Atsuko Tanaka dead at 61: The game and anime voice actress was behind iconic characters like Lara Croft

In an article translated by Oricon News,  Hikaru Tanaka said: “I would like to express my deepest gratitude on behalf of the fans who loved Atsuko Tanaka, and to the industry people who took care of her during her lifetime.

"It is very unfortunate that we have to announce the parent-child relationship in this way.

"At her request, we will not reveal the specific name of the disease, but aside from her year-long battle with illness, I think she lived a life that was typical of Tanaka: serious, dignified, and a little playful.

"I am truly blessed to have such a proud mother.

Atsuko Tanaka was born on 14 November, 1962 and worked in both voiceover work for anime and games. When it comes to games, she was the Japanese voice for Lara Croft in several Tomb Raider titles and also was the Japanese voice for Bayonetta in PlatinumGames’ titular series. 

Atsuko’s voice over work included Queen’s Blade, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and Lupin III. Her career began in 1985 and according to Comicbook Anime, “She is known best for her work as Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell as Atsuko has voiced the cyberpunk heroine a number of times.

“At this time, no word has been given on whether Atsuko's roles will be recast moving forward. The voice actress most recently starred in Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master. In 2025, Atsuko was expected to appear in #Compass 2.0. There is no telling whether Atsuko already recorded dialogue for the upcoming series, but if so, the show will house the star's final role posthumously.”

Many fans have taken to X to share tributes for Atsuko Tanaka. One fan said: “Deeply saddened to hear about #AtsukoTanaka,” followed by a broken red heart and a crying face emoji. “Anime and videogames fans are mourning, we lost a legendary VA. All my prayers to her family and loved ones.”

At the time of writing, Atsuko Tanaka’s cause of death has not been revealed and she died after being diagnosed with an undisclosed illness.