Steph Deschamps / May 23, 2025
The world of French dubbing has lost an emblematic figure. Éric Legrand, known to the general public for lending his voice to Vegeta in the cult Dragon Ball saga, passed away on Thursday May 22.
For a whole generation of fans, his unmistakable timbre embodied the pride and strength of the Prince of Saiyans. His death marks a turning point for those who grew up with the French voices of their childhood heroes.
His colleague and friend Patrick Borg, the iconic voice of Son Goku, paid him a moving tribute on social networks: “Farewell to my friend, Éric Legrand (...) For months, we wrote to each other every day on WhatsApp until last Monday morning, May 19, when you were transferred to a palliative care unit... You stopped answering me,” he shared with emotion.
Éric Legrand didn't just make his mark on the Dragon Ball universe. He also doubled as Owen Wilson a dozen times in films, and played key characters in other cult series, such as one of the Zodiac Knights in The Knights of the Zodiac, another monument of Japanese animation.
A talented actor with an unforgettable voice, Éric Legrand leaves behind a sound legacy deeply rooted in our collective memory.