Gajeel Redfox in Fairy Tail is voiced by Wataru Hatano in the Japanese version and David Wald in the English dub. Both actors bring a gruff, intimidating edge to the Iron Dragon Slayer that suits his rough exterior and slow-burning character development across the series.
Wataru Hatano (Japanese Voice Actor)
Date of Birth
March 13, 1982
About Wataru
Wataru Hatano (羽多野 渉) is a Japanese voice actor and singer affiliated with 81 Produce. Born in Nagano, Japan, he established himself as one of the industry’s more versatile performers, capable of shifting between intense, battle-hardened characters and more nuanced dramatic roles. His deep, controlled vocal tone made him a natural fit for Gajeel Redfox, a character who begins the series as a menacing antagonist before evolving into a core member of Fairy Tail.
Hatano gained significant industry recognition early in his career, winning the Best Male Rookie Award at the 2nd Seiyu Awards in 2008 for his roles as Sam Houston in Toward the Terra and Tenshi Yuri in Saint Beast: Kouin Jojishi Tenshitan. Since then, he has maintained a prolific presence across anime, video games, and music, cementing his reputation as a dependable lead and supporting voice in major productions.
Beyond anime, Hatano is an active singer with releases tied to various anime projects. He has voiced Gajeel across the full run of the Fairy Tail franchise, appearing in the original series, OVAs, films, video games, and the 2024 sequel series Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, making his tenure with the character one of the longest-running roles of his career.
Hometown
Nagano, Japan
Career Highlights
- Gajeel Redfox – Fairy Tail
- Shigemo / Haruta Shigemo – Jujutsu Kaisen
- Metal Bat – One Punch Man
- Hitoshi Shinso – My Hero Academia
- Josuke Higashikata – JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle (video game)
- Yūto Ayase – Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu
Full Current Filmography
The following list reflects documented credits and may not be exhaustive.
Anime (Selected, Chronological Highlights)
- (2005) Basilisk
- (2008) Toward the Terra – Sam Houston
- (2008) Saint Beast: Kouin Jojishi Tenshitan – Tenshi Yuri
- (2009–2019) Fairy Tail – Gajeel Redfox
- (2011) Fairy Tail OVA – Gajeel Redfox
- (2013) Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess – Gajeel Redfox
- (2017) Fairy Tail: Dragon Cry – Gajeel Redfox
- (2019–present) My Hero Academia – Hitoshi Shinso
- (2020–present) Jujutsu Kaisen – Haruta Shigemo
- (2022–present) One Punch Man – Metal Bat
- (2024) Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest – Gajeel Redfox
Video Games (Selected)
- (2010) Fairy Tail: Gekitou! Madoushi Kessen – Gajeel Redfox
- (2011) Fairy Tail: Clash at Kardia Cathedral! – Gajeel Redfox
- (2012) Fairy Tail: Zeref’s Awakening – Gajeel Redfox
- (2013) JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle – Josuke Higashikata
- (2020) Fairy Tail (RPG) – Gajeel Redfox
- (2024) Fairy Tail 2 – Gajeel Redfox
Critical Reception
Hatano’s portrayal of Gajeel Redfox has been consistently well-regarded among the Fairy Tail fanbase, with many noting that his deep, rough vocal delivery authentically captures the character’s menace during his antagonist arc and his more grounded presence as a guild member. His continued casting across all Fairy Tail media — from the original 2009 series through to the 2024 sequel — reflects strong institutional confidence in his interpretation of the role. Fans can find character listings and community discussion of his performance on MyAnimeList and Anime News Network.
David Wald (English Voice Actor)
Date of Birth
May 11, 1973
About David
David Wald is an American voice actor born in Houston, Texas, who has built a long career voicing English dubs of Japanese anime through his work with Funimation, ADV Films, and Sentai Filmworks. He studied at the University of Miami and has been a fixture of the Texas-based dubbing industry for two decades. Wald is widely recognized for his distinctively deep voice, which lends itself naturally to authoritative, intimidating, or battle-hardened characters — qualities that made him an apt choice for Gajeel Redfox when the English dub of Fairy Tail began production.
Beyond performing, Wald has also worked as an ADR director for Sentai Filmworks, overseeing English adaptations of titles including Love Stage, Bloom into You, Hitorijime My Hero, and Kase-san and Morning Glories. He is openly gay and has been an advocate for positive queer representation in dubbed anime, bringing a thoughtful perspective to his creative work both in front of and behind the microphone.
Wald voiced Gajeel Redfox from the original Fairy Tail series through 2019, as well as in both Fairy Tail films and the early episodes of Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest (2024). In November 2024, Wald publicly announced he would no longer work with Crunchyroll following a dispute in which five years’ worth of fan mail and gifts sent to him were reportedly discarded or given away without his consent. He departed the role of Gajeel after episode 15 of 100 Years Quest, with Phil Parsons taking over from episode 16 onward.
Hometown
Houston, Texas, USA
Career Highlights
- Gajeel Redfox – Fairy Tail
- Hannes – Attack on Titan
- Bulat – Akame ga Kill!
- Master Chief (John-117) – Halo Legends
- Askeladd – Vinland Saga (Sentai dub)
- Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu – My Hero Academia
- Duke Togo (Golgo 13) – Golgo 13
Full Current Filmography
The following list reflects documented credits and may not be exhaustive.
Anime (Voice Acting)
- (2005) Shadow Skill – Various characters
- (2007) Innocent Venus – Various characters
- (2007) Air Gear – Mitsuru Bando, Masaya Orihara, others
- (2007) Welcome to the NHK – Various characters
- (2010) Golgo 13 – Golgo 13
- (2010) Legends of the Dark King – Toki
- (2011) Guin Saga – Guin
- (2011) Mardock Scramble: The First Compression – Dimsdale Boiled
- (2011–2012) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Charlie
- (2012–2019) Fairy Tail – Gajeel Redfox
- (2012) Hakuōki – Isami Kondou
- (2012) Psycho-Pass – Choe Gu-sung
- (2012) Shiki – Toshio Ozaki
- (2016–2023) My Hero Academia – Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Snipe
- (2019–2023) Vinland Saga – Askeladd (Sentai dub)
- (2024) Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest – Gajeel Redfox (episodes 1–15)
- (2024) Bye Bye, Earth – Gaf Shandy
Critical Reception
Wald’s English performance as Gajeel Redfox earned him a loyal following over the course of the series, with fans frequently citing his deep, gravel-edged delivery as one of the stronger dub performances in Fairy Tail‘s English cast. His return to the role for Fairy Tail: Dragon Cry and the opening episodes of Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest was welcomed by English dub viewers. His departure from the role mid-season in 2024 drew considerable attention in the anime community, with discussions about the recasting appearing across fan forums and communities. Character and cast details can be found on MyAnimeList.
