Dragon Ball Z: Budokai

Few fighting games hit the way Dragon Ball Z: Budokai did in 2002. Developed by Dimps and published by Infogrames, it was the first Dragon Ball game to genuinely feel like you were playing through the anime, full story cutscenes, authentic transformations, and a roster of characters that fans had spent years dreaming about controlling. The Dragon Ball Z: Budokai voice actors were a huge part of what made it land so hard. Whether you grew up on the Funimation English dub or the original Japanese broadcast, the voices in this game were the voices you already had in your head. The Budokai cast brought Goku, Vegeta, Frieza, and the rest of the Z-Fighters to life in a way that no Dragon Ball game had managed before, and it set the standard every anime fighter chased afterward.

Who Voices Goku in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai?

Goku is the soul of Dragon Ball Z, relentlessly optimistic, absurdly powerful, and somehow more endearing the stronger he gets. He’s not the brooding hero type. He just loves fighting and food and his friends, in roughly equal measure, and that warmth is incredibly hard to fake. In the English dub, Sean Schemmel reprises his iconic role as Goku, a performance he’s maintained across decades of Dragon Ball media including Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball FighterZ. Schemmel’s Goku is all heart and raw energy, and his Super Saiyan scream has become one of the most recognizable sounds in gaming. In the original Japanese version, the legendary Masako Nozawa voices Goku, a role she has held since the original Dragon Ball series began in 1986. Nozawa also voices Gohan and Goten in the same game, a testament to her extraordinary range.

Who Voices Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai?

Vegeta is the most compelling character in the entire Dragon Ball Z roster, and almost everyone who has spent time with the series eventually admits it. The Prince of all Saiyans is prideful, ruthless, and quietly tortured by the fact that Goku always manages to surpass him. In English, Christopher Sabat voices Vegeta with the kind of seething, aristocratic contempt the character demands. Sabat is one of the most prolific voices in anime dubbing, also known for playing Roronoa Zoro in One Piece and All Might in My Hero Academia. On the Japanese side, Ryo Horikawa voices Vegeta, a career-defining role he has continued across every major Dragon Ball production. Horikawa is also known to anime fans as Reinhard von Lohengramm in Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Heero Yuy in Gundam Wing.

Who Voices Gohan in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai?

Teen Gohan is the version of the character that most fans consider the peak, the kid who finally surpasses his father during the Cell Saga and delivers one of the most cathartic moments in shonen history. His arc in the Budokai story mode captures that emotional journey well. Kyle Hebert voices Teen Gohan in the English dub, a role that launched him into the wider anime dubbing world. Hebert later became well known as the narrator of Dragon Ball Z and as Ryu in the Street Fighter series. In Japanese, Masako Nozawa once again steps in, voicing both child and teen Gohan alongside Goku.

Who Voices Frieza in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai?

No villain in Dragon Ball Z casts a longer shadow than Frieza. Calm, theatrical, and genuinely sadistic, he’s the first enemy who made the Saiyans look small, and the Namek saga remains one of the great anime arcs partly because of how effectively Frieza is written and performed. Linda Young voices Frieza in the English version of Budokai, delivering a purring, menacing performance that defined how Western audiences understood the character for years. In Japanese, Ryusei Nakao voices Frieza, and his high, elegant cruelty is widely regarded as one of the great villain vocal performances in anime history. Nakao also voices Caesar Clown in One Piece and Mayuri Kurotsuchi in Bleach.

Who Voices Cell in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai?

Cell is the rare villain who is genuinely fascinating on a conceptual level: a bio-engineered perfect being assembled from the DNA of the greatest fighters on Earth, who absorbs his way to power and then invites the world to try to stop him. Dameon Clarke voices Perfect Cell in the English dub, bringing a smooth, almost theatrical arrogance to the role that made Cell one of the most memorable antagonists in the game. Clarke is also known for playing Handsome Jack in Borderlands 2, one of gaming’s most celebrated villains. In Japanese, Norio Wakamoto handles Cell, and his booming, grandiose delivery is considered definitive by a huge portion of the fanbase.

Who Voices Piccolo in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai?

Piccolo starts the Dragon Ball Z story as a villain and ends it as one of the most respected mentors in the franchise. His arc with Gohan is the emotional backbone of the early series, and his dry, no-nonsense presence in Budokai’s roster feels like having an anchor in the chaos. Christopher Sabat pulls double duty and voices Piccolo in English alongside Vegeta, showcasing his versatility across completely different vocal registers. In Japanese, Toshio Furukawa voices Piccolo, a role he has carried since 1989. Furukawa is also known to longtime anime fans as Ataru Moroboshi in Urusei Yatsura and Portgas D. Ace in One Piece.

Who Voices Krillin in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai?

Krillin is the human heart of Dragon Ball Z: proof that you can belong on a team full of godlike aliens even when you’re outclassed, as long as you refuse to quit. He’s funny, loyal, and consistently braver than he has any right to be. Sonny Strait voices Krillin in the English dub, a warmly comedic performance that captures his underdog spirit perfectly. Strait is also known for voicing Usopp in One Piece and Maes Hughes in Fullmetal Alchemist. In Japanese, Mayumi Tanaka voices Krillin, and her energetic, instantly recognizable style has defined the character for Japanese audiences for decades. Tanaka is equally iconic as the voice of Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece.

Who Voices Trunks in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai?

Future Trunks arrives in Dragon Ball Z like a lightning bolt: a mysterious stranger from another timeline who drops in, effortlessly defeats Frieza, and then disappears before anyone can process what just happened. His mystique is a big part of what made him such a fan favourite. Eric Vale voices Future Trunks in the English dub, giving him a cool, measured intensity that suits the character’s tragic backstory. Vale is also well known as Sanji in One Piece. In Japanese, Takeshi Kusao voices Trunks, a role the actor has reprised across nearly every Dragon Ball game and film since the character’s debut.

Why Voice Acting Makes Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Special

What separates Budokai from the Dragon Ball games that came before it is commitment. Dimps and the production team went back to the original voice casts on both sides of the Pacific and built a game that sounded like the anime. The Dragon Ball Z: Budokai voice actors weren’t providing generic game dialogue; they were continuing performances that had already run for hundreds of episodes. That continuity is felt in every special move callout and story scene. Sean Schemmel and Christopher Sabat on the English side, Masako Nozawa and Ryo Horikawa on the Japanese side: these are the definitive voices of these characters, and hearing them in an actual playable game in 2002 was genuinely thrilling. Budokai proved that a licensed anime fighter could respect its source material, and the cast deserves enormous credit for that.

If you have never played the original Budokai and grew up watching Dragon Ball Z on Cartoon Network, tracking it down is worth every effort. The voices alone will take you straight back.

No characters found for this video game.