The voice actor of Sanji from the popular anime you've heard of.

Key Takeaways

• Hiroaki Hirata, famous for voicing Sanji in One Piece, has shown off his impressive vocal range in a variety of roles.
• His performances as Genma, Leomon, and Godot highlight his versatility and talent.
• Hirata's performances in Mutta Nanba and Wild Tiger prove his unexpected ability to excel in protagonist roles.

one piece It is home to some of the most memorable and iconic protagonists in all of anime and manga. Vinsmoke production area This is one of the most representative examples. The Straw Hat Pirates' romantic chef is a funny yet honorable and charming gentleman who stands out for several reasons. One of them is his raspy voice. Hiroaki Hirata.

Hirata is a seasoned Japanese voice actor and narrator who has been working in the animation industry for over 27 years. As a result, he's played a variety of characters that have given him the opportunity to showcase his impressive vocal range, especially since some of them are quite different from Sanji. The following eight roles are some of the best examples of Hiroaki Hirata's talents.

8 Shiranui Genma

In Naruto and Naruto Shippuden

Even if it is one piece and naruto Although often considered a “rival series”, this hasn't stopped several talented voice actors from portraying characters in both, and Hiroaki Hirata is no exception. On this occasion he lent his voice to: Shiranui GenmaOne of the many Jonin working in the Leaf Village.

This is clearly a calmer role for Hirata, as Genma is more calm and collected than Sanji and most of his other characters. Nonetheless, his solid acting and deep voice made Genma stand out as one of the most memorable background characters in the world. naruto and Naruto Shippuden.

7 Leomon (and others)

In Digimon Adventure

Digimon Adventure It is one of the most iconic anime series produced by Toei Animation right behind it. dragon ball and one piece. It's not uncommon for large Japanese animation studios to cast voice actors for more than one project, and Hiroaki Hirata had the honor of being involved with the show from the beginning. Some of his most popular characters include: leomon.

With his outstanding acting skills, he brings a lot of kindness and charm to the so-called “King of Beasts” while retaining his ferocity and menacing elements. Although this portrayal is great, it is not Hirata's only character. Digimon AdventureThat's because he did the voices of Megadramon, Hagurumon, Hiroaki Ishida, and even the narrator himself.

6 Klein / Ryotaro Tsuboi

in sword art online

Hiroaki Hirata often specializes in voicing two specific (but very different) types of characters: tough and menacing warriors, or very kind and kind men. This talent allowed him to bring to life a character that would eventually become one of the most popular characters in cinema. sword art online: Tsuboi Ryotaroalso called Klein.

Klein is a bright and kind-hearted character who is famous for being the first friend Kirito makes in the original work. sword art onlineNot to mention he explained the basic mechanics of the game to him. But on the other hand, he is also a ladies' man, something that resonates with Hirata, who has voiced Sanji for many years. If it weren't for Hirata's performance, Klein might not have earned the reputation he deserves among fans.

5 Terada Tatsugoro

In Gintama

Kazuya Nakai, the voice actor for Roronoa Zoro, played the role of Toshiro Hijikata. gintama, But he's not the only one famous one piece This is a talented person who participated in Sunrise, a fun adaptation of Hideaki Sorachi's manga. Nonetheless, Hiroaki Hirata ended up voicing a much more tragic character. Terada Tatsugoro.

Hirata once again demonstrates his impeccable ability to bring to life kind, yet strong and wonderful characters. Because before his tragic death, Terada was a police officer protecting the Kabuki District and a good rival to Jirocho Doromizu. This character is not the most well-known. GintamaHowever, thanks to Hirata's impressive performance, he is definitely one of the most memorable.

4 altitude

At Ace Lawyer

• Release date: April 2, 2016
• Genre: drama, mystery
• studio: A-1 Pictures, Cloverworks
• Streaming services: crunchy roll

can't deny it altitude One of the most popular characters overall. Ace Lawyer franchise. So when it came time for this iconic game series to be adapted into an anime, I had the honor of voicing the great Hiroaki Hirata, who was perfectly suited to the role.

Godot is an affable and confident swordsman who is not much different from Sanji in many ways. This means that Hirata's raspy voice suits him surprisingly well. Godot was already quite a beloved person. Ace Lawyer Although he is a character, Hirata's charismatic portrayal in the anime adaptation certainly contributed to his popularity among anime viewers.

3 Muta Namba

In Space Brothers

Hiroaki Hirata is mainly known for playing sweet and cool side characters like Sanji and Godo, but he is also talented enough to appear as one of the main characters in the drama. He actually did this on several occasions, one of the most notable examples being: Muta Namba from space brothers.

as one of the titles space brothersMutta Nanba is a fairly complex character that requires the best use of Hirata's vocal talents. He is calm and collected, very smart, cares a lot about his older brother Hibito, and is overall a really likeable person. This is definitely one of the best vocal performances of Hirata's entire career.

2 Kotetsu T. Kaburagi / Wild Tiger

In Tiger and Bunny

Another memorable anime protagonist voiced by Hiroaki Hirata is Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (also called wild tiger), One of the official protagonists of tiger and bunny. However, this isn't that surprising since Kotetsu is actually very similar to his most famous role, Sanji.

This is another role where Hirata gets to show off all of his incredible range, especially his impeccable ability to portray characters that are heroic and selfless, but also quite funny and stubborn. In the end, both Wild Tiger and Mutta Nanba space brothers It's undeniable evidence that Hirata should voice the main character in anime more often.

1 Rikiya Yotsubashi / Redestro

In My Hero Academia

As mentioned several times throughout this list, most of the characters Hiroaki Hirata has voiced are kind, light-hearted heroics, and he's excelled in these types of roles for many years. This is why he played a mean villain. re-destruction In season 5 My Hero Academia It was a truly unexpected treat. In one incredible performance, Hirata perfectly embodies both Re-Destro's likable CEO persona and his true self, an ambitious and cunning villain who goes to extreme lengths to achieve his goals.

While Sanji's voice is slightly audible in Re-Destro's lines at first, Hirata does such a good job that he eventually gives Sanji his own identity, very different from all the other characters. Interestingly, season 5 My Hero Academia The film's main villain, Flect Turn, was also introduced. World Hero's Mission – Voice actor: Kazuya Nakai. This means that Sanji and Zoro technically voiced villains at the same time in the same show.