Dragon Ball Voice Cast Guide: Who Voices Goku, Vegeta, & the Other Z Fighters?

May 24, 2024, noon

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Dragon Ball Voice Cast Guide: Who Voices Goku, Vegeta, & the Other Z Fighters?

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Summary Dragon Ball has a vast cast of characters with many voice actors in both English and Japanese dubs.

Having iconic voice actors like Sean Schemmel and Masako Nozawa brings gravitas to key roles.

Characters like Son Goku, Vegeta, and Future Trunks have evolved throughout the series with consistent voices.

Thanks to its 40-year history and many spinoffs, Dragon Ball has one of the largest casts of any anime franchise. A lot of that comes from things like video games, movies, and other non-canon material, but even just taking what was made by Akira Toriyama into account, there are still hundreds of unique characters within the franchise, many of whom have played large roles in the series for numerous decades.

There are an incredible number of characters in Dragon Ball, and there is an equally large amount of voice actors attached to each character. With a franchise as big as Dragon Ball, the series has gone through its fair share of voice actors in both English and Japanese.

Due to a combination of skill and nostalgia, many of Dragon Ball’s voice actors, no matter the language, are considered the defining voices of their characters. There are plenty of voice actors to keep track of, and each one is plenty worth highlighting for their work in Dragon Ball and beyond.

For English voice actors, the focus will be exclusively on the Funimation dub and not the dubs from Ocean, Harmony, or any other groups, as the Funimation dub is the most famous and the most accessible.

Sean Schemmel & Masako Nozawa as Son Goku

The Hero of Dragon Ball

Actors

Sean Schemmel has been the primary English voice actor for series protagonist Son Goku since 1999, and to date, he is one of the few Dragon Ball voice actors to not be replaced at any point in the franchise’s history. Schemmel mostly focuses on voicing Goku in anime and video games, but other notable characters of his include Amidamaru and Ryu in the original Shaman King anime, Professor Crowler in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, and Lucario in Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.

In Japanese, Masako Nozawa has voiced Goku ever since he was a child in the original Dragon Ball, and she’s also voiced every male Saiyan in Goku’s family. Other notable roles of Nozawa include Kitaro in the first adaptation of GeGeGe no Kitaro, which was her breakout role in anime, and Guilmon in Digimon Tamers. Nozawa is also still notably active in modern day outside of Dragon Ball, with her being cast as T0-B1 in 2021’s Star Wars: Visions and as Draggie-kun in 2024’s Go! Go! Loser Ranger!

Character

Son Goku is the protagonist of the Dragon Ball franchise, first introduced as an innocent young boy with a monkey tail and incredible physical strength. Fitting in with the story’s allusions to Journey to the West, Goku was originally just a parody of Sun Wukong, but by the time Goku became an adult, it was revealed that Goku was one of the last living members of the Saiyan race, a race of powerful, warmongering aliens, but Goku rejects their ways and fights to both protect people and to improve his abilities.

Christopher Sabat & Ryo Horikawa as Vegeta

Goku's Strongest Rival

Actors

Christopher Sabat is the primary English voice actor for Vegeta, who has also voiced numerous other characters in the anime over the past 20 years. Christopher Sabat has voiced characters in a large number of Funimation productions since the beginning of his career, and other notable roles of his include Kuwabara in Yu Yu Hakusho, Zoro in One Piece, and All Might in My Hero Academia.

Ryo Horikawa voices Vegeta in Japanese, and is a very seasoned voice actor in his own right. Ryo Horikawa’s first major roles were as Kenta Hirono in Wing-Man and Charmy Yamada in Dr. Slump, the latter of which was also created by Akira Toriyama, and other notable roles of his include Reinhard von Lohengramm in the original Legend of the Galactic Heroes anime, Heiji Hattori in Detective Conan, and Captain Falcon in Super Smash Bros.

Character

Vegeta is Goku’s main rival, the prince of the Saiyan race, and the first major villain of Dragon Ball Z. Vegeta is an antagonistic and arrogant figure for most of the original series, even when he’s forced to be an ally, Vegeta finally commits himself to being an ally to Goku and his friends at the end of the Buu saga, and that change in attitude has stuck with him in sequel stories like Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super.

Kyle Hebert & Masako Nozawa as Son Gohan

Goku's First Son with Unlimited Potential

Actors

In most English dubs of Dragon Ball since 1999, Kyle Hebert has provided the English voice of Son Gohan as an adult; as a child, Gohan was voiced by Stephanie Nadolny until 2010 and has been voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard in more recent media. Hebert also famously voices the narrator in Dragon Ball Z, and he’s also famous for voicing Aizen in Bleach, Kamina in Gurren Lagann, and Ryu in Street Fighter. Like the rest of the men in Goku’s family, Gohan is voiced by Masako Nozawa in Japanese at all stages in his life.

