Throughout the history of Dragon Ball, the Z-Fighters have faced many villains, but Majin Buu was truly unique. Originally created by Babidi, Buu changed forms several times and became the ultimate enemy in Dragon Ball Z. Sadly, Kōzō Shioya, the incredibly talented voice actor who brought Buu to life, has passed away at the age of seventy-one. Shioya voiced the character – who eventually became a hero – throughout the entire Dragon Ball franchise and had a long and celebrated career in anime.
Voice actor Kozo Shioya sadly passed away on January 20th, 2026, due to a cerebral hemorrhage, his agency, Aoni Production, announced. Aoni released a statement expressing their gratitude for the support Shioya received during his 71 years and noted that a private funeral was held with close family. They apologized for the delay in sharing the news.
Shioya’s Anime Career
Shioya is well known for voicing all the different forms of Majin Buu in Dragon Ball, but his career spans much further than that single role. He began voice acting in anime in the early 1980s with series like Galactic Gale Baxinger, Galactic Whirlwing Sasuraiger, and Armored Tooper VOTOMS. Over the years, he’s also contributed to many other popular anime, including One Piece, Mobile Suit Gundam, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Guyver, Samurai Pizza Cats, Slam Dunk, and Ranma 1/2, among others.
Throughout his career, Shioya was a major figure in the anime industry and also lent his voice to several popular American projects that were released in Japan. These included well-known franchises like The Muppets, Transformers, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, Mulan, Mega Man, Metal Gear, and Alice in Wonderland. Shioya’s versatile talent will be deeply missed, and his contributions to both anime and entertainment as a whole will long be remembered.
The future of the Dragon Ball series remains to be seen. However, Buu will be a key character in the upcoming anime adaptation of Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol. This new installment will showcase Moro, Buu’s history, and one of the Supreme Kais he previously absorbed. Currently, there’s no news on when the next chapter of the Z-Fighters’ anime adventures will air, and it’s unclear when an official announcement will be made following the recent passing of voice actor Shioya.
Our thoughts are with Kōzō Shioya’s family and friends during this difficult time.
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2026-01-28 17:41