League of Legends, Riot's free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game, has become a worldwide phenomenon with over 67 million players. Now the game is getting an official Japanese server, and with it some of the most popular Japanese voice actors have been cast to dub the game into Japanese. There might not be a League of Legends anime, but hearing these voices, you can easily picture one in your head! Here are 25 champions, and their voice actors in alphabetical order.
(Voice Actor information was sourced from this Japanese fansite, and may contain mistakes, as the cast has not been officially announced.)
Ami Koshimizu as Ahri
Ami Koshimizu's wide vocal range means she can't be typecasted, but Ahri is not the first animal-eared girl she's played: she was Holo in Spice and Wolf.
Makoto Tsumura as Amumu
She gave a voice to a robot child in the 2003 Astro Boy. Now Makoto Tsumura gives a voice to a sad mummy child in League of Legends.
Rie Kugimiya as Annie
Rie Kugimiya has been declared "The Queen of Tsundere" thanks to roles like Shana in Shakugan no Shana. It's only fitting that in League of Legends she takes on another cute but fiery and ferocious character.
Aya Endou as Ashe
The voice of the clumsy Miyuki Takara in Lucky Star makes a surprising fit for the coolness and sophistication of ice archer Ashe.
Hiroshi Naka as Braum
As a support-tank character, Braum is characterized by his immense strength, the same sense of power that Hiroshi Naka lent Luffy's grandfather Monkey D Garp in One Piece.
Satoshi Hino as Ezreal
Ezreal's a seemingly ordinary boy granted extraordinary powers, a character type Satoshi Hino has experience playing in roles such as Saito Hiraga in Zero no Tsukaima.
Junko Minagawa as Fiora
Junko Minagawa became popular voicing Ryoma Echizen, the star of the sports anime Prince of Tennis. Now she's playing a duelist in the world's biggest e-sport.
Sumire Uesaka as Jinx
Sumire Uesaka broke into anime voice acting playing crazy girl Sanae Dekomori in Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Now she's playing another crazy girl... but this one has a gun!
Nobutoshi Canna as Kog'Maw
Nobutoshi Canna, known for playing badasses and villains such as Kabuto Yakushi in Naruto, goes full on monstrous as this beast from the ruins of Icathia.
Ayako Kawasumi as Leona
Ayako Kawasumi plays a wide variety of characters in anime, though the warrior Saber in the various Fate/ series is probably what the League of Legends casting directors had in mind when casting her as Leona.
Yuuki Aoi as Lulu
The voice of Madoka Kaname in Puella Magi Madoka Magica takes on another role as a girl forever changed by magic.
Shizuka Itou as Lux
Shizuka Itou is known for frequently playing redheads, but now the Lady of Luminosity joins the likes of Hildegard in Beelzebub on the list of blondes she has voiced.
Keiji Fujiwara as Master Yi
Keiji Fujiwara is the Japanese dub-over voice of Robert Downey Jr. Now he goes from Iron Man to a different sort of "iron man", the mystic cyborg Yi.
Jouji Nakata as Nasus
One of the go-to actors for deep voiced villains and anti-heroes, first known in American fandom for playing Alucard in Hellsing, plays the dog-headed demigod of death and time.
Chiwa Saito as Orianna
Chiwa Saito played the cyborg dancer Françoise Arnoul in 009 Re:Cyborg, a role which likely inspired her casting in the role of the robot dancer Orianna in League of Legends.
Ayumi Fujimura as Poppy
Kneesocks (Ayumi Fujimura's character from Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt) wants to make sure that when you play as Poppy, you play by the RUUUUUUUUUULES!
Miyuki Sawashiro as Riven
Miyuki Sawashiro has moved from voicing to cutesy moe characters to more intense action girls, Celty Sturluson from Durarara!! a popular example of the latter. "Riven, The Exile" is her in action mode.
Tomokazu Seki as Rumble
The popular voice actor Tomokazu Seki played the slightly unhinged Gilgamesh in Fate/stay night and proceeding works. You can really hear the similarity in both of their laughs!
Kazuhiko Inoue as Shen
The sharingan-wielding teacher of Team 7 in Naruto and its sequels plays another cool-headed ninja in League of Legends. His role in League may be more defensive, but Kakashi and Shen are both all about the team.
Ikue Ootani as Teemo
Ikue Ootani is Japan's number one voice for cute creatures (she's both Chopper AND Pikachu!) so of course she's voicing this dangerous but adorable Yordle.
Kenyuu Horiuchi as Twisted Fate
Kenyuu Horiuchi is a voice actor with a gift for comedy, showcased with his role as Barazou Mankanshoku in Kill la Kill, so he fits well as this criminal who never takes anything seriously.
Ryouka Yuzuki as Vi
As the stern and merciless "Piltover Enforcer," Ryouka Yuzuki plays a role similar to her stand-out performance as Satsuki Kiryuuin in Kill la Kill.
Masako Nozawa as Wukong
When you have a video game character based off the Monkey King from Journey to the West, the legend that inspired Dragon Ball, who do you cast to play that character in Japanese? Son Goku, that's who!
Tomokazu Sugita as Yasuo
Tomokazu Sugita honed his screaming swordfighter chops voicing Gintoki Sakata in Gintama, bringing this energy to his League of Legends role.
Natsuki Hanae as Veigar and Ziggs
When he's not finding strange creatures in the digital world as Taichi Yagami in the new Digimon Adventure, Natsuki Hanae is playing strange creatures himself, the "Tiny Master of Evil" Veigar and cat-like Yordle mad scientist Ziggs. Fans will be pleased to know that Natsuki is a huge LoL fan in real life!