Jefferson Utanes, Dragon Ball Voice of Goku, Dies at 46

by

Jefferson Utanes, the popular Filipino voice actor best known as the voice of Goku in many versions of the anime, has died at 46 years old.

Elizabeth Teodoro announced the death of her brother-in-law, Jefferson Seril Utanes, on social media. In a statement, she asked for prayers for Utanes on behalf of her sister, Catherine, and Catherine’s children, Jhulianne and Justin. She wrote, “May the Lord grant him eternal rest and perpetual light.”

Beyond voicing Goku in the Filipino dub of Dragon Ball – including the original anime, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT – Utanes also wrote scripts for Dragon Ball Super and directed the dubbing of Dragon Ball Z Kai.

Beyond his well-known roles, Utanes voiced characters in many other popular animated films and TV shows, including Disney’s Aladdin and Frozen, as well as One Piece (Usopp), Sailor Moon (Artemis), Dandadan (Okarun), Pokémon (James), Hunter x Hunter (Hisoka), Assassination Classroom (Tadaomi Karasuma), Cardcaptor Sakura (Syaoran Li), Doraemon (Doraemon himself), and Fairy Tail (Gajeel). Throughout his extensive career, Utanes became one of the most productive and recognizable voice actors in the Philippines.

Ani-One Philippines, known for creating Tagalog-subtitled and dubbed anime content for Filipino viewers, shared a statement about the passing of Jefferson Utanes. They expressed their support for the anime and dubbing community, celebrating Jefferson’s talent, passion, and the happiness he brought to fans through his work.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jefferson Utanes and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who loved his work. He will be remembered for the passion he brought to his voice acting and the lasting impact he had on the anime world. May he rest in peace.

People have been sharing a lot of support for Utane’s family and friends. One fan wrote about how deeply saddened they were to hear about his passing, saying he was a childhood hero who brought joy to so many Filipinos – he was the reason for happy mornings, relaxing afternoons, and a comforting voice many families knew well. They expressed their heartfelt sympathy to his loved ones.

No details about a funeral or memorial service for Utane have been released yet.

Read More

2025-12-16 20:40