Kakashi Hatake is voiced by Kazuhiko Inoue (井上和彦) in the Japanese version of Naruto. In the English dub, Kakashi is voiced by Dave Wittenberg.

Japanese Voice Actor: Kazuhiko Inoue

Date of Birth

March 26, 1954

About Kazuhiko

Kazuhiko Inoue is a veteran Japanese voice actor, narrator, and actor whose career spans back to the early 1970s. He’s widely recognized for a calm, controlled delivery that can shift from laid-back charm (perfect for Kakashi’s unbothered “mentor” vibe) to intense authority in dramatic roles. He’s also known for extensive work beyond anime—games, drama CDs, narration, and Japanese dubbing for international films and series.

Within the Naruto franchise specifically, Inoue is the long-running Japanese voice behind Hatake Kakashi across major series entries (including Naruto and Boruto listings on his agency profile).

Hometown

Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan (commonly listed in major reference profiles).

Career Highlights

  • Kakashi Hatake — NARUTO / BORUTO (signature role; iconic mentor/elite shinobi presence)

  • Madara / Nyanko-sensei — Natsume’s Book of Friends (award-recognized supporting performance)

  • Kars — JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

  • Ninzaburo Shiratori — Detective Conan

  • Yoriichi Tsugikuni — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Full Current Filmography

The credits below are documented selections drawn from Kazuhiko Inoue’s official agency profile and other major reference listings, and may not be exhaustive (large careers can vary by database coverage and update cadence). Ordering within sections generally follows the agency listing where years aren’t provided.

Anime (selected documented credits)

  • Natsume Yūjin-chō — Nyanko-sensei / Madara

  • NARUTO / BORUTO — Kakashi Hatake

  • Oishinbo — Shirō Yamaoka

  • Cyborg 009 — Jō Shimamura

  • Gintama — Oboro

  • Attack on Titan — Willy Tybur

  • Osomatsu-san — Matsuno Matsuzō

  • Detective Conan — Ninzaburo Shiratori

  • JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure — Kars

  • Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Yoriichi Tsugikuni

  • Touch — Akio Nitta

  • Candy Candy — Anthony

  • One Piece — Monkey D. Dragon (past)

  • Ascendance of a Bookworm — Sylvester

  • Mob Psycho 100 — “Boss” (Touichirou Suzuki listing)

Foreign dubbing / live-action (Japanese dubbing — selected documented credits)

His agency profile lists extensive dubbing work, including (among others) Japanese dubbing for Mads Mikkelsen in multiple titles and long-running series dubbing roles. Examples from the documented list include:

  • Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny — Mads Mikkelsen (JP dub credit listing)

  • Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore — Mads Mikkelsen (JP dub credit listing)

  • NCIS (Seasons 1–19 listing) — Mark Harmon (JP dub credit listing)

Video games (selected documented credits)

  • Fate/EXTELLA LINK — Charlemagne

  • Granblue Fantasy — Siegfried

  • Uncharted — Sam

  • NAMCO x CAPCOM — Reiji Arisu

  • NARUTO: Narutimate series (listing)

  • NARUTO: Gekitō Ninja Taisen series (listing)

Drama CDs (selected documented credits)

  • Knights of Chivalry ~Chikai no Fēdrache~ ~GRANBLUE FANTASY~ — Siegfried

  • Kenja no Deshi o Nanoru Kenja — Eisenfald (listing)

  • Kanno Mukashibanashi series — Guide/Various

Stage / reading performances (selected documented credits)

  • Kazz’s “Enigma Variations” (50th anniversary performance listing) — Abel Znorko (role listing)

  • VOICARION productions (multiple role listings)

Radio / other work (selected documented credits)

  • Multiple radio appearances listed on the agency profile (guest and regular program listings).

Sound direction (selected documented credits)

  • Sound director credits are listed for multiple titles, including The Law of Ueki and others (as shown on the agency profile).

Critical Reception

Inoue’s work has been formally recognized within the voice-acting industry: he is listed among the winners for Best Actor in Supporting Roles at the 3rd Seiyuu Awards (2009) for Natsume Yūjin-chō (Madara/Nyanko-sensei).

For Kakashi specifically, his performance is often discussed by fans and critics as a defining element of Kakashi’s on-screen identity—balancing dry humor, restraint, and sudden intensity—supported by the fact that he is consistently credited as Kakashi across the core Naruto/Boruto franchise listings on his agency profile.

Helpful references

Social Media

English Voice Actor: Dave Wittenberg

Date of Birth

Dave Wittenberg’s full birth date is not consistently published in his official-facing bios. Some entertainment/voice-actor databases list September 1, 1971, but his official website and Wikipedia entry (as commonly referenced summaries) do not display a complete birth date in the same way.

About Dave

Dave Wittenberg is a South African–born voice actor and writer based in the United States, best known to anime audiences as the English voice of Kakashi Hatake in the Naruto franchise. His career spans anime dubs, Western animation, feature films, and video games, and he’s also credited as an adaptive scriptwriter for English-language anime releases and as a narrator/announcer for television programming.

On his official site, he presents himself broadly as an actor/host/narrator/director/writer-producer, reflecting the range of work he does beyond character roles.

Hometown

  • Born: Johannesburg, South Africa

  • Raised: Boston area (per biographical summaries)

Career Highlights

  • Kakashi Hatake — Naruto / Naruto: Shippuden / Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (English dub)

  • **Parco Folgore / Dufort / Ponygon — Zatch Bell! ** (award-recognized comedic performance)

  • Saito — Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (and later SAC_2045)

  • Bash Johnson — Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja

  • Time Baby — Gravity Falls

  • Trigger Happy — Skylanders series (games)

  • Teddie / Shadow Teddie — Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4

  • Kefka Palazzo — Dissidia Final Fantasy series

Full Current Filmography

The credits below are a documented list compiled from major public filmography tables (notably Wikipedia’s categorized credits). Large VO careers can vary across databases and may change as new work is released, so this should be treated as “documented credits from cited sources,” not guaranteed exhaustive.

