Dragon Ball Z narrator Doc Harris dies aged 76

Canadian voice actor Doc Harris, famed for being the English narrator of anime series Dragon Ball Z, has died aged 76.

Harris, who was born Gilbert Auchinleck, voiced more than 200 episodes of the hugely-popular anime series between 1996 and 2003.

He died in Vancouver on 5 October, according to reports.

Scores of fans have paid tribute to Harris, while a friend and former colleague said on social media that his “impact on me and countless others will not be soon forgotten”.

In Dragon Ball Z, Harris’s deep, distinctive voice became iconic when heard narrating recaps, intros and outros for episodes.

Harris was also known for a long career in Canadian radio, reportedly debuting in 1971 and adopting his Doc Harris moniker in 1976.

Actor Ian James Corlett wrote on Instagram that his friend and former colleague was “one of a kind”.

Corlett, the English voice of character Goku in Dragon Ball Z from 1996-97, said Harris was a “HUGE force” in his early career, “lived and breathed music” and had a “keen eye for movies”.

According to IMDb, Harris also had credits on series such as My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, and video games including Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2.

The Dragon Ball Z television series was based on the manga – comics or graphic novels originating from Japan – created and written by Akira Toriyama.

Toriyama died in March aged 68 after he suffered an acute subdural hematoma, a type of bleeding near the brain.