Voice Compare » Dragon Ball » Piccolo
Comparision of the voice over actors who have been the voice of Piccolo with sound clips and images.
"Never ask a group of DBZ fans which dub they prefer" - TV Tropes profile on Dragonball
Created by Pokejedservo on Thu Aug 6 2009, 67 Comments, Add Comment
EDITOR'S OPINION
Ah Piccolo the Strongest Namekian, Quite possibly more of a father to Gohan than Goku was and one of the smarter tacticians amongst the Z fighters. He may not have the absolute prominence in battles that the Super Saiyans have but he is closer to it than most of the other Z fighters do. I suppose that does sound a rather bit fanboyish but still here is his Voice Compare!Ever since the FUNi/Saban dub of DBZ we have VA Scott McNeil to voice Piccolo. And speaking of which Scott McNeil's voice-work of Piccolo is one of the reasons why he is such a fan favorite, and while Beast Wars is what REALLY got me into becoming a fan of his I can definitely see why his Piccolo voice-work is so renowned. Seriously I have always enjoyed Scott McNeil's Piccolo handiwork and it was at least definitely some of his best work on DBZ. (And that hilarious "I'm a Cucumber" song that Scott McNeil did in his Piccolo voice is also quite the fan favorite, even though Scott himself is getting a little tired of it but still.)
Though in 1997 Bandai tried to cash in on DBZ's popularity by releasing Dragon Ball GT Final Bout on the PS1 and surprisingly enough they used Californian Voice Talent for it. Now don't get me wrong that idea itself is by no means a bad one but they didn't exactly use that idea all that well. Granted Bandai was pretty new at doing English dubs at the time and it showed, anyways he was voiced by Daniel "Byakuya/Roy Fokker" Woren. And to be honest this didn't come out all that well as Dan's voice was a bit too high for Piccolo. Now I am not calling Dan Woren a bad VA, however I think I might actually blame the Voice Direction on this one as at least I know he could've made his voice deeper. Overall Dan Woren's voicework as Piccolo was not the worst in that game but it certainly wasn't the best. Though Bandai could have done better in this regard all things considered when it came to who should voice Piccolo. (Now when it comes to Californian Anime Dub VA talent Richard Epcar would be a great choice for Piccolo but that's another story.)
However in the late 90's after when FUNimation severed their ties with Saban and made their own in-house studio Chris Sabat has been voicing him since. Now I admit I am one of the fans whom was a bit iffy lets just say about the Voice change at first. (Well Chris was quite the newbie back then and some of the rather questionable lines he got didn't help either.) However as I have been watching the series more & more Chris Sabat's Piccolo voice started to grow on me. Oh sure I admit its still not my favorite Piccolo voice but Chris Sabat definitely made the role his own and became a genuinely good VA for Piccolo in his own right.
And last and kind of the least in the Blue Water dub of DBGT we have Ethan Cole voicing Piccolo and how do I put this nicely? Lets just say its not all that fitting, granted his acting is fairly decent but lets just say I seriously deem Ethan Cole miscast as Piccolo. After all Ethan Cole's Piccolo voice sounded like he tried way too hard to give Piccolo a deep voice but it just comes off as kind of awkward to me.
So overall my choices for Piccolo is easily Scott McNeil with Chris Sabat at a close second while the other two are pretty much dead last.
Pokejedservo
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Damolisher said at 2:59 AM on Mon Feb 18 2013
Dan Woren's sounds like a really bad Jack Nicholson impersonation.
ReplyHakaman said at 9:47 PM on Sat Jan 12 2013
Before i even clicked on piccolo i knew it would be Christopher sabat.
ReplyEdork42 said at 1:11 PM on Wed Oct 3 2012
I may have grew up with Chris's voice, but Scott is my favorite. He sounds real and engaging, like a really deep guy. Chris on the other hand was too gruff, his acting wasnt that great, and he always sounded like he was constipated.
Reply
Torak said at 3:22 PM on Tue Aug 14 2012
Chris Sabat sounds more-so like a demon than Scott, so he gets my vote.
