Birthplace: Johannesburg, South Africa

Favorite Band: Queen

Daisuke Ishiwatari is basically the creative backbone of Guilty Gear. He's directed, designed, written, and composed every game in the series—basically everything. He also designed the main roster of characters that define the franchise, making him responsible for some of fighting game's most iconic looks and personalities.

He originally voiced Sol Badguy in the first two games before stepping back from that role. Joji Nakata took over as Sol's voice starting with Guilty Gear XX and has stuck with it since.

Beyond Guilty Gear, Ishiwatari has also handled composition for every BlazBlue game, cementing his reputation as one of Arc System Works' most prolific and essential creators.