Legendary Dragon Ball Z Narrator Doc Harris Dies at 76

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Gilbert Auchinleck, known as Doc Harris, the iconic narrator of the early English dubs of Dragon Ball Z, has passed away at the age of 76. He died at Vancouver General Hospital following a minor surgery last month. Harris had a long and distinguished broadcasting career, but he will be best remembered by anime fans as the memorable voice behind the early days of Dragon Ball. His narration at the beginning and end of each episode of Dragon Ball Z is still cherished by many fans to this day.

Harris provided the voice of the narrator during the Ocean Group era of Dragon Ball’s English dubbed release. He is best known for delivering the iconic line “Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z,” a voice that resonated with fans as they watched the series before and after school. In addition to his role as the narrator in the Dragon Ball Z TV anime series, Harris also lent his voice to several Dragon Ball Z movies, and his contributions are often credited for the lasting impact of the Dragon Ball franchise.

What Is Dragon Ball’s Ocean Dub? 
The term “Ocean dub” is commonly used by fans to describe the 53 episodes of Dragon Ball Z produced by Funimation in collaboration with Saban Brands and Ocean Group’s voice actors. These episodes were edited from the original Japanese TV broadcasts and featured a different voice cast compared to Funimation’s later re-releases such as the uncut Dragon Ball Z Kai. For many fans of a certain age, this version of the anime played a significant role in shaping the perception and spirit of Dragon Ball in the Western world.

The Ocean dub had its own distinctive soundtrack and interpretation of the characters, with Doc Harris playing a central role in tying everything together. It’s difficult to envision Dragon Ball Z having the same early impact without iconic voices like Harris’ contributing to the series. Furthermore, Harris also provided his voice to other animated series, including My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Monster Rancher, Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space, and Captain N The Game Master.