Chikao Ohtsuka was a highly respected Japanese actor and voice actor, renowned for his deep, commanding voice and his portrayal of a vast array of characters, from heroes to iconic villains. Born on July 5, 1929, in Tokyo Prefecture, he began his acting career in 1948 and was affiliated with Aoni Production at the time of his death. He passed away on January 15, 2015, due to ischemic heart failure at the age of 85.

Ohtsuka's career was marked by several foundational roles in the early days of Japanese television animation. In the 1971 series Lupin III, he voiced the skilled samurai Goemon Ishikawa XIII, a role that would become one of his most famous. Interestingly, he had previously voiced Inspector Zenigata in the 1969 Lupin III Pilot Film, demonstrating his early connection to the franchise. That same year, he also began his long association with the GeGeGe no Kitarō series, providing the voice for the rat-like yokai Nezumi Otoko starting with the 1971 anime.

His filmography is extensive and spans multiple decades, featuring prominently in anime, OVAs, and video games. He took on a wide variety of roles, including the villainous Jagi in Fist of the North Star, Captain Hook in various Peter Pan adaptations, and Professor Moriarty in Sherlock Hound. In the realm of OVAs and films, he voiced characters such as Adm. Eiphar Synapse in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, Joseph Joestar in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OVA, and Bokudo Murakami in BioHunter. He also had a recurring role as Yoran Pailsen in the Armored Trooper Votoms series, a character central to the franchise's lore.

In later years, Ohtsuka became a familiar voice to a new generation of fans through his work in video games and major anime franchises. He was the definitive voice of Doctor Eggman in the Sonic the Hedgehog game series from Sonic Adventure onward, as well as his ancestor, Gerald Robotnik. He also portrayed the villainous Master Xehanort in the Kingdom Hearts series and Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, in One Piece. His work extended to dubbing foreign films, where he was the official Japanese voice for actors Charles Bronson and Richard Widmark.

A notable aspect of his career was his frequent collaboration with his son, Akio Otsuka, also a prominent voice actor. The father-son duo performed together in numerous projects, including Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, the Kingdom Hearts series, Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid, and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, where Chikao voiced Big Boss, a role his son had previously played in earlier installments. Chikao Ohtsuka left behind an extraordinary legacy, remembered for his powerful presence and the timeless characters he brought to life across the history of Japanese animation.