Rie Tanaka (born January 3, 1979) is one of the most well recognized voice actresses among the industry. Because her vocal talents allow her to voice a diverse range of characters, she is capable of playing the roles of subservient women, idealistic women, badass women, sadistic women, clueless kids, and Yomi. While she was initially not that well known early in her career (through Chobits), Mobile Suit Gundam SEED certainly shot her to extreme fame with her role as Lacus Clyne, one of the most popular characters in anime media. She gets to talk to herself in Chobits, SEED Destiny, and as a guest star in Hell Girl.
It has become something of a Running Gag for her characters to be bad at singing, despite her actually being a successful singer and her most famous role being an in-universe Idol Singer. To date, she has released four albums (Garnet, Kokoro, Chara de Rie and 24 Wishes). The latter two are compilations from her anime roles.
She was married to fellow voice actor Kōichi Yamadera but after six years of marriage, they divorced in 2018. Should not be mistaken for the gymnast of the same name
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She has a Youtube channel as of April 2019, and happens to be a Gamer Chick who streams herself playing Dark Souls. She also opened an Instagram account in December 2019.
Not related to Atsuko Tanaka, Minami Tanaka, Hideyuki Tanaka, Mayumi Tanaka. Yoshiki Tanaka and Kazunari Tanaka.
Notable roles by Rie Tanaka:
- Alice Bivorio Basskreigh in Cube×Cursed×Curious
- Alicia in Aquarion Evol
- Aphrodite in Record of Ragnarok
- Ariel in Dragalia Lost
- Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) in the Japanese dub of Ant-Man and the Wasp
- Ayaka Usami in Gravitation
- Bela Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village
- Bianchi AND Hibird AND Uri in Reborn! (2004)
- Cassie in the Japanese dub of Dragon Tales
- Chii and Freya in Chobits
- Chizuru Aizawa in Squid Girl
- Ciel of Mega Man Zero, who also sang the ending theme.
- Cinnamon in Rune Factory Frontier
- Darya Nikitina in Dr. STONE
- Duke of York in Azur Lane
- Elementalist (female) in Granado Espada
- Elinalise Dragonroad in Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
- Emina Hanaharu in Final Fantasy Type-0
- Eriko Futami in Kimikiss
- Haicma in Punishing: Gray Raven
- Hazuki Kawashibara in Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
- Helena and Toova in Another Eden
- Hikari Kujou/Shiny Luminous in Futari wa Pretty Cure MaX Heart
- Himeko Murata in the Japanese dub of Honkai Impact 3rd
- Himeko in Honkai: Star Rail
- Himegami in RDG: Red Data Girl
- Himiko in Onmyōji
- Ingrid and Isabel in Goddess of Victory: NIKKE
- Irene in Hexyz Force
- Kan-E-Senna, Garuda, Sophia, Sadu Dotharl, and Ameliance Leveilleur in Final Fantasy XIV
- A rare Video Game role: Karen Erra in Phantasy Star Universe. Rie also gets a weapon workshop named after her in game (the Rietanaka workshop), and is known to play the game online.
- Katherine "Kat" Manx in the Japanese dub of Power Rangers S.P.D.
- Ki and Sylphie in Namco × Capcom
- Kiara Sesshouin in Fate/EXTRA CCC and Fate/Grand Order (another character she has cosplayed as.)
- Kirie Fujou in The Garden of Sinners; she reunited with Kenichi Suzumura and Maaya Sakamoto in their first roles together since Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.
- Konoe A. Mercury/Nine the Phantom in BlazBlue (succeeding Ayumi Fujimura as of BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle due to indefinite hiatus)
- Koyomi "Yomi" Mizuhara in Azumanga Daioh
- Kumi Saiki in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
- Lacus Clyne & Meer Campbell in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny; Lacus is one of Rie's most famous roles, though she admitted at her appearance at the 2008 New York Anime Festival that it was the hardest role she played so far.
- Liang Qi in Canaan
- Lisa Minci in Genshin Impact
- LTLX 7000 and ZB-26 in Girls' Frontline
- Lucia in Fire Emblem Heroes
- Lula in Red Garden
- Maho Nishizumi in Girls und Panzer
- Maria in Hayate the Combat Butler
- Mariabell Crois in the Trails Series
- Mary in Identity V
- Mary and Isabella in Str.A.In.: Strategic Armored Infantry, although, unlike her other double roles, the two never interact.
- Masha Cassini in Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- Medoute and Zilva in Blaze Union
- Mera (Amber Heard) in the Japanese dub of Justice League
- Merribit Stapleton in Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
- Michiru Onigawara in MM!
- Mimori Mizuha in Blue Archive
- Minna in Strike Witches
- Minou in Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story
- Misaki Yamamoto in Hatsukoi Limited
- Mitsuru Kirijo in Persona 3 (cosplayed by herself here.)
- Morrigan Aensland in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, one of the rare instances where Yayoi Jinguji isn't assuming the role.(cosplayed by herself here◊.)
- Reprises it in Project × Zone
- Naeko Miike in Case Closed
- Neptune/Purple Heart in Neptunia. Heck, she even cosplayed as Purple Heart◊.
- Nomura-san in Higurashi: When They Cry Kai, who is a Suigintou Expy
- Nyx in Queen's Blade
- Octavia in Tears to Tiara and Aqua Pazza
- One in Drakengard 3
- Parasoul in the Japanese dub of Skullgirls
- Plum from the doujin game Elemental Battle Academy
- Princess Bubblegum in the Japanese dub of Adventure Time
- Queen Kane (Sylvia Hoeks) in the Japanese dub of See
- Rosetta in Granblue Fantasy
- Psycho Mother in Elemental Gimmick Gear
- Rui Akana and Kaede Suzukawa in Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter
- Saki in Steel Angel Kurumi & Steel Angel Kurumi 2
- Sakuya Izayoi in Musou Kakyou: A Summer Day's Dream
- Sammy in Time of Eve
- Saori (Soledad) and Mars in Pokémon
- Sayara Yamanobe in Mnemosyne
- Sei in Burst Angel
- Sharon Heim in Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse
- Shuri Kurosaki in Asura Cryin'
- Simca in Air Gear
- Sofia in Arte
- Suigintou in Rozen Maiden. Rie herself has cosplayed her.
- Throné Anguis in Octopath Traveler II
- Tomoe Marguerite in My-Otome
- Towa in D.N.Angel
- Treyni in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
- Valeriede in MementoMori: AFKRPG (also sings her Image Song in-character)
- Vell in Tales of Xillia 2
- Veronica in Guardian Tales
- The Virgo Zodiarts in Kamen Rider Fourze. Who is an inverted case of Samus Is a Girl.
- Vivian Wong in Yu-Gi-Oh!
- Xanthippe in The Girl Who Leapt Through Space
- Yuki-Onna in Nioh
- Yuri Koigakubo in Toradora!
Notable tropes related to her career
- Woman of a Thousand Voices: Lampshaded to the point where in Neptunia Victory, Neptune knows when she changes to Purple Heart when her voice changes. And when playing through said game, it's really that good when as a side-by-side comparison.
