If your kid has spent more than five minutes in a galaxy far, far away or watched a trio of chemically-engineered kindergartners save Townsville, they’ve been raised by Tom Kane. He wasn't just a voice actor; he was the sonic backbone of the last three decades of high-quality animation and gaming. With his passing yesterday, we didn't just lose a performer—we lost the guy who gave a soul to the characters that define "prestige" kid culture.
TL;DR: Tom Kane, the legendary voice behind Yoda in The Clone Wars and Professor Utonium in The Powerpuff Girls, has passed away. His massive range—spanning from the wisdom of Jedi Masters to the chilling falsetto of villains—makes him the perfect entry point for a conversation with your kids about the invisible art of voice acting and the creators who shape their favorite worlds.
For a generation of kids, Tom Kane is Yoda. While Frank Oz originated the character in the films, Kane took the mantle for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Rebels, and dozens of video games like LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
But his contribution to Star Wars went deeper than just the backward-talking green guy. He was the "Voice of God" narrator at the start of every Clone Wars episode. That newsreel-style delivery is what gave the show its weight and its sense of history. If your kid is a Star Wars fan, they’ve heard his voice literally hundreds of times. He also voiced Admiral Ackbar in the later films, proving he could handle everything from high-pitched wisdom to gravelly military gravitas.
If your family’s tastes lean more toward classic Cartoon Network, Kane’s legacy is even more omnipresent. He played Professor Utonium in The Powerpuff Girls, the ultimate "girl dad" who accidentally created superheroes while trying to make the perfect little girls. He played the Professor with a perfect mix of 1950s sitcom sincerity and genuine heart.
But here’s the kicker: in that same show, he also voiced Him. If you remember the high-pitched, echoing, deeply unsettling falsetto of the red devil-like creature that gave us all nightmares in the late '90s, that was also Tom Kane. The fact that the same man voiced the most nurturing father figure on the show and its most disturbing villain is a masterclass in range.
The hallmark of a truly great voice actor is that you don't realize it's them until you look at the credits. Kane was the chameleon of the industry. He was Darwin the chimpanzee in The Wild Thornberrys, Mr. Herriman the rabbit in Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and Magneto in multiple Marvel projects, including the Marvel vs. Capcom games.
In the gaming world, he’s a legend for his work as Takeo Masaki in the Call of Duty Zombies mode—a role that required a completely different set of pipes than anything he did for Disney or Cartoon Network. If your kids are into gaming, they’ve likely encountered him as Gandalf in LEGO Dimensions or various characters in the Batman: Arkham series.
Parents often ask how to get kids to appreciate the making of the things they love without it feeling like a lecture. Tom Kane is your "in."
When a kid realizes that the guy who played their favorite Jedi also played the creepy villain in their favorite cartoon or the soldier in their favorite game, it breaks the "magic trick" in the best way possible. It turns the media they consume from a passive experience into a craft they can understand.
Ask them: "If you could only use your voice to play three different characters—a hero, a villain, and an animal—how would you make them sound different?"
It’s a simple question that builds media literacy. It helps them recognize that behind every "screen" is a human being making creative choices. Kane was one of the best to ever do it.
If your kid is a "super-fan" of a specific franchise like Star Wars, news of a voice actor's passing can actually hit pretty hard. For many kids, these voices are the constant companions of their childhood. It’s okay to acknowledge that losing the "voice" of a character feels like losing a bit of the character itself.
However, it’s also a great time to point them toward the future of the craft. Voice acting is in a golden age right now, and Kane’s work paved the way for the high-intensity, emotional performances we see in modern hits.
Q: Who did Tom Kane voice in Star Wars?
Tom Kane was the voice of Yoda in The Clone Wars, the narrator for the series, and Admiral Ackbar in the sequel trilogy. He also voiced Yoda in almost every Star Wars video game for two decades.
Q: Did Tom Kane voice characters in video games?
Yes, he was a massive presence in gaming. His most famous role was Takeo Masaki in Call of Duty, but he also appeared in the Batman: Arkham series, Marvel vs. Capcom, and LEGO Star Wars.
Q: Is Tom Kane the same person as the guy who voices SpongeBob?
No, that’s Tom Kenny. It’s a common mix-up because they share a first name and both worked heavily at Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon during the same era, but they have very different vocal styles.
Q: Why did Tom Kane stop voice acting?
Before his passing, Tom Kane retired in 2021 following a severe stroke that left him with apraxia, making it difficult for him to communicate and perform. His family has been open about his journey, which is another meaningful conversation to have with older kids about health and resilience.
Tom Kane was a titan of the industry who didn't need his face on screen to become a household staple. Whether he was teaching us the ways of the Force or reminding us that "Sugar, spice, and everything nice" makes a hero, his voice is woven into the fabric of modern childhood. Take a minute to look through the credits of your kid's favorite show today—you might be surprised where else he’s been hiding.
- Watch together: Put on an episode of The Clone Wars and listen for the shift between his "Narrator" voice and his "Yoda" voice.
- Explore the craft: Check out our best podcasts for kids list for shows that dive into how stories are made.
- Deepen the interest: If your kid is fascinated by how voices work, find more about the world of voice acting
.