Although everyone loves all the members of Team 7 – Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, it cannot be denied that their original instructor, Kakashi Hatakeis one of the most likable characters in Naruto series. He initially comes off as lazy and careless but eventually proves to be a great friend, an inspirational mentor, and a brave ninja with a tragic background, and his voice actor in the Japanese version, Kazuhiko Inouedid an excellent job of accurately conveying the different sides of his character.
Inoue himself is a legendary voice actor who has worked in the anime industry since 1975, and while Kakashi was obviously the role that put him on the map, he also voiced many iconic characters in other popular animated shows. From irrepressible villains to heroic warriors, Inoue has showcased his talent and range on numerous occasions, with the following eight performances being the most infamous of his career.
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Kars in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
The pillar man who tried to become a god
This is one of those roles that always gets people thinking when they find out about it. How is it possible that the voice actor behind Kakashi also voiced one of the most despicable villains in all of anime? Well, that's exactly why Kazuhiko Inoue is a master of his craft, because he helped to Kars to life in the 2010s adaptation of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 2: Battle Tendency.
After learning that fact, you can somehow hear Katashi's voice in Kars, but the truth is that Inoue is almost unrecognizable in this role. The Leader of the Pillar Men is quite unpredictable, as he can sound cozy and charming one moment but become over-the-top and ruthless the next, especially after he basically became a deity at the end of Part 2. Inoue's performance as Kars was one of the highlights of his long career, and remains solid proof that he should vote for villains more often.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni in Demon Slayer
The progenitor of breathing styles
At the complete opposite end of the spectrum there is Yoriichi Tsugikuni from Demon Slayerthe strongest demon slayer in history and the alleged creator of the series' signature Breathing Styles. While he only appears in flashbacks, Kazuhiko Inoue has been voicing him for a few years, and he continues to give an emotional performance as him.
Despite his immense strength, Yoriichi is a kind, calm and even a bit of a tragic man who ended up having a huge impact on the world, to the point that even Muzan Kibutsuji cringes in fear when he remembers his existence, and Inoue's pleasant voice perfectly conveys how lovable he is. At the end of the day, Yoriichi, Kars, and Kakashi are three completely different characters, showing that this voice actor can adapt to pretty much any type of role.
Toichiro Suzuki in Mob Psycho 100
The most dangerous Esper in this series
Although he is best known for his work as Kakashi in Narutoit's safe to say that Kazuhiko Inoue excels at voicing powerful anime villains, which is why he's been cast as some of the most memorable in the industry. Not only did he portray Kars in JoJo'sbut he also voted Toichiro Suzukithe main antagonist to Mob Psycho 100.
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As the leader of the Claw and the second most powerful esper in the series, Toichiro is an endlessly fascinating villain: he's basically an accident to Mob, who thinks he's better than everyone else just because he has psychic powers, so the dynamic between the two is nothing short of captivating. While Mob is calm and kind, Toichiro is arrogant and egotistical, and their climactic scene wouldn't have been as memorable as it was if it weren't for the impeccable voice work of both Kazuhiko Inoue and Setsuo Itō.
Faraday In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
A cold and calculating villain with cybernetic enhancements
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was a surprise hit that made many people fall in love with the world Cyberpunk 2077. While those watching it in English got to enjoy a solid performance from the one and only Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring in Breaking Bad) as the main antagonist, Faradaythe same character was voiced by Kazuhiko Inoue in the Japanese dub, and he certainly did not disappoint.
This is another prime example of the voice actor's ability to voice cold and ruthless villains who sound and feel nothing like Kakashi. However, unlike Kars or Toichiro, Faraday almost never raises his voice, making him sound much more realistic and by extension menacing at times. This makes sense given how grounded the world is Cyberpunk is compared to every other anime on this list.
Willy Tybur in attack on Titan
A charming Eldian Noble
While Kazuhiko Inoue has voiced both heroes and villains throughout his extensive career, his latest appearance as Willy Tybur in Attack on Titan proves that he can also portray more morally gray characters from a series with complicated political themes. He is a charming and honorable Eldian noble living in Marley who at first comes across as quite sympathetic, but he also sets up the military conflict between Paradis and Marley by warning everyone of the presence of Rumbling.
Like most people Attack on Titan characters, it's very easy to both love and hate him, and yet Inoue still excels at portraying all the different sides of his personality. It's also worth mentioning that the show intentionally tries to trick the viewer into thinking that Willy is the wielder of the War Hammer Titan, so he comes across as a bit of an attention seeker.
Tansu Floke In Exquisite In Dungeon
An Intelligent Gnome Scholar
Kazuhiko Inoue is clearly not afraid to step out of his comfort zone to play characters that no one even expects him to vote for. As a result, when the animated adaptation of Exquisite in Dungeon began airing in 2024, many fans were surprised to hear his voice coming out of the grumpy elderly Santa, Mr. Tansu.
He initially appears as a smart but arrogant old scientist who has no patience with others, but he eventually showed another side of his personality and became much more popular with fans, not to mention he is very important to the series' story. As expected, he possesses the classic “old man voice” like characters that he tends to have, which makes the fact that he shares a cast with the likes of Kakashi and Kars all the more incredible.
Happosai in Ranma ½ (2024)
A perverted old man in an absurd world
But Tansu isn't the only older character that Kazuhiko Inoue has voiced; although one of the most famous of his career, Happosai from the 2024 remake of Ranma ½ is completely different in terms of design and personality. Although he's supposed to be a martial arts expert, he's mostly remembered for his perverted antics, which makes sense considering this is a romance/comedy anime.
Needless to say, the “perverted old man” trope in anime isn't for everyone and has proven to be quite polarizing among mainstream audiences, but no one can deny that Inoue has given an outstanding performance as Happosai. He sounds similar to Tansu at first (old and wise), but he eventually turns it all up to eleven during the comedic scenes where he acts like an annoying pervert. It might be an odd performance, but it suits this character quite well.
Gildart's Clive In Fairy Tail
Looks like Shanks, sounds like Kakashi
One of the most famous roles in Kazuhiko Inoue's extensive career (right behind Kakashi) is without a doubt Gildart's Cliveone of the most powerful S-Class magicians in the world of Fairy Tail. This character is notorious for looking way too much like Shanks from One Piece during his earlier appearances, and while he was shown to be very different in terms of personality and narrative role (not to mention his design was drastically changed in later arcs), they share a similar voice.
At first it seemed like Inoue was trying to replicate the voice of Shuichi Ikeda (the Japanese voice actor for Shanks) at times, but his iconic performance as Gildarts eventually evolved, and now it feels like it perfectly matches his strengths. After all, he is a powerful and honorable warrior who acts relaxed and carefree most of the time but knows when to take things seriously, just like Kakashi Hatake himself. Needless to say, both Naruto and Fairy Tail fans can relate to the fact that two of the coolest characters in their respective series were voiced by the same man.
Naruto
- Release date
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October 2, 2002
- Network
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Swimming for adults
