Kikyo Kushida in Classroom of the Elite (Yōkoso Jitsuryoku Shijō Shugi no Kyōshitsu e) is voiced by Yurika Kubo in the original Japanese version and Sarah Wiedenheft in the English dub. Kubo’s performance balanced Kushida’s cheerful public persona with her darker manipulative side, while Wiedenheft brought the same unsettling duality and emotional intensity to the English adaptation. (behindthevoiceactors.com)

Yurika Kubo – Japanese Voice of Kikyo Kushida

Date of Birth

May 19, 1989

About Yurika

Yurika Kubo is a Japanese voice actress, singer, and former gravure idol affiliated with Stay Luck. Since transitioning fully into voice acting, she has become widely recognized for portraying energetic, charming, and emotionally layered female characters across modern anime.

As Kikyo Kushida in Classroom of the Elite, Kubo delivered one of the series’ most psychologically complex performances. Kushida initially appears as a kind and sociable honor student admired by nearly everyone around her, but gradually reveals a manipulative and emotionally unstable hidden personality. Kubo’s ability to shift seamlessly between Kushida’s sweet exterior and darker emotional outbursts became one of the defining aspects of the character.

Fans frequently praised how effectively she balanced charm, menace, insecurity, and emotional volatility throughout the series.

Outside of Classroom of the Elite, Kubo is also widely known for major roles in Love Live!, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, and The Rising of the Shield Hero.

Hometown

Nara Prefecture, Japan

Career Highlights

  • Kikyo Kushida — Classroom of the Elite
  • Hanayo Koizumi — Love Live!
  • Kaede Azusagawa — Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
  • Melty Melromarc — The Rising of the Shield Hero
  • Touka Kirishima’s friend/supporting roles — related anime projects
  • Various idol and slice-of-life anime heroines

Full Current Filmography

The following list reflects documented anime, film, music, and game credits from publicly available industry sources and may not be exhaustive.

Television Anime

  • Classroom of the Elite — Kikyo Kushida
  • Love Live! — Hanayo Koizumi
  • Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai — Kaede Azusagawa
  • The Rising of the Shield Hero — Melty Melromarc
  • Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online — Elsa Kanzaki
  • Pretty Derby franchise projects — Supporting Roles
  • Girls und Panzer — Saki Maruyama
  • Konosuba — Additional Voices
  • Blue Archive related media — Supporting Roles
  • Re:Zero — Supporting Characters

Anime Films

  • Classroom of the Elite promotional projects — Kikyo Kushida
  • Love Live! film projects — Hanayo Koizumi
  • Rascal Does Not Dream film series — Kaede Azusagawa
  • The Rising of the Shield Hero related projects — Melty Melromarc

Video Games

  • Love Live! School Idol Festival — Hanayo Koizumi
  • Classroom of the Elite game projects — Kikyo Kushida
  • Granblue Fantasy — Various Roles
  • Blue Archive — Supporting Characters
  • Princess Connect! Re:Dive — Additional Roles

Critical Reception

Yurika Kubo’s portrayal of Kikyo Kushida received widespread praise for its emotional contrast and psychological complexity. Fans frequently highlighted how effectively she captured the character’s charming social mask while delivering explosive emotional shifts during Kushida’s darker scenes.

Her performance helped make Kushida one of the most memorable and psychologically intriguing characters in Classroom of the Elite.

Our Sources

Sarah Wiedenheft – English Voice of Kikyo Kushida

Date of Birth

July 15, 1993

About Sarah

Sarah Wiedenheft is an American voice actress widely recognized for her energetic performances and emotionally expressive character work in English anime dubbing. Since entering the industry, she has become especially known for portraying cheerful heroines, eccentric personalities, and psychologically intense characters.

As the English voice of Kikyo Kushida in Classroom of the Elite, Wiedenheft delivered a performance that effectively captured the character’s dual personality. Kushida presents herself as friendly, kind, and universally admired, but secretly hides deep resentment, insecurity, and manipulative tendencies. Wiedenheft’s ability to shift rapidly between Kushida’s sweet exterior and emotionally volatile darker side became one of the standout elements of the English adaptation.

Fans frequently praised how convincingly she handled the character’s dramatic tonal changes and psychological intensity.

Outside of Classroom of the Elite, Wiedenheft is also internationally famous for major roles in Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Chainsaw Man, and Black Clover.

Hometown

Texas, United States

Career Highlights

  • Kikyo Kushida — Classroom of the Elite
  • Tohru — Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
  • Power — Chainsaw Man
  • Suika — Dr. Stone
  • Charmy Pappitson — Black Clover
  • Phosphophyllite — Land of the Lustrous
  • Zeno Robinson counterpart ensemble roles — various Crunchyroll productions
  • Ruby Kurosawa — Love Live! Sunshine!! English projects

Full Current Filmography

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

Television Anime

  • Classroom of the Elite — Kikyo Kushida
  • Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid — Tohru
  • Chainsaw Man — Power
  • Dr. Stone — Suika
  • Black Clover — Charmy Pappitson
  • Land of the Lustrous — Phosphophyllite
  • Love Live! Sunshine!! — Ruby Kurosawa (English projects)
  • My Hero Academia — Additional Voices
  • Fire Force — Additional Roles
  • The Rising of the Shield Hero — Additional Voices
  • One Piece — Additional Voices
  • Blue Lock — Supporting Roles

Anime Films

  • Classroom of the Elite promotional projects — Kikyo Kushida
  • Chainsaw Man related projects — Power
  • Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: The Lonely Dragon Wants to Be Loved — Tohru
  • Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King — Charmy Pappitson
  • Dr. Stone special releases — Suika

Video Games

  • Black Clover game adaptations — Charmy Pappitson
  • Classroom of the Elite game projects — Kikyo Kushida
  • SMITE anime collaboration appearances
  • Crunchyroll crossover game events — Various Roles
  • Chainsaw Man promotional game/media appearances — Power

Critical Reception

Sarah Wiedenheft’s portrayal of Kikyo Kushida received praise from English dub audiences for its emotional intensity and convincing personality shifts. Fans frequently highlighted how effectively she balanced Kushida’s cheerful façade with the character’s darker emotional instability and manipulative tendencies.

Her performance helped establish Kushida as one of the most psychologically memorable characters in the Classroom of the Elite English dub.

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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