However, the most valuable voice actors are those who can adapt to play almost any character. Versatility is an extremely valuable quality in the industry, often valued even more than distinction.

It takes a lot of talent to voice two characters with completely different intonations and speech patterns without the audience realizing they’re being played by the same person. The impressive range of these versatile anime voice actors makes playing any role seem as easy as pie.

10. Houko Kuwashima

Since beginning her incredibly prolific career in the mid-90s, industry veteran Houko Kuwashima has voiced every possible character archetype her already impressive range could allow. Somehow, each of Kuwashima’s performances is distinct and compelling, as she’s equally good at portraying young boys, strong and assertive heroines, and petite sweethearts.

Medusa Gorgon of Kuwashima in Soul Eater is menacing and domineering, the stoic and emotionless Kasane Kujiragi in It lasted!! It sounds decidedly hard-hearted, and even a male character as unorthodox as the titular hero of Kaiba comes to life through your talent.

9. Daisuke Ono

Daisuke Ono is typically associated with voicing pretty boys with a slightly sinister edge, thanks to his most popular performances as Sebastian Michaelis in Black Butler and Itsuki Koizumi in Haruhi Suzumiya. Despite the similarities between these characters, Ono has one of the most inspiring ranges when it comes to voicing male characters.

Ono can seamlessly transition between the commanding voice of Attack on Titan Erwin Smith, the enraged screams of Durarara!!'s Shizuo Heiwajima, and the collected tone of Kuroko's Basket's Shintarou Midorima. Ono's diverse vocal range shines most when he expresses harsh, unbridled emotions, whether he's attacking to the death as Commander Smith or berating Izaya on the streets of Ikebukuro as Shizuo.

8. Tsubasa Yonaga

Part of the industry's new generation of seiyuu, Tsubasa Yonaga has already established himself as an actor with a likable range in the short time since his debut in 2006. His high-pitched voice is perfect for playing younger teenagers, such as Mitsuki Izumi in IDOLiSH7 and Sangaku Manami in Yowamushi Pedal.

However, Yonaga's repertoire is not limited to energetic boys, as he equally impresses in darker roles, playing Tsutomu Komano in Chihayafuru and Teiichi Niiya in Dusk Maiden of Amnesia. Most impressively, Yonaga is one of the few male seiyuu who became the voice of a female character—Sanrio Kirimi-chan's mascot.

7. Miyuki Sawashiro

Famous for appearing in a surprising number of anime, video games, and Japanese dubs, Miyuki Sawashiro was initially considered a sweet moe girl, thanks to her breakthrough role as Puchiko in To install Di Gi Charat. However, its potential was far greater than a single niche archetype.

Throughout his prolific career, Sawashiro voiced the sensual Shion Karanomori in Psycho-Pass brave tomboy Kanbaru Suruga in Bakemonogatari, and even the soft-spoken but ruthless Kurapika in hunter x hunter. Despite the discovery of her impressive range, Sawashiro continued to enjoy playing the occasional moe girl, starring as Sinon in Sword Art Online II and Izuna Hatsuse in No Game No Life.

6. Daisuke Namikawa

Daisuke Namikawa is a multi-talented seiyuu who performs equally convincingly as mysterious and menacing villains, hot-headed daredevils, and goofy comic relief sidekicks. Finding out that hunter x hunter Hisoka, Haikyuu!! Oikawa, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean's Anasui, and Demon Slayer with Haganezuka are all voiced by the same person, which comes as a justifiable shock to most fans.

Identifying Haganezuka in a role is extremely difficult. Even characters with seemingly similar personalities, such as Nobunobu from Gintama and Ryuo Sukuna from Kamisama Kiss– both proud idiots of noble birth – sound nothing alike when voiced by a talent as versatile as Namikawa.

5. Rie Tanaka

Arguably the most well-known seiyuu in the voice acting industry, Rie Tanaka has made a name for herself voicing an extensive roster of female characters of all temperaments. Her breakthrough role as the idealistic and headstrong Lacus Clyne in Mobile Suit Gundam Seed and an equally naive and childish Chii in Chobits did not affect her future artistic expansion into a varied range of heroines.

Tanaka appears angry and threatening as he expresses Rose Maiden Suigintou puts convincing seriousness and loving warmth into Maria's voice in Hayate, the Combat Butler, and captures the facade of competence and maturity that Koyomi Mizuhara exudes in Azumanga Daiou. In addition to a prolific voice acting career, Rie Tanaka is a successful singer, even though the characters she plays are notorious for lacking musical talent.

4. Kenichi Suzumura

A veteran seiyuu in his late 50s, Kenichi Suzumura is still famous for his cheeky, youthful voice, perfect for playing eccentric and self-assertive characters. Most would recognize it as his most typical performance in Gintama Okita Sougo, a rowdy and sadistic teenager with an expressionless speech. However, Suzumura's repertoire is not limited to shy young people.

Suzumura also excels in capturing Obanai Iguro's suspicious and reserved personality in Demon Slayer, Mikiya Kokutou's kindness in The Garden of Sinners and Katai Tayama's anxious nature in Bungou Stray Dogs. Despite still often being considered a specific character archetype, Kenichi Suzumura knows how to bring variety and uniqueness to each of his roles.

3. Haruka Tomatsu

A seiyuu and idol singer beloved for her rich, melodic, and impressively flexible voice, Haruka Tomatsu is most notable for voicing iconic characters such as Zero Two in Darling in the FranXX  and Asuna in Sword Art Online. Her unique ability to successfully transition between a cocky, self-assured tone and a softer, more vulnerable intonation made her perfect for playing tsunderes and heroines with big but fragile egos, including Anohana Andre, Shiki Megumi, and My Little Monster Shizuku.

Tomatsu's most impressive performance, which demonstrates just how good she is at controlling and manipulating her voice, is the gender-swapped version of Gintoki in Gintama. Tomatsu managed to recreate the unique intonations of the character's male voice actor with surprising similarity, highlighting his talent.

2. Jun Fukuyama

Now recognized as one of the most versatile actors in the industry, Jun Fukuyama has had an unorthodox career story. His rocky road to success began with Fukuyama being typecast as simple, unassuming heroes, none of which brought him much fame. However, all that changed when Fukuyama got his chance to shine as the manipulative mastermind Lelouch in Code Geass.

Finally recognized for his range of talents, Fukuyama began taking on increasingly varied and unconventional roles. He starred as the hilariously off-putting Korosensei in Assassination Classroom, the seductive Grell Sutcliff in lack Butler, stoic and competent Kraft Lawrence in Spice and Wolf, and even the mysterious mad scientist Shinra Kishitani in It lasted!!

1. Tomokazu Sugita

Sometimes, a seiyuu’s versatility is defined not by how many character archetypes they can portray, but by their ability to express each role with a surprising variability of impressions, emotions, and tones. In terms of making each character uniquely alive and expressive, there is no one as talented as Tomokazu Sugita.

Most famous for his role as Gintama good-for-nothing samurai protagonist Gintoki, Sugita inflicts his hero with myriad emotions, effortlessly playing the role in both the silliest and most serious manner. Most of his notable performances, in JoJo Bizzare Adventures with Joseph Joestar and Haruhi Suzuki Kyon are heroes with a thousand faces, and Sugita excels at capturing their multifacetedness.