"Rest easy my friend" - Stephen Thompson pays heartfelt tribute following the passing of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama

As the entire anime community mourned the loss of one of its most influential creators, Akira Toriyama, UFC fighter Stephen Thompson expressed his grief on Instagram.

News of the tragic passing of Toriyama, creator of the popular anime television series 'Dragon Ball Z', broke on March 8, following which many expressed their sorrow and gratitude on social media.

Thompson shared a post on his Instagram account depicting the impact that 'Dragon Ball Z' had on his life. He credited the series for creating his 'most fond childhood memories.'

In the emotional post, Thompson wrote:

"Man so sad to hear about the news of the passing of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. The Dragon Ball series was and will always be one of my most fond childhood memories even into adulthood... Rest easy my friend!"

Toriyama reportedly died on March 1, but the news was not made public until March 8. He was 68 years old at the time of his death and was supposedly still working on future projects that will likely remain unfinished.

Since its inception in 1984, 'Dragon Ball Z' has ascended to becoming one of the most popular anime shows of all time and played a significant role in the genre's increased popularity internationally. The project began as a manga product before its production on television.

In his post, 'Wonderboy' continued by stating that 'Dragon Ball Z' had an impact on his career as a fighter, claiming to be inspired by the series' main character 'Goku' in training. Thompson also recalled referring to his childhood friends as nicknames based on characters from the show.

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What was the cause of Akira Toriyama's death? The Japanese writer whom Stephen Thompson paid homage to on social media

According to the Bird Studio — Akira Toriyama's production company — and reports from multiple sources, the 'Dragon Ball Z' creator passed on March 1 due to an acute subdural hematoma. The rare condition is the official term for a blood clot formed in the brain.

Stephen Thompson was not the only UFC fighter to pay his respects to the legendary writer as several other fans of 'Dragon Ball Z' expressed their feelings online. Johnny Walker joined Thompson in reminiscing about childhood memories created from the series by posting a tribute video wearing a Japanese gi.

The impact of Toriyama's death has been seen on X, with the trend #ThankyouToriyama receiving nearly 70,000 posts just hours after news of his passing broke.