Canadian voice actor Doc Harris, the original English-language narrator of the iconic Dragon Ball Z anime series, has died aged 76.
His death was confirmed by Canadian trade publication Broadcast Dialogue, which reported that he died at the Vancouver General Hospital on 5 October. Harris had undergone minor surgery last month.
Born Gilbert Achinleck on 3 August 1948, Harris started his career in Canadian radio stations long before he became the beloved narrator on Dragon Ball Z, the anime series based on the manga by Akira Toriyama.
Harris voiced over 200 episodes of the series between 1996 and 2003.
His first job as Gil Harris was at CKOM in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 1970, after which he worked at multiple radio stations in Sudbury, Hamilton, and Toronto under the name Doc Holliday. In 1973, he started at Vancouver station CKLG as Doc Harris, and then continued to foster a successful career in radio, working primarily in Vancouver stations.
Dragon Ball Z fans have posted tributes to Harris on X, remembering fondly his distinctive closing line on each episode: “Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z!”
“No Goku, no Vegeta, Buu finding Kami tower and Doc Harris delivering the most chilling ‘find out next time’ of my childhood, RIP legend!” one fan posted on X.
No Goku, no Vegeta, Buu finding Kami tower and Doc Harris delivering the most chilling ‘find out next time’ of my childhood, RIP legend! https://t.co/HdMhwJXYif pic.twitter.com/ay79zOzQSq
— LSF (@lsf_96_red) October 7, 2024
“Doc Harris was part of what made Dragon Ball so magical. His voice made an entire generation of anime fans hyped for every single episode. A legend,” posted another.
Doc Harris was part of what made Dragon Ball so magical. His voice made an entire generation of anime fans hyped for every single episode. A legend. https://t.co/GdMFsWrWVn
— Christian Chavez (@ChrisCinephile) October 7, 2024
Actor Ian James Corlett, who did the English voice for the character Goku on Dragon Ball Z in 1996-97 described Harris as “one of a kind” in a touching tribute on Instagram.
“Doc was a HUGE force in my early career. More than just a DH, he lived and breathed music. He also had a keen eye for movies,” Corlett wrote.
Harris also worked on other animated series like My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Barbie And The Rockers: Out Of This World, Monster Rancher, Eat-Man ’98, Sister Blue, and Camp Candy.
Today is a sad day for not only Dragonball fans but also fans of My Little Pony as Doc Harris has passed away
— Spooky Jeff (@WakkoKing) October 7, 2024
To fans of Dragonball, Doc was the original narrator for Dragonball Z
To fans of My Little Pony, Doc was the voice of "Grogar" in the final season of FiM #RIPDocHarris pic.twitter.com/vV02rzKwMB
Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama died earlier this year, aged 68.
