If you’ve spent any time roaming the snow-covered feudal Japanese landscapes of Ghost of Yotei, you’ve almost certainly been struck by the gruff, warm, and deeply layered performance of the actor behind one of the game’s most beloved side characters. The jubei voice actor ghost of yotei team hired brings decades of experience in both anime and video game roles to the part, turning what could have been a one-note mentor figure into one of the most memorable parts of the entire playthrough. I first noticed Jubei’s performance during his introductory cutscene, where he scolds the protagonist for rushing into a bandit camp without scouting first, and the subtle weariness in his tone made me pause to look up who was behind the voice. It’s hard not to get attached to him the second he appears on screen, and a lot of that charm comes directly from the voice performance.
Who Is the Jubei Voice Actor in Ghost of Yotei?
Sucker Punch officially confirmed that the Jubei voice actor in Ghost of Yotei is Stephen Fu, a bilingual voice actor based in Los Angeles with a long track record of fan-favorite roles across anime and AAA video games. Fu grew up in a bilingual household in Texas, first getting into voice acting after doing fan dubs of popular anime series in college, before landing his first professional role in 2018. He’s open about the fact that he didn’t think he’d get the Jubei role at first, since he usually auditions for younger, more snarky characters rather than grizzled retired samurai.
The development team said they were looking for someone who could balance world-weary cynicism with hidden softness, since Jubei is a retired samurai who lost his entire clan to a political betrayal, but still chooses to help vulnerable villagers when he can. I was surprised to learn he originally auditioned for the role of the main antagonist, but the casting team moved him over to Jubei after his first read, because he brought so much unexpected warmth to the lines. Fu has said in multiple interviews that Jubei is one of his favorite roles he’s ever played, because the character feels so fully realized and human.
Behind the Scenes: Recording Jubei’s Lines for Ghost of Yotei
Recording for Ghost of Yotei took place over 18 months, between 2022 and 2024, with most sessions happening remotely during the last wave of pandemic-related production delays. Fu mentioned in a recent podcast appearance that he worked closely with the game’s writing team and a feudal Japanese cultural consultant to make sure his line delivery matched the period, without feeling too stiff or formal for modern players. He struggled at first with the more formal feudal Japanese dialogue, since he’s used to more casual modern roles, so he worked with a dialect coach for two weeks before recording started to get the cadence right.
He would often wear a weighted haori jacket during recording sessions to get into the physical mindset of a 60-year-old samurai who carries decades of battle damage on his body. The hardest scene to record, according to Fu, was the late-game cutscene where Jubei reveals he’s dying of a terminal illness, and chooses to sacrifice himself to hold off an enemy army so the protagonist can reach the final boss. Fu said he cried twice during the recording of that scene, and the final take used in the game was the first one he got through without breaking down entirely. That attention to emotional authenticity is why so many players have posted about that scene being one of the most gut-wrenching moments in the entire game.
I remember laughing out loud during the optional side quest where Jubei complains about the protagonist’s terrible cooking, because Fu’s delivery felt so genuine, like a grumpy uncle teasing a kid he secretly cares about. Small moments like that are what make the performance feel so real, and it’s clear Fu put a lot of thought into even the throwaway optional lines.
Other Notable Roles from Jubei’s Voice Actor
If you loved Fu’s performance as Jubei, you’ve probably heard his work in other popular games and anime without realizing it. He’s worked consistently in the industry for the past six years, with roles in everything from small indie visual novels to massive AAA franchises. Some of his most well-known credits include:
- Tighnari in Genshin Impact: His most recognizable role to date, where he voices the sharp-witted forest ranger from Sumeru, known for his dry humor and dedication to protecting his community.
- Jamie Siu in Street Fighter 6: He brings the chaotic, dance-loving martial artist to life, balancing goofy comedic timing with genuine heart during the character’s story mode beats.
- Kenji in Like a Dragon: Ishin!: A smaller but memorable role as a young revolutionary fighting against the Tokugawa shogunate, which he says helped him prepare for the feudal Japanese setting of Ghost of Yotei.
- Kaito in Judgment: A former yakuza member turned private detective’s assistant, where he got to show off his range between comedic bickering and intense dramatic scenes.
He’s also done voice work for a number of popular anime series, including Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Demon Slayer, though most of those roles are smaller supporting parts. If you want to hear more of his work that matches the tone of Jubei, I’d recommend checking out his performance in Like a Dragon: Ishin! first, since the feudal Japanese setting and samurai character archetype are very similar. He doesn’t have as much screen time in that game, but the energy he brings to the role is almost identical to what you’ll hear in Ghost of Yotei.
How the Voice Performance Shaped Jubei’s Character Design and Lore
A lot of players don’t realize that voice actors often have input on the characters they play, and that was absolutely the case with Fu and Jubei. Originally, Jubei was written as a much colder, more unlikable character, who only helped the protagonist for his own selfish gain. But after Fu recorded his first few lines, the writing team decided to rewrite large parts of his backstory to match the warmth he brought to the role. The team said they realized players wouldn’t care about Jubei’s arc if he was just a grumpy jerk with no redeeming qualities, and Fu’s performance showed them how much heart the character could have.
For example, the side quest where Jubei adopts a stray orphaned cat from a burned-down village was added entirely because Fu mentioned offhand in a recording session that he thought Jubei would be the kind of person who secretly loves animals. That small side quest is now one of the most popular fan-favorite moments in the entire game, with thousands of players posting screenshots of Jubei and his cat on social media. The character’s visual design was also adjusted slightly after casting, with the art team adding softer lines around his eyes and a small smile line on his mouth to match the kind edge Fu brought to his performance.
It’s rare for voice actors to have that much impact on a character’s final design, especially in a big-budget AAA game, but the development team has said that Fu’s input made Jubei a far stronger, more memorable character than they originally planned. They even added an extra post-credits scene focused on Jubei’s cat after seeing how much players reacted to that side quest during early playtesting. It’s a great example of how collaboration between actors and development teams can make already good characters even better.
At the end of the day, the jubei voice actor ghost of yotei fans have fallen in love with is a big part of why the character feels so real and relatable, even in a fantasy samurai setting. Stephen Fu’s dedication to the role, his input on the character’s backstory and personality, and his raw emotional performance turned a supporting side character into one of the most beloved parts of the entire game. If you’re planning a second playthrough of Ghost of Yotei, take a minute to pay attention to the small details in Jubei’s line delivery, the quiet pauses, the subtle shifts in tone, and you’ll see just how much work went into bringing the character to life. It’s performances like this that make video game voice acting such an underappreciated art form, and we can’t wait to see what Fu works on next.