Character

Son Gohan is Goku’s firstborn son introduced at the very beginning of Dragon Ball Z. While Gohan starts as a meek child unable to control his massive power, he gradually becomes a more confident person with every battle he finds himself wrapped up in, and by the time of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Gohan has finally mastered his power to become one of the strongest characters in the entire series thanks to his Beast Form.

Sonny Strait & Mayumi Tanaka as Krillin

Goku's Best Friend & the Strongest Human

Actors

Sonny Strait has been the primary English voice of Krillin ever since Funimation began dubbing in-house, and other notable Dragon Ball characters he’s voiced include Giru, General Blue, and Bardock. Outside of Dragon Ball, Sonny Strait’s notable roles include Usopp in One Piece, Maes Hughes in Fullmetal Alchemist, and Korosensei in Assassination Classroom.

In Japanese, Mayumi Tanaka has voiced Krillin since the beginning of Dragon Ball, in addition to Yajirobe, and she also became the voice of Fortuneteller Baba starting from Dragon Ball Z. Outside of Dragon Ball, Mayumi Tanaka is most famous for voicing Luffy in One Piece, and other notable roles of hers include Koenma in Yu Yu Hakusho, Pazu in Castle in the Sky, and Ryunosuke Fujinami in the first Urusei Yatsura anime.

Character

Dragon Ball's Krillin became Master Roshi’s disciple at the same time as Goku, and while Krillin started off being antagonistic towards Goku, Krillin quickly softened up and became Goku’s closest friend in Dragon Ball. Krillin’s lack of power compared to the Saiyans and other aliens often leads to him being treated as a joke both in-universe and out, but he never stops being supportive of Goku and others, and his kindness was more than rewarded by his eventual marriage to Android 18, the two of them even having a daughter, Marron.

Christopher Sabat & Toshio Furukawa as Piccolo

Dragon Ball's Final Villain Turned Friend

Actors

Piccolo is another one of the many characters voiced by Christopher Sabat in the English dub, including his father and previous incarnation, King Piccolo. Piccolo is voiced by Toshio Furukawa in the Japanese dub, although he was previously involved in Dragon Ball as the voice of General Blue. Outside of Dragon Ball, Toshio Furukawa is famous for voicing Portgas D. Ace in One Piece, Kai Shiden in Mobile Suit Gundam, and Hantengu in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Character

Piccolo is both the child and reincarnation of the evil King Piccolo and, much like his father, was one of Goku’s deadliest enemies in the original Dragon Ball. In Dragon Ball Z, Piccolo became a reluctant ally of the Z Fighters against the Saiyans and trained Gohan for the fight against them, and their time together caused Piccolo to have a change of heart and become a good person. Since then, Piccolo has consistently fought alongside Goku, and most notably, Piccolo has made himself an active part of Gohan’s family and become a mentor figure to his daughter, Pan.

Monica Rial & Aya Hisakawa as Bulma

Dragon Ball's Heroine and First Co-protagonist

Actors

While Tiffany Volmer was the original English voice actor for Bulma in Dragon Ball Z, following her retirement from voice acting, Monica Rial has voiced Bulma in most English media from Dragon Ball Z Kai, onward. Rial’s first major role was as Miharu in Gasaraki, and other notable characters of hers include Tsuyu in My Hero Academia, Shiro in Deadman Wonderland, and Michiko in Michiko & Hatchin.

Hiromi Tsuru was the voice of Bulma in all Japanese media since the beginning of Dragon Ball, but following her death in 2017, Aya Hisakawa has voiced Bulma in all Dragon Ball media since Dragon Ball Super: Broly. Other notable roles of Hisakawa include Unohana in Bleach, Kero in Cardcaptor Sakura, and Sailor Mercury in the original Sailor Moon anime.

Character

Bulma is the original heroine of Dragon Ball and is loosely based on Tang Sanzang from Journey to the West. Bulma is the one who introduced the concept of the wish-granting Dragon Balls to the series, but befitting the comedic nature of the original series, Bulma began as a childish and selfish girl who only wanted to use the Dragon Balls to get a boyfriend. Nevertheless, Bulma matures throughout the story and has remained a constant figure of support thanks to her wealth and inventions, most notably the Dragon Radar.

