Saburo Sakai (, "Sakai Saburō", August 25, 1916 – September 22, 2000) was a Japanese naval pilot and fighter ace (""Gekitsui-O"") of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was the 4th best Japanese pilot by number of enemy aircraft he shot down. He survived the war, and became a famous figure for his criticism of the War and the government of the Japanese Empire. He became a pacifist and a Buddhist and promised that he would never again kill another living thing, even a mosquito. Only months before his death, Sakai told reporters that he still prayed for the souls of the Chinese, American, Australian and Dutch pilots he had killed. He also helped Microsoft design the popular computer game "Combat Flight Simulator 2".