Japanese actor and voice actor Hiroshi Tsuchida, known for voicing Grisha Jaeger in Attack on Titan and playing Saizo, also known as Ninja Blue, in Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, died of heart failure on October 11. His agency, 81 Produce, confirmed the news on October 20. He was 54.
The agency posted an obituary on its official website: “Obituary: Hiroshi Tsuchida, an actor represented by our agency, passed away from heart failure on October 11, 2026, at the age of 54.”
The statement continued: “In accordance with the wishes of his family, the funeral was attended only by relatives and has already been held. We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who supported and cared for him during his lifetime, and announce this news with profound sorrow.”
Tsuchida began his career primarily in tokusatsu, becoming best known for playing Saizo, the blue-clad Ninja Blue, in Ninja Sentai Kakuranger. His extensive voice-acting credits included Raido Namiashi in Naruto, Damon in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Dr. Blaze in Inazuma Eleven, and Grisha Jaeger in Attack on Titan.
He also had a prolific career dubbing international productions into Japanese, most notably voicing Cars protagonist Lightning McQueen. His other dubbing credits included the Transformers franchise and the television series 24.
Yuki Kaji, the voice of Eren Jaeger in Attack on Titan, also shared a tribute thanking his senior colleague:
“We worked together for many years on a long-running series. You were incredibly humble, reserved, and kind. Yet both your voice and your performances carried unwavering conviction and tremendous strength. I deeply admired both your calm composure and the passion you brought to your work.
Above all, in Attack on Titan, we had the honor of playing a father and son who were essential to the story. Without Mr. Tsuchida’s Grisha, the Eren seen at both the beginning and the end of the story could never have existed. I am profoundly grateful for every soul-stirring line you delivered. Thank you so much for giving me this irreplaceable and precious time together.”
via： 81produce