When you hear that iconic, raspy growl—the kind that drips with pure arrogance and a weirdly charming superiority complex—you know exactly who it is. Vegeta. He’s the anti-hero who defined a generation of anime fans. But if you’ve ever sat through a marathon of Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Super, you might’ve noticed something. The voice shifts. It evolves.
So, who is the voice of Vegeta? Honestly, there isn’t just one answer. It depends entirely on whether you grew up watching the original Japanese broadcast, the early Saturday morning Ocean dub, or the definitive Funimation run that most of us associate with the character today.
Christopher Sabat is the name that usually pops up first. He’s the titan of the industry who has voiced the Prince of All Saiyans for over two decades. But before Sabat took the throne, there was Brian Drummond. And in Japan, the legendary Ryō Horikawa has held the role since the very beginning in 1989. It's a legacy built on gravelly tones and high-pitched screams of "Kakarot!"
The Era of Christopher Sabat: Redefining a Prince
Chris Sabat didn't just step into the recording booth and become Vegeta overnight. It was a process of trial and error during the Texas-based Funimation days. Back in the late 90s, when the production moved from Canada to Dallas, Sabat was basically tasked with imitating what had come before.
He was young. He was a bit of a "jack of all trades" at the studio. In fact, if you listen to the early episodes of the Captain Ginyu saga, Sabat’s Vegeta sounds remarkably different than the one we hear in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. It was more of a rough imitation of Brian Drummond’s high-pitched, sinister rasp.
Over time, Sabat made the character his own. He lowered the register. He added a certain weight to the dialogue that captured Vegeta’s transition from a genocidal maniac to a grumpy, protective father. It’s a performance that has earned him a permanent spot in the voice acting hall of fame. You can hear the exhaustion in his voice when Vegeta sacrifices himself against Majin Buu, a moment that remains one of the most emotional beats in anime history.
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Sabat also voices Piccolo, Yamcha, and about half a dozen other characters. It’s a Herculean feat of vocal cord endurance. He’s often joked in interviews about how screaming for hours as Vegeta can leave a person feeling physically drained, yet he keeps coming back. Why? Because the fans demand it. There is a specific grit to his delivery that feels synonymous with the Saiyan Royal bloodline.
The Ocean Dub and the Brian Drummond Legacy
We can't talk about Vegeta without mentioning the "Over 9000!" meme. That line—which actually originated as "Over 8000!" in the original Japanese script—was delivered by Brian Drummond.
Drummond was the voice of the Ocean Productions dub, which was many fans' first introduction to Dragon Ball Z via the Saban syndication. His Vegeta was different. It was colder. It had this theatrical, almost Shakespearean villainy to it. While Sabat’s Vegeta feels like a warrior who eventually finds his heart, Drummond’s version felt like a snake ready to strike.
It’s interesting to see how the community views this. Some purists still swear by the Drummond voice. It had a unique energy that felt slightly more alien. Eventually, the show grew too expensive to produce in Canada, leading to the shift to Texas.
However, the "Drummond vs. Sabat" rivalry is mostly a friendly one. In Dragon Ball Super, the producers even gave a nod to this history. During the "Copy-Vegeta" arc, they actually brought Brian Drummond back to voice the duplicate version of Vegeta. Seeing the two voices of the character literally fight each other was a massive "Easter egg" for long-time viewers. It was a rare moment of a studio acknowledging its own fractured history in a way that felt genuinely rewarding for the fans.
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Ryō Horikawa: The Original Japanese Legend
While English-speaking audiences argue over their favorite dub actor, in Japan, there is only one Vegeta: Ryō Horikawa.
Horikawa has been the voice since Vegeta first touched down on Earth in the 11th episode of Dragon Ball Z. His take on the character is fascinatingly different from the Western interpretations. In Japan, Vegeta is often portrayed with a certain "regal" air. Horikawa uses a specific type of Japanese speech that denotes high status, emphasizing Vegeta’s background as royalty.
Even as he aged, Horikawa’s voice remained remarkably consistent. Whether it’s the 1990s or 2026, he manages to hit those high-decibel screams without losing the character's core identity. He captures the "Tsundere" nature of Vegeta—that "tough on the outside, soft on the inside" trope—with a subtlety that is sometimes lost in translation.
Other Voices You Might Have Forgotten
- Milton James: He voiced Vegeta in the "Blue Water" dub, which aired in regions like Canada and the UK. It's a bit of a deep cut for most fans.
- Roger Rhodes: Another Blue Water regular who took over the role later on.
- Doug Rand: The voice behind the infamous "Big Green" dub. If you want a laugh, look up these clips; they are notoriously low-budget and unintentionally hilarious.
The Evolution of the Voice Directing
It isn't just about who is behind the mic. It’s about how they’re told to perform. In the early days, voice acting for anime was a bit like the Wild West. Actors were often told to just "sound tough."
As the industry matured, so did the performances. Voice directors like Sabat himself (who took on directing duties at Funimation) began to treat these characters with more psychological depth. They started looking at Vegeta not just as a guy who shoots lasers from his hands, but as a refugee of a destroyed planet dealing with massive trauma and an inferiority complex.
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This change is most evident in the "Final Atonement" scene. The way Sabat delivers the line, "Trunks, Bulma... I do this for you. And yes, even for you, Kakarot," shows a level of vulnerability that simply wasn't present in the early episodes. It's a masterclass in character development through vocal tone.
Why the Voice Matters So Much to the Fandom
Voice actors in the anime world are treated like rock stars. Go to any major comic convention, and the line for Chris Sabat will be wrapped around the building.
Fans feel a personal connection to these voices. For many, Sabat or Drummond was a constant presence during their childhood. The voice of Vegeta represents more than just a character; it represents a period of their lives. When a voice actor is replaced, it often causes a minor localized earthquake in the community. Luckily, for Vegeta fans, we’ve had incredible stability for the last two decades.
How to Get Started in Voice Acting (The Vegeta Way)
If you're inspired by the work of these actors, don't think it's just about having a deep voice. It's about acting.
Sabat has often given advice to aspiring performers: stop trying to "make a voice" and start trying to "be a person." The gravel in Vegeta’s voice isn't just for show; it’s a reflection of his personality. If you want to follow in these footsteps, here are some actionable steps:
- Take Acting Classes: Not voice acting classes—theatre classes. Learn how to project and how to find the emotional core of a script.
- Protect Your Instrument: Screaming like a Saiyan can destroy your vocal cords if you don't use proper technique. Learn "distorted singing" or "fry screaming" techniques used by metal vocalists to mimic the rasp without the damage.
- Build a Home Studio: You don't need a million dollars. A decent XLR microphone, an audio interface, and some acoustic foam in a closet are enough to start recording demos.
- Listen to Different Dubs: Study how Horikawa, Drummond, and Sabat approach the same scene. Notice the pauses. Notice where they breathe.
Understanding who is the voice of Vegeta is really about understanding the history of anime's growth in the West. It’s a story of a character that grew from a one-note villain into a complex father figure, guided by the voices of men who grew up alongside him. Whether you prefer the Canadian rasp or the Texan growl, the character remains one of the most compelling figures in fiction, thanks in no small part to the actors who gave him a soul.
Practical Next Steps:
- Watch the "Copy-Vegeta" episodes in Dragon Ball Super to hear Brian Drummond and Chris Sabat go head-to-head.
- Check out Ryō Horikawa’s YouTube channel (if you can navigate the Japanese) to see him perform lines live—it's impressive to see how he does it without any digital help.
- Research "Vocal Health for Actors" if you plan on imitating these voices for your own projects, as improper technique can lead to permanent nodules.