Voice of Kamen Rider's Shocker leader, Nausicaä's Yupa, Japanese dub voice of Clark Gable/Charlton Heston/John Wayne

Goro Naya, the original voice actor for Inspector Zenigata in the long-running Lupin III anime franchise, passed away on March 5 at 3:00 a.m. due to chronic respiratory failure. He was 83. He leaves behind his wife, voice actress Kachiko Hino.

Naya's management, Theatre Echo, made the announcement of his passing on Monday. Naya was born in Hokkaido, and he dropped out of Ritsumeikan University to enter the Tōdō acting troupe. He made his debut as an actor in 1950s, and after joining Theatre Echo, he became a popular dubbing actor for overseas films.

He was the Japanese dub voice for such actors as Rick Jason (Hanley in Combat! ), Clark Gable, Charlton Heston, and John Wayne. Thanks to his deep voice, Naya not only became famous for Zenigata, but also Captain Jūzō Okita in Space Battleship Yamato (Captain Avatar in Star Blazers), Yupa in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and the Shocker leader in various Kamen Rider series.

Naya played Zenigata as recently as last year, when the veteran cast reunited for the "Lupin Ikka Seizoroi" (Lupin Family Lineup) short. The Lupin III: Chi no Kokuin Eien no Mermaid television special and the Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine television series introduced Kouichi Yamadera as the second-generation voice of Zenigata.