Derek Stephen Prince

Derek Stephen Prince (born February 5, 1969), also known professionally as Steve Prince, is an American voice actor renowned for his work in anime dubs, video games, and animated series.^[1][2] A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater from 1991, Prince has built a career spanning over three decades, contributing distinctive performances to major franchises.^[3] Prince first gained prominence in the anime industry with roles in the Digimon series, voicing characters such as Ken Ichijouji, Veemon in Digimon Adventure 02, and Impmon/Beelzemon in Digimon Tamers.^[2] He achieved widespread recognition for portraying Uryū Ishida, the stoic Quincy archer, across the long-running Bleach anime, including its television series, films, and the 2022 revival Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.^[2][4] Additional notable anime credits include Shino Aburame, the enigmatic Aburame clan member in Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations; Iggy, the foul-mouthed dog Stand user in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders; and Hiruma, the cunning quarterback in Eyeshield 21.^[2][4] In video games, Prince has lent his voice to prominent characters such as Vexen, the chill-obsessed Organization XIII member, in the Kingdom Hearts series across multiple installments.^[1][4] He also voiced Oswald, the melancholic dark knight protagonist, in the action RPG Odin Sphere and its remaster Odin Sphere Leifthrasir.^[4] Other gaming roles encompass That Man/Asuka R. Kreutz in the Guilty Gear series, including Guilty Gear -Strive-, and Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu in the Danganronpa visual novel adaptations.^[4] Beyond anime and games, Prince provided the voice for the bumbling villain Elgar in the live-action Power Rangers Turbo series.^[1] Throughout his career, Prince has been credited under variations of his name, reflecting a professional shift toward Steve Prince in recent projects as of 2024.^[1][2] His versatile baritone, often suited to intelligent, brooding, or antagonistic characters, has made him a staple in English-language localizations of Japanese media.^[4]

Early life

Birth and upbringing

Derek Stephen Prince was born on February 5, 1969, in Inglewood, California.^[2] Prince grew up in the Los Angeles area in a supportive environment that nurtured his early interests in the performing arts, though details about his family remain limited in public records. From a young age, he showed a passion for acting, beginning his involvement in performance at the age of 10 when he appeared as an extra on the short-lived television series 240 Robert, starring Mark Harmon.^[5] During his elementary and high school years, Prince engaged extensively in stage work through local school productions, which further ignited his lifelong dedication to theater and acting. This early exposure to performance activities in the California theater scene laid the foundation for his pursuit of formal training in musical theater following high school.^[5]

Education

Derek Stephen Prince attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after high school, pursuing a degree in musical theater.^[5] This choice built on his childhood interest in performance, which had begun with stage work in elementary and high school.^[5] The university's School of Drama offered a rigorous, sequence-based BFA program in Musical Theater, emphasizing classical training in acting, voice, movement, and performance techniques designed to prepare students for professional entry into the field.^[6] Prince graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Musical Theater, skills from which he has continued to apply in his voice acting career, particularly in vocal control and character embodiment.^[1][7]

Career

Early career

Following his graduation from Carnegie Mellon University in 1991 with a BFA in Musical Theater, Derek Stephen Prince pursued professional opportunities in stage acting, leveraging his training in performance and vocals.^[3] Prince entered the television industry in 1997 with his first major role, voicing the character Elgar in the live-action series Power Rangers Turbo. He reprised the role in Power Rangers in Space the following year, marking his debut in on-screen projects and introducing him to a broader audience through the franchise's action-oriented format. In the late 1990s, Prince transitioned into voice-over work, taking on initial gigs in animation and dubbing that allowed him to develop his skills in character voices and narration.^[8] These early assignments, often minor supporting parts, helped establish his presence in the burgeoning field of animated media.^[7]

Rise in voice acting

Prince's breakthrough in voice acting came with his extensive roles in the Digimon anime series during the early 2000s, where he voiced multiple characters across several seasons, including DemiDevimon in Digimon Adventure (1999–2000), Veemon and Ken Ichijouji in Digimon Adventure 02 (2000), and Impmon in Digimon Tamers (2001–2002).^[2] These performances, particularly the dual role of the antagonistic Ken Ichijouji—who evolves from villain to ally—and the mischievous Impmon, earned him significant recognition among anime fans for his versatile delivery in youthful, complex characters.^[5] Working with Saban Entertainment on these English dubs, Prince's contributions helped establish him as a key talent in the burgeoning anime dubbing scene.^[2] Building on this momentum, Prince expanded into other major anime franchises, voicing Uryū Ishida in Bleach starting in 2004 and Shino Aburame in Naruto from 2005.^[2] Ishida, a sharp-witted Quincy archer with a reserved demeanor, and Aburame, the enigmatic insect-wielding strategist of Team 8, reinforced Prince's typecasting in intellectual or subtly antagonistic young roles, showcasing his ability to convey cool precision and underlying intensity.^[4] These parts solidified his presence in high-profile shōnen series, contributing to his growing prominence in the industry.^[2] Throughout the 2000s, Prince collaborated closely with studios such as Viz Media, which handled the English dubs for Bleach and Naruto, allowing him to engage with fans through appearances at anime conventions tied to these series.^[2] His work during this period marked a shift from niche roles to mainstream anime stardom, leveraging his early live-action experience as a foundation for these animated successes.^[4]

