Tony Todd, Dota 2 voice actor passed away

Dota 2

9 Nov

Otomo

The world woke up to sad news today. Tony Todd passed away yesterday at the age of 69 at his home in Los Angeles. The actor's career spanned nearly 40 years, with a prolific presence in movies, television, games, and Broadway.

In the Dota 2 world, Tony Todd is most well known for voicing several characters with deep baritone voices. This includes Viper, Night Stalker, and Dragon Knight. He also voiced the dragon Slyrak in the animated show Dota: Dragon's Blood.

Our favorite Tony Todd Dota 2 quotes

Every hero that Todd voiced had an incredible sense of gravitas. It makes sense that his heroes are all fantastic at killing enemies and hard to bring down. The man had an incredible voice and the heroes blessed with it are just so badass. You can't imagine Tony Todd voicing a weakling like Oracle can you?

Below are our favorite quotes from his heroes in Dota 2.

Dragon Knight

"A Knight in dragon's armor." (Credit: Valve).

"Who calls the dragon knight?" is incredible. It is both a threat to enemies and reassurance to allies. If you hear this during battle, you know shit's about to go down. The way it is said sends chills and is incredibly fitting for DK, a hero who can dish out and take enormous punishment.

Night Stalker

NS is one of the strongest Dota 2 heroes right now.

"Devil by day, Demon by night" (Credit: Valve).

"There won't be enough of you left to bury." Now that is a scary! Not only will Night Stalker bring you down, he'll tear you to shreds. Or eat you, it's a bit unclear actually. Either way, a terrifying threat delivered in a rumbling voice? consider us rightfully terrified.

Viper

"From the nether reaches, I return." (Credit: Valve)

"Did you wonder what death was like? Here it is." This one has a bit of dark comedy in it and I love it. It's not the best joke but it fits Viper like a glove. The hero is all about poison and death so why not slip a joke in there. The pause at the end of the question and Tony's delivery sells it perfectly.

Slyrak

"Forgive me little mouse, for all the suffering you'll now endure". (Credit: Netflix).

'Uldorak was ready for death, the madness upon him, the weakness. I am not so disadvantaged!”

The best part of Dragon's Blood was any scene with the dragon Slyrak and who imbued the dragon with such presence? Every time you hear Tony Todd's voice, you knew the episode is going to hit it's peak.

While there is a lot to like about Slyrak, I think one of his first quotes is the best. He announces that the dead dragon was weak and prepared to die but he, Slyrak, is ready to fight. "I am not so disadvantaged" hits so hard.

Tony Todd and my favorite game

The grief hit twice today. (Credit: Sony).

Dota 2 is an incredible game and it is a huge part of my life. Not only is it my most played game, it has also provided me with an income for nearly a decade. Every time a person who worked on this amazing experience passes away, it is a punch to the gut.

Waking up to Tony Todd's passing was sad and I had another shock when going through his filmography. He voiced the narrator for several cutscene in Legend of Dragoon, my favorite game as a kid.

It is impossible to put in words how it felt as a 9 year old, playing this epic fantasy about dragons and then hearing this magnificent voice in epic cutscenes. I didn't know who was talking, I just knew what I was watching, hearing, and experiencing left a huge mark on me.

The moment I saw Legend of Dragoon in his list of roles, I knew instantly who he voiced and felt his loss again.

Thank you Tony Todd for lending your voice to my favorite games as a child and an adult.

Featured Image Source: Valve