Norio Wakamoto, born on October 18, 1945 in Shimonoseki, Japan, was an anti-riot squad officer who saw action in the pro-leftist student protests in the 1960s/70s before he became a voice actor. He is well-known for his grandiose delivery and his tendency to get picked for a villain role. His range of villain roles is also quite wide, from manipulating and scheming to The Berserker type; whether it's of a high position or as an underling (as long as it's no Mook, and sometimes even then).
Villains, however, aren't his only forte (though it's undoubtedly what he's best at). He is also capable of doing humorous, perverted roles or, rarely, heroic types. Or even soft-spoken characters.
He is not only respected amongst Japanese and Western anime fans, but he is also very well respected amongst his fellow voice actors, to the point that many have tried doing a 'Wakamoto impression'. For example, this one
, as done by Tomokazu Sugita, Takahiro Sakurai, and Yūichi Nakamura. In fact, there was a competition in 2012 about imitating Wakamoto, judged by Wakamoto himself; the result remains unknown, however.
Uses the name "Hiruma Kyou-no-suke" when voicing for characters in Eroge.
A sample of his voicing can be found here
Not only that, there are also times where Jouji Nakata shares a few roles along with him, since he's mainly the second-in-line equivalent to Wakamoto when it comes to voicing villains. He also has one with Toshiyuki Morikawa, as in majority of times, Wakamoto plays the villain to Morikawa's hero.
List up all his roles in three seconds, or else he'll shoot. OOOONNNNEEE... (bang!)note
- Al-Cid Margrace in Final Fantasy XII
- Alexander Anderson in Hellsing Ultimate, replacing Nachi Nozawa after the latter's death.
- Allen Brady in Aura Battler Dunbine and Super Robot Wars
- He also provides the voice of the Narrator in Dunbine.
- Amagumo, aka Rain Spider, in Desert Punk
- The Ancient One/Kaosu in Yoroiden-Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors
- Arc Kivat and Rey Kivat in the Kamen Rider Kiva movie
- Ashlay Barnbalt in Star Ocean: First Departure
- Augustus in Demonbane
- Ayin in Sengoku Blade and Gunbird 2
- Aziz (Art Malik) in the True Lies Japanese dub.
- General Baal in Grandia
- Father Balder in Bayonetta: Bloody Fate
- Barbatos Goetia in Tales of Destiny 2
- Biagio Busoni in A Certain Magical Index
- Black Crystal King in Twin Princess of Wonder Planet
- Black Shadow in F-Zero: GP Legend. He unofficially "reprises" the role via clips from the anime in PMEX Remix, a fanmade Game Mod of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
- Bontenmaru/Date Masamune in Samurai Deeper Kyo
- Boss in Catherine
- Cardinal Garigliano in Resonance of Fate and Project X Zone 2: Brave New World
- Cell in Dragon Ball
- Chaos in Dissidia Final Fantasy
- Emperor Charles zi Britannia in Code Geass and Super Robot Wars Z2: Saisei-Hen.
- Charon in the Japanese dub of Dante's Inferno
- Chiyo-chichi in Azumanga Daioh.
- Chu in YuYu Hakusho
- Conrad Viscuess in Infinite Ryvius
- Corvus and Dark Corvus in Epic Seven
- Captain Custer (no, not that one) in Star Fleet
- CV-Wakamoto in M.U.G.E.N. Essentially, an original character that copies various voice clips and moves from Wakamoto's more famous roles.
- The Cyclone vacuum cleaner in Nyaruko: Crawling with Love!
- The Lord of Darkness in the Japanese dub of Legend (1985)
- Demon King Darm in the Ys: Castle In the Heavens OVA
- Denpa Shogun in Myself ; Yourself, the Big Bad of a sentai Show Within a Show.
- Deus from Future Diary
- Diao Chan in Koihime†Musou.
- Dracula in the Castlevania series (from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night onward)
- Dragless in Lightning Legend: Daigo no Daibouken
- King Drake the Third in Makai Kingdom
- Duke Duffau in Chrono Crusade
- Duftmon/Leopardmon in Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
- "Big" Ed Hurley (Everett McGill) in the Japanese dub of Twin Peaks
- Enma Daimaou-sama in Ghastly Prince Enma: Burning Up
- Eternity Sword Wisdom in Aselia the Eternal - The Spirit of Eternity Sword
- The unnamed father of protagonist Mito Yuuri in Tayutama.
