Dragon Ball Fans Pay Tribute to Luis Mendoza Following the Dragon Ball Actor’s Death

Dragon Ball has a fandom that spans the corners of the globe, but it has come together today in light of a terrible loss. Reports have confirmed Louis Alfonso Mendoza was killed in Mexico over the weekend, leaving fans of Dragon Ball‘s Latin dubs feeling lost. The actor famously brought Gohan to life in the anime, the fandom is paying tribute to Mendoza not long after his tragic passing.

For those unaware, Mendoza was killed over the weekend in Mexico alongside his wife and brother-in-law. The actor, was just 55 years old, had gotten into a dispute with a tenant who rented studio space from Mendoza. When the ordeal got out of hand, the tenant allegedly shot Mendoza before attacking his family. Reports say the assailant tried to commit suicide after killing his victims, but it was not successful as they are in the hospital now in serious condition.

It did not take long before news of the event hit social media, and fans in Latin America and the U.S. were quick to share their grief. To many audiences, Mendoza was the face of Dragon Ball, and that has only grown in the last few years. The franchisee has exploded in popularity with Latin America becoming one of Dragon Ball‘s biggest foreign markets. Clearly, Mendoza was a hero to many of those fans who admired Gohan, and they have come together to thank Mendoza for his inspirational work.

“Goodbye to one of my favourite persons of my childhood… why did this happen?! Why?! For f-cks sake…I’m just hope the rest of the cast stays safe,” Reddit user djjulian26 shared with fans.

“Why did i have to wake up to this? This man was one of my favourite voice actors, he voiced so many iconic characters from my childhood… Man, this f-cking sucks. I can only hope he rests in peace now, at the very least his work will guarantee that no one ever forgets about him,” user SGGB echoed.

The loss of Mendoza will sting for years to come, but the actor’s legacy will live on. His work as Gohan will inspire future fans who tune into Dragon Ball Z and find themselves rooting for Goku’s son as he grows up in a world unlike any he ever imagined.

Do you have a favorite performance from Mendoza? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!