Kankuro, the skilled puppet master of Sunagakure and older brother of Gaara, is voiced by Yasuyuki Kase in the original Japanese version and Michael Lindsay in the English dub. Their performances helped establish Kankuro as one of the most recognizable supporting characters in the Naruto franchise, blending tactical intelligence, dry humor, and formidable combat abilities.
JAPANESE VOICE ACTOR (YASUYUKI KASE)
Date of Birth
March 14, 1971.
About Yasuyuki
Yasuyuki Kase (加瀬 康之) is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with Office Osawa. Since beginning his career in the mid-1990s, he has become known for both anime roles and Japanese dubbing performances for major Hollywood actors such as Ryan Reynolds and Paul Bettany. Among anime fans, he is best known as the voice of Kankuro throughout the Naruto franchise.
His portrayal captures Kankuro’s evolution from a somewhat intimidating older brother into a respected shinobi commander and trusted ally during the Fourth Shinobi World War.
Hometown
Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.
Career Highlights
Some of Yasuyuki Kase’s most notable roles include:
- Kankuro — Naruto
- Kankuro — Naruto Shippuden
- Kankuro — Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
- James Blood — Hero Mask
- Falco — Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
- Ryugo Someoka — Inazuma Eleven
- Batman / Bruce Wayne — Various Japanese dubbing projects
- Ryu — Street Fighter Alpha: Generations
Full Current Filmography
The following list reflects documented major credits from publicly available sources and may not be exhaustive.
Television Anime
- Naruto — Kankuro
- Naruto Shippuden — Kankuro
- Boruto: Naruto Next Generations — Kankuro
- Hero Mask — James Blood
- Cyberpunk: Edgerunners — Falco
- Inazuma Eleven — Ryugo Someoka
Anime Films
- Naruto the Movie: Legend of the Stone of Gelel — Kankuro
- Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire — Kankuro
- Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike — Yurgis
- Appleseed: Ex Machina — Yoshitsune Miyamoto
Video Games
- Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm series — Kankuro
- Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections — Kankuro
- Dragon Ball franchise titles
- Various Japanese-dubbed game projects featuring Batman and other characters.
Critical Reception
Fans of the Japanese version frequently praise Kase’s performance for giving Kankuro a balance of confidence, sarcasm, and maturity. His portrayal remained consistent across anime episodes, films, and video games, helping make Kankuro one of the most recognizable members of the Sand Siblings.
Our Sources
- Behind The Voice Actors – Kankuro (https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/Naruto/Kankuro/)
- Behind The Voice Actors – Naruto TV Series Kankuro (https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Naruto/Kankuro/)
- Yasuyuki Kase Biography (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasuyuki_Kase)
- Office Osawa Profile (https://osawa-inc.co.jp/men/kaseyasuyuki/)
Social Media
No verified official public social media accounts for Yasuyuki Kase were found from reputable public sources.
ENGLISH VOICE ACTOR (MICHAEL LINDSAY)
Date of Birth
May 9, 1963. (en.wikipedia.org)
About Michael
Michael Lindsay was an American voice actor and musician best known for his work in anime dubbing during the late 1990s and 2000s. Throughout his career, he voiced numerous memorable characters across major anime franchises and became known for his distinctive vocal performances.
In Naruto, Lindsay voiced Kankuro, bringing personality and confidence to the Sand Village puppet master. His portrayal helped establish Kankuro as one of the standout supporting characters during the original series and early Naruto Shippuden episodes. Following his retirement from voice acting, later appearances of Kankuro were recast in the English dub. (behindthevoiceactors.com)
Michael Lindsay passed away on August 31, 2019, at the age of 56. His contributions to anime dubbing continue to be remembered by fans worldwide. (en.wikipedia.org)
Hometown
Washington, D.C., United States. (en.wikipedia.org)
Career Highlights
Some of Michael Lindsay’s most notable roles include:
- Kankuro — Naruto
- Joe Kido — Digimon Adventure
- Kisuke Urahara — Bleach (early English dub)
- Ganju Shiba — Bleach
- Ryuunosuke Fujinami — Urusei Yatsura
- Mondo Oowada — Danganronpa (anime adaptations and related projects)
- Master Vile — Power Rangers Zeo (voice role) (behindthevoiceactors.com)
Full Current Filmography
The following list reflects documented major credits from publicly available sources and may not be exhaustive.
Anime Series
- Naruto — Kankuro
- Naruto Shippuden — Kankuro (early episodes)
- Bleach — Kisuke Urahara
- Bleach — Ganju Shiba
- Digimon Adventure — Joe Kido
- Digimon Adventure 02 — Joe Kido
- The Big O — Schwarzwald
- Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo — Dengakuman
- Rurouni Kenshin — Supporting Roles
- Urusei Yatsura — Ryuunosuke Fujinami
Anime Films
- Digimon: The Movie — Joe Kido
- Bleach: Memories of Nobody — Kisuke Urahara
- Various Naruto franchise productions featuring Kankuro.
Video Games
- Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series — Kankuro
- Digimon World Data Squad — Joe Kido
- Various anime-related game adaptations based on his television roles.
Critical Reception
Michael Lindsay’s portrayal of Kankuro is fondly remembered by longtime Naruto fans. His performance effectively balanced the character’s sarcasm, confidence, and loyalty, helping make Kankuro one of the most memorable members of the Sand Siblings. Beyond Naruto, his work as Joe Kido in Digimon and Kisuke Urahara in Bleach earned him a lasting place among influential English anime voice actors. (behindthevoiceactors.com)
Our Sources
- Behind The Voice Actors – Kankuro (https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/Naruto/Kankuro/)
- Behind The Voice Actors – Michael Lindsay (https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Michael-Lindsay/)
- Michael Lindsay Biography (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Lindsay)
- IMDb – Michael Lindsay (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0512405/)
Social Media
Michael Lindsay did not maintain verified public social media accounts that remain active and publicly documented. Professional information is preserved through industry databases, archived interviews, and credited productions.
