Tom Kane, the voice actor behind Yoda in the Star Wars animated universe and Professor Utonium on The Powerpuff Girls, has died at 64. Galactic Productions announced on social media that Kane died on May 18, 2026, and called him "a legendary voice actor whose work shaped the childhoods and imaginations of millions around the world," praising his "wisdom, strength, humor, and heart." Zach McGinnis told TMZ Kane died in a Kansas City hospital after complications from a stroke he suffered in 2020. Kane retired in 2021 after the stroke damaged the speech centre of his brain, but his credits run to more than 275 projects across animation, video games and narration.

If you grew up on cartoons, video games or Star Wars, you have heard Tom Kane. For decades his voice was the texture behind characters that stuck with whole generations, and his death leaves a clear gap in that landscape.

From Kansas teenager to a global catalogue

Kane began doing professional voice work as a teenager, and by the 1990s he had moved into animation after earlier commercial and trailer work. Us Magazine and other obituaries record that he had more than 275 projects to his name. That body of work covers credits across animation, video games, documentary narration and network promos.

His career stretched more than three decades. He did the steady studio work of a veteran voice actor, but he also landed parts that became cultural touchstones. Beyond cartoon and game roles he worked as a narrator and announcer for television and live events, and he even served as an Academy Awards announcer on multiple ceremonies. The variety of that list shows how many ways a single voice can be present in public life, sometimes without viewers knowing the person behind it.

Yoda, Utonium, Darwin and more

Kane’s most widely recognised role was Yoda in the Star Wars animated universe. He first performed the character in a 1999 video game and went on to be the principal voice of Yoda for the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and television series from 2008 through the series run. He also voiced Yoda in multiple video games and theme park attractions.

Mastheads

Look, his range was broad. The man voiced Professor Utonium and the villain HIM on The Powerpuff Girls, and he played Darwin on The Wild Thornberrys. He took parts in adult animation and comedy as well, including credits on Archer. That mix of family-friendly roles and adult comedy work is common among long-running voice actors, but it still speaks to a rare adaptability.

Thing is, beyond character parts, Kane’s voice found work in narration and promos. Deadline and other outlets list credits as recent as 2023, and some industry listings named narration assignments among his final projects. Even after his stroke and retirement from regular work, a handful of later credits appeared, including short-form projects and narration that used the voice talent he had built over decades.

For anyone wanting to revisit his work, principal credits to revisit are Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Powerpuff Girls and his noted video-game and narration roles, which are widely available through streaming services, DVD releases and game platforms.

If you listen through those credits now, you can hear why studios kept calling him. His performances often anchored scenes. He could be comic, paternal, menacing or mysterious, sometimes inside the same series.

Health, family and the final years

Kane’s career was interrupted by a serious health event. Reporting says he suffered a severe stroke in 2020 that damaged the speech centre of his brain and left him unable to continue regular voice acting work. He retired in 2021. Coverage notes a handful of later credits, including narration work and contributions to video games and short-form projects, but the stroke marked the end of his regular studio life.

Galactic Productions’ social-media announcement focused as much on Kane’s life away from the mic as on his resume. The agency said he was "a legendary voice actor whose work shaped the childhoods and imaginations of millions around the world," and praised his "wisdom, strength, humor, and heart." The statement noted he was a devoted husband and father who, with his wife, raised nine children, three biological and six through adoption and fostering, and concluded that "while his voice is now silent, the characters and stories he helped create will live on."

For immediate, verifiable updates and any official statements from Kane’s representatives, Galactic Productions announced his death via its social channels. Readers who want the original announcement or subsequent family tributes can consult Galactic Productions’ social-media posts.

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Galactic Productions put it plainly: "while his voice is now silent, the characters and stories he helped create will live on."

This article was created with AI assistance.