By Jim Lee (@jimlee)

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Making its mark as a manga from 1984 to 1995, adapted into an anime series in 1986, and then becoming a worldwide phenomenon by the time 1989’s Dragon Ball Z premiered, Dragon Ball has inspired audiences for 40 years now, with the current Dragon Ball Super and the upcoming Dragon Ball DAIMA series continuing its sprawling saga in earnest. Reaching the kind of popularity most series can only dream of, the fact that Jim Lee has finally taken a crack at drawing Goku says a lot about the reach of the Goku character and the series he hails from.

Illustrating Goku in his signature art style but also adding a bit of Toriyama flair in honor of his recent passing and his contributions to the nerd community, Jim Lee draws Goku charging up what can only be a Kamehameha Blast, posing him in a way that makes it feel like he’s floating in mid-air. Captioning his drawing, “In memory of the legendary mangaka Akira Toriyama who brought the world the amazing Dragon Ball Z,” Jim Lee’s black and white sketch is full of extra details and accents that nail the kinetic nature of Goku and his uncanny abilities.

Jim Lee Draws Dragon Ball's Goku In His Signature Art Style In New Fanart

Many creators like Naruto’s Masashi Kishimoto and One Piece’s Eiichiro Oda have paid tribute to Toriyama in the weeks since his unexpected passing, with the idea that his work has affected those in the comic industry and beyond only proving the importance of a series that will now need to live on without its caretaker there to guide it. Goku looks great when drawn by the legendary Jim Lee, so here’s hoping he finds the time to bring more iconic Dragon Ball characters to life as the start of a new chapter in the franchise, sans Akira Toriyama, begins.

Source: @jimlee

Dragon Ball

From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku's never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

Created by

Akira Toriyama

First Film

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies

Latest Film

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

First TV Show

Dragon Ball (1986)

Latest TV Show

Super Dragon Ball Heroes

First Episode Air Date

April 26, 1989

Latest Episode

2019-10-05

Cast

Sean Schemmel , Laura Bailey , Brian Drummond , Christopher Sabat , Scott McNeil

Current Series

Dragon Ball Super

Video Game(s)

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 , Dragon Ball FighterZ , Dragon Ball: The Breakers , Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission , Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z , Dragon Ball Xenoverse , Dragon Ball Z Kakarot

Summary

From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku's never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.