Roronoa Zoro’s Japanese Voice Actor Is Officially Joining JJK Season 3 as Kinji Hakari

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The third season premiered on January 8, 2026, after years of excitement from anime fans around the world. Viewers are finally seeing Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro back in action, facing new challenges in a Japan overrun by supernatural forces.

This season of Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen really expands the universe, showcasing a wide range of sorcerers with unique and dangerous powers. We meet both historical legends and new characters, all competing in a high-stakes tournament orchestrated by Kenjaku. And as always, Studio MAPPA’s animation remains exceptionally high quality.

Kinji Hakari Is the Most Anticipated Sorcerer Of the Culling Games

Kinji Hakari is a remarkably unusual and powerful character in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen. While technically a third-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High, he’s currently suspended and runs a secret fight club where sorcerers compete for money. Satoru Gojo, a tremendously strong sorcerer himself, has stated that Kinji has the potential to become as powerful as he is. This high praise quickly made Kinji a popular figure with fans even before he appeared in the anime during the fifth episode of the new season.

What makes Kinji so captivating is his unique cursed technique, which is based on gambling. His special attack, Idle Death Gamble, works like a pachinko machine – if he ‘wins,’ he temporarily becomes immortal. This element of chance makes his fights incredibly exciting, full of risk and reward. Beyond his powers, fans also love his rebellious style and unwavering confidence, and his introduction was a major turning point for the story.

Kazuya Nakai Brings Roronoa Zoro’s Spirit to Kinji Hakari

Kazuya Nakai, well known as the voice of Roronoa Zoro from One Piece, is now voicing Kinji Hakari in Season 3 of Jujutsu Kaisen. The animation studio, MAPPA, chose Nakai because he’s an experienced actor who can capture the tough and energetic personality of a sorcerer who secretly runs a fight club, bringing the right amount of strength, determination, and defiance to the character.

I was so thrilled to hear Kazuya Nakai talk about joining the Jujutsu Kaisen cast at Jump Festa 2026! He’s a legend, and he admitted feeling the pressure because Hakari’s name showed up so early in the story – he really wanted to meet fans’ expectations. He said he had a clear idea of how to voice Hakari after reading the manga, and his goal was to create a performance that felt really natural, adaptable, and full of energy.

Fans Celebrate a One Piece Star’s Unexpected Arrival in the Culling Games

The news that Kazuya Nakai would voice Kinji Hakari caused a huge buzz on social media, especially on platforms like X and Reddit. Fans pointed out similarities between Hakari and Roronoa Zoro, saying both characters have a distinct cool vibe that’s central to their stories. Many viewers also recognized Nakai’s voice from his role as Toshiro Hijikata in Gintama, a character also known for being tough and having strong beliefs.

Many fans of Jujutsu Kaisen predicted Kazuya Nakai would be ideal for the role of Kinji Hakari, and episode 5, “Fever,” confirmed their expectations. In this episode, Yuji and Megumi approached the sidelined sorcerer, hoping to enlist his help with the Culling Games, and Kazuya brilliantly portrayed Kinji’s ability to see through Yuji’s attempt to disguise their connection to Jujutsu High.

Fans of the English dub of Jujutsu Kaisen are still waiting to hear Kazuya’s performance as Kinji, even though his work in the subtitled version is getting great reviews – the subtitled episode currently has an 8.5/10 rating on IMDb. The English dub of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 began streaming on Crunchyroll after the subtitled version on January 22, 2026, and the dub for Episode 5 is expected to be available on February 19, 2026.

As a huge fan, I’m already blown away by the quality of the Japanese voice acting, and honestly, everyone’s been buzzing about who will voice Kinji Hakari in English! It’s great to hear familiar voices like Adam McArthur returning as Yuji Itadori and Kayleigh McKee as Yuta Okkotsu – they’re perfect for those roles. The team is also slowly revealing the English cast for all the new fighters in the Culling Game, which is just adding to the excitement. But still no word on Kinji’s dub… it’s killing me! Thankfully, with Kazuya Nakai involved, I’m confident Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 will continue to deliver the top-tier dubbing we’ve come to expect.

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2026-02-04 01:12