- Transformers Galaxy Force's Flame Convoy, Scourge in TF Cybertron
- The Former Prime Minister in Majikoi! Love Me Seriously!, who looks suspiciously like him.
- Gambino in Berserk (1997)
- Ganzack in the obscure One Piece OVA Defeat Him! The Pirate Ganzack
- Gargoyle the dog statue from Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas
- Garuda in Quiz Magic Academy
- Gawn Brawdia in Wild ARMs 4
- Geist in MD Geist (the original cut)
- Gene in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
- General Bat in Shin Getter Robo Vs. Neo Getter Robo, Getter Robo Āḥ, and Super Robot Wars GC
- Gigalt Gangaragash in Planetes
- Gntarl in the TV remake/expansion of Munto
- General Godwin in Dog Days
- Golba in Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny
- Goro Ohtaki in Case Closed
- Guren in Ushio and Tora
- Gustave St. Germain of Baccano!
- Halja (Grim Reaper Mooks) in Odin Sphere
- High Max in Mega Man X6
- Hiro Randou in Makyou Densetsu Acrobunch
- Did the voice of Hiroshi from Family Project under a pseudonym.
- Hol Horse in the OVA of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders. He also voices DIO in the obscure CD drama version.
- Hyou in the OVA of Ushio and Tora
- General Iaron in Ultraman Zero: The Revenge of Belial
- IceDevimon in Digimon Frontier
- Igniz in The King of Fighters 2001. In 2002, he did Rugal Bernstein, but in 2002 Unlimited Match, Rugal's voice was reprised by the original actor, Toshimitsu Arai.
- Imran Zakhaev in the Japanese dubs of the Modern Warfare series
- Ippatsu in Granblue Fantasy
- Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) in the Japanese dub of Rocky IV
- Johnny in Guilty Gear X, XX, Xrd -SIGN-/-REVALATOR-, and Strive
- Dr. Josef Heiter (Dieter Laser) in the Japanese dub of The Human Centipede
- Kagato in Tenchi Muyo! and Tenchi Universe
- Kessler in the Japanese release of Infamous
- Lando Calrissian (yes, Billy Dee Williams) in the Japanese dub of the 2004 DVD Re-Cut of Star Wars. Also the narrator of the Japanese dub of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
- Lang in Detonator Orgun
- M. Bison/Vega (Dictator) in the Street Fighter series (Darrined the role from Tomomichi Nishimura starting from Capcom vs. SNK)
- Masahiro Tamano in Wedding Peach
- Masaomi Houzuki in Sharin no Kuni
- Master in Maison Ikkoku, one of his earliest roles.
- Matsudaira Katakuriko in Gintama
- MC King Kong Mushi in PaRappa the Rapper
- Mechazawa in Cromartie High School
- Megatron in the Japanese dub of Transformers: Animated
- Movieverse Megatron in the video games based on the Transformers movies. (In the movies themselves, he's voiced by Kotaro Nakamura.)
- Mio's Wooden Cubes in Nichijou
- Mitsunari Ishida in Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
- Mr. Sinister in the Japanese dub of X-Men: The Animated Series
- Mr. X in Miracle Girls
- Mumkhar/Metal Face in Xenoblade Chronicles 1
- The Nabuu brothers in Ga-Rei -Zero-
- The shapeshifter Nagamimi in Requiem from the Darkness
- Nanagenie in Wizard Barristers
- The voice of the nanosuit OS in the Japanese version of Crysis
- The Narrator/Voice of Heavens in Hayate the Combat Butler
- The narrator of Seijuu Sentai Gingaman
- Narrator of the "Go-Driller" anime's previews in Tokimeki Memorial 2
- A Nevada sheriff in Golgo 13
- Neue Regisseur in Super Robot Wars: Original Generation and Super Robot Wars Impact. He also did Maier V. Branstein.
