Werner Herzog, the renowned German film director, has established a notable sideline career as a voice actor in animation, including several roles that fall within or relate to the anime genre. His deep, distinctive, and heavily accented voice has made him a sought-after guest star for character roles and narrations.

One of Herzog's most recognized contributions to anime is his voice role in the 2013 Studio Ghibli film The Wind Rises, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. In the English-language dub of this historical drama, he provided the voice for the character Hans Castorp. Castorp is a mysterious and cultured German guest Jiro Horikoshi, the film's protagonist, encounters while staying at a mountain hotel. Herzog was part of an ensemble cast for the English dub that included actors such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci. The casting of Herzog, a German national, to voice a German character is a noted example of an actor sharing a background with their role.

Beyond his work for Studio Ghibli, Herzog has voiced characters in a wide range of animated television series and films, many of which, while not strictly Japanese anime, exist within the broader sphere of adult animation. He has made guest appearances as himself and as original characters in prominent series such as The Simpsons, Rick and Morty, Metalocalypse, American Dad!, and The Boondocks. He also provided the voice for a documentary filmmaker in the 2014 DreamWorks Animation film Penguins of Madagascar. Herzog extended his voice work to Netflix with a role in the animated film Orion and the Dark.

Looking ahead, Herzog has announced his involvement in a currently untitled animated feature film from acclaimed director Bong Joon-ho, which will see him join the voice cast. Furthermore, he is set to make his directorial debut in feature-length animation with an adaptation of his own novel, The Twilight World. For this project, which is based on the true story of a Japanese World War II holdout, Herzog will not only direct but will also serve as the film's narrator. These upcoming projects reflect his continuing engagement with and commitment to the medium of animation.