Christopher Owen Ayres (May 16, 1965 – October 18, 2021) was an American voice actor who worked with Funimation, OkraTron5000, New Generation Pictures and formerly ADV Films and Seraphim Digital Studios. He provided voices for a number of English-language versions of Japanese anime films. He also had lots of experience as a stage combat director, which he sometimes combined with his anime experience in the form of his "Mock Combat for Cosplay" con workshop panel. He was best known at conventions for bringing a giant colorful travel mug nicknamed by fans as "The Sippy Cup of Doom".
In 2017, Chris was rushed to a local hospital in Houston and diagnosed with "End Stage C.O.P.D." which would require multiple surgeries, including a double lung transplant. An online fundraiser
was held through YouCaring to help cover the expenses, and the $25K goal was not only met by fans, but exceeded by more than an extra 50%. While he regained enough strength to return to his work as Frieza for Dragon Ball Super: Broly, anxiety remained that the available donor organs wouldn't become available in time. His fans and the whole cast and crew of DB would continue to support him and hope for his recovery (with Christopher Sabat on record as saying that the crew was ready for word to come in that Ayres' transplant was ready to go and for him to depart mid-recording session if need be).
He died peacefully on October 18, 2021 in the company of his family and loved ones. May he rest in peace.
He was the brother of Greg Ayres. Occasionally his surname is listed as Ayers instead of Ayres; however, this spelling is incorrect as his legal name was "Christopher Ayres".
Notable roles by Christopher Ayres:
Anime
- Air Gear - Okuhira, DJ Plugman
- Another - Yousuke Sakakibara
- Birdy the Mighty Decode - Bacillus
- Black Bullet - Matsuzaki
- Black Butler - Prince Soma
- Btooom! - Yoshihisa Kira
- Campione! - The Narrator
- Case Closed: The Last Wizard of the Century - Sergei Ovchinnikov
- Claymore - Dauf
- Coyote Ragtime Show - Hewlett
- Darker than Black - Masashi Hitotsubashi
- Diamond Daydreams - Kenji Kurata
- Desert Punk - Sawada
- Devil May Cry: The Animated Series - Sid
- Dragon Ball - Frieza (since Dragon Ball Z Kai, taking over from Linda Young, would himself replaced by Daman Mills due to Ayres illness and eventual passing)
- E's Otherwise - Kyou; Rick
- Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA☆ILLYA - Auguste
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Lt. General Raven
- Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu - Atsunobu Hayashimizu
- Full Metal Panic!! The Second Raid - Wraith
- Gantz - Kei Kurono
- Ghost Hound - Takahito Komagusu
- Ghost Hunt - Reimei Minami
- Golgo 13 - Dave McCartney
- Halo Legends - Covenant Commander, Operator (The Package)
- Infinite Stratos - Dan Gotanda
- Initial D: Third Stage - Miki
- Innocent Venus - Riki, Dr. Nabuto
- King of Bandit Jing: Seventh Heaven - Maraschino
- Kaleido Star - Mr. Patrova
- Kiba - Morris
- K-On! The Movie - London Sushi Bar Owner (original Japanese version)
- Maburaho - Yukihiko Nakamaru
- Megazone 23 Part II - Cujo
- Nanaka 6/17 - Jinpachi Arashiyama
- One Piece - Johnny, Mr. 11
- Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt - Corset
- Papuwa - Oshodani
- Peacemaker Kurogane - Keisuke Yamanami
- Project Blue Earth SOS - Kintaro Oyama
- Romeo × Juliet - Camillo
- Sengoku Basara - Shingen Takeda
- Sgt. Frog - 3M
- Super Dimension Fortress Macross - Lynn Kaifun
- Speed Grapher - Chouji Suitengu
- Spice and Wolf - Assessor
- Tactics - Hasumi Ryokan
- Tears to Tiara - Arthur
- Tokyo Majin - Ryuuzan Arai
- Trinity Blood - Isaak Fernand von Kämpfer
- Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE- - Nanto
- Utawarerumono - Niwe
- The Wallflower - George
- The World God Only Knows - Kodama
- Xam'd: Lost Memories - Kisel-ji
- Xenosaga: The Animation - Jin Uzuki
- Yugo the Negotiator - Yusuf Ali Mesa
- Yumeria - Sousyu
Video games
- Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley - Additional Voices
- Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Tag Team - Frieza
- Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 - Frieza
- Dragon Ball Xenoverse - Frieza
- The Last Remnant - Wagram
