Mike McFarland, the esteemed English voice actor best known for voicing Master Roshi in Dragon Ball Z and the egotistical pirate Buggy in One Piece, has died. He was 56.
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McFarland has been battling brain cancer for several years and had a "tennis ball-sized" tumor removed in January 2025.
The beloved voice actor was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of malignant brain cancer.
All glioblastomas are classified as grade 4 tumors, meaning they contain the most abnormal-looking cells and grow rapidly.
Glioblastoma symptoms include headaches, seizures and changes in mood and behavior. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the disease, and the median length of survival after a diagnosis is 15-18 months.
Mike McFarland Voiced Several Iconic Roles
Throughout his storied career, McFarland did voice work for some of the world's biggest anime series. This includes his role as Jean Kirstein in Attack on Titan, Mashirao Ojiro in My Hero Academia, Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist, Master Roshi in Dragon Ball, Buggy in One Piece and Koutarou Amon in Tokyo Ghoul, among others.
McFarland voiced Master Roshi for roughly 28 years, beginning in 1997.
In addition to his acting career, McFarland was a skilled ADR director, writer, and line producer.
According to his LinkedIn, McFarland attended The University of Texas at Arlington between 1990 and 1997. There, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music, Theater, and Business.
Anime Community Mourns Mike McFarland
After McFarland's death, hundreds of heartbroken anime fans began paying tribute to the late voice actor.
"Thank you for everything you taught us, Master Roshi. Rest now," an Instagram user wrote.
"Tough year, even tougher loss," another replied.
"Damn, this one hurts," someone commented.
"We lost our second Master Roshi within a single year after Michael Donovan passed away this March. I'm at a loss for words. Thank you for being such a memorable part of my childhood. Rest in peace, Mike," Anime Updates wrote on X.
"Rest in peace. Too many people are passing lately," a social media user replied, referring to the recent string of celebrity deaths.
McFarland is survived by his brother, Chris McFarland.
