Voice acting is one of the things that can truly make or break an animated project, the best voice acting moments in anime history are proof of that. Whether it’s in English, Japanese, or any other language, there is always a wide assortment of talented voice actors lending their skills to anime. While fans and critics tend to focus on art and animation in anime, if a series has truly impeccable voice acting, then that, too, can help take it to greater heights and make it stand far above its contemporaries.
All in all, voice acting is an indispensable part of anime, and the best voice acting moments can elevate their series. The entries on this list are a mixture of English and Japanese voice acting, with some being relatively recent and others going back decades. Each one was chosen for the delivery of the characters involved and the importance associated with whatever it was they were saying, and it’s safe to say that their respective anime wouldn’t be the same without them.
10 The Major’s Speech About How He Loves War (Hellsing Ultimate)
The first great voice-acting moment to discuss is the Major’s speech about how much he loves war in the English dub of Hellsing Ultimate. In episode #4, the Major spends six minutes talking about how much he loves war and every bloody thing that goes into it, even situations that don’t benefit him, and it all built to his rallying Millenium together under the promise of starting the greatest war the likes of which the world had never seen. It’s an utterly haunting speech, and Gildart Jackson’s impeccable delivery in the English dub perfectly sold the Major’s depravity from start to finish.
9 Goku Turns Super Saiyan 3 (Dragon Ball Z)
There are plenty of great voice-acting moments to be found in classic anime, and one that stands out the most is the speech Goku gave when he first used Super Saiyan 3 in Dragon Ball Z. Sean Schemmel’s delivery worked wonders to sell the gravitas of Goku’s lines, especially when he says that Super Saiyan 3 is “to go even further beyond”, and following it with about three cumulative minutes of screaming perfectly captures his ability as a voice actor. Dragon Ball Z Kai’s take might be more accurate to the source material, but the original version has a level of charm that can’t be beaten.
8 Domon & Rain’s Sekiha Love-Love Tenkyoken (Mobile Fighter G Gundam)
On rare occasions, voice acting that’s technically bad still works because of the delivery, and nothing sells that better than everything leading up to the Sekiha Love-Love Tenkyoken in Mobile Fighter G Gundam. The complete seriousness of Mark Gatha’s Domon declaring his love for Rain sells the scene, and he and Jennifer Holder’s Rain using that same level of seriousness to use a move called the Sekiha Love-Love Tenkyoken keeps it from being ridiculous and sells it as nothing but heartfelt. G Gundam’s voice acting might not be great on a technical level, but the delivery of everyone involved more than made up for it.
7 Bakugo Revealing His Guilt For All Might’s Retirement (My Hero Academia)
Naturally, there are plenty of moments in Japanese voice acting that deserve praise, and one that comes to mind is Bakugo revealing his guilt for All Might’s retirement in My Hero Academia. When Bakugo challenged Izuku to a fight in season 3, it seemed like another instance of him being a jerk, but that’s completely flipped around when Bakugo tearfully revealed how he feels responsible for All Might having to retire and has no idea how to move past it. The scene is the first true moment in which people are meant to sympathize with Bakugo, and Nobuhiko Okamoto’s tearful delivery does an excellent job of selling that.
6 Yami Yugi Uses Berserker Soul (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Another great moment of Japanese voice acting is when Yami Yugi used Berserker Soul in Yu-Gi-Oh! season 4. Yami Yugi was still reeling from guilt for making Yugi lose his soul, and when Weevil fed into that by briefly tricking him into thinking he destroyed Yugi’s soul, he went berserk and, very appropriately, used Berserker Soul to relentlessly attack Weevil again and again, even after he lost all his life points. Shunsuke Kazama’s voice acting did an incredible job of selling Yami Yugi’s anger and how much he wanted Weevil to suffer, and it’s no wonder why the scene remains one of the most iconic in the entire franchise.
5 Yoshikage Kira’s Quiet Life Monologue (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable)
On the opposite side of the spectrum to Shunsuke Kazama’s anger-filled moment in Yu-Gi-Oh! is the calmness of Yoshikage Kira’s monologue in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable. All Kira does is go over the mundanity of his daily routine and how much he strives to maintain it, but Toshiyuki Morikawa’s delivery perfectly sold the creepiness with which Kira was supposed to be saying everything, something that would be apparent even if Kira hadn’t just been outed as a serial killer. It’s a moment that erased any doubt about Kira’s role in the story, and it wouldn’t have worked nearly as well without Morikawa’s incredible voice acting.
4 Subaru’s Self-Deprecation & Rem’s Reassurance (Re:Zero − Starting Life In Another World)
One of the more recent examples of incredible voice acting comes from Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World with Subaru’s self-deprecation and Rem’s reassurance. In episode #18, Subaru hits his lowest point and goes off about how pathetic he is, and at the end of it all, Rem wasted no time in going on about how great he truly was and how much she loved him. Yusuke Kobayashi and Inori Minase’s voice acting perfectly captured the despair of Subaru’s speech and the tenderness of Rem’s, and it was thanks to the way they played off each other that the episode was able to be as impactful as it was.
3 Simon’s Final Stand Against The Antispiral (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: The Lights In The Sky Are Stars)
There is plenty of great voice acting to be found in anime movies, and one moment that stands out is Simon’s final stand against the Antispiral in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: The Lights in the Sky are Stars. Tetsuya Kakihara’s delivery of Simon declaring that his drill will open a path to the future is even better than it was in the original anime, and the new scene of him reaffirming his belief in humanity was delivered with gravitas that perfectly befits the series. There are many ways in which The Lights in the Sky are Stars improved the anime, and Kakihara’s delivery played a big part in that.
2 Kyon Admits That He Has Fun With Haruhi (The Disappearance Of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Another great example of voice acting in a movie comes from The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya when Kyon admitted that he has fun with Haruhi. As Kyon struggled with the revelation that Nagato was behind the movie’s plot, he imagined another version of himself talking about how easy things would be if he stuck with the new reality, forcing Kyon to admit that he loves all the crazy stuff Haruhi puts him through. Crispin Freeman’s voice acting did a great job of selling the idea of there being two different Kyons, and his delivery of Kyon’s ultimate declaration is something that perfectly captured the emotional weight of the scene.
1 Hatoko Rants About Jurai Being A Chuunibyo (When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace)
The last great moment of anime voice acting to discuss is Hatoko’s rant about Jurai’s chuunibyo behavior in When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace. After having enough of Jurai constantly forcing his eccentricities onto her while never letting her be close on a personal level, Hatoko spent over two minutes talking about how ridiculous the stuff he liked to do was and how tired she was of having to pretend to understand it. Saori Hayami’s performance in this scene did an incredible job of capturing Hatoko’s growing frustration and anguish, and it stands out as both the best performance of her career and one of the best in all of anime.
When it comes to voice acting, there’s never any real way of knowing what kind of performance will be a great one. Sometimes it will come from a tearful speech, other times it will come from an intense action scene, and in some instances, even something utterly mundane can bring out the best in a voice actor. The 10 moments listed here captured all of that and much more, and it’s no wonder why they stand out as the best voice acting moments in anime history.