Eric Vale & Takeshi Kusao as Future Trunks

Vegeta & Bulma's Time-traveling Son

Actors

Eric Vale voices Future Trunks and most versions of Trunks that aren’t a child in the English dub, although Alexis Tipton, who normally only voices Kid Trunks, voiced the character in the first section of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot’s “History of Trunks” DLC. Vale has been involved with Funimation productions for decades, and other notable roles of Vale include Sanji in One Piece, Kimblee in Fullmetal Alchemist, and Shigaraki in My Hero Academia.

Takeshi Kusao voices Future Trunks in Japanese, and unlike in the English dub, Takeshi Kusao voices all versions of Trunks, regardless of age. Takeshi Kusao is also an experienced voice actor beyond Dragon Ball, and some of his most famous roles include Mao in Code Geass, Parn in Record of Lodoss War, and Sakuragi in Slam Dunk.

Character

Future Trunks is an alternate version of Vegeta and Bulma’s son who traveled back in time to save the world from the villainous androids of the Red Ribbon Army. Future Trunks’ quest was complicated by some of the finer details of time travel, but Goku’s world was eventually saved, and he used his new experience to finally save his world from his androids. Unfortunately, Dragon Ball Super would see Future Trunks’ entire universe be destroyed thanks to Goku Black and Future Zamasu, although he and Future Mai would find refuge in a new timeline free of Zamasu’s influence.

Jason Douglas & Koichi Yamadera as Beerus

The All-mighty God of Destruction

Actors

Jason Douglas voices Beerus in the English dubs of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’, and all media in the Dragon Ball Super era of the franchise. Jason Douglas has also voiced Thors in Vinland Saga, Aokiji in One Piece, and Chiyo’s father in Azumanga Daioh, and in live-action, Jason Douglas famously played Tobin for three years on The Walking Dead.

Koichi Yamadera voices Beerus in the Japanese dub of Dragon Ball, and interestingly enough, he voiced Tien in two episodes of Dragon Ball Z. Koichi Yamadera is most famous for voicing Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop, and other notable roles of his include Ryoga Hibiki in Ranma ½, Inspector Zenigata in Lupin III since 2011, and in a running gag, at least one character in every Pokémon movie, most notably Mew in Pokémon: The First Movie.

Character

Beerus is the God of Destruction of Universe 7 and the first major character introduced in the Dragon Ball Super era of the franchise. Beerus started as an antagonist going to great lengths to fight the legendary Super Saiyan God, and after Goku achieved that feat, he became a mentor to Goku and Vegeta and gradually a kinder person. Beerus was retroactively made the instigator of many key events in the franchise, including the destruction of Planet Vegeta, and over a decade later, Beerus still stands as one of the strongest characters in all of Dragon Ball.

Daman Mills & Ryusei Nakao as Frieza

Dragon Ball's Most Iconic Villain

Actors

While Christopher Ayres voiced Frieza from Dragon Ball Z Kai, onward, Daman Mills became the permanent voice of Frieza following Christopher Ayres’ death in 2021. Mills is a relatively new voice actor, but he’s already made a name for himself for characters like Douglas Bullet in One Piece: Stampede, Legato Bluesummers in Trigun Stampede, and Kaworu Nagisa in the Amazon Prime dubs of Rebuild of Evangelion.

Linda Young, also known for voicing Genkai in Yu Yu Hakusho, was Frieza's primary voice actor in the English dub until she was replaced by Christopher Ayres in Dragon Ball Z Kai.

Ryusei Nakao has been the Japanese voice of Frieza in all installments of Dragon Ball, and he’s also voiced his brother Cooler and a member of his race from an alternate universe named Frost. Outside of Dragon Ball, Nakao’s notable roles include Mayuri Kurotsuchi from Bleach, Caesar Clown from One Piece, and Him in Powerpuff Girls Z.

Character

Frieza is the overarching antagonist of the first half of Dragon Ball Z, as he was Vegeta’s superior and the one responsible for destroying the Saiyan race. Frieza was eventually killed by Future Trunks, but decades later, Frieza would return in Dragon Ball Super and eventually be permanently brought back to life after a variety of circumstances. Frieza is easily the most sadistic out of all of Dragon Ball’s villains, and as of the latest arc of the manga, Frieza’s new Black Frieza form makes him one of the strongest characters in the entire franchise.

Other Notable Voice Actors in Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball's Supporting Cast

Mike McFarland & Masaharu Sato as Master Roshi

Master Roshi is the perverted master of Goku, Krillin, and various other characters in Dragon Ball, and he’s notably the inventor of Goku’s signature Kamehameha technique. Mike McFarland also voices Buggy the Clown in One Piece and Jean Kirschtein in Attack on Titan; Masaharu Sato is also known for voicing Dr. Hasan in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and both Buffaloman and Sunshine in Kinnikuman.

