Toshiyuki Morikawa is a highly esteemed Japanese voice actor, narrator, and singer, recognized for his deep, resonant voice and his ability to portray a vast range of characters, from charming heroes to imposing villains. He was born on January 26, 1967, in Kanagawa Prefecture. His path to voice acting was not a direct one; he was initially an American football player with aspirations of becoming a sports teacher. A neck injury during practice in high school ended his athletic pursuits. Seeking a new direction, he was drawn to the prospect of attending a vocational school with both male and female students after his all-boys high school experience, which led him to the Katsuta Voice Actor's Academy. He graduated as part of the academy's fifth generation, counting Kotono Mitsuishi and Wataru Takagi among his peers.

Morikawa's career began in 1987 with voice work for Japanese language instructional materials aimed at foreign learners, and his first credited anime role was Hayashi Kato in Dash! Yonkuro. His talent was quickly recognized, and he was asked to teach vocal techniques at his alma mater for five years, a role that saw him instruct future prominent voice actors such as Tomokazu Seki, Katsuyuki Konishi, and Daisuke Hirakawa.

His deep and versatile voice has made him a sought-after talent for a multitude of iconic characters across decades of anime. He is often cast in roles that require a commanding presence or a dark, complex nature. Some of his most celebrated performances include the charismatic and terrifying Griffith in the 1997 Berserk series, the cunning and malevolent Naraku in Inuyasha, and the meticulous yet gentle serial killer Yoshikage Kira in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable. He has also lent his voice to powerful figures like the vampire Tyki Mikk in D.Gray-man, the enigmatic Bondrewd in Made in Abyss, and the frail but respected leader Kagaya Ubuyashiki in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. In long-running franchises, he is known as the voice of the god-like Eneru and the fish-man Hatchan in One Piece, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze in Naruto, and the chess grandmaster Shukichi Haneda in Detective Conan.

Beyond these landmark roles, Morikawa's extensive filmography includes many of the parts listed in the query, demonstrating his prolific output. He has voiced characters such as Potimas Harrifenas in So I'm a Spider, So What?, Paul Greyrat in Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Kazuma Soma in Fruits Basket, Sōichirō Amano in A Couple of Cuckoos, and Abel Bluefield in Fena: Pirate Princess. His work also spans titles like Wise Man's Grandchild, The Case Study of Vanitas, Kingdom, and Ascendance of a Bookworm. He notably took over the role of Hiroshi Nohara in the long-running series Crayon Shin-chan in 2016 when the original voice actor, Keiji Fujiwara, took a hiatus for medical treatment.

His influence extends significantly into video games, where he has voiced some of the most famous characters in the medium. He is the definitive Japanese voice of the iconic antagonist Sephiroth in the Final Fantasy series and the demon-hunter Dante in the Devil May Cry series. He has also collaborated frequently on projects with other top-tier voice actors; data from Behind The Voice Actors indicates he has worked alongside Shinichiro Miki on over 100 titles, with Takahiro Sakurai, Akira Ishida, and Tessho Genda also being frequent collaborators.

In addition to his acting work, Morikawa is a singer and musician. In 2003, he formed the musical unit 2Hearts with fellow voice actor Fumihiko Tachiki. Later, in 2009, he started the band BLACK VELVET, where he serves as the lead vocalist under the name Toshiyuki. Demonstrating his leadership and commitment to the industry, he founded his own talent management agency, Axlone, in April 2011 alongside fellow voice actor Jun Fukuyama, where he serves as the company's representative director. His contributions to the field were formally recognized in 2015 when he received the Best Supporting Actor award at the 9th Seiyu Awards. He is also the regular Japanese dubbing voice for several major Hollywood actors, including Ewan McGregor, Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, and Martin Freeman.