As My Hero Academia charges up for its seventh season, let’s take a look at the English voice actors who bring the dub of this classic shonen anime to life.
While this anime series hails from Japan and therefore utilizes Japanese voice actors for its shows, dubbed versions have a long history on the scene. With the prevalence of anime outside of Japan only growing, so too has the use of dubbing and, dare we say it, it has become a little more sophisticated over time (who can forget classic dubs of the ’80s and ’90s?).
Here are the voices bringing the characters of My Hero Academia to life for the show’s seventh season.
All Might – Christopher R. Sabat
Bringing power and gravitas to All Might is Christopher R. Sabat, a legend in the field of anime dubs. If you often watch anime dubbed, you will have likely heard Sabat’s work before as he voices many characters in Dragon Ball, including Vegeta, Piccolo, Yamcha, Mr. Popo, Korin and Kami, Zoro from One Piece, and Alex Louis Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
Izuku Midoriya, a.k.a. Deku – Justin Briner
Playing the relentlessly positive and determined character of Deku is Justin Briner, an American voice-over actor who you may have also heard in anime such as Black Clover, One Piece: Red, Seraph of the End, and Dr. Stone. For lovers of Attack on Titan, you may have also heard his voice used for the character of a young Grisha Yeager.
Tomura Shigaraki – Eric Vale
Voicing the villainous Shigaraki is Eric Vale. Having worked in the industry for over two decades, Vale’s voice has been featured in countless anime dubs. You may hear his voice when watching One Piece, given that he voices Sanji, or perhaps as Yuki Soma in Fruits Basket. Maybe you caught him in Fairy Tale as the voice of playboy celestial Loke, or more recently as Zachry Feiss in Spy X Family.
Ochako Uraraka – Luci Christian
Playing the bubbly character of Uraraka is Luci Christian, whose voice can be found in numerous anime since 1998. Christian’s voice appears in a handful of anime each month, with nine characters in 2020 alone and four this year already! You may recognize her voice from Soul Eater as the villain Medusa, or perhaps in Fruits Basket where she voices Hiro Soma, or as Truth in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
Katsuki Bakugo – Clifford Chapin
The voice of the short-fused, hot-headed Bakugo comes courtesy of Clifford Chapin, who has been working as a voice actor for over a decade. Chapin has been active as a voice-over artist since 2013. You may have heard his voice as Connie Springer from Attack on Titan, Langris Vaude in Black Clover, and, most recently, Himmel, in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
Shoto Todoroki – David Matranga
Voicing the much-burdened son of Endeavor is David Matranga, an American voice-over actor who has worked on many anime dubs. His roles have included Hideki Hinata from Angel Beats, Bertholdt Hoover in Attack on Titan, and The Wolfman in the 2013 anime film Wolf Children.
Endeavor – Patrick Seitz
Father to Shoto, Endeavor is a complex Pro Hero, struggling to fill the shoes of All Might and pushing his family to the breaking point to accomplish his goals. He is voiced by Seitz, who has over 100 projects to his name, including multiple characters in anime classics such as Naruto and One Piece, as well as roles in Dragon Ball Super, Sailor Moon, and Vinland Saga. You will have heard him recently in the Netflix anime Pluto.
Dabi – Ernesto Jason Liebrecht
Dabi, another of the My Hero Academia‘s villains, is voiced by Ernesto Jason Liebrecht. He has lent his voice to anime, games, Western animation, and films. You may have heard his voice as Larcade Dragneel in Fairy Tale, Zeke Yeager in Attack on Titan, or Qrow Branwen in RWBY.
Momo Yaoyorozu – Colleen Clinkenbeard
Enthusiastic student Momo has an interesting Quirk that allows her to create inanimate objects from her own body. She is voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard, whose voice any anime fan will have most definitely come across, from playing Ezra Scarlett in Fairy Tail to Riza Hawkeye in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood to the protagonist of One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy.
Shota Aizawa – Christopher Wehkamp
The form teacher for Class 1 – A, Aizawa-sensei, is known for his high expectations and somewhat interesting teaching methods. The character is voiced by Christopher Wehkamp, who you might recognize as Sein in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and Fushi in Chainsaw Man.
All For One – John Swasey
The big bad for most of the series is All For One, a menacing figure who has faced off against All Might repeatedly. This sinister character is voiced by John Swasey, who has lent his voice to characters in need of gravitas throughout the years such as Lord Death in Soul Eater, Van Hohenheim in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Undertaker in Black Butler.
Of course, many voice actors have worked on My Hero Academia, which is no surprise given just how extensive the cast is with heroes, villains, and civilian characters. Animation is nothing without fantastic voice actors who help create the characters we fall in love with, sympathize with, and outright hate in some instances!
(featured image: Bones)
