Mike McFarland, Voice of ‘Dragon Ball Z,’ ‘One Piece’ and ‘Attack on Titan,’ Dies at 56

Mike McFarland, one of the most familiar voices and creative forces in English-dubbed anime, has died at 56. The actor, director, writer, and producer passed away on Wednesday, September 10, after a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

According to Deadline, McFarland died at a care facility in Dallas surrounded by friends and family. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2025 and underwent surgery to remove a tennis ball-sized tumor in January of that year. Despite treatment, his condition continued to worsen.

For anime fans, McFarland’s name is closely tied to some of the biggest shows and characters of the past few decades. His voice became especially familiar through the Funimation era, when he helped bring Japanese anime to a much wider English-speaking audience. He later continued that work at Crunchyroll after Funimation and Crunchyroll became part of the same company.

McFarland was not only an actor. He became a major part of the production side of anime dubbing as well, working as a director, script writer, and line producer. That meant his influence could often be felt even when audiences never heard his voice. He helped shape performances, dialogue, and the overall sound of many English dubs.

His acting credits include several characters that anime fans instantly recognize. He voiced Master Roshi and Yajirobe across the ‘Dragon Ball’ franchise, while ‘One Piece’ fans knew him as Buggy the Clown. He also played Jean Kirstein in ‘Attack on Titan,’ another role that became one of his most popular performances.

Those were only a few of the many characters he played throughout his career. McFarland also voiced Jean Havoc in ‘Fullmetal Alchemist,’ Teppei Sugo in ‘Psycho-Pass,’ Goemon Ishikawa in the ‘Lupin III’ movies, Hiroshi Odokawa in ‘Odd Taxi,’ and Kotaro Amon in ‘Tokyo Ghoul.’

As his career continued, McFarland increasingly focused on directing and writing. He worked on English-language versions of major modern anime hits, including ‘Chainsaw Man,’ ‘Mob Psycho 100,’ and ‘My Hero Academia.’ His work behind the scenes helped introduce newer generations of fans to these series.

Crunchyroll confirmed his death and shared a statement with Deadline, remembering both his talent and the person he was away from the microphone. “Mike brought so much to all of us who knew him, and to all of the anime fans that knew his work. He was an incredible talent, a good friend to so many of us, and will be sorely, sorely missed.”

Tributes also began spreading across the voice acting community shortly after news of his death. Voice actor Matt Mercer shared a personal message on Instagram, remembering McFarland as one of his favorite directors to work with. Mercer also credited him with giving him opportunities that helped shape his career, including casting him in ‘Attack on Titan’ and ‘One Piece.’

Friends and fellow performers have also remembered McFarland for his kindness and generosity. During his illness, members of the voiceover community came together to support him. A GoFundMe organized during his battle with cancer noted that friends gathered with him in his final months, singing songs and sharing memories.

McFarland’s career stretched across decades of anime history. From classic ‘Dragon Ball Z’ episodes to major modern series, his work helped shape the English-language anime experience for countless viewers. For fans who discovered anime through Funimation, his voice and creative work were often part of those first memories.

His family has asked fans who want to honor his memory to consider donating to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the SPCA, two causes that were close to his heart.

Mike McFarland leaves behind a body of work that will continue to be heard by anime fans for years. His performances may have been the part audiences noticed most, but his larger impact came from everything he did to help English dubs feel like a natural part of the anime experience.

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