Popular Anime Where You've Heard The Voice Of Zoro From One Piece

Key Takeaways

Kazuya Nakai, the voice of Roronoa Zoro, excels in diverse roles from the stoic Mugen to the jovial Urashiki Ōtsutsuki.
His impressive vocal range shines in roles like the serious but goofy Toushirou Hijikata and the villainous Flect Turn.
Nakai’s talent extends beyond action shōnen anime to include roles in
Pokemon
, comedies like
Gintama
, and unique characters like the Serpo Aliens from
DanDaDan
.

As a dedicated fan of anime, I must say that Kazuya Nakai’s journey through the world of voice acting is nothing short of extraordinary! With a career spanning three of the most iconic action shōnen series – One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Naruto – it’s hard not to be impressed by his versatility.

For more than a quarter-century, the primary characters of One Piece have had the privilege of being brought to life by some of the most skilled voice artists in the anime world, and Roronoa Zoro, this honorable but comical swordsman, has been no exception. From day one, the esteemed Kazuya Nakai has given voice to this character.

It’s commonly thought that Nakai lends his deep, powerful voice to Roronoa Zoro, and justifiably so. However, it’s important to note that this isn’t his sole unforgettable character creation. In fact, he boasts a remarkable resume with over 300 roles in various anime series and films. He has truly shone in every one of them, but the following eight performances stand out as some of his most remarkable roles to date.

8 Mugen

Samurai Champloo

Popular Anime Where You've Heard The Voice Of Zoro From One Piece

In a different phrasing, you might say: Roronoa Zoro is undoubtedly one of the most well-known secondary characters in anime, but Kazuya Nakai has also shone brilliantly in one of his lead roles. If you’re an anime fan who hasn’t watched One Piece, chances are you’ve heard his voice from Samurai Champloo, where he provided the voice for the main character, Mugen.

Interestingly, Mugen and Zoro have many common traits, yet Nakai’s portrayal remains unique; they are both gruff, combative, boozing swordsmen who harbor a strong code of honor. This suggests that Nakai might have been selected for the role because of his previous work as the voice of Zoro. However, regardless of the rationale behind his casting, Nakai has undeniably become the voice of one of the most iconic anime heroes.

7 Toushirou Hijikata

Gintama

Occasionally, it’s quite simple to overlook the fact that One Piece is essentially a comedy anime, and Kazuya Nakai has undeniably added to its humor on various occasions. He has demonstrated time and again his ability to excel in quirky and exaggerated roles, with his portrayal of Toushirou Hijikata in Gintama being one of the most notable instances.

Initially, Hijikata might appear as the usual stern and menacing swordsman, but given that we’re in the world of Gintama, he ends up finding himself in numerous comedic scenarios, highlighting Nakai’s remarkable vocal versatility. His voice can span from exceptionally high to extremely low pitches, and the voice actor delivers a solid performance that perfectly matches this amusing character.

6 Captain Akitaru Ōbi

Fire Force

It’s not mandatory for every character Kazuya Nakai voices in action shonen anime to be a strong and combative swordsman. Instead, as demonstrated in Fire Force, he has also lent his voice to characters that showcase different traits, such as the valiant captain of Tokyo’s Special Fire Force Company 8, Akitaru Ōbi, who distinguishes himself from many of his other roles.

Ōbi, a Fire Force character unlike many others, lacks pyrokinetic powers. Instead, he primarily uses his extraordinary physical strength and potent gear. His brave and selfless nature also sets him apart, with Captain Ōbi becoming one of Nakai’s most admired roles. Nakai’s portrayal of Ōbi demonstrates that he can convincingly play kind-hearted authority figures too.

5 Flect Turn

My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission

Despite his booming and commanding voice, Kazuya Nakai hasn’t had numerous chances to voice evil characters. However, when given the opportunity, as he did with the villain Flect Turn in the movie “My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission”, his performance was outstanding.

In this movie, Nakai delivers an outstanding performance, one of his finest yet. He seamlessly immerses himself in the role as Flect Turn, a chilling, strategic, and merciless antagonist whose deep voice suits him perfectly. Interestingly, Flect Turn was briefly seen in Season 5 of “My Hero Academia,” a series that also introduced the villain Re-Destro, voiced by Hiroaki Hirata, famously known for his role as Sanji. This means that characters similar to Zoro and Sanji portrayed villainous roles in “My Hero Academia” around the same period.

4 Tagoma

Dragon Ball Super

Toei Animation often chooses their top voice actors to work on multiple shows. Since they produce both “One Piece” and “Dragon Ball”, it wasn’t surprising that Kazuya Nakai eventually got a role in “Dragon Ball Super”. In this series, he voices the antagonist character named Tagoma.

Although Tagoma is another antagonist, Nakai’s portrayal of him feels more traditional and somewhat resembles a villainous Zoro, given that this character isn’t as menacing or significant as Frieza. However, it was delightful to hear his distinctive voice in a main Dragon Ball role, as he had previously voiced minor characters in Dragon Ball GT at the start of his career.

3 Kazuma & Urashiki Ōtsutsuki

Naruto: Shippuden/Boruto

Indeed, Kazuya Nakai has a distinguished career as a voice actor, lending his talents to characters in some of the most prominent action shonen series: One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Naruto. More specifically, he made his debut in the Naruto sequel, Naruto: Shippūden, where he voiced one of the main antagonists, Kazuma, in the non-canonical Twelve Guardian Ninja Arc.

In contrast, Nakai assumed a significantly larger part in the subsequent anime series titled “Boruto”. Here, he lent his voice to an original anime character called Urashiki Ōtsutsuki. This character, like other members of his clan, is exceptionally powerful within the series. Unlike other characters from his clan, however, Urashiki exhibits a more confident and cheerful demeanor, which added an intriguing dimension to Nakai’s performance. At 50 years old, Nakai demonstrated that he can still deliver convincing portrayals of youthful personas.

2 Nando & Brassius

Pokemon

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve been hooked on the Pokemon anime for quite some time now. Over its impressive 27-year run, it’s had an array of legendary Japanese voice actors lend their talents to the show, a fact that many fans like me might not realize since we often opt for the English dub. One such actor is Kazuya Nakai, whose voice I’ve come to know and love through various Pokemon characters. Among his notable roles is Nando, the composed and charismatic trainer from Pokemon the Series: Diamond and Pearl.

One notable aspect of Nakai’s career occurred more recently: He portrayed Brassius in “Pokemon Horizons: The Series”. This new role adds an interesting dimension to his repertoire as Brassius is a melancholic artist who becomes exhilarated during Pokemon battles. Interestingly, Brassius, with his green hair, bears a resemblance to Roronoa Zoro from One Piece, also known as “Mosshead”, due to his green hair.

1 Serpo Aliens

DanDaDan

One key point to be gleaned from this list is that Kazuya Nakai possesses a more extensive vocal range than you might expect, and while he’s excelled at portraying calm sword-wielding characters, his versatility is evident – as demonstrated in his latest role as the Serpo Aliens in DanDaDan.

In this anime, an odd band of extraterrestrials is remarkably able to be both humorous and unsettling, a feat that wouldn’t have been achievable without Nakai’s exceptional vocal performance. It’s intriguing to note that Kazuya Nakai collaborated once more with one of his closest One Piece associates, Mayumi Tanaka—the voice behind Monkey D. Luffy— who lent her voice to Turbo Granny, the vengeful spirit who aided in defeating the Serpo Aliens in the inaugural episode of DanDaDan.

2024-11-07 20:34

Popular Anime Where You’ve Heard The Voice Of Zoro From One Piece