Takehito Koyasu is a big name in anime, and his signature evil, drawling voice is perfect for many villainous characters from beloved franchises. Beginning his career in 1987, with The Three Musketeers Anime, as well as the well-known Ranma 1/2 in 1989, Koyasu has founded his own voice acting agency and took over some of the roles that the voice actor Kaneto Shiozawa voiced before his death.
Koyasu's voice is perfect for aristocratic, pompous, and villainous characters, and his sarcastic and smug voice pairs perfectly with the characters that fans root against. However, Koyasu has also voiced heroic characters that elevated their respective series through the actor's incredible performances.
Fairy King Oberon - Sword Art Online
Oberon is the main antagonist of the Fairy Dance Arc in Sword Art Online, an Isekai anime about several thousand players who get trapped in a virtual reality game. Oberon takes the main character's wife hostage, planning to keep her trapped alongside 300 other players who he plans to experiment on. He attempts to kill the main character, Kirito, when he exposes Oberon's plans and deceit.
Oberon - real name Sugou Nobuyuki - is one of the most despicable villains in SAO history, sexually assaulting Asuna in front of Kirito while they are immobilized. Koyasu's drawling, smug voice is perfect for this character, who every SAO fan would gladly see get his due comeuppance.
Clayman - That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
In this Isekai anime, a man is reincarnated into the body of a slime monster. The slime, Rimuru, faces many obstacles and challenges throughout the series, most notably the demon lords that keep the different races of the world in terror.
As one of the Ten Great Demon Lords, the mysterious and manipulative Clayman treats his subordinates like dolls, disposing of them when they have outlived their usefulness. He is often seen in the anime staring out a window drinking wine, giving orders to those who visit his office. He was created by his superior to be a tactician, making Clayman a highly intelligent and formidable foe.
Butch (Kosaburo) - Pokémon
Koyasu voices Butch in the original Japanese Pokémon anime, where the character's name is Kosaburo. Butch works for Team Rocket alongside his partner, Cassidy. They have a bitter rivalry with Jessie and James since both duos are named after famous outlaws and Butch and Cassidy often outshine their less evil counterparts.
Butch is arrogant and often makes fun of Jessie and James due to their rivalry, however, he is less talkative than Cassidy and is happy to let her take the lead in their taunts. Koyasu's character has appeared in many Pokémon seasons, including the Kanto, Orange Islands, and Johto arcs. A running gag is that Butch's name is often mispronounced, leading to him getting angry.
Ryoji "Ranka" Fujioka - Ouran High School Host Club
Ouran follows Haruhi Fujioka as she stumbles one day into a host club and ends up owing them a large debt, which she pays off by concealing her gender and working as a host. Koyasu plays Haruhi's doting bisexual father, Ranka.
Ranka has a brilliant introduction to the series, throwing Tamaki Suoh against a wall to prevent him from kissing Haruhi, and continues the comedy throughout his appearances. Ranka is protective of Haruhi and extremely loving, happy to give her whatever she wants, and brings a lot of heart to the series by sharing Haruhi's past with her new friends.
Claudia Hodgins - Violet Evergarden
Claudia is tasked with watching over Violet, an android that works at a post office trying to learn the meaning of the phrase, "I love you." He's the president of the Postal Company where Violet works, and despite being a lieutenant in a previous war, is a kind man that tries to be as honest and caring as possible.
Claudia is a different kind of role for Koyasu, as he is soft-spoken and kind rather than the typical villain, and it shows he can create endearing characters with different tones and verbal styles.
Deadpool - Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers
In this strangely endearing anime, various Marvel and Avengers characters, including Iron Man, the Hulk, and Captain America, are trapped inside DISKs, and five children are chosen to find the DISKs before they fall into the wrong hands.
Koyasu's sarcasm and over-indulgence are turned up to 11 in this role. Deadpool is known as the Merc With the Mouth, and Koyasu's signature smugness is perfect for the quick quips thrown out by the mercenary. The sheer range that Koyasu demonstrates in this role - from loudly declaring how awesome he is to scolding a child for mocking him - makes him perfect for the unpredictable and over-the-top anti-hero.
Gin Dojima - Food Wars
Totsuki Academy from Food Wars is a cut-throat culinary school that trains the next generation of elite chefs. The chefs battle to become one of the Elite 10 at the school, which essentially guarantees them placements in their preferred careers.
The former First Seat of the Elite 10 Council, Gin, is an extremely talented chef and businessman, often supporting the main characters in overthrowing the villains they face. Gin is a hero and helps those he deems worthy, but he doesn't tolerate failure and often challenges people to ensure their worth. Koyasu's commanding voice is perfect for Gin, as he conveys friendliness but is also a threat to the aspiring chefs.
Roswaal L Mathers - Re:Zero
Re:Zero follows Natsuki Subaru as he is summoned to a fantasy world in which time resets to a certain point when he dies. Natsuki meets many brilliant characters, one of which is the mysterious and arrogant Roswaal, the strongest magic caster in the world.
Roswaal has a distinctive drawl to his voice, elongating various syllables to convey an arrogance that often annoys Natsuki. Roswaal switches between good guy and bad guy, making the characters around him mistrustful of his intentions. The characters surrounding Roswaal have some incredibly sad and touching moments with Natsuki, making Roswaal's ambitions seem even crueler.
Beast Titan - Attack On Titan
In a world where Titans confine humanity to a small area surrounded by walls, the most significant threat is the towering Beast Titan, who surprises everyone when he captures a soldier alive and reveals that, unlike other Titans, he is able to speak, in one of the most rewatched scenes in Attack on Titan. The Beast Titan is a terrifying creature, but he is even more of a threat than first anticipated during season 4 when his true identity is revealed.
The Beast Titan's low, commanding voice is perfect for Koyasu's range, immediately setting the audience on-edge and letting fans know that this creature is seriously bad news.
Dio Brando - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Perhaps Koyasu's most iconic role to date, Dio has established himself as a fan-favorite character and absolute meme. Dio is a great antagonist for the series, commanding the moments that he is on-screen and becoming responsible for many of the terrible things that happen throughout the series. He tries to live up to his name, which is literally Italian for "God," making him a high-level threat to the protagonists.
The manipulative and violent Dio enjoys his power, and while many fans may be tempted to skip Part One of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Dio's debut is an extravagant event that is not to be missed.