Golgo 13 Creator Takao Saito Dies At 84

Ahoy Captain Cats here and today some sad news to report as Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito dies at the age of 84 due to pancreatic cancer.

Saito debuted in 1955 with his first manga Baron Air to some success and in 1960 he created the Saito Production. In 1968 he would create and release what many to be his greatest contribution to manga in terms of character and character archetypes and that series is Golgo 13.

The series is about “Duke Togo” a professional assassin who also goes by his alias “Golgo 13.” With his trusty M16, he does the jobs that no one on Earth can do and with an accuracy of 100, he never misses his target. The series is still currently in its run and for the first time in the series, 52 year non-stop run the series took a hiatus due to the pandemic. Saito had this to say about the series:

“The manga has continued so long that it is no longer the property of the author; it belongs to the readers.” – Takao Saito

While Saito has done other work throughout the years it was Golgo 13 that he will be remembered by. As of now the series will continue without him and is said to be heading towards its conclusion. Here is an interesting fun fact about Golgo 13 you may not know about. Golgo 13 is a reference to Golgotha (Golgo for short) and 13 is a reference to the crown of thorns.