Yoshihisa Kishimoto has passed away at the age of 64.
The Japanese video game developer, the creator of Double Dragon and the Kunio-kun franchise, Yoshihisa Kishimoto, passed away on Saturday, April 4, at the age of 64.
Yoshihisa Kishimoto was not just a developer but a gaming industry luminary. He became popular after his work at Technos Japan Corp, where he gave birth to beat ’em up games, including the Kunio-kun and Double Dragon game franchises.
The news of his passing came directly from his son, Ryūbō Kishimoto, who posted about it on various social media channels. On Monday, April 6, he wrote the following on Facebook:
This is the son of Yoshihisa Kishimoto.
I am sorry to inform you that my father has passed to rest on 04/02/2026. Thank you very much for everything you have done for me during my life. Please forgive us that we will perform at the family funeral. I hope you will continue to enjoy my father's works, including Kuno-kun.
Thank you.
Ryūbō Kishimoto
Following that, he took to X to further talk about it:
I'm sorry for not being able to reply, but thank you very much for the many heartfelt memory messages. I'm truly delighted to learn that there are people around the world who have played the Kunio-kun series extensively and understand my father even more deeply than I do. Please continue to enjoy my father's works with a smile in the future.
Re Xie Ying Pai kuniokunnodeirekutaAn Ben Liang Jiu noXi Zi desu.
— Yi Lao kun (@rpl5t62) April 5, 2026
2026Nian 4Yue 2Ri niFu gaTa Jie shimashitatame, oZhi raseitashimasu.
Xiang Xi Que Ren nadoarebaitsudemogoLian Luo kudasai.
kuniokunhuannotamenikoremadetakusanQing Bao Fa Xin itadakiGan Xie Shen shiShang gemasu.
korekaramodouzoyoroshikuoYuan ishimasu. #kuniokun
Even before creating the famous Double Dragon and the Kunio-kun franchise, in the early stages of his career at Data East, Kishimoto worked on Cobra Command and Road Blaster.
His most recent work includes the directorial role on Double Dragon IV, as well as a collaborative directorial role on Stay Cool, Kobayashi-san!: A River City Ransom Story.