Crunchyroll Releases Statement On Iconic Dragon Ball And One Piece Star's Passing

Published Sep 10, 2026, 2:25 PM EDT

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Following the news, Crunchyroll issued a touching statement remembering McFarland not simply as a performer, but as a valued colleague and friend. The company's words highlighted the impact he had on both the people who worked alongside him and the countless anime fans who became familiar with his distinctive performances throughout the years.

“Mike brought so much to all of us who knew him, and to all of the anime fans who knew his work. He was an incredible talent, a good friend to so many of us, and will be sorely, sorely missed.” - Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll Honors Mike McFarland's Lasting Impact

Crunchyroll said, “Mike brought so much to all of us who knew him, and to all of the anime fans who knew his work. He was an incredible talent, a good friend to so many of us, and will be sorely, sorely missed.” The statement captures why McFarland's death resonates particularly strongly within the English-dub community, where he was respected in several different roles.

McFarland's influence extended well beyond individual performances. He worked professionally as a voice actor, ADR director, script writer, and line producer, allowing him to contribute to anime productions from several sides of the recording and localization process. His directing credits included Attack on Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist, Dragon Ball, Case Closed, and several acclaimed anime films.

Among his directing work were the English-language productions of the Rebuild of Evangelion films, as well as Summer Wars, Wolf Children, The Boy and the Beast, and Eden of the East. That range shows how deeply McFarland was involved in the English anime industry, making Crunchyroll's description of him as an "incredible talent" about far more than his most recognizable characters.

Dragon Ball And One Piece Fans Will Remember Him

Custom image by Marcel Green

For Dragon Ball fans, McFarland became inseparable from Master Roshi, the eccentric Turtle School master who has remained an important part of the franchise since its earliest American releases. He also voiced Yajirobe and several other Dragon Ball characters, including Baby and Baby Vegeta in Dragon Ball GT, further cementing his connection to the long-running series.

One Piece gave McFarland another especially memorable role through his performance as Buggy the Clown. He also voiced Helmeppo and numerous additional characters, bringing his range to a series filled with wildly different personalities. His work became especially familiar to English-dub viewers who followed One Piece through its Funimation era and its growing international audience.

McFarland's résumé went far beyond those two franchises. He portrayed Jean Kirstein in Attack on Titan, Jean Havoc in both Fullmetal Alchemist adaptations, Gordon in Black Clover, Ojiro and Ectoplasm in My Hero Academia, and Amon in Tokyo Ghoul. His extensive credits explain why the loss has affected fans across so many different anime communities.

For longtime viewers, McFarland's legacy is tied to more than a list of credits. His performances became part of the English-language experience of beloved anime series, while his work behind the microphone helped shape the performances of other actors. Crunchyroll's tribute reflects a loss felt by both fans and fellow industry professionals who knew how much he contributed.