Gundam Star Masaru Ikeda Dies at 83

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For decades, the Mobile Suit Gundam series has explored countless stories and universes. Creating these anime adventures takes a huge team effort, and recently, a beloved member of that team has passed away. Masaru Ikeda, a key voice actor in the Gundam franchise, has died at the age of 83. Following the announcement from the Tokyo Actors Cooperative, it’s a good moment to celebrate Ikeda’s impressive career and the significant mark he left on the anime world.

Masaru Ikeda, a well-known voice actor, passed away last month on January 31st due to heart failure following a myocardial infarction. He was 83 years old. The Tokyo Actors Cooperative announced his death and shared that a private funeral was held with only close family members in attendance. They have requested privacy for the family and ask that no interviews or condolences be offered at this time. The Cooperative expressed their gratitude for the support Ikeda received throughout his life.

Masaru Ikeda’s Impact on The Anime World

As a huge anime fan, I was so saddened to hear about Masaru Ikeda’s passing. He was a true legend! A lot of people know him as the voice of Dren in the very first Mobile Suit Gundam – the show that basically started the whole giant robot genre. But his work went way beyond Gundam. He was incredible as Nekomamushi in One Piece – that powerful, feline warrior really stood out in both the Whole Cake Island and Wano arcs! And if that wasn’t enough, he lent his voice to so many other amazing shows, like Dragon Ball Super, City Hunter, Armored Trooper VOTOMS, Detective Conan, Rurouni Kenshin, and even Lupin the 3rd! He truly left his mark on the anime world.

Masaru Ikeada was a prolific voice actor who worked on projects both in Japan and North America. He lent his voice to several well-known anime series, but also contributed to popular animated films and shows like Aladdin and the King of Thieves, Oliver & Company, Total Recall, Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears, and Cars. He’s particularly remembered for voicing the villain Mr. Freeze in Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond for Japanese audiences. Beyond animation, Masaru also had key roles in video games such as Suikoden V, Xenosaga, and Crash Bandicoot. With such a diverse body of work, Masaru Ikeada’s impact on the fandom will be long-lasting.

Our thoughts are with Masaru Ikeada’s family and friends during this difficult time.

Via Haikyo

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2026-02-17 17:41