In My Hero Academia season 6, Shigaraki undergoes an incredibly dangerous procedure in which he receives all the Quirks stockpiled by the franchise’s overarching antagonist, All For One. As the successor to the Symbol of Fear, Shigaraki’s re-awakening poses one of the worst-case scenarios for the Heroes, and his ascension to the primary antagonist is an incredible journey. Here’s the run-down on the person behind a voice rapidly becoming synonymous with villainy, the talented Kōki Uchiyama, who voices Tomura Shigaraki and a host of other iconic anime characters.
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Origins
Kōki Uchiyama was born August 16, 1990, in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. His alma mater is Waseda University. He is currently affiliated with Himawari Theatre Group, and has been an active voice actor since 2003. The very next year after he received his first voice acting role, Uchiyama was cast as the voice of Soul Evans, one of the protagonists of the 2008 anime adaptation of Atsushi Okubo’s Soul Eater. He has won a few awards for his work, such as the Best Male Rookie award at the 5th Seiyū Awards, which were held in Tokyo in 2011, in addition to being lauded as one of the Best Voice Actors at the Tokyo Anime Awards in 2015, alongside Daisuke Ono (Erwin Smith, Attack on Titan). In addition to being a voice actor in various anime franchises, Uchiyama is also involved in voice acting for video games, featuring as various characters from a plethora of video game franchises like Kingdom Hearts; The Last of Us; Granblue Fantasy; Devil May Cry V and Genshin Impact.
Roles
Having been active in the scene for 15 years, Uchiyama has been cast in variety of productions, and was featured on the cast of various productions of significance; such as Hunter x Hunter, where he played the iconic role of the Chimera Ant King, Meruem; Haikyuu!, as Kei Tsukishima; Devilman: Crybaby as the series protagonist, Akira Fudo; JUJUTSU KAISEN as Toge Inumaki; Key Animation’s Charlotte as Yu Otosaka; Kimetsu no Yaiba: Demon Slayer as the spider demon Rui; the anime adaptation of SIU’s Tower of God WEBTOON as Khun Hachuling; The God of High School as Park Il Pyo the titular character of Yuri on Ice, Yuri Plisetsky, and also, Tomura Shigaraki from My Hero Academia. He has also played roles in series like Fairy Tail; Shiki; C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control; Barakamon; Amagi Brilliant Park; Nisekoi; Ping Pong – The Animation; Death Parade; The Ancient Magus’ Bride; Zombieland Saga; BLUELOCK; and numerous other roles. With the role of Shigaraki, Uchiyama has been a major antagonist in two major Shonen anime series, the protagonist of several kinds of anime from action to slice of life, to romance, with many roles in Shonen series.
Uchiyama has also appeared in various animated films, as well as Japanese dubbing for various movies since his debut in 2003, with his role as Riki Kuramoto in Momoko, Kaeru no Uta ga Kikoeru yo. (My Sister Momoko). He has appeared in a vast number of anime film titles, a long list including Hotarubi no Mori e; the UN-GO film project; The Anthem of the Heart; three Free! movies; Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time; Teasing Master Takagi-san: The Movie; as well as two Macross films, among other animated film projects. Uchiyama’s dubbing roles include that of Taylor Lautner’s character in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl; Journey to the Centre of the Earth; The Immortal Instruments: City of Bones; the Mr. Robot TV series; the critically acclaimed Parasite film, and many more.
Style
Uchiyama’s performance of My Hero Academia’s primary antagonist is reminiscent of the way he chose to depict Meruem from Hunter x Hunter. These antagonists have a few things in common, such as their incredible power; a detached, cold personality; leadership quality; and both inherit a legacy from a powerful but currently incapable parental figure. The coldness in the portrayal of both characters is one of Uchiyama’s most interesting qualities as a voice actor, as this performance is also apparent in the way he played Rui, the spider demon in the first season of Demon Slayer. Uchiyama’s voice is greatly suited to the depiction of young male characters of various personalities. His stellar performance as Shigaraki has helped make the character one of the most popular in the franchise. Evidence of Uchiyama’s versatility can be seen in how he could play Izumi Miyamura from Horimiya, an introverted, thoughtful and sweet high school boy in a shonen romance; an arrogant and incredibly narcissistic high school boy in Amagi Brilliant Park; a talented kuudere in Ping Pong and even the primary antagonist in a battle shonen.
Shigaraki Tomura
Uchiyama’s striking ability to breathe life into some of the My Hero Academia series’ biggest villain has been particularly exemplary, and the character’s cold, almost raspy voice matches his weathered appearance while also keeping his portrayal firmly rooted in his youth. The withdrawn Shigaraki’s deranged personality and lust for destruction are particularly chilling in Uchiyama’s recent performances in My Hero Academia season 6, as the character has undergone the biggest transformation since his introduction to the series. Upon awakening, Shigaraki engages in battle against Endeavor in a short but exciting bout that showcases two things: Shigaraki’s incredible power boost, and the strength of Uchiyama’s voice acting against the backdrop of the character’s iconic theme song, Symbol of Fear. Shigaraki’s calm and cold manner of speaking grant him an eerieness that, while a part of his character from the very beginning, is even more apparant in his reintroduction as the true antagonist of the series.
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