Tetsuya Kakihara is a Japanese voice actor and singer born on December 24, 1982, in Düsseldorf, Germany. He was raised in Germany until the age of eighteen and moved to Japan to pursue a career in voice acting, a decision that required him to improve his Japanese language skills. He is a graduate of Gakushuin University. His first credited roles in anime began in 2003, and in 2007, he received the Best Rookie Actor award at the first Seiyu Awards for his early work, which included a role in the series Princess Princess.

Kakihara is known for a wide range of roles, often portraying energetic and passionate young characters, though he is also capable of playing more composed and intellectual figures. One of his most iconic and career-defining roles is Natsu Dragneel in the long-running series Fairy Tail, a part he performed from 2009 to the series' conclusion. Another major early role was Simon in Gurren Lagann, which he has cited as a particularly memorable character. His filmography includes a vast number of anime, with many of the roles listed in the query confirming his extensive work. These include Jinpachi Tōdō in Yowamushi Pedal and its sequel Limit Break, Keith Claes in the My Next Life as a Villainess series, Koji Mihama across the various King of Prism and Pretty Rhythm productions, and Uno in Nanbaka. He also voices characters in ongoing series such as Prompto Argentum in Final Fantasy XV related animations, Chūya Nakahara in Bungo and Alchemist, and Andro M. Jazz in Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun. His work extends to numerous other titles like Aharen-san wa Hakarenai, Love All Play, Tomodachi Game, Arifureta, and Ensemble Stars!.

Kakihara is also active in the video game industry, providing voices for characters such as Jin Kisaragi in the BlazBlue series, Shin in Amnesia, and Lloyd in The Legend of Heroes series. His multilingual abilities in Japanese, German, and English have allowed him to perform specific roles, such as voicing German-language defensive devices in the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha franchise.

In 2010, Kakihara expanded his career to music, debuting as a solo singer under the Kiramune record label. He has released multiple singles, mini-albums, and full albums, often performing with his backing band, the Okaki Band. His musical work includes theme songs for anime he has starred in, such as String of Pain for Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East. He continues to release new music, with a digital single titled Free Cracker being released in May 2025.

Kakihara was formerly affiliated with the agency 81 Produce. In July 2014, he co-founded and became a member of his own talent management agency, Zynchro. His career remains active, with roles announced in upcoming projects, including the second season of The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor and The Spearmaster and the Black Cat.