Chris Ayres
Voice ActorAmerican voice actor and ADR director who voiced Frieza from Dragon Ball Z Kai onward, replacing Linda Young. His iconic performance defined the tyrannical emperor for a generation of English-dubbed fans.
The Galactic Tyrant
Chris Ayres took over the role of Frieza in Dragon Ball Z Kai starting in 2010, bringing menacing sophistication to the galactic emperor. His portrayal emphasized Frieza's childlike petulance alongside his overwhelming power, making the villain both terrifying and darkly comedic. Ayres voiced Frieza across Dragon Ball Z Kai, the film Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F', and Dragon Ball Super, as well as video games from 2010 to 2018. His performance won the 2012 Staff Choice Award for Best Male Vocal Performance in a Supporting Role at the 1st Annual BTVA Voice Acting Awards. In 2017, facing health challenges, he revealed that understudy Daman Mills would handle future Frieza work if needed.
Dedication and Legacy
Born in Richmond, Virginia, Ayres began his voice acting career at ADV Films and worked across Seraphim Digital, Sentai Filmworks, and Funimation. Beyond Dragon Ball, he voiced characters in Kino's Journey, Darker Than Black, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, One Piece, and dozens of other anime. He also directed theater and was known for Mock Combat demonstrations at anime conventions. In November 2019, Ayres received new lungs following transplant surgery. He passed away on October 18, 2021, after a years-long battle with COPD, leaving behind an indelible voice in Dragon Ball history.
Related Reading
See all
Namek Has No Women, and Piccolo Pulls Anyway
There are no women on Namek. That isn't an oversight, it's the biology. Why we handed Piccolo the one thing his own species rules out, and why it had to be trap soul....
1000 Times Over: Who Is John Dragon Ball Singing To?
Dragon Ball handed us a protagonist with no history and the internet named him John Dragon Ball. So we built him somebody to talk to....
Frequently Asked Questions
Who did Chris Ayres voice?
Chris Ayres took over the role of Frieza in Dragon Ball Z Kai starting in 2010, bringing menacing sophistication to the galactic emperor. His portrayal emphasized Frieza's childlike petulance alongside his overwhelming power, making the villain both terrifying and darkly comedic. Ayres voiced Frieza across Dragon Ball Z Kai, the film Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F', and Dragon Ball Super, as well as video games from 2010 to 2018.
What role did Chris Ayres play in Dragon Ball?
Chris Ayres is the english voice of Frieza. Chris Ayres took over the role of Frieza in Dragon Ball Z Kai starting in 2010, bringing menacing sophistication to the galactic emperor.
What other anime work has Chris Ayres done?
Born in Richmond, Virginia, Ayres began his voice acting career at ADV Films and worked across Seraphim Digital, Sentai Filmworks, and Funimation. Beyond Dragon Ball, he voiced characters in Kino's Journey, Darker Than Black, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, One Piece, and dozens of other anime. He also directed theater and was known for Mock Combat demonstrations at anime conventions.
What is Chris Ayres known for in the anime industry?
Chris Ayres is an American voice actor active since 2000s-2021. American voice actor and ADR director who voiced Frieza from Dragon Ball Z Kai onward, replacing Linda Young.
Who is Chris Ayres in Dragon Ball?
American voice actor and ADR director who voiced Frieza from Dragon Ball Z Kai onward, replacing Linda Young. His iconic performance defined the tyrannical emperor for a generation of English-dubbed fans.
Sources & Information
Looking for more on Chris Ayres? The Dragon Ball Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.
View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Dragon Ball anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
Rights holders
- Created byAkira Toriyama
- Published byShueisha
- Animated byToei Animation
All rights belong to their respective owners.
Character and scene imagery on this site is original artwork by Daddy Jim Headquarters, not screenshots or licensed imagery. Official cover art is used on three types of pages for editorial commentary:
- Movie pages: theatrical posters and key visuals, credited to Toei Animation and Shueisha.
- Game pages: official box art, credited to Bandai Namco, Atari, and other publishers.
- Manga chapter pages: Jump Comics volume covers, credited to Shueisha and Akira Toriyama.
Browse our episode guides:
Official resources:
Help Us Keep This Wiki Accurate
Daddy Jim Headquarters maintains this encyclopedia. If you spot an error, a translation issue, or something that doesn't look right, let us know.
