'Dragon Ball Z' Voice Actor, Kōzō Shioya, Has Died
Image Source: SanDiegoRed
Kōzō Shioya, the voice actor best known for voicing Majin Buu in the Dragon Ball franchise, passed away on January 20th, 2026, at age 71 from a cerebral hemorrhage. His passing was confirmed by his talent agency, Aoni Production, in a statement that reads:
“Kozo Shioya (71), an actor affiliated with our company, passed away on January 20th, 2026, due to a cerebral hemorrhage. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the kindness shown to us during his lifetime and would like to inform you of this. The funeral was held only in the presence of close relatives, in accordance with the wishes of the family. We apologize for the late notice.”
Born on August 18th, 1955, in the Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan, Shioya may best be known for his role as the evil turned good Majin Buu, but he had a decades-long career spanning across several franchises. His other notable roles included Abura-Sumashi in the Gegege no Kitaro: Jigoku Hen anime and as Konaki Jijii in the 1996 Gegege no Kitaro anime and its associated film trilogy, Mondo Agake in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Oni in Ranma ½, Kazushi Hasegawa and Nozomi Takamiya in Slam Dunk (where his brother, Yoku Shioya, also voiced Ryota Miyagi), Noonsha in Slayers, Genzo, Pappag, and Edward Weevil in One Piece, and Jigumo in Naruto.
His last new anime role was Temruogtaf in Ragna Crimson, though he continued to reprise his role of Majin Buu in various Dragon Ball-related media up until his passing. There is no word on whether he recorded anything for the upcoming Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol before his death.
Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.
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