Recent developments

In the 2010s, Prince diversified his voice acting career by taking on prominent roles in video games, including Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu in the Danganronpa series and Iggy in the English dub of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, marking an expansion beyond his established anime work.^[9][10][4] This trend continued into the 2020s with contributions to the fighting game genre, where he reprised the role of Asuka R. Kreutz (formerly That Man) in Guilty Gear -Strive- and assumed the voice of Lucifero in updates released as late as September 2025.^[11] He also reprised his role as Uryū Ishida in the 2025 video game Bleach: Rebirth of Souls.^[1] Through 2025, Prince has maintained visibility in the industry via ongoing participation in conventions and fan events, including appearances at Pasadena Comic Convention in May 2024, Anime Las Vegas in March 2024, and including Conjutsu in August 2025 and Gem State Comic Con in May 2025, alongside selective dubbing projects that often involve reprising fan-favorite characters.^[12][13][8]

Personal life

Professional name change

In 2024, Derek Stephen Prince began transitioning to crediting new voice acting projects under the professional name Steve Prince. This rebranding occurred after over three decades in the industry, where he had previously used Steve Prince as an occasional alias in some credits dating back to the 1990s. The change aligns with an evolving professional persona, emphasizing a more streamlined identity.^[1] The adoption of Steve Prince reflects a preference for a shorter, more accessible name that facilitates easier recognition in contemporary media and conventions. For instance, he is scheduled to appear as Steve Prince at Charlie's Anime Con on December 7, 2025, where he is expected to reference his iconic past roles. This personal choice has not disrupted his career trajectory, as production credits and promotional materials often note the equivalence between the names to bridge his legacy work, though major roles like Uryū Ishida in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War continue to credit Derek Stephen Prince.^[14] Fans and industry retrospectives continue to associate both names interchangeably, ensuring sustained acclaim for his contributions to anime, video games, and animation. Dual-name usage appears in databases and fan discussions, maintaining continuity for audiences familiar with characters like Shino Aburame from Naruto or Vexen from Kingdom Hearts, originally credited under Derek Stephen Prince. The rebranding thus serves as a subtle evolution rather than a complete departure, preserving his established reputation.^[2][4]

Teaching and coaching

In the 2020s, Derek Stephen Prince transitioned into mentorship roles, offering guidance on voice-over techniques and character development through guest speaking and convention appearances. His extensive voice acting resume serves as the foundation for these efforts. In August 2021, Prince visited the Inland Valley Repertory Theatre's summer camp as a guest instructor, sharing practical insights into the profession with young aspiring performers.^[15] He has served as a featured guest at anime conventions, participating in panels and workshops focused on voice acting skills, including a session at Anime Expo 2024.^[16] Prince's coaching philosophy emphasizes drawing from more than 30 years of professional experience to provide actionable advice to emerging talent, often demonstrated through interactive convention sessions.^[16]

Filmography

Anime roles

Derek Stephen Prince has provided voices for a wide array of characters in English dubs of anime series and films, with particularly extensive contributions to the Digimon franchise.^[2] His roles often feature recurring or multi-season appearances in action-oriented narratives.

Digimon Series

Prince's involvement in the Digimon anime began early and continued across multiple installments, often voicing Digimon creatures and human characters in the Saban Entertainment and later Bandai Namco dubs (2000–2003 for initial seasons).^[17][2]

• Digimon Adventure (1999–2000): DemiDevimon (recurring antagonist), Piedmon (Dark Master arc, episodes 50–54), Digitamamon (multiple episodes).^[2]
• Digimon Adventure 02 (2000–2001): Ken Ichijouji/The Digimon Emperor (main antagonist turned ally, seasons 2–3), Veemon/ExVeemon/Paildramon/Imperialdramon (DigiDestined partner, full series), DemiDevimon (recurring).^[1][2]
• Digimon Tamers (2001–2002): Impmon/Beelzemon (anti-hero Digimon, evolves mid-series).^[4][2]
• Digimon Frontier (2002–2003): Grumblemon (one of the Evil Warriors), Gigasmon, Dynasmon (recurring).^[2]
• Later entries: Various minor roles in Digimon Fusion (2013–2014, e.g., Jeremy Tsurugi) and films like Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning (2023, Ken Ichijouji and Veemon).^[2]

Bleach

In the Viz Media English dub, Prince portrayed Uryu Ishida, a key Quincy character, across the full series (2004–2012, over 366 episodes) and related films, including Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody (2006), Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion (2007), Bleach the Movie: Fade to Black (2008), and Bleach the Movie: Hell Verse (2010), as well as the Thousand-Year Blood War arc (2022–present).^[2][4]

Naruto Series

Prince voiced Shino Aburame, the insect-user ninja from Team 8, in the Viz Media dubs of Naruto (2002–2007, recurring from episode 63), Naruto: Shippuden (2007–2017, multiple arcs), Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017–2023), and the film Boruto: Naruto the Movie (2015). A sequel anime arc is in production.^[2][1]

