The Naruto Actors You Likely Forgot Voiced Characters On Star Wars Rebels
Masashi Kishimoto's "Naruto" series stands as one of the most famous manga titles to ever make it to print. From 1999 to 2014, readers were captivated by the story of Naruto Uzumaki: a young ninja with dreams of earning the mantle of Hokage in his home village of Konohagakure. Action and adventure riddled his path to glory, making his tale especially entertaining to read. At the same time, these twists and turns, coupled with an intriguing cast of characters, more than made "Naruto" the perfect project to adapt into a television series and later an extended franchise.
Come late 2002, "Naruto" had debuted on TV and almost immediately became a small screen hit. This popularity kept it around for a whopping 220 episodes before it reached its end in 2007, but the show has yet to disappear from popular culture. Thanks to streaming services like the anime-centric Crunchyroll, "Naruto" continues to rake in new viewers and keep previous ones rewatching. After all, there's plenty to enjoy out of it, ranging from its animation style to its plot, in addition to the voice acting work from those tasked with bringing the famed manga to life.
No matter which language you're watching it in, "Naruto" features some top-notch voice actors doing what they do best — some of which, specifically from the English dub, have even starred in the beloved animated series, "Star Wars Rebels," in some form or another.
Steve Blum
First and foremost is voice acting legend Steve Blum, who more than left his mark on the world of "Naruto" during his time within it. Zabuza Momochi, aka the Demon of the Hidden Mist, was his first main recurring character on the anime, followed by the Sannin Orochimaru. All the while, he performed the vocals for various other background characters, much like he'd end up doing when he signed the dotted line to work on "Star Wars Rebels" years after "Naruto" concluded.
Of the several "Naruto" actors that made the jump to a galaxy far, far away, Blum is undoubtedly the one who did so the longest. Throughout the entirety of "Star Wars Rebels," he took on the role of Garazeb "Zeb" Orellios: one of the last surviving Lasat who joins the Rebel Alliance's cause to take down the Empire. At the same time, Blum portrayed a handful of other heroes and villains, ranging from generic Imperial stormtroopers to Rebel leaders.
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
Similar to Steve Blum, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn certainly kept busy during her time on the "Naruto" cast list. Not only did she consistently voice the strong yet caring ninja Kurenai Yuhi from 2003 to 2006, but she also added several other recurring characters to her workload as well in that time. Shiore, Koharu Utatane, Katsuyu, and numerous other less-prolific faces occupy McGlynn's résumé alongside Yuhi — all of which set the actress up for a prosperous trip to the "Star Wars" galaxy that kicked off in 2016.
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn most famously played the ambitious Governor Arihnda Pryce beginning in the Season 3 episode "Steps Into Shadow: Part One." Though she'd stick with the Imperial figurehead for years to come, she didn't shy away from providing some additional background voices too. "The Antilles Extraction," "Zero Hour: Part 1," and "Secret Cargo" saw her voice multiple other side characters from all sides of the Galactic Civil War, somewhat expanding her overall "Rebels" footprint.
Yuri Lowenthal
Long before he became the titular webhead in the immensely popular Playstation 4 game "Spider-Man," Yuri Lowenthal was a regular on "Naruto." For 90 episodes, he voiced Sasuke Uchiha: one of the last remnants of the fabled Uchiha clan who makes it his personal mission to exact revenge on his brother, Itachi (Crispin Freeman), for killing its members off. Otherwise, he only played one of Gato's henchmen in the episode "The Demon in the Snow" from 2003.
As far as Yuri Lowenthal's "Star Wars Rebels" experience goes, it's not much to write home about at the end of the day. He featured in the aforementioned episode "Secret Cargo" as Gold Leader before promptly never showing up on the program ever again. On the bright side, the Gold Leader in question is none other than Y-wing pilot and Rebellion hero Jon "Dutch" Vander from "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope." Actor Angus MacInnes tried to put his own spin on the character first in the 1977 film, but Dutch sadly perished during the attack on the first Death Star.
Liam O'Brien
Liam O'Brien joined the "Naruto" fray in 2003 as the cold-blooded killer-turned-Kazekage, Gaara, and he stuck with the role for the next four years. Although, much like his co-stars, he broadened his horizons in no time at all. Shortly after debuting as Gaara, he took a crack at Kotetsu Hagane, and sure enough, he remained in that role until the series' end too. O'Brien offered his skills to the odd filler character along the way, but, compared to some of his contemporaries, he did so far less often.
Conversely, Liam O'Brien worked on a mere seven episodes of "Star Wars Rebels" yet wore a variety of hats in doing so. In his first installment, 2014's "Spark of Rebellion," alone, he portrayed supply master Yogar Lyste, Morad Sumar, and a nameless vendor. This trend of adopting more than one small part per episode would continue throughout the remainder of his "Rebels" run, save for the episode "Breaking Ranks." On this lone occasion, he voiced an unspecified commander only.
Andrew Kishino
Andrew Kishino didn't spend too long in the "Naruto" spotlight, only working on two total episodes. This brief run featured him as Toki: a member of the Shinobazu who used a drill-like device to attack his opponents and cause destruction to the battlefield. Despite his technological advancement, he couldn't overcome his own arrogance, hence why he met his end so quickly. Kishino did a fine job as Toki, but the nature of the role didn't give him a lot to work with. Thankfully, "Star Wars Rebels" proved a different story.
Not unlike "Naruto," "Rebels" only brought Andrew Kishino on for two episodes. However, the longtime Disney XD staple gave him plenty more to do over the course of "Heroes of Mandalore: Part 1" and "Heroes of Mandalore: Part 2." He got to play Mandalorian Captain Hark, one of the Mandalorian warriors under Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), an Imperial stormtrooper, and an Imperial transport driver. These may not be the deepest characters out there, but at least there's some variety.
Fred Tatasciore
Early on in the first season of "Naruto," viewers got well-acquainted with the voice acting skills of Fred Tatasciore. He stepped up to the task of playing the corrupt and violent businessman Gatō, doing so for seven total episodes. Gatō met his demise in "The Demon in the Snow" at the hands of Zabuza Momochi, thus ending Tatasciore's time on the anime. Nevertheless, he went on to continue his voice acting career, even landing himself a spot on "Star Wars Rebels."
Episode 15 of Season 2, titled "The Call," sent the "Rebels" crew to an Imperial mining facility to steal fuel. In doing so, they learn that the mining operation actively kills the harmless, whale-like purrgil for eating its necessary business resources. Thus, they decide to take a stand, putting themselves at odds with not only the Empire but the refinery's foreman, Yushyn. Tatasciore voiced the Moyn boss, as well as one of the guards at the facility.
Voice acting isn't an easy field to break into nor thrive in. For these individuals to land spots on two high-profile titles, "Naruto" and "Star Wars Rebels," it just goes to show how talented they are at their chosen profession.