Sonny Chiba, Kill Bill and Tokyo Drift Star, Dies Following COVID Complications

Today, the world of film and anime is mourning the loss of a great Japanese actor. Sonny Chiba [...]

By Megan Peters

Today, the world of film and anime is mourning the loss of a great Japanese actor. Sonny Chiba (born Sadaho Maeda) passed away on August 19 due to COVID-19 complications. The actor was diagnosed earlier this month at the age of 82.

The news comes from Oricon (via ANN) in Japan as the outlet confirmed Chiba passed away today at 5:26 pm JST overseas. The cause of death is said to be pneumonia caused by COVID-19. In the last week, Chiba's agency did confirm the actor had been diagnosed with the illness and visited the hospital for treatment. Chiba was put on extra oxygen at the time, but the actor ultimately succumbed to the disease.

For those unfamiliar with Chiba, the actor has a long history with film and television. The actor was born in January 1939 and grew up in Kimitsu before pursuing a career in acting. Chiba took the name Shinichi Chiba as a stage name before moving to Sonny Chiba once his international presence began blowing up.

Most will know Chiba for his work in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill series. The actor also starred in The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift and Battle Royale II: Requiem. As for his work in Japan, Chiba starred in dozens of projects from Golgo 13: The Kowloon Assignment to Shadow Warriors and beyond. This isn't even including Chiba's work in historical fiction as the martial artist is credited with playing a slew of famous fighting masters in his time.

As for COVID-19 in Japan, the virus is raging in its biggest spike to date. The pandemic has caused a surge in cases with the nation's seven-day average now over 19,000 cases. Deaths are also rising right now though Japan's last peak came in May. COVID deaths and hospitalizations are being mitigated with vaccination efforts in Japan even if they are rolling out slowly. So far, just over 51% of Japanese adults have had one shot while 39.6% are fully vaccinated.

Our thoughts are with Chiba's loved ones during this difficult time. May he rest in peace.

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