A new educational manga about Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, is set to release in Japan on 24 February, 2026.

Published by Shogakukan, The Creator of Dragon Quest: Yuji Horii traces Horii’s life from his early years to his rise as one of Japan’s most influential game creators, touching on works like The Portopia Serial Murder Case. The book leans into Horii’s own philosophy that “life is role-playing,” framing his career as a series of choices, challenges, and personal growth.

This is the latest entry in an ongoing series of biographical manga published by Shogakukan, all focused on influential and important figures across a variety of different fields. This isn't the first to feature a game creator, Pokémon fans may be familiar with the Satoshi Tajiri entry in the same series which is often referred to in relation to the history of the iconic game series due to the wealth of information it provided. It isn't far fetched to expect the same depth of knowledge in this release as well.

Illustrated by Iori Makoto and supervised by Horii himself, the release also includes a special interview with the iconic game creator at the end. Priced at ¥1,210, it’s aimed at children but is positioned as an easy, nostalgic read for adults who grew up with classic games too. Pre-orders are open now on Amazon Japan.