Rui Tanabe is a Japanese voice actress born on May 23, 1997, in Tokyo and raised in Saitama Prefecture. As of 2017, she is affiliated with the agency Stay Luck. Her interest in performing arts began in childhood, and she was inspired to pursue voice acting after watching the anime series Macross Frontier.

Tanabe's career started after she passed the first Style Cube voice actor audition in 2012, joining the company as a trainee. She made her debut in 2013 with a small role in the anime Polar Bear Cafe. Her first leading role came in 2014, when she was cast as Cecil Sudō in the series Wizard Barristers: Benmashi Cecil. The same year, she also landed the title role of Nanana Ryūgajō in Nanana's Buried Treasure, further establishing her presence in the industry.

Since her debut, Tanabe has voiced a wide variety of characters across numerous anime series, films, and video games. Her filmography includes the roles of Chizuko Hori in Hinomaru Sumo, Ayumu Hogi in Tokyo Ghoul:re, Ringo Tatsuki in the Tenchi Muyo! Ryo Ohki series, Uta Komagawa in Blue Reflection Ray, Sanga Shinonome in Wixoss Diva(A)Live, and Mitarashi in Phantasy Star Online 2 Comic. She has also appeared in Ikki Tousen: Western Wolves and Ikki Tousen: Extravaganza Epoch as Mitsuyoshi Yagyū, Maya Kitajima in the Yu Yu Hakusho OVA Two Shots, Lancis in A Certain Magical Index III, Luluna in Last Period: the journey to the end of the despair, Kayoko Himeji in High School Fleet, Laura Fukuōji in Jewelpet: Magical Change, and Anko Koshi in My Deer Friend Nokotan.

In addition to her anime work, Tanabe has a significant presence in video games. She is well-known for providing the voice of Mafuyu Asahina in the popular mobile rhythm game Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage! (Project Sekai), a role she also reprises in the 2025 anime film COLORFUL STAGE! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't Sing. Her other notable game roles include Juri Ushimaki in Blue Archive and Blair in Fighting EX Layer. Tanabe has also contributed musically to some of her projects, singing the 2014 ending theme song Blue Topaz for Wizard Barristers: Benmashi Cecil and participating in character song CDs for series like Ai Tenchi Muyo! and the game Omega Quintet.