Scott was pretty good as well, he actually sounds like an eviler Piccolo, it is fitting considering Piccolo was once Goku's enemy.
Other two are horrible and completely missed the mark for me.
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Scott was pretty good as well, he actually sounds like an eviler Piccolo, it is fitting considering Piccolo was once Goku's enemy.
Other two are horrible and completely missed the mark for me.
Cat_Z said at 12:33 AM on Mon Jul 16 2012
Chris Sabat's Piccolo (from Z) will always be the best to me.
The thing about Kai is that everyone from the original dub changed how they voiced their character. Funimation tried to make the lines and character personalities in Kai as close to the manga as possible.
Kai just isn't the same as the original. In my opinion, I don't think that thats a good thing.
Reply
The thing about Kai is that everyone from the original dub changed how they voiced their character. Funimation tried to make the lines and character personalities in Kai as close to the manga as possible.
Kai just isn't the same as the original. In my opinion, I don't think that thats a good thing.
CatsTuxedo said at 1:17 AM on Mon Jul 16 2012
@Cat_Z Ummm, the manga IS the original; in fact, faithfulness to the manga is the whole point of the Kai show, especially since the first anime has a horrid reputation for endless powering-up and inaction scenes and a whole lot of yelling.
Reply
Cat_Z said at 11:43 PM on Mon Jul 16 2012
@CatsTuxedo Yes, I realize the manga is the original. Duh.
I meant the original Funimation anime dub. They fixed the mistakes in Kai.
If you look at the manga its not all fighting. There's plot build up.
The original version of the anime had a much better story line than Kai did.
In the end Kai got very poor reviews.
ReplyI meant the original Funimation anime dub. They fixed the mistakes in Kai.
If you look at the manga its not all fighting. There's plot build up.
The original version of the anime had a much better story line than Kai did.
In the end Kai got very poor reviews.
Fulgore2005 said at 3:18 AM on Fri Jul 20 2012
@Cat_Z Agreed as well. It's too bad that Kid Trunks' "Writing on the wall" quote was used by Frieza when they could have used better lines for that scene. But that is entirly my opinion.
ReplyCat_Z said at 11:47 PM on Fri Jul 20 2012
@Fulgore2005 Thats exactly what I said in a comment on the Frieza voice compare. Lol. I love the Dragon Ball series. I didnt get into Kai. Yeah, it was cool at first, but once the show got to the Namek saga, it started going down hill.
ReplyFulgore2005 said at 4:24 AM on Sat Jul 21 2012
@Cat_Z Really? Never knew that lol. Anyways, I liked Kai from the beginning too. But after Captain Ginyu's defeat, it just didn't grab me the same way the original anime did.
ReplyCat_Z said at 12:45 AM on Sun Jul 22 2012
@JSD Exactly. I feel as though I dont really hate the show, its just it didnt turn out like a I expected it to be a little more similar to the greatest action anime of the late 90s and early 2000s.... A lot of crazy stuff went on before and during the Funimation dubbing of Kai.
When I saw what they did to Android 18 in Kai, not just her voice (eessshhh. 18's english Kai voice did NOT suite her), but her personality... I was shocked. I read the manga and watched the original Japanese dub of the show... and 18 is not that... uhmm.. girly.
ReplyWhen I saw what they did to Android 18 in Kai, not just her voice (eessshhh. 18's english Kai voice did NOT suite her), but her personality... I was shocked. I read the manga and watched the original Japanese dub of the show... and 18 is not that... uhmm.. girly.
Cat_Z said at 12:48 AM on Sun Jul 22 2012
@Fulgore2005 I didnt see the beginning of the original Funi dub, I didnt even know it was on. But one day after school at 3:30 I watched an episode in the Frieza saga. And from that episode on, I watched it since. At this point Ive seen every episode, movie, and TV special.
The Funimation voice cast of Kai was excited to the get the show because they knew how popular their original dub was, but I really think they expected too much of the themselves for the show. I remember watching a Kai panel on youtube, and Chris Sabat was talking about how excited he was and that hes happy its more correct to the manga and whatnot.
