Legendary Voice Actress Atsuko Tanaka Passes Away at 61

Atsuko Satou, known professionally as Atsuko Tanaka, a renowned voice actress, has passed away at the age of 61. Tanaka's remarkable career left a lasting impact on the world of video games, with significant roles in iconic series such as Final Fantasy and Bayonetta.

A Storied Career in Voice Acting

Tanaka began her voice acting career in the early 1990s, with her first credited role as Lisa in the Japanese version of Night Trap, an interactive movie game for the Sega CD released in 1992. Over the years, she brought to life a diverse range of characters in more than 160 video games.

Passing from Undisclosed Illness

Atsuko Tanaka passed away on August 20 at the age of 61. Her son, voice actor Hikaru Tanaka, confirmed her passing on social media, stating that she died peacefully after battling an illness for nearly a year. In accordance with her wishes, the specific illness was not disclosed. Hikaru expressed his gratitude to his mother's fans and colleagues for their support, asking them to remember "the characters that she poured her love into."

A Legacy Across Multiple Media

Tanaka's legacy spans four decades and various forms of media, including video games, movies, live-action, and animated TV shows. Her most recent gaming project was the Bandai Namco-published fighting game Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash, released in February 2024. Among her notable roles, she voiced Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn in Final Fantasy 14 and Ultimecia in Dissidia Final Fantasy. Her final performance will be posthumously released in #Compass 2.0: Combat Providence Analysis System, an anime adaptation of the Japanese MOBA #Compass, set for a 2025 release.

Notable Roles and Contributions

Japanese gamers may remember Tanaka as Kaine from NieR and its remake, Cassandra Pentaghast from Dragon Age 2, Trish from the Devil May Cry series, and Yennefer of Vengerberg in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. She also portrayed Dorothy Fisher in Detective Pikachu and Yodogimi in Nioh. In 2014, Tanaka joined the Bayonetta franchise as the titular character, a role she reprised in both the second and third mainline entries, as well as in Super Smash Bros. titles for the 3DS, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch.

More recently, Tanaka lent her voice to the character Rhinedottir in Genshin Impact. Her contributions extended beyond video games, as she provided dubs for nearly 200 live-action TV series and voiced characters in over 200 anime shows and 40 feature films. Atsuko Tanaka is survived by her son, sister, and husband.

Her passing marks the end of an era for fans of her work, but her legacy will continue to resonate through the countless characters she brought to life.