Hiroshi Tsuchida, Attack on Titan & Super Sentai Star, Dies at 54

Hiroshi Tsuchida, star of Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, Attack on Titan, Pokémon and more has sadly died at the age of 54 as announced by talent agency 81 Produce. The talent agency shared an official statement this morning revealing that Tsuchida had died on October 11th due to heart failure, and had a private funeral service attended by family as per the family’s wishes, “We express our deepest gratitude for the kindness and support he received during his lifetime and respectfully announce his passing.”

Born on February 8, 1972, Tsuchida’s acting crosses multiple mediums that many fans are likely to recognize. Not only had he provided voice acting performances for notable anime franchises such as Attack on Titan, but also was often a key member of the Japanese dubbing cast for major feature film releases like Disney/Pixar’s Cars franchise as Lightning McQueen. The star even had a stint as a member of the Super Sentai team, Ninja Sentai Kakuranger in 1994.

RIP Hiroshi Tsuchida (1972-2026)

Hiroshi Tsuchida had a long and storied career across live-action, anime, and feature film projects. His stint in Ninja Sentai Kakuranger saw him taking on the role Saizo, otherwise known as Ninja Blue. Having many notable moments through his time with the franchise (even returning to reprise the role for special anniversary projects years later), fans will probably most recognize him as one of the key faces behind the “Today is Friday in California!” meme when an assassin attempts to take him out. So even if you didn’t immediately realize it, you’re aware of Tsuchida’s work.

As for his work in the world of anime, Tsuchida has been a part of some key franchises. Notably starring as the voice of Eren’s father Grisha Yeager in Attack on Titan, Professor Sycamore in Pokemon: XY, Ganesha in Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Asakura in Sakamoto Days, and most recently Damnatio in Black Clover. He could be heard in the most recent episode of the series (which comes five years after the first season) as he helped the Wizard King fight back against a massive demonic enemy attacking the Clover Kingdom.

Tsuchida was also a key player in Japanese dubs for Hollywood feature film releases. He’s provided the dub for notable actors like Joseph-Gordon Levitt for films such as The Dark Knight Rises and Inception, Scott Adkins in Accident Man, and Sean Gunn in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and Thor: Love and Thunder. He also dubbed over characters such as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead franchise, Lightning McQueen in the Cars franchise, Gwi-Ma in KPop Demon Hunters, Dr. Nefario in Minions: The Rise of Gru and more.

Such a long and storied career across multiple mediums, genres, and projects means that you’ve likely seen and enjoyed one of Tsuchida’s performances even if you didn’t immediately recognize it. Which goes to show how much of an absence there will be felt now, and ComicBook extends our condolences to Hiroshi Tsuchida’s family, friends and loved ones at this time.