Mike McFarland, a celebrated figure in English-language anime dubbing, passed away on September 10 at 56 years old, following a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. McFarland's diagnosis was reported in 2025, according to Anime News Network.

Beyond his memorable vocal performances, McFarland was also a talented scriptwriter, director, and line producer. He was instrumental in the growth of Texas-based anime production, first with Funimation and later with Crunchyroll after their merger, establishing himself as one of the most influential pioneers in the field.

Crunchyroll issued a heartfelt statement regarding his passing: “Mike brought so much to all of us who knew him, and to all of the anime fans that knew his work. He was an incredible talent, a good friend to so many of us, and will be sorely, sorely missed.”

McFarland's extensive voice acting career spanned numerous beloved series. In addition to his roles as Master Roshi and Najirobe in Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, and the long-running Buggy the Clown in One Piece (a character he voiced from 2007 until his death), he lent his voice to many other fan-favorite characters.

His credits include Jean Kirstein in Attack on Titan, Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist, and Teppei Sugo in Psycho-Pass. He also voiced Makoto Hyuga in the Evangelion film series, Sky Master in Heaven’s Lost Property, Goemon Ishikawa in Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine and other Lupin III titles, as well as George in Case Closed.

More recently, fans heard his voice as Hiroshi Odokawa in Odd Taxi, Big Bad Wolf in Date A Live IV, and E.G. Mine in Trigun Stampede. McFarland's immense talent and dedication left an indelible mark on countless anime productions, and his contributions will be deeply missed by colleagues and fans alike.