I will destroy you!!! ONORE!!!
Shōzō Iizuka (飯塚 昭三, Iizuka Shōzō May 23, 1933- February 15, 2023) was a veteran Japanese voice actor who was probably best known for voicing Big Bad villains, and Ryu Jose from Mobile Suit Gundam. His baritone voice was a natural for Toku kaijin and Evil Overlords. Also voices The Big Guy characters, usually of the villainous variety, and occasionally older characters as well. He and Takeshi Watabe were often cast with one another as rivals. He was also the dub voice of B.A Baracus in The A-Team, foo'.
Outside of voice acting, Iizuka has also been known to do volunteer work, which he has joked is to atone for all the times he's tried to Take Over the World.
He passed away on February 15, 2023 due to acute heart failure at the age of 89.
Roles done by Shozo Iizuka:
- Ahuizotl in the Japanese dub of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
- Ancient Forest Dragon in Rage of Bahamut: Genesis
- Ankoku Daishogun in Mazinkaiser: Deathmatch! Ankoku Daishogun
- Also voices the iteration from Shin Mazinger in the Super Robot Wars series starting with BX
- Barragan Luisenbarn in Bleach
- Benkei Kuruma in Getter Robo Armageddon
- Bian Zoldark in Super Robot Wars
- Deputy Head Nazi Bormann in Honoo no Alpen Rose
- Bosgun in Kamen Rider BLACK RX
- Brigan and Belial in Odin Sphere
- Caramel Man along with many incidental roles in Doctor Slump
- Carl Fredricksen in the Japanese dub of Up
- Commander Gyranik in UFO Warrior Dai Apolon
- Daromu in Kamen Rider BLACK
- Doakudar in Mashin Hero Wataru
- Doctor Light in Mega Man 8 (
WAHWEE!) - Doctor Neo Cortex in the Japanese version of the Crash Bandicoot series (1996-2017)
- Doruge in Choujin Barom 1
- Dragon Ball franchise:
- Pansy's Father in Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
- Lucifer's Butler in Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle
- Android No. 8/Hatchan and Mummy-kun in the main series itself
- Nappa in Dragon Ball Z (What does the scouter say about his Power Level? ... HASSEN IJOU!?)
- Emperor Banba in Inazuman
- Emperor Genba in Voicelugger
- Fafnir in Little Witch Academia (2017)
- Golden Monsu in Seiun Kamen Machineman
- Gozen in Shugo Chara!
- Hakaider in Kikaider
- The Horned King in the Japanese dub of The Black Cauldron
- Hiroo Shirogane (K.O.J.) in Lightning Legend: Daigo no Daibouken
- Iedolas Aldercapt in Final Fantasy XV (replacing the late Shinji Ogawa)
- Isamu Ryuuzaki in Daimos
- Jumba in the Japanese dub of Lilo & Stitch
- King Monster in Seigi No Symbol Condorman
- Kumondes in Suki! Suki!! Majo Sensei
- Martin Prochnow in Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO
- Metal Heroes franchise:
- Demon King Psycho in Space Sheriff Sharivan
- Great Emperor Kubilai in Space Sheriff Shaider.
- General Deathzero in Jikuu Senshi Spielban.
- Victorious Saint Doranga in Chōjinki Metalder.
- Org Ninja Dokusai in Sekai Ninja Sen Jiraiya
- The voice of Dr. Giba (who was played by a Western actor) in Kidou Keiji Jiban.
- Mr. Heart in Fist of the North Star ("HIDEBU!!")
- And Gentle Giant Fudoh of the Mountains later on.
- One of the Wirepullers of Smart Brain in Kamen Rider 555: Paradise Lost.
- Peter Stillman in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
- Psycho Mantis in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
- Rui Jangall in Voltes V
- Ryu Jose in Mobile Suit Gundam
- A whole slew of Super Sentai villains, including:
- Iron Man Mask, Volcano Mask (in episodes 46-54) and Golden Mask, the three successive Dragons in Himitsu Sentai Gorenger.
- Satan Egos in Battle Fever J
- Hell Saturn from Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan
- Dora Kinkaku in Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger
- PP Chiipuri in Gekisou Sentai Carranger
- Morgumorgu in Seijuu Sentai Gingaman
- Lost Highness Rakushaasa in Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai
- Hyde Gene in GoGo Sentai Boukenger
- Great King Mons Drake in Tensou Sentai Goseiger
- Tengai in Sengoku Blade
- All Terry Jones's Monty Python roles
- Tetsuichiro Kurumada in Future GPX Cyber Formula
- Toragoro Okuma and General Prozarus from Future Robot Daltanious
- Ungaikyo in Ushio and Tora
- Various Machine BEMs in Toei's Spider-Man
- Yusuke Tamura in Idol Densetsu Eriko
- Zodiac in Seven Star Fighting God Guyferd
- Tsuburaya Productions
- Alien Virenus in Fireman
- Ultra Series: M1 in Ultraman X.
Tropes associated with him:
- The Brute: Most of his roles, namely Jangal, Balbas, Prozarus, Demon King Psycho and the aforementioned Super Sentai villains.
- Doing It for the Art: Iizuka loved to voice act, to the point of continuing to take roles even into his eighties.
- Large Ham: The characters he voiced were almost always in booming vocal ranges.
- Red Baron: His decades-long career of voicing Toku Evil Overlords has given him a well-deserved reputation led him to be nicknamed "The Man Who Tried to Conquer the World for 50 Years".
- Now then, by all means, continue to the next article-
(is cut)
My blood?! IT HURTS!!!
(The reader of this article is slapped into a wall)
USHAA! It feels good to do a good deed in describing him!
