What happens when you take the world’s most beloved mascot and put him in the role of a weathered detective? You get a wacky game like Detective Pikachu—which then spawns a movie based on the game, which then spawns another movie, and then another game. Woah. That’s a lot of movies and games.
What Detective Pikachu, released on Nintendo 3DS, would go on to teach fans is that Pikachu isn’t just a tiny adorable mouse with a high-pitched voice crying out its own name a million times a minute. It can also be an extremely competent detective who sounds like a senior citizen with a chain-smoking habit.
This is exactly because Pikachu’s body happened to be taken over by the soul of a real-life detective in Detective Pikachu.
Related: When does Detective Pikachu Returns release?
With the trailer for Detective Pikachu Returns dropping on June 21, 2023, fans all over have noticed the old, gruff Pikachu voice has made its return in the game’s sequel. So the question on every fan’s mind still remains—who is voicing the beloved yellow mascot in Detective Pikachu Returns?
Who is Pikachu’s voice actor in Detective Pikachu Returns?
According to the Economic Times, Pikachu is voiced by Will Arnett in Detective Pikachu Returns.
Yes, the game does indeed bring back the coffee-addicted titular Detective Pikachu (surprise, surprise), but not with the same voice actor, interestingly enough.
If word around the street happens to be true, then the addition of Will Arnett into the cast is a big change from previous Detective Pikachu voice actor Kaiji Tang, who introduced the signature gruff and worn-out voice that Creatures Inc. decided to experiment with in their ambitious game title.
Will Arnett has previously worked on various different media projects, his gravelly voice famously appearing in films like The LEGO Batman Movie and the iconic Arrested Development TV Series. These previous projects only work in Arnett’s favor when it comes to his credibility for voicing this different take on Pikachu, as it proves the voice actor has the deep baritone and somber ring in his voice that almost seems mandatory, as established from the game’s prequel.
While the trailer didn’t reveal too much, it did divulge to fans that they can expect to—once again—go along on a ride with Detective Pikachu and his trusty partner Tim Goodman as they take on yet another thrilling case with entirely new twists.
Related: A Detective Pikachu sequel is on the way, but it isn’t the update Pokémon fans expected
Detective Pikachu Returns is set to release worldwide on October 6, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
