Takaya Hashi, known for voice acting in Naruto, One Piece, and Japanese dubs of Hollywood films, has passed away.
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According to Japanese outlet Sponichi, the renowned voice actor died on August 27 due to a myocardial infarction. He was 72.
Hashi was born on January 8, 1952, in Tokyo, Japan. He studied theatre at Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music and joined the Seinenza Theater Company in 1974, where he performed in many plays.
Hashi transitioned to television in 1978, starting with Shichinin no Keiji, according to IMDb. She later appeared in Aoi and Chūgakusei Nikki. In the 2000 drama Aoi, she played Orin of the Ishida family, and it was the first Taiga drama filmed in HD.
Takaya Hashi Breaks into Voice Acting
Hashi built his legacy in voice acting over decades, known for his deep voice in roles like Toki in Fist of the North Star Kakuzu in Naruto,,. Pharaoh 90 in Sailor Moon Crystal, Donovan Desmond in Spy Ă— Family, and as the narrator for Ishura Season 1.
He was also the voice behind many Japanese dubs of English-language films, most notably dubbing over Alan Rickman’s voice as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series.
Hashi’s legendary voice acting made him a staple in the anime world. Known for his iconic deep voice and incredible range, he brought depth to every role, from kind elders to fearsome villains, leaving a lasting impression on fans.
Meanwhile, Hashi’s first video game role was Kurosaki in the 1993 game Kidoukeisatsu Patoreiba: Gurifon-hen. He later voiced characters like Gabriel Roman in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Emhyr var Emreis in The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt, and Slayer in the Guilty Gear series.
Hashi is perhaps best known for voicing Skull Face, the main antagonist in Metal Gear Solid V, who aimed to eliminate common languages like English. His performance captured the character’s charisma and campy personality. Most recently, he voiced Baramos in 2024’s Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake.