Who is Jefferson Utanes? Tributes pour in as beloved Philippine voice of Dragon Ball's Goku dies

Jefferson Utanes, 46, has died, his sister-in-law Elizabeth Teodoro confirmed on Facebook, followed by a tribute from his wife, Catherine Feliciano, on the same platform on Tuesday.

Utanes was best known for his voice work in the anime Dragon Ball, where he provided the Filipino dub for Son Goku, according to GMA Network. He also appeared on the program It's Showtime.

Catherine added a photo of Utanes while she announced the heartbreaking update. Jefferson Utanes was born in 1979.

“Join us as we honor Jeff’s beautiful life and enduring legacy. Our hearts overflow with gratitude for the love and joy he so generously shared. Though we miss him beyond words, his memory continues to shine as a guiding light within us forever.”

Netizens expressed grief in the comments section of various social media posts. People sent their condolences, with a few recalling their childhood as a memorable experience only because of Jefferson’s voice. Utanes’ translation skills received additional praise in the tributes.

Catherine shared that the viewing ceremony is scheduled on December 17. It will be at the Antipolo City-based St. Peter Chapels. This will be followed by the interment at the Providence Memorial Park on Sunday, December 21.

Jefferson Utanes was a part of various projects: Career and other details explained

Jefferson’s sister-in-law initially requested the general public to pray for his soul. Notably, the dubbing work done by Utanes for various characters became famous among everyone at one point.

As mentioned, Jefferson Utanes received the biggest appreciation for giving his voice to the anime Dragon Ball. Apart from Goku, he also dubbed for other characters. This included Master Roshi and Shin. He prepared the script for Dragon Ball Super while also serving as the dubbing director for Dragon Ball Z Kai. He voiced for Uub on Dragon Ball GT.

Outside the shows, he lent his voice to the same characters in the anime films associated with the same franchise. His credits featured some famous titles. Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle, Battle of Gods, Cooler’s Revenge, Fusion Reborn and Wrath of the Dragon are a few of them. Jeff expanded his work in these areas by voicing characters such as Bardock, Pikkon and Gogeta.

Ani-One, the producer of dubbed Japanese projects, recalled the impact of Jefferson Utanes’ work on fans and everyone in the same field. The company wrote on Facebook:

“Ani-One Philippines stands as one with the anime and dubbing community during this time of loss. We honor Jefferson’s contributions, his love for the craft, and the joy he brought to countless fans through his work.”

Jeff kept in touch with everyone through social media for all these years. He was operating two Facebook accounts, with one dedicated to the character Goku. He was active on Instagram with more than 1,600 followers.