Dragon Quest Composer Koichi Sugiyama Dies at 90

Video game publisher Square Enix announced today that the longtime composer of the Dragon Quest series, Koichi Sugiyama, had passed away. Sugiyama, who was 90 years old, died at the end of this past month on September 30, 2021. The cause of death, according to the obituary that was posted to the Dragon Quest website, was septic shock. 

Even though Sugiyama worked on a number of different projects over the course of his life, the music that he composed for the Dragon Quest franchise was by far his most popular. Sugiyama served as the original composer on the first installment that released all the way back in 1986 and continued to create new tracks for the series leading all the way up until Dragon Quest XI. In total, Sugiyama is said to have composed over 500 different songs for the Dragon Quest series on its own. 

In an accompanying statement, Square Enix President and CEO Yosuke Matsuda shared a brief message on the death of Sugiyama and what his work meant to the company. "I would like to take this opportunity to offer my deepest sympathy to Koichi Sugiyama's friends and loved ones. Words cannot express the scale of the contribution made by Koichi Sugiyama from the birth of the Dragon Quest series until now. I remember seeing him conduct the orchestra in a Dragon Quest concert as if it were yesterday," Matsuda said. "I thank and honor him for his long years of service and the many wonderful pieces of music he has written for our games, and offer my heartfelt prayers for the repose of his soul."

Even though Sugiyama's passing is saddening, the one silver lining of this situation is that his final work with the Dragon Quest series has yet to be heard by fans. Square Enix confirmed that Sugiyama composed a piece for the upcoming release of Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate, which is currently in development at the company. Although the game does not yet have a release date, the fact that Sugiyama's work will once again be featured in the latest installment is surely comforting to those who have come to cherish the composer's music over the years.