Erika Ishii
American voice actor (born 1987)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Erika Mari Ishii (born March 7, 1987) is an American voice actor and host. They[a] are best known as the voice of video game characters such as Valkyrie in Apex Legends (2019) and Atsu in Ghost of Yōtei (2025) as well as for their appearances in actual play web series including L.A. by Night and Dimension 20.
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Erika Ishii | |
|---|---|
Ishii in 2021 | |
| Born | March 7, 1987[1] |
| Occupations | Voice actor, host |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Relatives | Adena Ishii (sister) |
Career
Ishii's work in acting started at a young age, with a guest appearance on Full House.[3][4]
Voice acting
In an interview with Bungie, Ishii stated that playing The Last of Us (2013) inspired them to enter voice acting in video games.[5] From the late 2010s, Ishii performed voice roles in numerous video games, and would contribute voice work to The Last of Us Part II in 2020. During their early career, Ishii was advised to conceal their sexuality and political views to avoid losing work. Later they became more open about their orientation and identity. Ishii indicated that doing so was a positive step, as it allowed them to be part of a community, and to take on relevant roles. "The industry is beginning to recognize the value of authenticity and inclusion. It makes for better art and it's what the majority of the world wants to see."[3] Ishii spoke positively about their role as the mixed-Japanese lesbian character Valkyrie in Apex Legends,[6] stating that "None of it was tokenism... She's one of the most real characters I've ever had the honour of portraying."[7][8]
Ishii was a narrator for the audiobook Walk Among Us (2020),[9][10] "an audio-first trio of horror novellas set in Vampire: The Masquerade's World of Darkness".[11] In September 2021, Ishii was a featured artist on the acoustic version of the song "Can You Feel My Love" by the music group Juniper Vale.[12][13]
In 2024, they were one of the voice actors for the lead character Rook in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.[14] Ishii won "Best LGBTQ+ Voice Actor of the Year" at the 2025 Gayming Awards; additionally, Rook won "Best LGBTQ+ Character".[15] In 2025, they were the lead character Atsu in Ghost of Yōtei, the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima.[16][17]
Actual play
Ishii is known for their roles in actual play role-playing web shows[18] such as L.A. by Night[19] and Dimension 20.[20][21] In January 2023, it was announced that Ishii, with Brennan Lee Mulligan, Aabria Iyengar, and Lou Wilson, would star in the creator-owned actual play podcast Worlds Beyond Number; the show premiered in March 2023.[22][23]
In December 2024, Ishii guest starred in the stage production of Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern which combines actual play, improv, and immersive theater at Stage 42 in New York City.[24] They later guest starred in the production's national tour in Chicago in September 2025.[25] In May 2026, Ishii is scheduled to reprise their role as Annabelle from L.A. by Night at Darkness Emergent: Los Angeles, a World of Darkness themed LARP event from By Night Studios.[26][27]
Hosting
Ishii was a host and producer for Geek & Sundry.[28][11][18] They have also hosted other events[29] such as the 2018 Crunchyroll Anime Awards[30][31] and the 2021 Acceleration Japan showcase.[32]
Personal life
Ishii identifies as queer, bisexual, or pansexual with no preference between labels, and genderfluid.[5][3][33] They have been vocal in their opposition to transphobia, and have raised funds for LGBTQ supporting charities such as The Trevor Project.[34][3] Ishii has two siblings, including Berkeley, California Mayor Adena Ishii.[35]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Gayming Awards | Best LGBTQ+ Voice Actor of the Year | Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Won | [15] |
| Best LGBTQ+ Character | Won | ||||
| 2025 | Golden Joystick Awards | Best Lead Performer | Ghost of Yōtei | Nominated | [36] |
| The Game Awards | Best Performance | Nominated | [37] | ||
| 2026 | D.I.C.E. Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Character | Won | [38][39][40] | |
| BAFTA Games Awards | Performer in a Leading Role | Pending | [41] |
Acting credits
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative | Michelle Luio | Voice | [33][42][43] |
| Big Fish & Begonia | Tingmu's Mom, Leizu | Voice; English dub | [43] | |
| 2021 | And Then | Mana | Short film | [33][44] |
| Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal | JunJun / Sailor Juno | Voice | [43] | |
| 2023 | Dragonfly | Miyoko | Voice, short film | |