ReplyThe Funimation voice cast of Kai was excited to the get the show because they knew how popular their original dub was, but I really think they expected too much of the themselves for the show. I remember watching a Kai panel on youtube, and Chris Sabat was talking about how excited he was and that hes happy its more correct to the manga and whatnot.
Nightmare Crusher said at 4:36 PM on Mon Nov 5 2012
@Fulgore2005 Writing on the wall is a general expression. It's not something they thought of specifically for the show. That's like saying Darth Vader owns the word no after Revenge of the Sith.
ReplyFulgore2005 said at 5:07 PM on Mon Nov 5 2012
@Nightmare Crusher Oh, perhaps that was poorly-phrased.
To correct myself, I personally wasn't sure what to make of the dialogue at times. You do have a point tof the general expression though.
ReplyTo correct myself, I personally wasn't sure what to make of the dialogue at times. You do have a point tof the general expression though.
dbret12 said at 4:32 AM on Sat Jun 16 2012
Chris Sabat's voice was good, but Scott McNeil really is pretty good as Piccolo too. So I like both actors voices for him.
ReplyTommyBNSF said at 11:20 PM on Mon Apr 23 2012
Chris Sabat is the best overall, however, Scott McNeil is great as Piccolo when he was evil.
ReplyYamiFangirlQueen said at 11:06 PM on Tue Mar 27 2012
I still perfer Scott McNeil as Piccolo but I like Chris Sabet as Piccolo
ReplyMalikShahrozAwan said at 1:10 AM on Thu Mar 8 2012
Chris Sabat (Z)
Chris Sabat (KAI)
Scott Mcneil
ReplyChris Sabat (KAI)
Scott Mcneil
Nightmare Crusher said at 6:47 PM on Mon Jan 30 2012
1. Chris Sabat(Kai): He finally got it right here, much better.
2. Scott Mcneil: Very gruff and very good.
3.Chris Sabat(Z): He always, and I mean ALWAYS sounded constipated.
4. Daniel Woren: Very bland, like the rest of the acting in that game.
5. Ethan Cole: Oh wow, that clip sounded terrible.
Reply
2. Scott Mcneil: Very gruff and very good.
3.Chris Sabat(Z): He always, and I mean ALWAYS sounded constipated.
4. Daniel Woren: Very bland, like the rest of the acting in that game.
5. Ethan Cole: Oh wow, that clip sounded terrible.
cardboardwalk said at 9:54 PM on Fri Feb 24 2012
@Nightmare Crusher I was thinking the same thing for 1-3! I mean Sabats original Piccolo voice sounded really forced!
ReplyGutsy Goat said at 8:43 PM on Tue Dec 27 2011
Christopher Sabat
makes piccolo sound evil and his voice fits perfectly
the others have feminen piccolo voices or they just sound strange
Replymakes piccolo sound evil and his voice fits perfectly
the others have feminen piccolo voices or they just sound strange
Kylmar said at 1:45 AM on Tue Dec 20 2011
Sabat and McNeil are both great, but I grew up with McNeil so he gets my vote.
Reply
Weirdperson31 said at 10:20 PM on Sat Dec 3 2011
I like both Sabat and McNeil. In fact, I kind of like McNeil a little more. Can't put my finger on why, but his sounds a little better somehow.
Reply
Mr.Black said at 10:45 PM on Mon Sep 26 2011
I think it depends on what side of piccolo. If its his evil side then McNeil, his good side then Chris.
ReplyNitroEX said at 11:37 AM on Thu Sep 15 2011
McNiel's Piccolo is better. Chris Sabat's just sounds too similar to his Vegeta and both (his Piccolo & Vegeta) sound a little too forced in my opinion.
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ConfusedPhantom said at 3:15 PM on Tue Sep 13 2011
Gonna go with Chris Sabat's Kai performance. Scott in second. Dan Woren kinda sounds like the Japanese VA. o_O
Reply
Ranmarotto said at 2:18 PM on Sun Jul 24 2011
Chris Sabat sounds more like a real demon to me than McNeil, but both are suitably good for the role. Sabat is definitely my fave, although his performance was a little on the rough side when he first started as Piccolo. The other two are just awful,
Reply
Music Meister said at 10:49 PM on Fri May 6 2011
I'm biased with DBZ dubs because I grew up with the FUni dub and most of the games are Funi. THat being said Scott does do a really good job and I'm having a hard time picking. I must mention though that I can't bring myself to hate Daniel's voice, it's not perfect but I don't hate it.
