Wakana Yamazaki, Voice Actress for Ran Mōri in Detective Conan, Passes Away at 61
Wakana Yamazaki, the legendary voice actress who has been voicing Ran Mōri in the Detective Conan (Case Closed) anime since 1996, passed away on April 18, 2026 at the age of 61. According to Anime News Network, the cause of death has not been announced yet, while the series' cast and crew shared condolences on social media.
Yamazaki brought life to Ran Mōri in the Detective Conan universe created by Gosho Aoyama, not only through her voice but also through the depth she added to the character's naive yet strong personality. In the adventure that began in 1996, Ran's loyalty to Shinichi Kudo and her love for her father Kogoro Mōri became unforgettable thanks to Yamazaki's performance. The voice actress's death has plunged not only Detective Conan fans but the entire anime community into mourning.
According to our detailed research, Wakana Yamazaki also took on supporting roles in many popular productions such as Pokémon, One Piece, and Naruto throughout her career. However, the role that made her most famous was undoubtedly Ran Mōri, which she voiced in over 1,000 episodes. The production company TMS Entertainment stated in its condolence message, 'Yamazaki's voice was the soul of Ran's character. Her absence will leave a deep void in our series.'
Fans of the series had been following Yamazaki's performances with great admiration, especially in the films released in recent years. Yamazaki, who also voiced Ran in the 30th film of Detective Conan, 'One-Eyed Flashback,' released in 2025, stepped up to the microphone for the last time with this work. After her death, it is a matter of curiosity how the production team will handle the character Ran in future episodes. In the past, similar situations have led to voice actor changes; however, for this iconic character identified with Yamazaki's voice, fans are commenting that she is 'irreplaceable.'
The Detective Conan series has a huge fan base worldwide with its manga that started in 1994 and its anime adaptation that has been ongoing since 1996. Wakana Yamazaki's passing is recorded as one of the most significant losses in the series' long history. The team announced that they plan to broadcast a special memorial episode in the coming weeks. Details are expected to be announced in the coming days.