Other Notable Series

• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (2014): Iggy (the Stand-using dog ally, English dub by Viz Media, episodes 37–48).^[10][18]
• Additional credits include minor or one-off roles such as in Gurren Lagann (2007, Attenborough Cortitch), Eyeshield 21 (2005–2008, Yoichi Hiruma), and Hunter × Hunter (2011–2014, Lippo).^[2]
• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019–present): Goto (Kakushi) in the Swordsmith Village Arc (2023) and Hashira Training Arc (2024); Spider Demon (older brother), additional Kakushi roles.^[2]
• Undead Unluck (2023–2024): Clothy.^[2]
• Delicious in Dungeon (2024): Shopkeeper (ep 4).^[2]
• Go! Go! Loser Ranger! (2024): Andrega, Kamiya.^[2]

Video game roles

Derek Stephen Prince has provided voice acting for numerous video games across genres including action RPGs, fighting games, and adventure titles, often portraying complex antagonists or supporting characters with nuanced emotional depth. His contributions span franchises like Kingdom Hearts, Guilty Gear, Danganronpa, Digimon, and Naruto, where he has reprised roles across multiple installments, contributing to both narrative-driven stories and combat mechanics.^[4][19] In the Kingdom Hearts series, Prince voiced the Organization XIII member Vexen, the "Chilly Academic," debuting in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004, PlayStation 2/Game Boy Advance), and reprising the role in Kingdom Hearts II (2005, PlayStation 2), Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (2009, Nintendo DS), and Kingdom Hearts III (2019, PlayStation 4/Xbox One), where he also voiced Vexen's human counterpart, Even.^[20][19] Prince's work in the Guilty Gear fighting game series includes voicing Asuka R. Kreutz (formerly known as That Man) starting in Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- (2014, PlayStation 3/Arcade), continuing through Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- (2015, PlayStation 4) and Guilty Gear Xrd -Rev 2 (2017, PlayStation 4), and reprising in Guilty Gear -Strive- (2021, PlayStation 4/PC), where he also took on the role of the Gear Lucifero. He additionally voiced characters like Answer and Eddie in earlier entries such as Guilty Gear X (2000, PlayStation 2/Arcade). These roles highlight his involvement in fast-paced fighting games, emphasizing dramatic dialogue during battles.^[11][21][2] In the Danganronpa visual novel adventure series, Prince portrayed the yakuza heir Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu in Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (2012, PlayStation Portable/PlayStation Vita) and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (2017, PlayStation 4/PlayStation Vita), while also voicing the eccentric leader Kokichi Oma in the latter title. His performances in these RPG-style games underscore character development through investigative and trial-based gameplay.^[22][23][9] For the Digimon franchise, Prince lent his voice to Impmon in Digimon World DS (2005, Nintendo DS), Digimon World Dawn (2007, Nintendo DS), and Digimon World Dusk (2007, Nintendo DS), capturing the mischievous Digimon's evolution and interactions in monster-taming RPG mechanics.^[4][19] In Naruto fighting games, he voiced Shino Aburame in Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 (2008, Wii), bringing the insect-user's stoic demeanor to combo-based arena battles.^[24][19] Other notable roles include Oswald, the shadow-wielding protagonist, in the action RPG Odin Sphere (2007, PlayStation 2), and dual historical figures Adolf Hitler and Jack the Ripper in the tactical RPG Operation Darkness (2007, Xbox 360).^[8][19]

Other media roles

Prince began his on-screen career with a minor live-action role as the tuba player in the "Saved by the Bell: The New Class" episode "Driving School" in 1995. He continued in live-action television through voice work for monster characters in children's action series. In "Big Bad Beetleborgs" (1996–1998), he voiced the robotic villain Noxic and its upgraded form Super Noxic across multiple episodes.^[25] His most prominent live-action television role came as the voice of the bumbling henchman Elgar in "Power Rangers Turbo" (1997), appearing in 19 episodes, and continuing the character in "Power Rangers in Space" (1998) for 14 episodes.^[26] In film, Prince provided the voice for Elgar again in the theatrical release "Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie" (1997). He also lent his voice to the character Crazy Bee in the English dub of the Hong Kong action-horror film "Bio Zombie" (1998, U.S. release 2000). Prince's contributions to non-anime animation include voicing the friendly shave ice vendor Luki in Disney's "Lilo & Stitch: The Series" (2003–2006), appearing in several episodes.^[27] In the Disney XD anthology "Shorty McShorts' Shorts" (2006), he voiced characters Phil and Boomer in select shorts. For the sports-themed animated series "NFL Rush Zone" (2010–2013), he voiced Jackson and the Seattle Seahawks Rusher in multiple episodes.^[28] More recently, in the Amazon Prime Video series "Little Big Awesome" (2016–2018), he voiced Kunu and provided additional character voices.^[29] In miscellaneous media, Prince has narrated audiobooks, including the thriller "Simon Says: A John Simon Thriller, Book 1" by Bryan Thomas Schmidt, released in 2023. He has also performed voice-over work for commercials, though specific campaigns are not publicly detailed in major credits.^[7]