Hiroshi Tsuchida, voice of Grisha Yeager in Attack on Titan, dies at 54

Voice actor Hiroshi Tsuchida passed away on October 11, 2026, at the age of 54 from heart failure. His agency, 81 Produce, confirmed the news on October 20 with an official statement explaining that the family held a private funeral and thanking those who followed his work for more than three decades.

Born in Tokyo on February 8, 1972, Tsuchida built a career unusual for its range. He moved from live-action tokusatsu to anime, video games, and dubbing of international productions, leaving recognizable roles in each of those fields.

For anime audiences, his voice became associated with Grisha Yeager, Eren's father, in Attack on Titan. A character with few appearances per season, but with enormous weight in the plot. That restraint worked in his favor. Every Grisha scene counted, and Tsuchida gave him a gravity that fans of the series were quick to point out after the news broke.

From Ninja Blue to the dubbing booth

Before that, tokusatsu fans already knew him as Saizou, the Ninja Blue of Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, the 1994 Super Sentai series. It was one of his first live-action roles and the one that put him on the radar of a generation of Japanese viewers. Years later he would return to the genre as the voice of HANE2 in Ultraman Decker.

His anime filmography includes named supporting characters in long-running franchises: Raido Namiashi in Naruto, Capote in One Piece, and John Titor in Steins;Gate. He also voiced Professor Cypress in Pokémon XY, Ganesha in Danmachi, and Masamune Nakatsukasa in Soul Eater, among others.

In video games, his presence was just as constant. He voiced Feng Wei in the Tekken series, Zasalamel in Soulcalibur, Necalli in Street Fighter V, and Kuroda Nagamasa in Nioh. But his most lasting work in the medium came with the Yakuza (Like a Dragon) saga from Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio: he played Kazuki, the host club manager, from the original 2005 game to Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, released in February 2026.

The Japanese dubbing of Hollywood and Pixar

Outside Japan, his voice also sounded in movie theaters, though few knew it. He was the Japanese dub voice of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, of Sean Gunn in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, and of Donatello in the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series. To younger audiences, he sounded, above all, like Lightning McQueen from Pixar's Cars franchise.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio posted a farewell message after the death was confirmed:

Mr. Dai Tsuchida, who played Kazuki in the Yakuza series, has passed away. On behalf of all of RGG Studio, we respectfully express our condolences and pray for his eternal rest.

The director of Yakuza Kiwami 3 added a personal memory of his early days at the studio: "You always looked out for me on set, even when I was a rookie. I will never forget that we got to work together. Thank you for your passionate performance, Tsuchida-san."

The news leaves a body of work that connects with several generations of viewers and players. Tsuchida was 54 years old.

Which Hiroshi Tsuchida role do you remember most? Tell us in the comments.