Kunio-kun and Double Dragon creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto dies at age 64
Son confirms creator's passing on Twitter.
Yoshihisa Kishimoto, creator of the Kunio-kun and
“This is the son of Yoshihisa Kishimoto, the director of Kunio-kun,” the son replied in a tweet posted by the Kunio-kun series’ official account. “I’m sharing this notice to inform you that my father passed away on April 2, 2026. Please feel free to contact me at any time for further details. I deeply appreciate all the information shared with Kunio-kun fans over the years. Thank you for your continued support.”
Kishimoto began his game designing career at Data East, where he worked on Cobra Command and Road Blaster, before moving to Technos Japan, where he created Renegade (Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun) and Double Dragon. In recent years, he served as director on Double Dragon IV, as well as a collaborative director on Stay Cool, Kobayashi-san!: A River City Ransom Story.