Filipino voice actor Jefferson “Jeff” Utanes, best known as the voice behind Son Goku in the iconic animé Dragon Ball, has passed away on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
He was 46.
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The sad news was confirmed through a Facebook post shared by his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Teodoro, who asked for prayers for the late voice actor and his family.
The post read: “On behalf of my sister Catherine and her children, Jhulianne & Justin, we humbly ask for prayers for the soul of my brother-in-law Jefferson Seril Utanes. May the Lord grant him eternal rest and perpetual light. Amen.”
The cause of Jeff’s death has yet to be disclosed.
But prior to his passing, Jeff had been open about sharing his battle with chronic kidney disease on his official Facebook page.
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Fans and fellow voice actors flooded the comment sections and various social media platforms with messages of sympathy, expressing their deepest condolences to Jeff’s family.
Many also thanked the late voice actor for being part of their childhood through his memorable dubbed anime roles.
Jeff Utanes’ Legacy
Dubbed by fans as the "Goku ng Pinas," Jeff voiced more than 50 characters across animé series, Korean dramas, and Filipino-dubbed films.
He was best known as the Filipino voice of Son Goku from the 1986 animé Dragon Ball.
He also lent his voice to iconic characters such as the titular character in Doraemon; James from Pokémon, Yami Yugi from Yu-Gi-Oh!; Kousei Arima from Your Lie in April; Hisoka from Hunter x Hunter; Ken Matsuhiro from Yakitate!! Japan; and Kogoro Mouri from Detective Conan.
He also voiced Sai Argyle and Yzak Joule from Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny; Kouya Marino from Crush Gear Turbo; and Okarun from Dandadan, among many others.
Aside from voice acting, Jeff also worked as a voice director for popular anime titles such as Kuroko’s Basketball, Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, Haikyuu!!, Love Live! Sunshine!!, and Death Note.
He also did voice-over work for local television programs, including It’s Showtime.
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