Taiki Matsuno was a Japanese actor and voice actor born Tatsuya Matsuno on October 16, 1967, in Shinagawa, Tokyo. He was affiliated with Aoni Production. Matsuno passed away on June 26, 2024, at the age of 56.

Matsuno began his entertainment career at a young age, joining the Himawari Theater Company and making his first stage appearance in 1977. He made his voice acting debut at the age of ten, providing the voice for the title character in the anime The Adventures of the Little Prince. Over his decades-long career, he became widely recognized for his versatile vocal range and energetic performances. Beyond voice acting, he also appeared in television dramas and films, including several directed by Yoji Yamada. He was also a dedicated educator, serving as a special lecturer at institutions such as the Japan College of Arts and Josai International University, where he mentored aspiring voice actors.

Matsuno's most iconic and enduring role was as the titular character Hajime Kindaichi in the long-running mystery anime series The Kindaichi Case Files and its sequel, The File of Young Kindaichi Returns. This role is considered one of his representative works. He was also well-known for voicing Kōga, the wolf demon prince, in the popular series Inuyasha. In the world of children's animation, he voiced the character Tart, a fairy from the Kingdom of Sweets, in Fresh Pretty Cure! and its subsequent all-star film appearances. He also took on the role of Agumon in Digimon Savers. Another major role was Jun Manjōme (known as Chazz Princeton in some dubs) in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. His filmography also includes significant parts in One Piece, where he voiced characters such as Lafitte and Trebol.

In addition to his anime work, Matsuno had a substantial presence in tokusatsu, particularly within the Super Sentai series. He is fondly remembered for his role as the Sky Ninja Shurikenger in Ninpu Sentai Hurricanger. He also frequently lent his voice to various monsters and villains in other series, including Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive, Mahou Sentai Magiranger, and Kamen Rider Ghost.

Matsuno also had a prominent career in dubbing foreign films and television series. He was the long-standing Japanese voice of SpongeBob SquarePants for the anime dub, starting from the fourth season and continuing through the first film and beyond. His other notable dubbing roles included David Lightman in WarGames and John Watson in Young Sherlock Holmes.

Throughout his career, Matsuno was known for his collaborations with other industry figures. He organized a reading theater project called Tachiyomi, which featured regular performances from fellow voice actors Yuji Mitsuya and Yuko Minaguchi. His friendly nature and mentorship left a lasting impression on students and colleagues alike. His final anime role, Mashim in Dragon Ball Daima, was aired posthumously.