One of Suikoden STAR LEAP’s upcoming characters, the giant ape warrior Vaval, is revealed to be voiced by veteran actor Tomokazu Sugita, a longtime fan of the franchise and Joseph Joestar’s voice actor.
Suikoden STAR LEAP’s Newest Ape Character Features Veteran Voice Actor
Joseph Joestar, Gintoki Comes To Voice A Warrior Ape
Suikoden STAR LEAP is about to enter into the third chapter of its main story, and with it comes a charming cast of new characters to meet—including a formidable ape-like warrior voiced by the Japanese actor of Joseph Joestar. Named Vaval (transliterated from ヴァヴァル, the official English name has yet to be announced), he is an elusive but ferocious giant ape with an obsession with hot springs.
As revealed in today’s Suikoden Live in Tokyo Game Show 2026, Vaval is voiced by esteemed Japanese voice actor Tomokazu Sugita, popularly known as Joseph Joestar from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and as Gintoki Sakata in Gintama. However, in contrast to his usual roles, he trades in usual human speech for sounds of "Va" and "Val," reflecting the warrior’s non-human origins. This showcases Sugita’s range as a voice actor, having voiced similar roles in the past, such as the loud shanty-singing ship from Ratatan, Fortrun.
"As for what to look out for with Vaval—I remember sending in audition tapes for two different patterns: one expressing him using only 'Va' and 'Val', and another portraying the sound of a monkey’s cry. I hope I’ve managed to respond to the direction to ‘make it interesting’—while occasionally pushing back—and elevate Vaval into a meaningful presence." Sugita shared through a slideshow message in the presentation. "He actually has his cute moments, you know," he added.
Producers Wondered If It Was The Right Casting Call
Despite Sugita’s enthusiasm with his audition tape and the producers’ interest, they were initially hesitant to really cast someone like Sugita for a role such as Vaval’s, fearing that it would be a waste of his talents. However, they were so impressed with his audition tapes—"His ‘Val’ was so incredibly good," Suikoden STAR LEAP producer Shinya Fujimatsu shared—that the entire production team agreed that it had to be Sugita or nothing.
MC Iccho Mori asked if that is really all the character says, and Fujimatsu confirmed it. "And he has to express all his emotions just through that! I don't know if it's his specialty or not, but we definitely want people to hear it. It's really a place where Sugita-san's acting skills shine."
Perhaps it also helped that Sugita was already a longtime fan of the series since Suikoden II and that he already had a prior role in a spin-off title as Renefelius XIII in Suikoden: Woven Web of the Centuries: "As for my attachment to the series, I remember seeing a strategy guide for Suikoden II in a game magazine, laughing at the names of the Unite attacks, trembling at Luca's charisma, and wanting to actually get my hands on the game. I was overjoyed when I finally made my highly anticipated appearance in Suikoden: Woven Web of the Centuries. As one of Konami's flagship RPGs, I hope it continues for a long time," Sugita said.
Catch Sugita as Vaval and other characters like Rachana, Tsubaki, and more in Suikoden STAR LEAP! The game is now released in Japan, but the global release has yet to announce its launch date. For more information, check out our article below:
Source:
幻想水滸伝Live at TGS 2026.9.20 | KONAMI
