A2 in NieR:Automata Ver1.1a is voiced by Ayaka Suwa in Japanese and Cherami Leigh in the English dub. As one of the most emotionally tragic and complex characters in the NieR franchise, A2 became a fan-favorite thanks to her hardened personality, hidden compassion, and powerful character arc. Both actresses received widespread praise for portraying A2’s emotional isolation, rage, and gradual emotional vulnerability throughout the story. (behindthevoiceactors.com)

Japanese Voice Actor: Ayaka Suwa

Date of Birth

May 27, 1988. (en.wikipedia.org)

About Ayaka

Ayaka Suwa is a Japanese voice actress known for strong, emotionally intense performances across anime and games. Her portrayal of A2 in NieR:Automata and NieR:Automata Ver1.1a became one of the most acclaimed roles of her career. Suwa’s performance captured A2’s anger, loneliness, and emotional exhaustion while gradually revealing the compassion hidden beneath the character’s cold exterior. (en.wikipedia.org)

Hometown

Aichi Prefecture, Japan. (en.wikipedia.org)

Career Highlights

Ayaka Suwa gained recognition through major anime and gaming roles in Assassination Classroom, Yuki Yuna Is a Hero, and The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls. Her role as A2 showcased her ability to deliver emotionally restrained performances that gradually build toward powerful dramatic moments. The character became especially beloved among fans of the NieR franchise.

Full Current Filmography

The following list reflects publicly documented credits from available sources and may not be exhaustive.

Television Anime

  • NieR:Automata Ver1.1a — A2
  • Assassination Classroom — Toka Yada
  • Yuki Yuna Is a Hero — Fū Inubōzaki
  • The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls — Yūko Hori
  • Battle Girl High School — Subaru Wakaba
  • Danganronpa 3 — Chisa Yukizome
  • World Trigger — Wen Sō
  • SSSS.Gridman — Namiko

Video Games

  • NieR:Automata — A2
  • Fire Emblem Heroes — Various Roles
  • Granblue Fantasy — Character Voices
  • Azur Lane — Voice Roles
  • Arknights — Additional Voices
  • Blue Archive — Character Voices

Critical Reception

Ayaka Suwa’s portrayal of A2 received widespread praise for balancing emotional restraint with explosive emotional intensity. Fans especially highlighted her quieter scenes involving Pascal and the machine children, where subtle vulnerability gradually replaced A2’s hardened exterior. Many viewers considered her performance essential to the emotional success of the latter half of the NieR story.

Our Sources

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English Voice Actor: Cherami Leigh

Date of Birth

July 19, 1988.

About Cherami

Cherami Leigh is an American voice actress and ADR director known for emotionally powerful performances across anime and video games. Her portrayal of A2 in NieR:Automata and NieR:Automata Ver1.1a received widespread acclaim for capturing the character’s anger, grief, exhaustion, and hidden compassion. Leigh’s emotionally intense delivery became one of the defining aspects of A2’s character arc for English-speaking audiences. (behindthevoiceactors.com)

Hometown

Dallas, Texas, United States.

Career Highlights

Cherami Leigh has built one of the most recognizable careers in English voice acting, with major roles in Cyberpunk 2077, Fairy Tail, Sword Art Online, and Persona 5. Her role as A2 showcased her ability to balance emotional restraint with explosive dramatic performances, particularly during the darker later arcs of NieR:Automata. Fans frequently cite A2 as one of her strongest gaming performances.

Full Current Filmography

The following list reflects publicly documented credits from available sources and may not be exhaustive.

Television Anime

  • NieR:Automata Ver1.1a — A2
  • Fairy Tail — Lucy Heartfilia
  • Sword Art Online — Asuna Yuuki
  • My Hero Academia — Saiko Intelli
  • Blue Exorcist — Young Rin Okumura
  • Soul Eater — Patty Thompson
  • Tokyo Ghoul — Illy
  • Steins;Gate — Suzuha Amane
  • Boruto: Naruto Next Generations — Sarada Uchiha (select media)

Video Games

  • NieR:Automata — A2
  • Cyberpunk 2077 — Female V
  • Persona 5 — Makoto Nijima
  • Fire Emblem Heroes — Various Roles
  • Street Fighter 6 — Additional Voices
  • Genshin Impact — Additional Voices
  • League of Legends — Irelia
  • Borderlands 3 — Additional Voices

Critical Reception

Cherami Leigh’s portrayal of A2 received widespread praise for its emotional rawness and dramatic intensity. Fans especially highlighted her performances during A2’s emotional confrontations and tragic later scenes, where Leigh balanced rage, sorrow, and compassion without losing the character’s hardened personality. Many viewers considered her work one of the emotional highlights of the English version of NieR:Automata.

Our Sources

Social Media

Published by Limarc Ambalina

Limarc Ambalina is the founder of Japan Bound, a website covering all things Japan — from travel and culture to anime, manga, and pop culture. He is also the Director of Content at ISNation and the former VP of Editorial at HackerNoon. Based in Japan, he has been writing about Japanese life and entertainment since 2019, growing the site to over 2.4 million views.

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