Satoshi Iwataki, the animation director behind Attack on Titan and Berserk, has passed away at the age of 60.
On January 2, 2024, a post from Iwataki’s wife to X (formerly Twitter) revealed that the beloved animator had passed away. The post read: “I am the wife of Satoshi Iwataki. After struggling with his illness for 2 months, my husband passed away on the night of December 30. Even while lying on the hospital bed, he never lost his composure and always cared about the people around him. until the last moment of my life.” I believe my husband, an animation lover, still wants to create more works. I thank everyone for caring and supporting him in life.” She added in a second post, “Thank you for your understanding.”
The post received overwhelming love from people who know, work with, and are fans of Iwataki. Dangaioh animation director Masami Obari expressed his “deepest condolences” and prayed for his soul to rest in peace. “This is my first time working with you at Dangaioh and I am also very grateful for your help at Dororo. I really regret it…” Manga artist Hiroyuki Asada worked on Dororo with both Obari and Iwataki, providing original character designs for the anime. He added, “I couldn’t believe it. Dororo – The characters we created. I will never forget that day when Iwataki-san and I congratulated each other and raised our glasses to celebrate what a great work this had become. Another dear friend has passed away. I’m really sad. He is the best animator. Please rest in peace. Let’s go ahead and have drinks with Osamu Kobayashi (Dororo episode director passed away in 2021).”
Iwataki has stopped accepting new works as of November 18, 2023, according to his X bio. He just celebrated his 60th birthday. His legacy will be remembered across generations and decades, with his mechanical design credits for the Gundunda series in the early 1980s, Ghost in the Shell SAC 2nd Gig as animator in in the 2000s, animation director on Berserk: Golden Age Arc I – The Egg of the King in the 2010s and his final work on Attack on Titan: The Final Chapters Part 2 as animator main image. Fans who shared his scenes on social media noted the emotional weight he brought to his scenes and sent their condolences to his family.
Rest in peace, Satoshi Iwataki.
Source: Iwataki’s wife via X (formerly Twitter)
