Masanori Ikeda is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and singer born on December 1, 1966, in Kyoto Prefecture. He began his entertainment career as a member of the 12th generation of the Japan Action Club, an agency founded by Shinichi Chiba, where he trained as an action actor. In 1986, he transitioned into music, debuting as a singer with the single Heartbreaker Can't Dance under the Toshiba EMI label. His singing career achieved notable success with the song NIGHT OF SUMMER SIDE, which served as the opening theme for the anime Kimagure Orange Road and reached the top ten on Japanese music charts. He released several albums and singles during this period before stepping back from his singing career in 1992 to focus on acting.

Ikeda's voice acting career began in the early 1990s, and he has since become known for portraying powerful and often antagonistic characters. One of his most prominent early voice roles was Robert Garcia in the 1993 animated adaptation of the fighting game Art of Fighting, also known as Battle Spirits: Ryuuko no Ken. This role is one of the examples linked to his voice acting portfolio. He gained widespread recognition for voicing the formidable villain Makoto Shishio in the anime Rurouni Kenshin. Another significant role is XANXUS in the long-running series Katekyo Hitman Reborn!. He also provided the voice for Yudai Yamato in The Prince of Tennis. In the 2016 anime series Nanbaka, he voiced the enigmatic character known as the Man with the Scar, further demonstrating his range in portraying mysterious and antagonist figures.

Beyond these major roles, Ikeda's voice work extends to video games, often reprising his anime characters. For instance, he voiced Makoto Shishio in the crossover fighting games J-Stars Victory Vs and Jump Force. He has also contributed narration to shows such as Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters. His performance of character songs, particularly as Yudai Yamato from The Prince of Tennis, has been recognized commercially, with the single reaching the top 100 on the Oricon charts. This achievement highlights the enduring strength of his vocal abilities, even after his primary music career concluded.

In addition to his voice work, Ikeda has maintained a steady career as a live-action actor. He has made numerous appearances in Japanese television dramas, especially in detective and suspense genres, with recurring roles in long-running series such as Saturday Wide Theater and Monday Golden. His live-action credits also include guest spots on popular shows like JIN-仁-, Kamen Rider Wizard, and BORDER. He is affiliated with the talent agency KM Cinema Planning.