Christopher Sabat & Toru Furuya as Yamcha

Yamcha was Goku’s first rival in Dragon Ball, but he quickly became an ally and, rather infamously, one of the biggest jokes in the franchise, in-universe and out. Yamcha is one of many Dragon Ball characters voiced by Christopher Sabat, and for the Japanese dub, Toru Furuya is known for voicing Amuro Ray in Mobile Suit Gundam, Seiya in Saint Seiya, and Sabo in One Piece.

John Burgmeier & Hikaru Midorikawa as Tien

Tien was a former student of the Crane School, a rival martial arts school of the Turtle School, and that initially put him in conflict with Goku and Yamcha before he rejected his master’s evil ways. John Burgmeier is also known for voicing Nouva Shenron in Dragon Ball GT and Kurama in Yu Yu Hakusho; Hikaru Midorikawa also voiced Android 16 in the Japanese dub, and he’s also famous for voicing Akihiko in Persona 3 and Kaiba in the 1998 Yu-Gi-Oh! anime.

Chuck Huber & Shigeru Nakahara as Android 17

Android 17 was one of the androids Future Trunks went back in time to defeat, but because he was nicer than the one Future Trunks knew, he was spared and eventually became a major ally in Dragon Ball Super. Outside of Dragon Ball, Chuck Huber is best known for voicing Hiei in Yu Yu Hakusho and Shou Tucker in Fullmetal Alchemist; Shigeru Nakahara is also known for voicing Trowa in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Kurama in Yu Yu Hakusho.

Colleen Clinkenbeard & Miki Ito as Android 18

Android 18 is Android 17’s twin sister and was similarly spared during the Android saga, eventually going on to marry Krillin and have a child with him. Colleen Clinkenbeard became the voice of Kid Goku and Kid Gohan from Dragon Ball Z Kai, onward, and she’s also known for voicing Luffy from One Piece and Erza from Fairy Tail. Miki Ito is also known for voicing Miyo Takano in Higurashi: When They Cry and Taiga Fujimura in Fate/stay night.

Kara Edwards & Masako Nozawa as Son Goten

Son Goten is Goku’s second child, born during the seven years he was dead between the Android saga and the Buu saga. Kara Edwards has also voiced Videl in every anime except Dragon Ball GT and recently voiced Lene in I’m in Love with the Villainess; Masako Nozawa voices Goten just like how she voices all of the male Saiyans in Goku’s family.

Alexis Tipton & Takeshi Kusao as Kid Trunks

Kid Trunks, as the name would imply, is the child version of the original Future Trunks who grew up not knowing the horrors of the androids, although he still faced plenty of hardship thanks to Majin Buu. Alexis Tipton replaced Laura Bailey as Kid Trunks from Dragon Ball Super, onward, and she’s also known for Musubi in Sekirei and Reiju in One Piece; Takeshi Kusao voices all versions of Trunks in Japanese, regardless of age.

Chris Rager & Masashi Ebara as Mr. Satan

Mr. Satan is a cowardly braggart who took credit for defeating Cell, but he proves himself to be a genuine hero in the Buu saga and becomes an ally and friend to the Z Fighters and even family after Gohan and Videl get married. Chris Rager voices Arlong and Blackbeard in One Piece and Cementoss in My Hero Academia; Masashi Ebara famously voices Might Guy in Naruto and Sazh Katzroy in Final Fantasy XIII.

Josh Martin & Kozo Shioya as Majin Buu

Majin Buu started as an indestructible, villainous manchild, but his friendship with Mr. Satan caused him to have a change of heart, and he’s been an ally of the Z Fighters ever since. Josh Martin also voices Kid Buu in the English dub, and Kozo Shioya voices every version of Majin Buu, to date.

Ian Sinclair & Masakazu Morita as Whis

Whis is Beerus’ teacher and angel attendant, and as such, is one of the few characters definitively stronger than Beerus. Ian Sinclair’s other notable roles include Brook in One Piece and Dandy in Space Dandy; Masakazu Morita famously voices Ichigo Kurosaki in Bleach, and is also the voice of Tidus in Final Fantasy X and Marco in One Piece.

Johnny Yong Bosch & Bin Shimada as Broly

Broly was originally just a villain in several Dragon Ball Z movies, but his popularity led to him becoming canon in Dragon Ball Super: Broly and an eventual ally to Goku. Johnny Yong Bosch replaced Vic Mignogna as Broly after the latter was fired, and he’s also known for voicing Ichigo Kurosaki in Bleach and for playing Adam Park in Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Bin Shimada has voiced all versions of Broly in Dragon Ball and also voiced Juda in Fist of the North Star and Paptimus Scirocco in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.