On April 2, 2026, Yoshihisa Kishimoto passed away at the age of 64. With him goes one of the most important figures in arcade game history — the creator of Double Dragon, Kunio-kun, and one of the founding fathers of the beat'em up genre.

A street-fighting teenager turned arcade legend

Born on September 17, 1961 in Tokyo, Kishimoto spent his teenage years getting into fights at school and developing a deep admiration for Bruce Lee. It was this raw material that he would later channel into his games. At Technos Japan, he designed Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun — released in the West as Renegade — drawing directly from his own experiences as a scrappy high schooler. The title is now considered one of the cornerstones of the side-scrolling beat'em up genre. Without Kishimoto, we might never have seen Streets of Rage, Final Fight, or Golden Axe.

Double Dragon, and the birth of a genre

In 1987, he created Double Dragon, introducing cooperative two-player combat across scrolling stages. The title also referenced Bruce Lee's film Enter the Dragon. The game became a worldwide phenomenon, ported to nearly every console of the era, spawning sequels, comics, toys, and even a Hollywood film. His design philosophy was clear: put the player at the center, let them identify with the hero — "I'm playing Double Dragon and I am Bruce Lee, I'm the one controlling the game."

A quiet farewell

The news was confirmed by his son Ryūbō via Facebook: "I am sorry to inform you that my father has passed away on April 2, 2026. I hope you will continue to enjoy my father's works, including Kunio-kun." The cause of death was not disclosed. A private family funeral was held in the days that followed.

Sources: Famitsu — Nintendo-Town.fr — rom-game.fr — Gematsu — God is a Geek