Video games would not be the same without the work performed by various voice actors who help bring their characters in games to life. There are many big-name voice actors that players know and recognize, such as Troy Baker, Nolan North, and Laura Bailey. One slightly smaller voice actor in the games industry who has had an immeasurable impact on both games and other entertainment media at large is Tom Kane.
Kane is known for his voice acting work in video games as well as in film and television. Kane's career began in 1992 with a small role in the TV series Who's The Boss?, according to the Internet Movie Database, before he went on to voice a series of iconic characters across numerous series and movies. Among his roles are Jedi Master Yoda in a variety of Star Wars shows, Professor Utonium in The Powerpuff Girls, Lord Monkey Fist in Kim Possible, Woodhouse in Archer, Admiral Ackbar in The Last Jedi, and The Chancellor in 9.
Unfortunately, Kane suffered a stroke at the end of 2020, leading to his retirement from voice acting earlier this month. It is disappointing that he will not be lending his voice to any more iconic roles, but it does make now a great time to look back at all of the excellent work Kane has provided in the games industry over the years.
Tom Kane's Star Wars Roles
Kane is perhaps most widely known for the numerous Star Wars games that he has voiced a variety of characters in. He often voiced Yoda in games like the original Star Wars Battlefront 2, Republic Commando, Empire at War, and The Force Unleashed 2. However, he also voiced a number of other characters from throughout the series like C-3PO, Admiral Ackbar, and even Qui-Gon Jinn in the upcoming Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
But Kane has also voiced some very notable original Star Wars characters as well. in Star Wars: The Old Republic he voiced the roles of M1-4X, Commander Narlock, and A-4P0. In The Force Unleashed, he provided the voice of Captain Ozzik Sturn, Kento Marek, and Lobot along with additional voices. Perhaps most notably is the work that he did for both titles in the Knights of the Old Republic series. In the first game, he voiced Master Vandar Tokare, Uthar Wynn, and Rolan Wann, while returning to voice Master Kavar, Hussef, and Master Vandar Tokare in the sequel. Unfortunately, it has been announced that Kane will not be returning for the remake of Knights of the Old Republic.
Tom Kane's Other Video Game Voice Work
One of Kane's largest roles in the games industry is voicing the character Takeo Masaki in Zombies modes throughout the Call of Duty: Black Ops series up to Black Ops Cold War. However, Kane has also lent his voice to numerous other big characters as well, such as Magneto in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order and Lok in Fortnite. He has also voiced Gandalf in multiple Lord of the Rings titles, as well as a number of characters in the Batman Arkham series such as Quincy Sharp and Amadeus Arkham. Also among his video game voices are Raoul in Grim Fandango, and he has reprised roles like Professor Utonium in the Cartoon Network MMORPG FusionFall. It is a shame that Kane has retired, but his legacy will undoubtedly live on in the many amazing performances and characters that he has given voice to over the years.