T5W#276-Top 5 Kirby Morrow Anime Roles

Normally around this time, the day before Thanksgiving, I usually do a Top 5 list of the things related to Anime that I’m most thankful for. Last week, however, the Anime community received sad news of the passing of one of the most celebrated voice actors in the Anime industry.  Kirby Morrow is a name that has resonated with fans for decades thanks to the roles he took in the early 2000’s, some of who were our first Heroes of Anime.  I for one am thankful I was able to recognize his voice, his talent and the characters he brought into my life.  And for that alone, the man deserves a Top 5 list today.  We’ll miss you Kirby…always…here are my Top 5 Kirby Morrow Anime Roles.

#5-Teru Mikami (Death Note)

Mikami appears during the second half of Death Note as a secret, devout follower of Kira, one who Light Yagami trusts to be his death hand to keep the Kira Task Force off of his scent.  For the most part, Kirby plays this role with his usual calm confidence.  Mikami is elated to be part of The Grand Design of Kira and cant help but praise his brilliance through great inner dialogues. His best moment, however, is that much like his fellow Gundam Wing co-star, Brad Swaile, as Light Yagami, Kirby got to deliver one seriously amazing breakdown and death scene for Mikami during the epic series finale.  Racing from one end of the emotional spectrum to the extreme other, that’s the power of a great actor.

 

#4-Billy Katagiri (Mobile Suit Gundam 00 & Mobile Suit Gundam 00: The Movie-A Wakening of the Trailblazer)

Kirby Morrow provided life to many characters in the Gundam pantheon (you know we’ll get to his most prominent one on this list soon).  One of those was Billy Katagiri from Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and the movie follow up, A Wakening of the Trailblazer.  Not playing a straight up military man or combat expert, Kirby got to flex some scientific know how as Billy, providing the technobabble that only a pro who worked on Star Trek (or in Kirby’s case Stargate Atlantis) could pull off.  We also got to see a darker side to Billy during the shows second half after a sudden betrayal and Billy in a more nervous position when he becomes the object of another characters affections in Trailblazer.  Billy is probably Kirby’s most emotionally diverse character in the Gundam universe.

 

#3-Van Fanel (The Vision of Escaflowne & Escaflowne: The Movie-A Girl in Gaea)

While The Vision of Escaflowne got a complete redub with Funimation (due to new footage being included in the Blu Ray release), the OG cast of that show is still the one I always hear whenever the show or the movie plays.  Kirby Morrow as Lord Van Fanel of Fanelia is one of those iconic voices.  He captures the uncertaintiy and hard headed stubbornness of Van perfectly.  Plus, Escaflowne has a nice helping of giant robots clashing with swords and Kirby’s an expert when it comes to young men piloting giant robots and the turmoil that can they can take from it.  Whether it’s wildly running into battle or fighting to express his emotions to Hitomi, Kirby can handle the fiery prince in both the TV Series and The Movie.

 

#2-Miroku (Inuyahsa, Inuyasha Movies 1-4, Inuyasha: The Final Act & Yashahime: Princess Half Demon)

Miroku might be Kirby’s longest role of this career.  His tenure as the lecherous monk with a black hole in his hand began in 2002 and he returned to the role twice: once in 2010 for The Final Act aka the final season of the original series; and for one last round in the first episode of Yashahime, which makes it even harder to believe that this was the last time a lot of people heard his voice before he passed.  Miroku is a character who always has Inuyasha’s back and his love story with Sango is one for the ages, as much as Inuyasha and Kagomes.  And I’m so happy it was Kirby behind the voice of Miroku during his entire English Dub career…it’ll be strange hearing someone else take over if his character reappears in Yashahime.

 

#1-Trowa Barton (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing & Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz)

This is where I first heard the voice of Kirby Morrow and it was attached to a character who seldomly spoke but when he did, you always paid attention.  Trowa is a man of few words and would rather get the mission done quickly before his mountain of bullets is depleted from any version of his Gundam Heavyarms.  Trowa’s backstory or character arc isn’t as well explored as say Heero Yuy or Zechs Merquise but he does grow like everyone else.  This is thanks mostly to his friendship with Quatre Reberba Winner, his best friend.  Be it the quiet Gundam piloting bad ass or a lost and desperate amnesiac, Kirby Morrow ran the gauntlet of emotions with Trowa, giving an iconic character a soul and a voice that will forever be his crowning role.  Let us never forget, “Those who have laid eyes on a Gundam shall not live to tell about it.  Those are the orders I was given.”