ReplyGalactic_Cyrus said at 1:36 AM on Sat Apr 16 2011
Scott McNeil and Chris Sabat tie: they're both perfect fits. Daniel Coren was miscast and Ethan Cole flat out sucked.
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pete said at 7:00 PM on Sat Mar 5 2011
Daniel Coren's voice isn't that bad it hjust doesn't fit Piccolo. Nail or some other Namek is another story.
Replymichiru95 (Guest)
said at 2:32 PM on Sun Feb 6 2011
said at 2:32 PM on Sun Feb 6 2011
I love Piccolo, he's pretty awesome.
I think Sabat is the best, but I prefer McNeil as Jeice.
I think Sabat is the best, but I prefer McNeil as Jeice.
NCZ (Admin) said at 2:57 PM on Sat Jan 29 2011
It's all just opinion, like how you think Scott is better. The poll reflects most people's opinion, and it would seem more people believe Chris Sabat is better (there are a few reasons; he voiced the character longer, he's more prominent, or they just plain like the voice better).
Replyanonymous (Guest)
said at 2:39 PM on Sat Jan 29 2011
said at 2:39 PM on Sat Jan 29 2011
Dammit, Scott McNeil's performance is head and shoulders above Chris Sabat's. Why is Sabat leading in the votes?
a (Guest)
said at 6:30 PM on Tue Jan 25 2011
said at 6:30 PM on Tue Jan 25 2011
I demand Sabat's Kai performance!
dbkai (Guest)
said at 12:07 PM on Thu Dec 9 2010
said at 12:07 PM on Thu Dec 9 2010
@kirai
If you listen to the Dragon Ball Kai clip Sabat uses a slightly different voice now
If you listen to the Dragon Ball Kai clip Sabat uses a slightly different voice now
kirai (Guest)
said at 4:14 AM on Thu Dec 9 2010
said at 4:14 AM on Thu Dec 9 2010
McNeil was the better voice.
Sabat just reused his voice for Vegeta and ruined Piccolo.
Sabat just reused his voice for Vegeta and ruined Piccolo.
austinguy (Guest)
said at 6:54 PM on Tue Nov 30 2010
said at 6:54 PM on Tue Nov 30 2010
Sabat
McNeil
Cole
Woren
Sabat's an awesome actor, and McNeil ain't bad either. Cole doesn't have a good voice but at least the acting's okay. Woren...no. Just...no.
McNeil
Cole
Woren
Sabat's an awesome actor, and McNeil ain't bad either. Cole doesn't have a good voice but at least the acting's okay. Woren...no. Just...no.
drifter (Guest)
said at 11:34 PM on Mon Oct 25 2010
said at 11:34 PM on Mon Oct 25 2010
1.) Chris Sabat
2.) Scott McNeil
3.) Ethan Cole
4.) Daniel Woren
2.) Scott McNeil
3.) Ethan Cole
4.) Daniel Woren
bladelight52 (Guest)
said at 2:26 PM on Tue Oct 19 2010
said at 2:26 PM on Tue Oct 19 2010
Scott McNeil
truedbzfan (Guest)
said at 4:41 PM on Sun Oct 10 2010
said at 4:41 PM on Sun Oct 10 2010
McNeil voice was ok for dragonball but not for dragonball z .sabats voice for Piccolo is beast and that's what gives Piccolo that badass feel and makes him sound like he can and will kill you its the same for his vageta .everybody else just sucks
purplewarrior (Guest)
said at 12:38 PM on Sat Aug 21 2010
said at 12:38 PM on Sat Aug 21 2010
1. Sabat
2. McNeil
3. Woren
4. Cole
2. McNeil
3. Woren
4. Cole
anonymous (Guest)
said at 12:33 AM on Wed Jul 14 2010
said at 12:33 AM on Wed Jul 14 2010
Sabat is the worst VA Funimation employs... how is he leading the votes?
