One of the voices of the Great Turtle of “Dragon Ball” died. I was 56

Mike McFarland, actor and director who gave his voice to projects such as “Dragon Ball Z” or “One Piece”, died on Wednesday, September 9, at age 56, according to TMZ.

Brina Palencia, a friend of the artist and head of the GoFundMe campaign to help Mike McFarland, confirmed the news. The actor had been diagnosed with brain cancer. 

The actor's friend added that Mike had the support of his friends and family while in a home in Dallas. And, he says, the last few months were spent in the company of friends who were also part of the world of dubbing, who gathered to sing songs and tell him stories to try to keep him excited. 

Brina Palencia also pointed out that whoever wants to honor him, the artist liked people to make donations to St. Jude or the SPCA in his memory.

According to People, Crunchyroll issued a statement in reaction to the artist's death. “Mike meant a lot to all of us who knew him and to all the anime fans who knew his work. He was an incredible talent, a good friend to many of us and we will really miss him,” they said on Thursday, September 10.

The magazine also recalls that Mike McFarland's loved ones had already talked about his state of health since January 2025, when he underwent urgent surgery to remove the tumor, as can be seen in the campaign created at GoFundMe. 

He later underwent a new surgery and received an update on his state of health: the information that it was an aggressive cancer. 

Mike McFarland gave his voice to several versions of English-doubled animation projects. He began his career in the late 1990s, giving voice to several characters in the hit series "Dragon Ball Z", including the Great Turtle. 

Already in "Fullmetal Alchemist", the actor gave voice to Jean Havoc. He also gave Buggy a voice in “One Piece” and was also part of projects such as “One-Punch Man”, “Attack on Titan”, “Tokyo Ghoul”, among many others.