Beginning his career in 1987 at the age of 22, Keiji Inafune joined the Capcom corporation shortly after graduating with a graphic design degree from the Osaka Designers' College. The Kishiwada native initially sought employment at Konami but ultimately established his professional trajectory by contributing to early titles like the original Street Fighter and the inaugural Mega Man game.
Early Contributions to Capcom
During his initial years at Capcom, Inafune balanced multiple roles including illustrator, character designer, and pixel artist. Working under the professional pseudonym INAFKING, he was responsible for creating the boss character Elec Man for the first Mega Man title. He famously described his collaboration with director Akira Kitamura as reverse character design, where he refined static pixel art into finalized character illustrations. He later expanded his responsibilities to game design, particularly on Mega Man 3, despite his personal reservations regarding the project's condensed production schedule.
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As the platform transitioned to the Super NES, Inafune played a pivotal role in shaping the Mega Man X series. He designed the character Zero, intended to function as a secondary protagonist capable of securing high-profile narrative moments. Throughout the 1990s, his portfolio grew to include designs for Auto, Bass, and Treble. In 1996, he shifted into a producer role with Mega Man 8, eventually overseeing various branches of the franchise including Mega Man Legends, Battle Network, Star Force, and ZX.
Corporate Leadership and Independent Ventures
Inafune ascended to Senior Corporate Officer of Research & Development in 2006 and served as Global Head of Production at Capcom by 2010. Following his departure from the company later that year, he founded Comcept and Intercept, serving as Representative Director for the mobile studio DiNG. His independent work included the development of titles such as Mighty No. 9 and Soul Sacrifice. Comcept was acquired by Level-5 in 2017, where Inafune remained for seven years until his departure in March 2025.
Fast facts
- Born: 1965, Kishiwada, Japan
- Education: Osaka Designers' College, 1987
- Career Start: Capcom, 1987
- Notable Works: Doctor Wily, Proto Man
- Roles: Screenwriter, painter, film director, video game developer
- Independent Studios: Comcept, Intercept
- Level-5 Tenure: 2017–2025
Questions readers ask
Did Keiji Inafune create Mega Man single-handedly?
No. He clarified that the basic concept and original pixel art sprite were created by his mentor, Akira Kitamura, before Inafune joined the team.
What was the significance of the pseudonym INAFKING?
It was the name he used in early Capcom game credits, created by combining his own surname with the character Snufkin from the Moomin anime series.
Achievements
- Notable work: Proto Man
- Notable work: Doctor Wily
- Worked as computer scientist, painter and video game developer