dbzfan (Guest)
said at 8:28 PM on Tue Jul 13 2010
said at 8:28 PM on Tue Jul 13 2010
McNeil and Sabat tie for first for me. McNeil has a more evil sounding voice, while Sabat is deeper and kind of scarier. the other two, though, were just terrible.
anonymous (Guest)
said at 1:46 AM on Tue Jul 13 2010
said at 1:46 AM on Tue Jul 13 2010
Scott McNeil is the only good Piccolo of the bunch.
karislovesguineapigs (Guest)
said at 10:49 AM on Sat Jun 26 2010
said at 10:49 AM on Sat Jun 26 2010
Ive tried to like Chris Sabat as Piccolo seeing as its the only dub that we can actually buy on dvd now. There are some elements of Sabats Piccolo i like but i suppose what im going to say next is biased as i am strongly an ocean dub fan. Scot McNeil's Piccolo is everything the character is and should be. I know that the Ocean Dub did crap out on a load of stuff ( especially the music) but when they got a voice right they got it really really right. Its for this reason that i still get out my many dusty vhs of the whole dragonballz seris in Ocean Dub that were on Cartoon Network / Toonami CNX you name it.
I can enjoy Christopher Sabats Piccolo i dont dislike it but lets put it this way if the Ocean Group got the right to release their version i would be on it like a shot.
I can enjoy Christopher Sabats Piccolo i dont dislike it but lets put it this way if the Ocean Group got the right to release their version i would be on it like a shot.
spencer (Guest)
said at 1:42 AM on Fri Jan 22 2010
said at 1:42 AM on Fri Jan 22 2010
I couldn't give a crap what the Japanese voices sound like. Amazing how sub fans would be totally lose without their subtitles unless they actually speak Japanese. Also if no cast info was given for a series I doubt any sub fan would even be able to tell the difference in voices for the Japanese version.
Well enough of my rant I personally like Chris Sabat the best, Scott McNeil a close second and Ethan and Daniel were alright.
Well enough of my rant I personally like Chris Sabat the best, Scott McNeil a close second and Ethan and Daniel were alright.
penguintruth (Guest)
said at 12:38 AM on Sun Dec 13 2009
said at 12:38 AM on Sun Dec 13 2009
Chris Sabat's Piccolo is one of the worst voices in any DBZ dub ever. It's a painfully flat version of Scott McNeil's from the moment he started until whenever it was he last did it. He may have improved as Vegeta, but his Piccolo is just awful.
Scott McNeil's is a little closer to good than Sabat's, but I noticed some inconsistencies here and there, which should have been picked up by the sound editor or director. Sometimes he lapses into this sort of flat, bored monotone, and it gets irritating.
None of them are Toshio Furukawa.
Scott McNeil's is a little closer to good than Sabat's, but I noticed some inconsistencies here and there, which should have been picked up by the sound editor or director. Sometimes he lapses into this sort of flat, bored monotone, and it gets irritating.
None of them are Toshio Furukawa.
linkdude20002001 (Guest)
said at 6:00 PM on Tue Nov 24 2009
said at 6:00 PM on Tue Nov 24 2009
Scott McNeil's version of Piccolo doesn't seem like it would work for the character, but somehow it does. It has this certain "Great Demon King" kind of feel to it that I really like.
Sabat on the other hand is just a cheap imitation of McNeil (at first). Nowadays, as prevalent in the new games, his Piccolo is just as good as McNeil's (though a different take on the character).
Overall, I prefer McNeil's version of the character. It's a voice fitting of the man (Namekkian) who once reigned over the world as the "The Great Demon King, Piccolo".
Sabat on the other hand is just a cheap imitation of McNeil (at first). Nowadays, as prevalent in the new games, his Piccolo is just as good as McNeil's (though a different take on the character).
