Which Piccolo voice do you prefer: Chris Sabat or Scott McNeil?

[omaro34]

Ocean Dub's Piccolo had a snake like voice, and in some instances I prefered it better than the Funimation dub; especially when Piccolo saved Gohan against Nappa.

What do you guys think overall?

[Vijay]

Would it be wrong if I say I prefer Toshio Furukawa?

I use to despise Sabat's portrayal during Z's early run. I couldnt hear/comprehend 50% words he mumbled/grumbled.

In GT, he was okayish.

Improved significantly in Kai.

[Bansho64]

While I do think Chris Sabat is AMAZING now, and I did start and grow up with his Kai performance.................

I'm gonna have to go with Scott. IMO, the voice itself is so demonic, but also doesn't forget to portray Piccolo's other side of emotion that he shows. This is especially apparent in the Saiyan arc. It's honestly just such a hard performance to top if you ask me. Chris is right behind him, but I still think Scott's performance is the definitive English Piccolo.

[Jinzoningen MULE]

Y'know, I'm not nearly as critical of Sabat as I used to be, but I'd be totally disingenuous if I didn't scream and curse the heavens for allowing anything as bland as his Piccolo to exist! It's a rare case when a VA's character voice is less interesting than their actual voice. Even if i didn't love McNeil's Piccolo, and lord, do I, it would have to go to have to go to him by default.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Ever since Kai started I'd have to say both actors are fantastic, honestly.

I would say McNeil edges Sabat out ever so slightly because of the more sinister tone, which works for a creature that was formerly the demon king, especially during the Saban dub when he still had some evil inside of him. Although Sabat would beat McNeil at his worst during the Westwood dub (where McNeil wasn't terrible but at the very least good) but nine times out of ten I'd have to give the win to McNeil.

Its still a shame we have no clue if Ocean Kai will ever get released, even just for hearing more of McNeil's take would be worth it. If he was as great as he was in 1996 I can only imagine how much better he became after years of learning the character and the world of Dragon Ball more.

[8000 Saiyan]

While I like Sabat, I prefer McNeil. The guy is just awesome as Piccolo and in everything he does.

[TheGreatness25]

Oh, Scott McNeil 100%. Scott McNeil's performance and delivery is so professional and smooth. It sounds like a real voice and doesn't have that cartoony, strained, "Hey, I'm making a funny voice!" sound to it. That's something that I'll always give the Ocean cast over Funimation's -- Piccolo's, Vegeta's, Yamucha's, Krillin's, Bulma's, Chichi's, Gohan's, and both of Goku's original Ocean actors' performances were so natural with excellent delivery for the most part. I feel that even for Kai and Super, all of the grandfathered voices still don't sound natural (sounds like they're making cartoon voices), and their delivery in the newer material sounds really rushed.

Scott McNeil definitely wins this for me. But I'm okay with Sabat's Piccolo, to be quite honest. I like Sabat's Piccolo way more than I like his Vegeta, who just can't deliver a line without half-yelling it. Though I'm definitely in a huge minority when I say that I even liked Sabat's original Piccolo voice... like his 1999 Piccolo voice with the rasp in it. I felt that it gave something to the character, and had the lines themselves actually been tolerable, I don't think I'd have a problem with that voice at all. I feel like in the Boo arc, the voice kind of became monotone and sounded like Chris Sabat just speaking normally, although slowly. While the voice did sound a lot more natural, it felt like it lacked any emotion. Now, it's okay, I guess. I have no problems with it. But Scott McNeil still wins this for me.

[ABED]

McNeil's Piccolo voice isn't a natural voice, but it fits perfectly. I really like Sabat's Kai voice. I always thought his voice just pitched slightly down would be a great fit and I was right. I like both a lot, but I give the edge to McNeil.

[omaro34]

I do prefer McNeil as well, such a sinister voice and fits the early Piccolo's personality very well. Sabat's current Piccolo voice in Super is much better now than it was back in the day in my opinion, and this is to be expected.

Saiyan saga will forever be linked to McNeil in my eyes.

[huzaifa_ahmed]

I feel as if this is a tad myopic question & a bit of a false equivalency? I like Scott's take better, but out of English voices I like Ray Chase almost as much as Scott & much better than Sabat tbh.

However I don't think any of them have really captured the tone of the Japanese actor that well; they always tend to go for a big brutish voice, whereas Furukawa & the Japanese version's portrayal had more of a husky, sinister sound.

[Super_Divine_Genki]

The main issue that I still continue to have when I'd watched Kai dubbed and seen some clips of Super, is that FUNi's actors in general -- even though greatly improved from 1999-2001 -- put too much emphasis on delivery. "We're DB characters, and isn't so cool that we're actually playing roles of DB characters. Our signature voices are so recognizable". There's too much hipness to it, imo.

