David Wald is an American voice actor and ADR director known for his extensive work in English dubs of Japanese anime, primarily for studios based in Texas such as Funimation, Sentai Filmworks, and ADV Films. He began his career in voice acting for anime in 2005 with a role in the ADV Films production of Shadow Skill. Prior to his full-time immersion in voice work, Wald was a dedicated stage actor with a background in Shakespearean theatre, having performed with companies like The Houston Shakespeare Festival and The Prague Shakespeare Company. Over the course of his career, Wald has portrayed a wide array of characters, often bringing a distinctive intensity and depth to his performances. He is well-known for his role as the iron-eating Dragon Slayer Gajeel Redfox in the long-running series Fairy Tail, a character he voiced from 2012 through its final sequel, Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, in 2024. Another significant and critically acclaimed role is that of the charismatic and ruthless Askeladd in the Sentai Filmworks dub of Vinland Saga. He also voiced the cunning and unpredictable Lieutenant Tsurumi in Golden Kamuy and the complex villain Daigo Kagemitsu in the 2019 adaptation of Dororo. In addition to these dramatic roles, Wald has portrayed a wide range of other notable characters. These include the menacing Ainosuke Shindo, also known as Adam, in SK8 the Infinity, where he improvised a now-famous line welcoming "bitches, bros, and non-binary hoes," a moment that went viral and showcased his creative input. He is the voice of the steel-hearted Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu in My Hero Academia and its film World Heroes' Mission, and Coach Keishin Ukai in Haikyu!! To The Top. His filmography also includes Hannes in Attack on Titan, Welf Crozzo in Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? and its sequels, and Master Chief in Halo Legends. He has taken on villainous roles such as Vetto in Black Clover and Bulat in Akame ga Kill!. His versatility extends to comedic and eccentric parts, such as playing one iteration of the blue-haired girl Pipimi in the surreal sketch comedy Pop Team Epic and the flamboyant Mrs. Hudson in Case File nº221: Kabukicho. He also voiced Holdem in The Dawn of the Witch, Reiji Kariya in Domestic Girlfriend, Tsuyoshi Kanamori in Hinomaru Sumo, Britney in The Gymnastics Samurai, and numerous other roles across series like The Royal Tutor, Plunderer, Gleipnir, and many more. Beyond acting, Wald has made significant contributions as an ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) director and scriptwriter. He has directed English dubs for a number of prominent series, particularly those with LGBTQ+ themes, including Given, The Stranger by the Shore, The Case Study of Vanitas, Love Stage!!, Hitorijime My Hero, Bloom Into You, and Kase-san and Morning Glories. This body of work reflects his personal advocacy for bringing positive and authentic queer representation to English-dubbed anime, as he is openly gay. In late 2024, Wald publicly accused Crunchyroll of opening his personal mail and distributing its contents to staff. A company spokesperson stated they were investigating the matter. Following this, Wald announced he would be departing from his long-standing role as Gajeel Redfox in the Fairy Tail franchise and would not return to work with Crunchyroll's studio.