| 2024 | Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths | Kimiyo Hoshi / Doctor Light, Helena Wayne / Huntress of Earth-Two | Voice; direct-to-video | [45][43] |
| Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos | JunJun / Sailor Juno | Voice | [43] | |
| TBA | The Last Fifteen Minutes † | Kaiju | Voice, short film | [46] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Full House | "Pocahontas" | Season 6, episode 8: "The Play's the Thing" | |
| 2021 | Shaman King | Ludsev | Voice | [43] |
| 2021–2022 | Young Justice | Child, Mary Bromfield / Sergeant Marvel | Season 4 | [47][43] |
| 2022 | The Mighty Ones | Lindsay | 10 episodes | |
| 2022 | Oddballs | Jenna / Liv | ||
| 2023 | Strange Planet | New Friend / Hottie #2 / Customer | Season 1, episode 7: "Adolescent Limbshake" | |
| 2024 | Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur | Michiko Musashi / Turbo | Season 2, episode 14: "Family Matters" | [43] |
| 2024 | Zombies: The Re-Animated Series | Harely | Season 1, episode 6: "Youngins & Dragons" | |
| 2025 | Pokémon Horizons – The Search for Laqua | Rika | [43] |
Video games
Web series
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Extra Life D&D with Saving Throw Show | Penelope Lightfoot | A charity-fueled liveplay produced by Saving Throw Show. | [60] |
| 2016 | Natural 20 | Garmungus | Actual play web series produced by Transplant Films | [61][62] |
| 2016–2019 | Game Engine | Host | Gaming web series by Geek & Sundry | [63] |
| 2017 | Sagas of Sundry: Madness | Selina Tsukiyama | Cast member; RPG web limited series by Geek & Sundry | [64][65] |
| Starcade Marathon | Host | Web special by Geek & Sundry | [66] | |
| Vast | Kraya Yikjaal Gorumon | Episode: "The Great Experiment - Part 1 & 2"; actual play web series by Geek & Sundry | [67] | |
| 2017–2018 | ForeverVerse | Actual play web series by Geek & Sundry | [68][69][70] | |
| 2018 | A Magic Moment with Joseph Gordon-Levitt | Host | Web special by Geek & Sundry | [71][72][73] |
| The Neon Noir | Shirley Kent | Audio drama podcast created by Jack Delaney | [61][74] | |
| 2018–2021 | L.A. by Night | Annabelle | Cast member; actual play web series based on Vampire: The Masquerade | [19] |
| 2019 | Dimension 20: Escape from the Bloodkeep | Lilith | Cast member; actual play web limited series based on Dungeons & Dragons | [75] |
| Into Carnival Row | Moonshadow Foxglove | Cast member; actual play web limited series by Nerdist based on Carnival Row | [76][77] | |
| Pub Draw | Themself | Episode: "Drawing Hana with Erika Ishii" | [78] | |
| 2019–2020 | Critical Role (one-shots) | Hanako Hayashi | Episode: "Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Crystal Palace" | [79][80] |
| Sasha Murasaki | Episode: "Cinderbrush: A Monsterhearts Story" | [81] | ||
| 2020 | The Calyx | Winter Solstice | Episode: "Saturnine Chalice - Part 1 & 2"; actual play web series by Good Time Society | [82] |
| 2021, 2024 | Dimension 20: Misfits and Magic | Dream (a.k.a. K Keiko Tanaka) | Cast member; actual play web limited series based on the Kids on Brooms role-playing system | [83] |
| 2021 | Dimension 20: The Seven | Danielle Barkstock | Cast member; actual play web limited series based on Dungeons & Dragons | [84] |
| The Auction with Becca Scott | Actual play web special by Good Time Society based on Call of Cthulhu | [85] | ||
| Battle for Beyond | Leila | Cast member; Actual play web limited series by D&D Beyond based on Dungeons & Dragons | [86][87] | |
| 2022 | Critical Role (campaign 3) | Yu Suffiad | Guest star, 6 episodes; actual play web series by Critical Role Productions | [88] |
| Dimension 20: Coffin Run | May Wong | Cast member; actual play web limited series based on Dungeons & Dragons | [84] | |
| The Adventure Zone: Dust | Louise “Lulu” Kagiyama | Season 2; actual play web series by The McElroy Family | [89] | |
| NY by Night | Annabelle | Episode: "Avoided and Exploited" | [90] | |
| 2022–present | Game Changer | Themself | Guest star, 5 episodes; comedy game show by Dropout | [91][92] |
| Dirty Laundry | Themself | Guest star, 2 episodes; comedy game show by Dropout | ||
| 2023 | Make Some Noise | Themself | Episode: "The Wicked Switch of the West" | [93] |
| Dimension 20: Burrow's End | Ava | Cast member; 10 episodes | [94][95] | |
| 2023–present | Worlds Beyond Number | Ame | Cast member; creator-owned actual play podcast | [22][23] |
| 2024 | The Adventure Zone: Abnimals | JJ August | Episode: "Bunny Heist!" | [96] |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern | Warrior | Stage 42 | [24][97] |
| 2025 | Might | Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place | [25] | |
Notes
- Ishii uses all personal pronouns.[2] This article uses the singular they for consistency.
