Popular anime you've heard Chopper's voice in

Important takeaways

• Ikue Ōtani has voiced iconic characters such as Pikachu and Tony Tony Chopper, showcasing his talent and vocal range.
• She has also portrayed memorable characters like Konohamaru in Naruto and Zatch Bell in the underrated gems of the same name.
• Despite her success voicing mascots, she proved her versatility with roles such as Candy in Smile Pretty Cure and Cheadle Yorkshire in Hunter X Hunter.

The main characters in One PieceThe Straw Hat Pirates, are all voiced by a star-studded cast of talented Japanese voice actors, and Tony Tony Chopper is no exception. For over 23 years, the crew's adorable reindeer doctor has been portrayed by the talented Ikue Ōtani.

Needless to say, Ōtani is a legendary voice actress with an extremely recognizable voice that she has used to bring to life some of the most beloved anime characters, and some of them may be even more famous than Chopper himself. There are many solid examples to choose from in her extensive resume, but the following eight performances are some of Ōtani's absolute best.

8 Pikachu

In Pokemon

This is why Ikue Ōtani will go down in history as one of the most iconic Japanese voice actors in history. Because, as incredible as her performance as Tony Tony Chopper is, nothing can top her 27-year tenure as Pikachuthe famous mascot for the entire Pokemon series. Of course, she debuted voicing Ash's Pikachu, but her role has expanded over the years, and now she voices almost every single Pikachu in the franchise, whether in anime or other material. Ōtani's voice has even been used in the main line Pokémon game, which is an impressive feat.

And it's not like she just says the name “Pikachu” over and over and calls it a day. The authors of Pokémon anime has created a specific Pikachu language that Ikue Ōtani follows to a tee, allowing her to add some much-needed emotional depth to her performance. After so many years, it's almost impossible to tell that there's a real human behind Pikachu's signature voice. It's a good job that Ikue Ōtani has done (and still does).

7 Konohamaru Sarutobi

In Naruto And Naruto Shippuden

Like his colleagues Kazuya Nakai (Zoro) and Hiroaki Hirata (Sanji) Ikue Ōtani is one of many Japanese voice actors who have portrayed characters in both One Piece and Naruto. However, she stands out because already in the second episode of the series she has voiced a relatively important character: Konohamaru Sarutobi.

When not voicing small and adorable mascot characters, Ōtani usually portrays young male children, with Konohamaru being one of the most prominent examples of this type of role. He is a simple and effective character, as he is an enthusiastic but awkward aspiring ninja who sees Naruto as his idol and mentor. And Ōtani's performance gives him that sense of innocence that really makes him appealing to audiences, despite how annoying he can be at times. And she carried over this excellent portrayal Naruto Shippudenwhere a slightly older Konohamu began to engage in some more action scenes.

6 Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya

Case Closed / Detective Conan

A few years before Pikachu and Tony Tony Chopper, voiced Ikue Ōtani Mitsuhiko Tsuburayaone of the most memorable characters in Case closed (known as Detective Conan in many countries). While she had been working as a voice actress for a few years prior to this show, there's no doubt that this is the role that put her on the map, and for good reason.

Mitsuhiko is one of Conan Edogawa's closest friends, along with Genta and Ayumi. Although he is one of the smartest and most methodical members of the group, he is also quite innocent and clueless as he is still a 6-year-old boy after all. Ōtani's flawless performance has cemented Mitsuhiko as one of the most endearing characters in the series. What is particularly impressive is that new episodes of Case closed is still being made to this day, meaning that Ikue Ōtani has been voicing Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya for much longer than most of her other roles.

5 Zach Bell

Zach Bell!

As previously mentioned, Ikue Ōtani specializes in voicing either cute mascots or young boys. So what happens when both of these character archetypes are combined? Well, that's exactly what happened when she got the voice Zach Bellthe title character of one of the most underrated gems of the action shōnen genre: Zach Bell!. This shouldn't be much of a surprise though, as this anime was produced by Toei Animation, the studio behind it One Piece.

Similar to Konohamu, this powerful Mamodo is an optimistic boy with a rampant fighting spirit, but he can also be immature and innocent at times. Ōtani's infinitely recognizable voice really helps Zatch stand out from other similar characters and makes him much more likable to the viewer. Not to mention that this was a lead role for her, which meant she had to put a lot of effort into her acting, and she definitely pulled it off.

4 Candy

In Smile Pretty Cure!

All the characters mentioned so far are male, but as a grown woman, Ikue Ōtani had the chance to voice quite a few female characters as well (although it didn't happen very often). One of the most memorable examples is Candyone of the two main mascots of the classic magical girl series, Smile Pretty Cure!.

After voicing so many male characters, it feels both unusual and refreshing to hear Ōtani's voice come from a female character. Luckily, she's a natural at this, and she got to use all her talents to make Candy sound as adorable, feminine, and pretty as possible. This is undoubtedly one of Ikue Ōtani's most distinctive roles to date.

3 Morgana

In Persona 5: The Animation

Ikue Ōtani has made a huge impact in the gaming world because she doesn't just voice Pikachu in Pokémonbut she has also lent her voice to Morganaone of the main playable characters in Persona 5. And she didn't just stick to the games, as she went on to voice this lovable feline in the animated adaptation, Persona 5: The Animation.

Once again, Ōtani was chosen to voice an adorable and charming mascot character with a lot of personality and as always, she nailed it out of the role. Unlike Pikachu or Chopper, Morgana is much more arrogant and annoying, but Ōtani's funny performance goes a long way in making him much more endearing, especially during comedic scenes.

2 Mannish Boy / Death Thirteen

In Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders

At first glance, Manic boy from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure may seem like another young and innocent boy for Ikue Ōtani to voice, but this actually ended up being one of her most distinctive characters. In reality, this literal baby is an evil and murderous stand user who tried to kill the main character Stardust Crusaders with his mortal position, Death thirteen.

There are two sides to this show: Mannish Boy himself, who mainly speaks through an inner monologue that lets the viewer know how truly cruel and intelligent he is. And the disturbing pose he controls: Death Thirteen, where he shows off the more playful side of his personality. After all, who can forget his signature catchphrase “Lali-Ho!”? Surprisingly, Ōtani's signature high voice managed to perfectly convey how hideous Mannish Boy is, further proving that she has a lot more vocal range than most people might think.

1 Cheadle Yorkshire

In Hunter X Hunter (2011)

After voicing so many mascots and young boys for many years, Cheadle Yorkshirefrom the 2011 animated adaptation of the Hunter x Hunteris arguably one of Ikue Ōtani's most notable and important voice performances. This is because Cheadle, unlike most of her usual roles, is a calm and intelligent grown woman.

She was introduced during the 13th Hunter Chairman Election Arc, which is less focused on action and more on politics and bureaucracy. As a result, there are a lot of long and complex conversations in this arc, and luckily Ōtani used all of his talents to make Cheadle as likable as possible. This was a particularly important task, since at the end of the arc she was elected the new president of the Hunters' Association. Anime fans will always remember her for her iconic appearances as Pikachu and Tony Tony Chopper, but Ikue Ōtani's excellent portrayal of Cheadle Yorkshire should never be forgotten.