Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily and captain of the Kuja Pirates in One Piece, is voiced by Kotono Mitsuishi in the original Japanese version and Lydia Mackay in the English dub. Mitsuishi has portrayed Hancock since the character’s anime debut, while Mackay voices Hancock in Funimation and Crunchyroll’s English adaptation.

Japanese Voice Actor: Kotono Mitsuishi

Date of Birth

December 8, 1967

About Kotono

Kotono Mitsuishi is one of Japan’s most legendary voice actresses. Throughout a career spanning more than three decades, she has voiced some of anime’s most iconic characters and remains a major figure in the industry. She is best known for roles such as Usagi Tsukino in Sailor Moon, Misato Katsuragi in Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Boa Hancock in One Piece.

As Boa Hancock, Mitsuishi delivers a performance that perfectly captures the character’s elegance, confidence, pride, and hidden vulnerability. Her portrayal has become inseparable from Hancock’s popularity among One Piece fans and has remained consistent across anime episodes, films, and video games.

Hometown

Saitama, Japan

Career Highlights

Some of Kotono Mitsuishi’s most famous roles include:

  • Boa Hancock — One Piece
  • Usagi Tsukino / Sailor Moon — Sailor Moon
  • Misato Katsuragi — Neon Genesis Evangelion
  • Mei Mei — Jujutsu Kaisen
  • Tae Yamada — Zombie Land Saga
  • Murrue Ramius — Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
  • Katherine McBride — Catherine
  • Jade — Honkai: Star Rail
  • Rebecca — Path to Nowhere

Full Current Filmography

The following list highlights major documented anime roles and may not be exhaustive.

Television Anime

1992

  • Sailor Moon — Usagi Tsukino / Sailor Moon

1995

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion — Misato Katsuragi

1999

  • One Piece — Boa Hancock

2018

  • Zombie Land Saga — Tae Yamada

2020

  • Jujutsu Kaisen — Mei Mei

2023

  • Pokémon Horizons — Kaede

2024

  • Kaiju No. 8 — Hikaru Shinomiya

Anime Films

2019

  • One Piece: Stampede — Boa Hancock

2021

  • Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time — Misato Katsuragi

2023

  • Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos — Sailor Moon / Usagi Tsukino

Critical Reception

Boa Hancock is one of the most popular female characters in One Piece, and Kotono Mitsuishi’s performance is frequently praised for bringing both authority and charm to the role. Fans often credit her delivery for making Hancock’s dramatic personality, comedic love-struck moments, and emotional scenes equally memorable. Her portrayal has helped make Hancock one of the franchise’s most enduring characters.

Our Sources

English Voice Actor: Lydia Mackay

Date of Birth

Lydia Mackay’s exact date of birth is not publicly documented in reliable official sources.

About Lydia

Lydia Mackay is an American voice actress, ADR scriptwriter, and ADR director known for her extensive contributions to anime dubbing. Over the years, she has voiced numerous memorable characters across major anime franchises while also working behind the scenes on English adaptations.

In One Piece, Mackay voices Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily and captain of the Kuja Pirates. Her performance captures Hancock’s regal authority, overwhelming confidence, comedic arrogance, and softer emotional side, particularly in scenes involving Monkey D. Luffy. Her portrayal has helped make Hancock one of the most recognizable female characters in the English dub. (Behind The Voice Actors)

Hometown

Lydia Mackay’s hometown has not been publicly documented in official biographies.

Career Highlights

Some of Lydia Mackay’s most notable roles include:

  • Boa Hancock — One Piece
  • Shion — That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
  • Tsukuyo — Gintama
  • Milly Ashford — Code Geass
  • Pakunoda — Hunter × Hunter
  • Mao — Code Geass
  • Rika Aida — Kuroko’s Basketball
  • Yolanda — Black Clover
  • Mizore Shirayuki — Rosario + Vampire

In addition to voice acting, Mackay has worked extensively as an ADR writer and director on numerous anime productions.

Full Current Filmography

The following list highlights major documented credits and may not be exhaustive.

Anime Series

2008

  • Rosario + Vampire — Mizore Shirayuki

2008

  • Code Geass — Milly Ashford
  • Code Geass — Mao

2012

  • Hunter × Hunter — Pakunoda

2014

  • Kuroko’s Basketball — Rika Aida

2017

  • Black Clover — Yolanda

2018

  • That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime — Shion

2020

  • One Piece — Boa Hancock

2023

  • One Piece (Wano Arc Dub Episodes) — Boa Hancock

2024

  • One Piece (Egghead Arc Dub Episodes) — Boa Hancock

Anime Films

2019

  • One Piece: Stampede — Boa Hancock

2022

  • One Piece Film: Red — Boa Hancock

ADR Writing and Directing

Selected productions include:

  • One Piece
  • Fairy Tail
  • Black Clover
  • The Ancient Magus’ Bride
  • Dragon Ball Super

This list reflects publicly documented credits and may not be exhaustive.

Critical Reception

Lydia Mackay’s portrayal of Boa Hancock has been praised by English-dub viewers for capturing the character’s unique balance of elegance, intimidation, comedy, and romance. Fans often highlight her ability to seamlessly transition between Hancock’s commanding presence as a Warlord of the Sea and her exaggerated reactions whenever Luffy is involved.

Because Boa Hancock is one of the most beloved female characters in One Piece, expectations for the English performance were high. Mackay’s interpretation has been widely accepted by fans and remains one of the standout female performances in the series’ English dub.

Our Sources

Social Media

No verified public social media accounts or official personal website for Lydia Mackay could be confirmed from reliable public sources at the time of writing.

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.

InstagramLinkedIn

Leave a Reply