Chris Ayres

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.

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.