Star Wars Episode 3 Japanese Dub Work May 2026

In the original English version, Hayden Christensen delivered a nuanced, whiny, yet tortured performance. For the Japanese dub, they cast Hikaru Midorikawa, a seiyuu famous for playing cool-headed heroes (Heero Yuy in Gundam Wing, Zelgadis in Slayers). Midorikawa’s approach was revolutionary. He didn’t try to sound like Christensen. Instead, he emphasized Anakin’s arrogance and volcanic rage.

In English, Anakin’s "I HATE YOU!" is screamed with raw, animalistic rage. It is the scream of a monster.

In Japanese, Kusunoki delivers:

"Nikushimi da!" (Hatred!)

It is guttural. It sounds like he is vomiting the emotion. The line reading is less about the volume and more about the texture of the voice. It sounds like a dying man trying to curse the last person who cares for him. It reinforces the theme of the scene: Anakin is not just angry; he is destroying the last part of his humanity by hating the only person who ever truly loved him.

| Character | English VA | Japanese VA | |-----------|------------|--------------| | Anakin Skywalker | Hayden Christensen | Hoshi Sōichirō (his regular JP dub voice from Ep2 & 3) | | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Ewan McGregor | Miki Shin’ichirō | | Padmé Amidala | Natalie Portman | Ito Miki (Ep2 & 3) | | Palpatine / Sidious | Ian McDiarmid | Yanada Kiyoyuki (later also voiced him in Rebels) | | Yoda | Frank Oz | Nagata Atsuo (consistent across prequels) | | Mace Windu | Samuel L. Jackson | Nakata Jōji | | C-3PO | Anthony Daniels | Ikeda Masashi (prequel trilogy) | | R2-D2 | (beeps) | (same effects, no dubbing) | | General Grievous | Matthew Wood | Chō (Katsumi Chō) | | Darth Vader (voice) | James Earl Jones | Genzō Wakayama (for Vader’s helmet voice; note: the suit actor voice is still layered) |

Note: Some actors changed between Ep1 and Ep2/3 (e.g., young Anakin in Ep1 was dubbed by Yuki Kaida). The Ep3 cast is consistent with Ep2. star wars episode 3 japanese dub work

By the time of Episode III, the Japanese dub had established its own legends. The late Masane Tsukayama as Darth Vader (and his physical portrayal as Anakin post-suit) had already defined the character for a generation. His deep, resonant koshi (lower belly voice) carries a regal menace distinct from James Earl Jones’s booming baritone. Tsukayama’s Vader is less a Western monster and more a fallen shogun—a tragic aristocrat bound by his own code.

Conversely, Toshio Furukawa as Anakin Skywalker delivered one of the most lauded performances in the film. Famous as the voice of Piccolo (Dragon Ball Z) and Kai Shiden (Mobile Suit Gundam), Furukawa brought a raw, almost kabuki-style anguish to Anakin’s turn. The infamous “Padmé, you’re so… beautiful” scene becomes, in Furukawa’s hands, a chillingly unstable whisper of possessive obsession. His scream when Vader is told he killed Padmé is often cited by Japanese fans as “more devastating than the original.”

For global audiences, the sound of Darth Vader’s first mechanical breath or Obi-Wan’s final, heartbroken “You were the chosen one!” is defined by the original English performances. But in Japan, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) represents a unique cultural and linguistic phenomenon. The Japanese dub—or fukikae—is not merely a translation; it is a masterclass in reimagining George Lucas’s operatic tragedy through the lens of jidaigeki (period drama) and anime voice acting tradition. "Nikushimi da

If you want to experience the Star Wars Episode 3 Japanese dub work for yourself, you have several options:

When Revenge of the Sith arrived in Japanese theaters in 2005, it carried not just the weight of the prequel trilogy’s climax, but also the expectations of a dedicated anime and voice-acting fandom. The Japanese dub—produced by Disney’s Japan division (under their local distribution partnership at the time)—stands as a masterclass in matching emotional intensity, cultural nuance, and lip-sync precision.