Anime (English dubs)

  • 2001–2002 — Digimon Tamers: Henry Wong; MegaGargomon (shared)

  • 2002 — Kurogane Communication: Kanato (credited as Dave Lelyveld)

  • 2002 — Babel II: Beyond Infinity: Koichi Kamiya / Babel II

  • 2002 — Digimon Frontier: Various characters

  • 2002 — X: Subaru Sumeragi (credited as Dave Lelyveld)

  • 2002 — Fushigi Yûgi Eikoden: Taka Sukunami

  • 2003 — .hack//SIGN: Sora

  • **2003 — Please Teacher! **: Kei Kusanagi

  • 2003 — The Twelve Kingdoms: Enki (credited as Dave Lelyveld)

  • 2003 — Android Kikaider: The Animation: Jiro / Kikaider (also Kikaider 01 OVA credit listed)

  • 2003–2004 — Ai Yori Aoshi series: Kaoru Hanabishi (credited as Dave Lelyveld)

  • 2003–2008 — SD Gundam Force: Guneagle

  • 2003 (Tokyopop dub) — Initial D: Takumi “Tak” Fujiwara

  • 2004 — Astro Boy: Various characters

  • 2004 — Witch Hunter Robin: Michael Lee

  • 2004 — .hack//Legend of the Twilight: Hotaru’s Grunty

  • 2004 — Gad Guard: Katana (credited as Dave Lelyveld)

  • 2004 — Stellvia: Masaru Odawara (credited as Dave Lelyveld)

  • 2004 — Submarine 707R: Senta Umino

  • **2004 — Please Twins! **: Kei Kusanagi

  • 2004–2005 — Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (and 2nd GIG listing): Saito

  • **2005 — Zatch Bell! **: Parco Folgore; Ponygon; Dufort

  • 2005–2006 — Immortal Grand Prix (IGPX): Jan Michael; Timma; Frank Bullitt

  • 2005–2009 — Naruto: Kakashi Hatake

  • 2007 — Digimon Data Squad: Kouki; BioThunderbirmon; BioDarkdramon

  • 2008–2009 — Code Geass: Gino Weinberg

  • 2009–2019 — Naruto: Shippuden: Kakashi Hatake

  • 2012–2013 — Tiger & Bunny: Doc Saito

  • 2019–2024 — Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Kakashi Hatake

  • 2020–2022 — Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045: Saito

  • 2021 — JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean: Lang Rangler

  • 2024 — Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture: Gino Weinberg

Western animation (TV)

  • 2005 — Duck Dodgers: Dodger’s Id; Protectorate Agent (episode listed)

  • 2005–2007 — The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy: Various characters

  • 2005–2008 — Codename: Kids Next Door: Numbuh 74.239; various

  • 2006–2007 — Ben 10: Upchuck (episodes listed)

  • 2007–2010 — Chowder: Gorgonzola; Larry Jingleberry; The Fly; various

  • 2008–2009 — The Replacements: Dr. Scorpius

  • 2010 — Generator Rex: Roles listed (episode credit)

  • 2010–2012 — Fish Hooks: Punt; Geckcoach

  • 2012–2015 — Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja: Bash Johnson

  • 2014–2015 — Gravity Falls: Time Baby; Lolph

  • 2021 — Monsters at Work: Fan Monster; additional voices

Films & specials (notable credits)

  • 2001 — Cowboy Bebop: The Movie: Lee Sampson

  • 2006 — Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children: Yazoo

  • 2007 — Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow: Kakashi Hatake

  • 2008 — Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom: Kakashi Hatake

  • 2009–2012 — Naruto Shippuden films (multiple entries listed): Kakashi Hatake (and additional listed roles on some entries)

  • 2012 — Resident Evil: Damnation: Buddy / Alexander “Sasha” Kozachenko

Video games (selected documented credits)

  • Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4: Teddie / Shadow Teddie

  • Dissidia Final Fantasy / Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy / Dissidia Final Fantasy NT: Kefka Palazzo

  • Valkyria Chronicles (and sequels listed): Welkin Gunther

  • Epic Mickey: The Mad Doctor

  • Skylanders series: Trigger Happy (and related listed roles)

  • Marvel Heroes: Vision; Toad

  • Halo 3: ODST: Mike Branley

  • Final Fantasy XIII: Lieutenant Amodar

  • Tomb Raider: Anniversary: Larson Conway

  • Spider-Man: Miles Morales: Street Criminals

  • Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth: Additional voices

Narration / TV announcing (selected)

  • Ninja Warrior (USA) — Announcer (listed)

  • Mystery ER — Narrator (listed)

  • Unbeatable Banzuke (USA) — Announcer (listed)

Critical Reception

Wittenberg received formal industry recognition at the inaugural American Anime Awards (announced in connection with New York Comic Con, February 24, 2007), winning “Best Actor in a Comedy” for his work in Zatch Bell.

More broadly, his enduring association with Kakashi Hatake—credited across multiple series entries and films—has made his English performance one of the most widely recognized dub portrayals in long-running shōnen anime.

Helpful references

Social Media

No social media accounts are clearly verified as official on Dave Wittenberg’s official website pages that were accessible here. For legitimate contact/booking pathways, use the official site and listed representation:

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