Legendary voice actress Wakana Yamazaki, who played Akane in the Japanese versions of 'Ninja Gaiden' and 'Dead or Alive', passed away at the age of 61.
Ryu Hayabusa may be the star of the Ninja Gaiden series, but there's always one character that gets a little more love from fans. This is Ayane. Ayane actually debuted in the Dead or Alive series, appearing as an unlockable character in the first game, but she later became inseparable from the series when she appeared in Ninja Gaiden.
In the Japanese versions of Ninja Gaiden and all Dead or Alive games, Ayane was lovingly brought to life by voice actress Wakana Yamazaki, who stuck with the character from the beginning. Today, it was announced that Mr. Yamazaki sadly passed away last month at the young age of 61.
Ayane's voice actor, Wakana Yamazaki, has sadly passed away.
Yamazaki also voiced Mori Ran in the Detective Conan series.
As Crunchyroll reported, the news of Yamazaki's death was confirmed through the official website of Aoni Production, the voice actor's agency. The statement said Yamazaki had been receiving treatment for the illness for some time but passed away last month on April 18 “despite all efforts to save her.”
Akira Toriyama may be gone, but his work will live on forever.
The world has lost one of the greatest creative minds in history.
Our company's actor Wakana Yamazaki (61) passed away on April 18, 2026, despite all efforts while receiving treatment for an illness. We are deeply grateful for the kindness she showed during her life, and it is with sincere respect that we announce her death.
Yamazaki's mortuary and funeral were held privately, with only close family members in attendance, in accordance with the wishes of the bereaved family. Team Ninja issued a statement on its official Twitter account saying it was “very saddened” to hear the news of Yamazaki's death and “we will pray for her eternal peace.”
Yamazaki's death is incredibly sad, especially at such a young age, but at least we got the chance to voice Ayane one last time during the character's brief appearance in Ninja Gaiden 4. It's currently unclear whether Yamazaki has recorded any voice lines for the upcoming Dead or Alive game, which was recently revealed.
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