Overall, I prefer McNeil's version of the character. It's a voice fitting of the man (Namekkian) who once reigned over the world as the "The Great Demon King, Piccolo".
piccolo (Guest)
said at 9:09 AM on Thu Nov 5 2009
said at 9:09 AM on Thu Nov 5 2009
Scott McNeil is by far the best voice for Piccolo. Chris sabat is the worst, he sounds like a constipated nerd trying to act tough. Ethan Cole is pretty decent. Daniel Woren is average.
Calling chris sabat even remotely acceptable is an insult to DBZ.
Calling chris sabat even remotely acceptable is an insult to DBZ.
czizzi (Guest)
said at 1:27 AM on Sun Nov 1 2009
said at 1:27 AM on Sun Nov 1 2009
Woops, second link in my last post is Goku vs. Raditz.. this is the one I intended to link to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqHKZWBeUnM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqHKZWBeUnM
czizzi (Guest)
said at 1:24 AM on Sun Nov 1 2009
said at 1:24 AM on Sun Nov 1 2009
HOWEVER, Sabat's Piccolo is SUPERB in DBZ: Raging Blast. He seems to have taken out the aforementioned angry bark from his delivery and it does wonders for his performance. It really puts it more in line with the source material, see for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EObltmXdnEc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwGqBcK-2X4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EObltmXdnEc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwGqBcK-2X4
czizzi (Guest)
said at 2:36 AM on Tue Oct 27 2009
said at 2:36 AM on Tue Oct 27 2009
To marvelman,
I don't disagree with you. Sabat's delivery is what i'm not fond of; he makes Piccolo sound perpetually pissed off, like a drill sergeant barking out orders. If you reference the source material (Japanese version), you'll notice that Piccolo's anything but a generic sounding tough guy. Instead, he's got a very wise, calm demeanor about him which is lost entirely in Sabat's interpretation of the character. McNeil is much, much closer to the source material not to mention the fact that he's got infintitely more range in his delivery.
I don't disagree with you. Sabat's delivery is what i'm not fond of; he makes Piccolo sound perpetually pissed off, like a drill sergeant barking out orders. If you reference the source material (Japanese version), you'll notice that Piccolo's anything but a generic sounding tough guy. Instead, he's got a very wise, calm demeanor about him which is lost entirely in Sabat's interpretation of the character. McNeil is much, much closer to the source material not to mention the fact that he's got infintitely more range in his delivery.
marvelman (Guest)
said at 12:45 AM on Sun Oct 11 2009
said at 12:45 AM on Sun Oct 11 2009
To czizzi:
Um , Piccolo`s voice is supposed to be monotone as he`s virtually emotionless except when angered or annoyed.
Um , Piccolo`s voice is supposed to be monotone as he`s virtually emotionless except when angered or annoyed.
ninjagrape (Guest)
said at 4:58 AM on Sun Oct 4 2009
said at 4:58 AM on Sun Oct 4 2009
This reminds me of the Vegeta voice actors. McNeil has a higher slightly creepy voice for Piccolo while Chris' voice "comes across as a pissed off drill sergeant". Personally, I like Chris. I'm more used to him anyway, I think.
czizzi (Guest)
said at 12:59 PM on Sat Sep 26 2009
said at 12:59 PM on Sat Sep 26 2009
Chris' Piccolo comes across as a pissed off drill sergeant. Very forced, very monotone. He does have his moments though. All-in-all, though, I much prefer McNeil's Piccolo.
soulcrusher (Guest)
said at 7:48 PM on Sun Aug 9 2009
said at 7:48 PM on Sun Aug 9 2009
Chris will always be the definitive Piccolo. Scott's not half bad either he's just a little too badass at times.
jeff (Guest)
said at 12:30 AM on Sat Aug 8 2009
said at 12:30 AM on Sat Aug 8 2009
Sabat's performance in the redub of the Saiyan saga really touched me, and for that, he's my favorite. McNeil was good too. The other two thogh were miscast.
john (Guest)
said at 7:16 PM on Fri Aug 7 2009
said at 7:16 PM on Fri Aug 7 2009
Yep Scott and Chris are the best the other two don't sound tough enough.
said at 10:21 PM on Fri Mar 22 2013