Tōru Ōhira
Tōru Ōhira (大平 透, Ōhira Tōru, September 24, 1929 – April 12, 2016) was a Japanese narrator and voice actor from the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. He was the founder of Ōhira Production and was also attached to 81 Produce. One of his best-known roles was the dub voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars, on the series' home video releases and playing the title character Moguro Fukuzō in the original The Laughing Salesman.
Also recorded as Toru Ohira · Touru Ouhira · Oohira Tooru
Tōru Ōhira
- Name
- Tōru Ōhira
- Born
- 24 September 1929
- Birthplace
- Tokyo, Japan
- Died
- 12 April 2016
- Occupation
- * Narrator
- Nationality
- Japan · Empire of Japan
- Honours
- Seiyu Awards Merit Award · Synergy Award
- Languages
- Japanese
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Tōru Ōhira (大平 透, Ōhira Tōru, September 24, 1929 – April 12, 2016) was a Japanese narrator and voice actor from the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. He was the founder of Ōhira Production and was also attached to 81 Produce. One of his best-known roles was the dub voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars, on the series' home video releases and playing the title character Moguro Fukuzō in the original The Laughing Salesman.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Tōru Ōhira. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q2915317 · wikipedia · Tōru Ōhira
In this article
Biography
Biography
He was also known for his many narration roles, most notably in the Super Sentai series.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Tōru Ōhira • Native Name — 大平 透 • Born — 24 September 1929 • Birthplace — Tokyo, Japan • Died — 12 April 2016 • Occupation — * Narrator • voice actor • Years Active — 1952–2015
Overview
Overview
Ōhira was a very influential figure in the dubbing industry during the Shōwa period. After graduating from Tokyo Metropolitan University Jōnan Senior High School (in which he was also the supervisor of the school's volleyball team), he went on to graduate from the Meiji University Department of Political Science and Economics. In 1954, he joined the Nippon Broadcasting System, in which he became an announcer and producer. In 1955, with the opening of the Tokyo Broadcasting System, he enlisted in its theatrical company. He left the company in 1958 to become a voice artist. His breakthrough performance was the dubbing voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars series. He reprised this role for Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and a crossover appearance in Soulcalibur IV- notable because the game was originally in Japanese, meaning that Ōhira was Vader's "original" voice in the game, unlike with the films. In addition, he was usually cast in either astringent villain roles or gag characters, such as Pete in Disney cartoons. He was also a close friend of Kyosen Ōhashi, and the mentor of Shirō Yasutomi. On April 12, 2016, Ōhira died from pneumonia at the age of 86. As his last will, he requested Tesshō Genda to replace him as the voice of Moguro Fukuzō.
Television animation
Television animation
• Oraa Guzura Dado (1967) (Guzura) • The Genie Family (1969) (Hakushon Daimaō) • Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (1972) (Doctor Kozaburo Nambu) • Dash Kappei (1981) (Seiichiro) • Mirai Keisatsu Urashiman (1983) (Gondo) • Osomatsu-kun (1988) (Dekapan) • The Laughing Salesman (1989) (Fukuzō Moguro) • Steal Napoleon's Dictionary! (1991) (Hēkā) • One Piece (2000) (Gaimon) • A Little Snow Fairy Sugar (2001) (Luchino) • PaRappa the Rapper (2001) (Milk Man episode 20) • Basilisk (2005) (Tokugawa Ieyasu) • Save Me! Lollipop (2006) (Grandfather) • Ojarumaru (2009) (Denbo Shijiyourou)
Theatrical animation
Theatrical animation
• The Littlest Warrior (1961) – Mok • Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo (1978) – Stuckey • Be Forever Yamato (1980) – Führer Skulldard • Cyborg 009: Legend of the Super Galaxy (1980) – Zoa • Doraemon: Nobita and the Winged Braves (2001) – Cyclid • Doraemon: Nobita in the Wan-Nyan Spacetime Odyssey (2004) – President
Video games
Video games
