The news broke quietly on May 18, 2026, confirmed to TMZ by representatives for Tom Kane: the beloved voice actor had passed away at 64, following complications from a stroke he suffered back in 2020. That stroke had damaged the speech center of his brain, a particularly cruel fate for a man whose voice had defined so many characters across animation, film, and games for decades.
Kane is survived by his wife and nine children. His agency, Galactic Productions, posted a tribute on Facebook: “His voice became part of our lives, our memories, and the stories we carry with us. Though his voice may now be silent, the characters, stories, and love he gave to the world will live on forever.”
The voice that shaped a galaxy
For most people, Tom Kane is Yoda. His most prolific role came through Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where he voiced the legendary Jedi Master across the full animated run, and the work carried into other Star Wars series and games. His final credit in the role came in Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. He also voiced C-3PO, Boba Fett, and Admiral Ackbar across various Star Wars media, making him one of the most embedded voices in that entire universe.
Here's the thing: that range alone would be a remarkable career. Kane didn't stop there.
From Zombies rounds to Arkham's corridors
For gaming audiences, Kane's most recognizable work was as Takeo Masaki, the original voice of the fan-favorite Call of Duty Zombies character. He performed the role from World at War all the way through to Black Ops 4, a run that spans some of the most beloved entries in the Zombies mode's history. Players who've spent hundreds of hours in those maps heard Kane's voice more times than they can count.
His game credits stretch well beyond that. He voiced both Jim Gordon and Quincy Sharp in Batman: Arkham Asylum, Magneto in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, and Lok in Fortnite: Save the World. The list is almost impossible to fully catalog. For fans of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and the broader Zombies legacy, Kane's contributions to the mode's early identity are woven into its DNA.
Kane's Takeo Masaki role spanned four mainline Call of Duty titles across roughly a decade, from World at War in 2008 to Black Ops 4 in 2018.
The animated side of an extraordinary career
Cartoon fans knew Kane just as well. He was Professor Utonium in The Powerpuff Girls, Darwin the chimpanzee in The Wild Thornberries, and Mr. Herriman the rabbit butler in Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. These weren't bit parts. These were characters that entire generations grew up with, voices that felt as natural as a family member's.
What most players miss when they think about voice actors is just how much range the best ones carry. Kane could shift from the gravelly authority of Yoda to the refined eccentricity of Professor Utonium to the grounded intensity of Takeo Masaki, and every single one landed. That versatility across shooter games and animated series is rare, and it's what made his body of work so unusually wide.
A legacy built one character at a time
The 2020 stroke that ultimately contributed to Kane's death had already taken a significant toll. His daughter Sam shared the news of the stroke publicly at the time, explaining the damage it had caused to his speech. For a voice actor, losing control of your voice is a particular kind of loss. Kane spent his final years away from the booth, his career effectively ended by the injury years before his passing.
The tributes across social media have been immediate and sincere, pulling from every corner of his career. Star Wars fans, Call of Duty Zombies veterans, Powerpuff Girls kids who are now adults with their own kids. That breadth of response says everything about how far his work reached.
For players wanting to revisit the Zombies mode that Kane helped define, the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 guides are a solid starting point for jumping back into the mode that carries part of his legacy.
