Dragon Ball is most known for its long exciting battles and beautiful visuals. But much of the franchise's appeal comes from its rich cast of characters. Some are funny, others are compelling, and a few are just badasses. Yet, they wouldn't be nearly as interesting if it wasn't for the people voicing them.
Over the years, the Dragon Ball voice actors have regularly done some fantastic work. They've even made many of the violence-obsessed characters loveable and somewhat relatable. Here are the people who play the main characters in the Funimation dubs of the various Dragon Ball anime, along with some acknowledgment of the original Japanese voices.
7 Sonny Strait (Krillin And Others)
While Krillin has not always had the spotlight, he's still a major player in the franchise as a whole. And since the character has reached adulthood, Sonny Strait has been the voice behind one of the world's most powerful humans.
Much of the time, the role has tested Strait's comedic chops, and he's always risen to the challenge as Krillin is among the funniest characters in all of Dragon Ball. The actor's second most prominent DB character was Bardock, who couldn't be more different than Krillin, but Strait still excelled in the role.
His Japanese counterpart is Mayumi Tanaka, who played both the child and adult version of Krillin. Tanaka also lends her tones to the likes of Yajirobe and Fortuneteller Baba.
6 Tiffany Vollmer (Bulma)
Tiffany Vollmer might not have voiced as many characters as some of the Funimation cast, but her role as Bulma was an extensive one. Her stint as the blue-haired girl started in the original anime, when Bulma was just a teenager. Back then, the character was even more vital than she is now, as the genius engineer was one of the leads.
The actress kept the role during the original Funimation Dub of Dragon Ball Z, playing the adult version of Bulma. However, Monica Rial took the reins for Kai and future Dragon Ball projects. Still, Vollmer's tenure as the character is an iconic one.
Her Japanese counterpart is Hiromi Tsuru, who voiced Bulma for many years in the four main anime series. She also lent her voice to various other smaller characters.
5 Eric Vale (Future Trunks And Others)
In his first appearance, Future Trunks shocked everyone when he became one of the first characters to turn Super Saiyan and subsequently destroyed Frieza. It is among the best scenes in Dragon Ball history, and it wouldn't have been as cool if it wasn't for Eric Vale's stellar performance as the young hero.
The actor has given many more excellent performances as the time-traveling Saiyan since, as he's voiced the future version of the character for its entire run. While Trunks is the Dragon Ball role Vale is most known for, his work as the World Tournament Announcer has been strong also, and the character has become synonymous with the World Martial Arts Tournaments.
His Japanese counterpart is Takeshi Kusao. Unlike Vale, Kusao portrayed both the adult and kid versions of Trunks, along with many others.
4 Kyle Hebert (Adult Gohan And Others)
When Gohan became an adult at the beginning of the Great Saiyaman Saga, Kyle Hebert took over the voicing duties of the character and has remained in the role through Super. As Gohan, the actor has had to show his range because sometimes the Saiyan can be really goofy, and other times he's very serious.
Gohan isn't Hebert's only connection to the franchise, as he's also voiced the likes of the Ox-King and Pikkon. Plus, he had a significant stint as DBZ's main narrator.
His Japanese counterpart is Masako Nozawa, who voiced a litany of characters in the various Dragon Ball animes. Her role as Gohan extended beyond the adult version as she played the child counterpart, too.
3 Stephanie Nadolny (Kid Goku, Kid Gohan, And Others)
Few voice actors have been as integral to the Dragon Ball franchise as Stephanie Nadolny. In the original series, she played the child version of Goku. As the character was a kid for most of the series, her voice was in many episodes. She excellently conveyed Goku's naivité and unshakable confidence throughout the series.
The character was an adult by Dragon Ball Z, so she didn't portray the character in that series, aside from the occasional flashback. Yet, she still played a large role as the child version of Gohan (in the original Funimation dub). Perhaps her best performance as this particular Saiyan was during the incredible battle with Cell, which is still one of the character's best fights.
Her Japanese counterpart is Masako Nozawa, who voiced all versions of Goku and Gohan, along with many other characters.
2 Sean Schemmel (Goku And Others)
One of the first names fans think of in regards to the Funimation DB cast is Sean Schemmel. The voice actor has lent his tones to Goku ever since the protagonist reached his late teens. Whether the powerful Saiyan was making fans laugh with his driving antics or giving people goosebumps with incredible pre-fight speeches, Schemmel has always done a fantastic job with the surprisingly complex character.
The actor has also played many other characters in the franchise. With these other roles, he's shown plenty of range as his over-the-top performances as King Kai are very different from his work as the ever-serious Nail.
His Japanese counterpart is Masako Nozawa, who played both the child and adult versions of Goku.
1 Christopher Sabat (Vegeta, Piccolo, And Many Others)
Christopher Sabat's contribution to the Dragon Ball's various Funimation dubs can't be overstated. He has voiced so many different characters for the anime franchise. His two main roles, though, are Vegeta and Piccolo. He has portrayed the two anti-heroes from their individual debuts as villains through to their time in Super and likely beyond.
While their abilities and arcs help their appeal, Sabat's vocal performances are what make Vegeta and Piccolo two of the more popular characters in the series. Yamcha, Kami, and Shenron are a few of his other prominent Dragon Ball roles.
Sabat has two Japanese counterparts:
- Toshio Furukawa - While Furukawa didn't portray the child version of Piccolo, he has voiced the Namekian since he reached maturity. He also lent his voice to General Blue and several other characters.
- RyÅ Horikawa played Vegeta since the arrogant Saiyan's debut in the series, while also having a few small roles.