Atsushi Ōkubo, born on September 20, 1979, is a Japanese manga artist and character designer recognized for creating internationally successful manga series such as Soul Eater and Fire Force. His career in the manga industry began after he finished studies at a specialized manga school, where he met artist Rando Ayamine. Ōkubo subsequently worked as Ayamine's assistant for two years on the series GetBackers. He made his professional debut in 2001 with a short work titled Ichizen no Hone and won a competition at Square Enixs Gangan magazine, leading to his first serialized manga, B. Ichi, which ran from 2001 to 2002 and was compiled into four volumes.

Ōkubo achieved significant success with his next series, Soul Eater, which was serialized in Monthly Shōnen Gangan from 2004 to 2013. The manga follows students at the Death Weapon Meister Academy who partner with weapon-humans to collect evil souls. Its worldwide popularity led to a 51-episode anime adaptation produced by Studio Bones, broadcast from 2008 to 2009. Ōkubo later expanded this universe with a spin-off titled Soul Eater Not!, serialized from 2011 to 2014. Beyond manga, he contributed artwork for the trading card game Lord of Vermilion and provided character designs for the video games Bravely Default and Bravely Second: End Layer.

In 2015, Ōkubo began working on Fire Force, which was published in Kodanshas Weekly Shōnen Magazine, marking his first weekly serialized manga. The story is set in a steampunk version of Tokyo where special firefighter teams combat spontaneous human combustion. The series concluded in 2022, spanning 34 volumes, and received multiple anime adaptations by David Production starting in 2019. During the run of Fire Force, Ōkubo announced that it would be his final manga. He has since worked as the character designer for the 2023 original anime series KamiErabi God.app.

Ōkubos artistic identity is characterized by a dynamic and vibrant style that blends exaggerated cartoonish expressions with detailed action sequences and gothic aesthetics. His work frequently features lanky characters, surreal backgrounds, and recurring motifs related to madness, death, and eccentric humor. He has cited filmmakers Tim Burton and David Lynch, as well as manga artist Akira Toriyamas Dr. Slump, as significant influences on his creative vision. Within the industry, Ōkubo has also been a mentor to several notable manga artists who worked as his assistants, including Kei Urana, creator of Gachiakuta, and Yoshiki Tonogai, creator of Doubt.