Sabat's Piccolo -- even in Kai -- is no exception. While sounding much smoother and more natural compared to the old days, it's still overbearing. There's no subtlety. Almost every line is delivered like "I'm standing in a noisy crowd, and I need to speak over everyone". It still needs to be toned down, imo.

Scott McNeil can take Piccolo all over the place and still sound natural, and subtle, all the while. Scott McNeil wins this VS round easily.

[ABED]

Super Divine Genki, DB isn't not the most subtle series. There plenty of it, but having a delivery that isn't 100% naturalistic is fine. Even the Japanese voice actors aren't naturalistic. McNeil's works is fantastic and he has range, but it's not a natural voice. It's hard to explain, but I think the best performances in DB are put on voices, but in a relaxed way. No one sounds like Nozawa's Goku or McNeil's Piccolo, but there's a relaxed quality to it. I think Schemmel and Sabat's current performances do that as well.

[Jinzoningen MULE]

Super Divine Genki, DB isn't not the most subtle series. There plenty of it, but having a delivery that isn't 100% naturalistic is fine. Even the Japanese voice actors aren't naturalistic. McNeil's works is fantastic and he has range, but it's not a natural voice. It's hard to explain, but I think the best performances in DB are put on voices, but in a relaxed way. No one sounds like Nozawa's Goku or McNeil's Piccolo, but there's a relaxed quality to it. I think Schemmel and Sabat's current performances do that as well.

I think a big problem is that a lot of people think Dragon Ball's dialogue should mimic modern movies and television, but in reality, what it's going for is far more akin to classical theatre. If you aren't judging them in the that context, or at least ball-parking it, none of the voices are going to sound reasonable.

[ABED]

Great point and in theater, you have to project.

[8000 Saiyan]

Yeah, overacting and unrealistic voices don't bother me since Dragon Ball isn't the most subtle show around, same thing with superhero cartoons. Apocalypse from the 90's X-Men cartoon was over-the-top, but it suited the character, and I rather have an over-the-top Apocalypse than a monotone Apocalypse. Frank Welker's Megatron and Chris Latta's Cobra Commander don't sound like real people, but as voices for these characters, they work.

[Super_Divine_Genki]

I've already taken into consideration that voicing a DB character is not close to being in line with regular film or television, and that it's got to be a taxing job if someone's playing a prominent role with all of those over-exaggerated facial expressions going on.

My side of the argument (not literally argue), is that I have something to compare it to -- the original 1996-1998 dub. There's a subtlety that exists there in those performances that I don't get in the Funi dub/Kai. Kai and more recent works are much more relaxed performances, I agree, but are still somewhat overbearing to my ears and are lacking range in general. Sabat's Piccolo speaks in almost the same tone no matter what seems to be happening (although it's been a few years since I've gone through dubbed Kai).

[90sDBZ]

For me its kind of a tossup. McNeil was fantastic in the early Saban/Pioneer dubs, and really nailed Piccolo's demonic side. He was also one of the few who managed to stay pretty decent during the Westwood dub, along with Brian Drummond and Saffron Henderson. It wasn't as good as his early performance, but that was largely down to poor direction and rushed scheduling.

I've always enjoyed Sabat's Piccolo, even in the early days, and he's only gotten better since Kai. He really captures Piccolo's calm and collected strategist side, and also nails his sense of authority and his cocky side.

Both have been great but I think I'll have to give it to Sabat for being an all rounder, and being especially funny during comedy scenes.

[TheBigBoy]

McNeil and it's not even close. He's just so damn cool sounding.

Sabat originally seemed to be trying to mimic the previous VA(same with most of the Funimation cast). It's alright but it's too...I dunno, monstrous ? With his Demon King Piccolo voice he just cranks up the monstrousness a notch or two and that doesn't work for me either.

[DrakenballP]

Who is Scott McNeil, and what is the "Oceans" dub? I'm certainly missing something here!

Chris Sabatt is the voice behind Piccolo in Z and Kai, is he not?

[ABED]

Who is Scott McNeil, and what is the "Oceans" dub? I'm certainly missing something here!

Chris Sabatt is the voice behind Piccolo in Z and Kai, is he not?

The Funimation cast wasn't the only cast to dub DBZ. DBZ began airing in the US in 1996 and the Ocean Group based out of Vancouver was the group of actors who dubbed DB for its first two seasons before production was moved to Dallas in order to cut costs. Scott McNeil is the actor who voiced Piccolo for the first two seasons. Sabat was hired to take over as Piccolo starting with season 3 because he was the closest substitute FUNi could find locally. That's the answer in very broad strokes.