Ken Shiroyama, Voice of Ebizō in Naruto, Passes Away at 92

Ken Shiroyama, the veteran voice actor best known to Naruto fans as the voice of Ebizō, has passed away at the age of 92. He died of natural causes on April 15. His family held a private wake and funeral.

Shiroyama’s role as Ebizō, the wise elder from the Hidden Sand Village, left a quiet but lasting impact on the Naruto series. As the brother of Chiyo, Ebizō was a retired shinobi who once led the Puppet Brigade during the village’s war days. In Naruto Shippūden, he returned briefly to help during the crisis involving Gaara, showing the same calm and strategic mind he was known for in his prime.

He also voiced Genno, an old man who appeared in the original Naruto series under the guise of a harmless builder. The character’s story turned out to be much more than filler—Genno was a former enemy shinobi who had returned to Konoha to complete a long-standing plan. Shiroyama gave the character the tired, layered voice of someone carrying decades of grief.

Outside of anime, Shiroyama had a long career in voice work. He voiced Eustace in the Japanese dub of Courage the Cowardly Dog, bringing life to the grumpy, shovel-wielding old man. He also voiced Mike Novick in 24, and worked on Japanese versions of Rambo and From Dusk Till Dawn.

It had been several years since Shiroyama’s last credited role, but his voice is still familiar to many. His work wasn’t loud or showy, but it stuck with people. Whether as a war-hardened elder or a hidden threat in plain sight, he knew how to bring weight to a character.

Ken Shiroyama’s legacy lives on in the shows we grew up with—and in the quiet strength of the characters he portrayed. He will be missed.

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