Tōru Ōkawa is a Japanese voice actor and stage performer born on February 28, 1960, in Kagoshima Prefecture. He is affiliated with the talent agency Mausu Promotion. Before committing fully to voice acting, he studied at the College of Art at Nihon University and began his career in stage performance. His transition to voice work came in the mid-1990s, and he has since become recognized for a deep and versatile vocal range, allowing him to portray characters across a wide spectrum from heroic leaders to complex antagonists.

Ōkawa's career in animation began to gain significant momentum in the early 2000s. A key early role was providing the voice of Saito in the 2002 series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, a character he has continued to play in subsequent films and series, including Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 and its related films. The following year, he achieved widespread recognition for his performance as Roy Mustang in the 2003 adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist. This role, portraying the ambitious and morally complex Flame Alchemist, became one of his most iconic and enduring performances, which he later reprised for the film Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa and other related productions.

Throughout his career, Ōkawa has been a prolific presence in the industry, taking on a great number of significant roles. He has been the Japanese voice for the Narrator across several series, most notably in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure franchise, including Stardust Crusaders and Diamond is Unbreakable, where his commanding delivery became a staple of the show. He also voiced Heathcliff, the leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath guild, in Sword Art Online. His portrayal of Death Scythe, also known as Spirit, the weapon-meister and father of Maka, in Soul Eater brought a unique blend of exaggerated charm and genuine paternal concern to the character. Other prominent roles include the tragic researcher Jirō Tomitake in the Higurashi: When They Cry series, the doctor Toshio Ozaki in Shiki, the ruthless Saazbaum in Aldnoah.Zero, the devout investigator Kureo Mado in Tokyo Ghoul, the wise and benevolent god Tenjin in Noragami, and the skilled military strategist Hiromitsu Ochiai in Ace of Diamond.

Ōkawa is well-known for his work in several long-running franchises. He has voiced multiple characters in the One Piece series, most notably taking on the role of Sengoku, the former Fleet Admiral of the Marines. In the historical fantasy franchise Sengoku Basara, he is the voice of the powerful warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu. His filmography also includes roles in major mecha series, such as Jeffrey Wilder, Elmo Kridanik, and the narrator in Macross Frontier, as well as Rustal Elion in Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. He has been a recurring part of the Hakuōki franchise, providing the voice of Shinsengumi commander Isami Kondō across numerous anime seasons, films, and OVAs.

Beyond these major titles, Ōkawa has amassed an extensive list of credits that demonstrate his range. His roles include the calculating detective Kyōichirō Teratsuki in Boogiepop and Others, the god Ouranos in Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, the socialite Spade in ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept., Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia in Fate/Apocrypha, the scientist Susumu Kurose in A.I.C.O. -Incarnation-, and the master of the Kōda household, Masachika Kōda, in March comes in like a lion. He has also taken on roles in films such as 009 Re:Cyborg as Cyborg 004, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children as Rufus Shinra, and One Piece: Stampede, reprising his role as Sengoku.

In December 2017, Ōkawa announced that he would be taking a hiatus from work to focus on recovering from an illness. After a period of rest, he made his return to voice acting in July 2018, gradually resuming his roles in ongoing series. He is recognized not only for his work in anime but also for his skills as a narrator, lending his voice to documentaries, promotional materials, and audiobooks. His deep, authoritative, and often warm tone has made him a sought-after talent for both heroic and paternal figures, as well as menacing villains, securing his status as a highly respected and versatile figure in the Japanese voice acting industry.