- Nikita Dragovich in the Japanese dub of Call of Duty: Black Ops
- Oda Nobunaga in the Sengoku Basara series
- Ode Iou and The Bountiful Heart in Live A Live (2022 remake)
- Coach Ohta in Gunbuster
- Oko San in the Hatoful Boyfriend Drama CD
- Onsokumaru in Ninja Nonsense
- Ooshima in Gokusen
- Oskar von Reuenthal in Legend of the Galactic Heroes
- The Owl in Wolf's Rain
- Commander Paul Radhabinod in Muv-Luv Alternative
- Philip Hughes in Mobile Suit Gundam Side Stories: The Blue Destiny
- Pipimi in Pop Team Epic Episode 3B
- The Principal, aka Shining Saotome, in Uta No Prince Sama
- Raiden (Christopher Lambert) in the Mortal Kombat: The Movie
- Renvolt Magashi in Phantasy Star Universe
- Robert T. Sturgeon in the Ninja Gaiden OVA
- Joe Hayabusa in the modern Ninja Gaiden games
- Rubicante in the DS version of Final Fantasy IV
- Shapiro Keats in Dancougar (First major villain role)
- Moon Will and Earth Will in Dancougar Nova
- Shiva in Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato. Who is a woman.
- Scarl in Cyborg 009 (2001 series)
- The Sclash Driver (and various later equipment) in Kamen Rider Build
- Scorpius in Moira
- Sekidousai in Inukami!
- Senbei in Ah! My Goddess
- Shaun Campbell in the Japanese dub of On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
- Shigemichi Morimoto in Soul Link
- Shredder (James Saito) in the Japanese dub of the first two live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies
- Shurara in Sgt. Frog
- Shuren in Fist of the North Star
- The narrator for Hokuto Musou
- Sou-Banchou, alias Kaoru Ichimonji, in Tokimeki Memorial 2
- The Stellar Spirit King in Fairy Tail
- Sukezaemon and Utsujin in the Hebereke series
- Susumu Sumeragi in Tsugumomo
- Taishakuten in RG Veda
- Taisou from Giant Robo: The Day The Earth Stood Still
- Tekkaman Omega in Tekkaman Blade
- The talking fish minstrel from episode 3 of Mononoke
- Titan in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
- General Tsao in the Japanese dub of Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
- Various characters in Sazae-san
- Vicious in Cowboy Bebop
- Victor Coste in the Splinter Cell series
- Victoream in Zatch Bell!
- Vince McMahon in the Japanese-dubbed WWE
- William Tockman (Robert Knepper) in Arrow
- General Winters Socalo in D.Gray-Man
- Woodchuck in Record of Lodoss War
- Xemnas in Kingdom Hearts
- The Yakuza with the white suit and sunglasses in Yarudora series vol.3: Sampaguita
- Yoshimitsu in SoulCalibur IV, replacing Nobuyuki Hiyama
- Youzou Torii in Oh! Edo Rocket
- Yusuke Amade In Sailor Moon
- Vampire Lord Zaharl and masked superman Gyallandou in Zwei 2
- Zarok in MediEvil: Resurrection
- Zeibu of the Mummy in Tensou Sentai Goseiger
- Zeikfried in Wild Arms Alter Code: F
- Overlord Zenon in Disgaea 2
- The narrator for the opening crawl in the original Disgaea: Hour of Darkness.
- The narrator in Zettai Hero Project
- Zodiark in Dragalia Lost
ALL HAIL BRRRRRRRITANNIA!!!
TSUBURERU! NAGARERU! AFUREDERU! BONYUU IN OPPAI! BURRRRAAAAAAAHHHH!!!
(pause)
If these tropers do not wish for the advent of oppai...I shall become a pettanko! ALL RETURNS TO NOTHING!!! OOOOOORRRRRAAAAAAAA!!!
Oppai and Pettanko... Preposterous. Which one does tropers desire? I shall give you the answer... ALONG WITH THE INDEXES!!!* *
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
Heaven's nest is wide. It may be coarse, but nothing passes through. Psycho Crusher!!!
AMEN!!!
TSUBURERU! NAGARERU! AFUREDERU! BONYUU IN OPPAI! BURRRRAAAAAAAHHHH!!!
(pause)
If these tropers do not wish for the advent of oppai...I shall become a pettanko! ALL RETURNS TO NOTHING!!! OOOOOORRRRRAAAAAAAA!!!
Oppai and Pettanko... Preposterous. Which one does tropers desire? I shall give you the answer... ALONG WITH THE INDEXES!!!* *
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
Heaven's nest is wide. It may be coarse, but nothing passes through. Psycho Crusher!!!
AMEN!!!