• Year — Title — Role — Console — Source • 2001 — Sakura Taisen 3 ~Pari wa Moeteiru ka?~ — Duke Calmar • 2001 — Stupid Invaders — Gorgious Klatoo — Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows • 2002 — Space Channel 5: Part 2 — President Peace — Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, Steam, Microsoft Windows • 2002 — Kingdom Hearts — Mayor of Halloween Town — PlayStation 2 • 2005 — Kingdom Hearts II — Pete, Mayor of Halloween Town — PlayStation 2 • Soulcalibur IV — Darth Vader — PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 • Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes — Hakushon Daimaō • 2009 — Kingdom Hearts Coded — Pete — NTT docomo • Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep — Pete — PlayStation Portable • 2010 — Kingdom Hearts Re:coded — Pete — Nintendo DS • 2012 — Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance — Pete, Julius — Nintendo 3DS • 2014 — Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX — Pete — PlayStation 3 • Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (Saint Germain) • White Knight Chronicles (Gamarone)
Tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
• Ninja Buttai Gekko (1964) as Narrator • Spectreman (1971) as Chief Kurata • Ambassador Magma (Goa) (body and voice) • Spider-Man (1978-1979) as Narrator • Super Sentai Series • Himitsu Sentai Gorenger (1975-1977) (Narrator) • JAKQ Dengekitai (1977) (Narrator) • Battle Fever J (Narrator) • Denshi Sentai Denziman (Narrator) • Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan (Narrator) • Dai Sentai Goggle Five (Narrator) • Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (Narrator) • Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (Narrator) • Chōriki Sentai Ohranger (Emperor Bacchus Wrath (eps. 1 - 16, 18 - 23, 26, 27, 29 - 31, 33, 34, 39 & 40)) • Metal Hero Series • Uchuu Keiji Shaider (Narrator) • 3 Space Sheriff Special Crossover (Narrator) • Kyojuu Tokusou Juspion (Narrator) • Jikuu Senshi Spielban (Narrator) • Sekai Ninja Sen Jiraiya (Narrator) • Kidou Keiji Jiban (Narrator)
Live-action
Live-action
• Telly Savalas (TV Asahi) • Battle of the Bulge • Kelly's Heroes • Capricorn One • A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Teddy) • Adventures in Dinosaur City (Big) • Adventures of Superman (Superman) • Batman (1992 TBS Dub) (The Joker (Jack Nicholson)) • Cats & Dogs (Presiding Judge Dog) • Coogan's Bluff (Lieutenant McElroy (Lee J. Cobb)) • Django (1980 TV Tokyo edition) (Major Jackson (Eduardo Fajardo)) • Fantasia 2000 (Quincy Jones) • The French Connection (Alain Charnier) • French Connection II (Alain Charnier) • Master of the Flying Guillotine (Fung Sheng Wu Chi) • Mission: Impossible (1999 Fuji TV edition) (The Voice on Tape) • The NeverEnding Story (1987 TV Asahi edition) (Rockbiter (Alan Oppenheimer)) • Patton (George S. Patton (George C. Scott)) • Project A (Governor-general) • Some Like It Hot (Agent Mulligan (Pat O'Brien)) • Superman (Jor-El (Marlon Brando)) • Star Wars series (Darth Vader (James Earl Jones); home video versions), Boss Nass (Brian Blessed)) • Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
Animation
Animation
• The Flintstones (Fred Flintstone) • Monsters, Inc. (Henry J. Waternoose) • The Nightmare Before Christmas (Mayor) • Secret Squirrel (Yellow Pinkie) • Space Goofs (Gorgious Klatoo) (Danny Mann) • The Simpsons (Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta)) • Productions for the Walt Disney Company (Pete) • A Goofy Movie • An Extremely Goofy Movie • House of Mouse
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1929
Tōru Ōhira born at Ota.
2016
Tōru Ōhira died at Tokyo.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Ota.
Birth place
Tokyo.
Death place
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.giantmonstermovies.com.
- 2.Yomiuri Shimbun.
- 3.Doi, Hitoshi. Search results for "大平 透" in ALL database. Hitoshi Doi's Seiyuu Database.
- 4.Toru Ohira - 44 Character Images. behindthevoiceactors.com.
- 5.GamePlaza-HARUKA-. 声優さん出演リスト 個別表示:銀河万丈(Toru Ohira). Voice Artist Database.
- 6.A.I. The Cinema.
- 7.Star Channel.
- 8.Zeque Productions.
- 9.Star Channel.
- 10.Star Channel.
- 11.Star Channel.
- 12.Disney.
- 13.Disney.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,604 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Torsten BergströmPerson
- Tōru EmoriPerson
- Tōru FuruyaPerson
- Tōru MurakawaPerson
- Tōru ŌkawaPerson
- Tory BelleciPerson
- Tory KittlesPerson
- Tory LanePerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Tōru Ōhira?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.