The French voice actors of Demon Slayer

Behind every scream from Zenitsu, every “Délicieux!” (“Delicious!”) from Rengoku and every icy line from Muzan, there is a French actor who spent hours in the studio fitting their voice to drawn lips. Viewers of the French dub have been hearing them for years without always knowing their names.

This article brings together the series’ French cast, as published by Animation Digital Network on 29 July 2025, and looks back at the most discussed voice change, Tanjiro’s. If you are still hesitating between the two versions, our article on Demon Slayer, French dub or subtitled original compares them, and our page Demon Slayer in what order, seasons and films recalls the viewing order.

Who dubbed Demon Slayer in France?

The French dub of the series was entrusted to the studio VF Productions. The artistic direction, which consists of choosing the voices and directing the actors during recording, is by Yann Le Madic. The adaptation, that is, the writing of French dialogue fitted to the movement of the lips, is the work of Magali Barney and Mathis Dodu.

This adaptation work is trickier than it looks. You have to translate the meaning, keep each character’s tone, and fit the sentence into the exact time the mouth is open on screen. The names of the techniques, such as “Souffle de l’Eau, première forme” (Water Breathing, First Form), have to fit into the length of a shout.

The French dub of season 1 was first offered on Wakanim, the service that was streaming the series in France at the time, before the platform was absorbed by Crunchyroll. Early fans remember this appointment, when the French version arrived some time after the subtitled one.

All the seasons and all the films have been dubbed, and most of the main actors have followed their character since the first episode. That is what gives the French dub its consistency from one season to the next: a fan coming back after two years of waiting finds the voices they know.

How is the French dub of an anime made?

French dubbing follows a method France has perfected over decades: the rythmo band (bande rythmo). Under the picture, a band scrolls by with the French text written by hand, fitted syllable by syllable to the movements of the lips. The actor reads their line at the exact moment it passes under a bar, which lets them act while watching the scene.

Each actor generally records alone, character by character, under the guidance of the artistic director. The director knows the story, reminds them of the character’s state in the scene, and has a line redone until the emotion is right. For a series like Demon Slayer, where a character can go from laughter to tears in a minute, this directing work counts as much as the voice itself.

Battle cries are an exercise in their own right. The actors have to string together dozens of takes of breaths, efforts and screams, and protect their voice over several days of recording. The big battles of the Entertainment District or the Infinity Castle are full of them.

The voices of Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu and Inosuke

The central quartet is carried by four actors, one of whom changed along the way.

Christophe Lemoine is probably the best-known voice of the quartet: he has voiced Cartman in South Park for years. You recognise in his Inosuke the same shrill, stubborn energy, perfect for a boy who challenges anything that moves.

Maxime Baudouin has the most physical task: Zenitsu goes from screams of panic to the deep, calm voice of his sleeping fights, sometimes in the same scene. Margaux Maillet, for her part, voices a heroine who speaks very little for entire seasons, and it is through sounds, growls and little cries behind the bamboo that she brings Nezuko to life.

Our portraits of Zenitsu Agatsuma, the sleeping demon slayer, of Inosuke Hashibira, the boar boy and of Nezuko Kamado, Tanjiro’s sister present these characters.

Nezuko and her pink kimono can be found on a wearable blanket to wear while watching the French dub, presented in the throws and wearable blankets collection and the complete Nezuko Kamado collection.

Why does Tanjiro’s voice change?

It is the question every viewer who watches the seasons back to back asks. In season 3, the Swordsmith Village, Tanjiro no longer speaks with the voice of Enzo Ratsito, who voiced him in the first two seasons and in the Mugen Train film, but with that of Martin Faliu.

No explanation has been made public by the studio or by the platform. This kind of change happens in dubbing for reasons of scheduling, contracts or artistic choice, and it is common on long series, whose production stretches over several years.

Enzo Ratsito remains associated with the early Tanjiro, the one of the snow, Mount Natagumo and the Mugen Train. AlloCiné had in fact brought him together with Adrien Antoine, the voice of Rengoku, for an interview around the French release of the film.

After a period of adjustment, most viewers get used to it. Martin Faliu keeps the character’s gentleness and determination, and his is the voice you hear in season 4 and the first Infinity Castle film. Our portrait of Tanjiro Kamado, the hero of Demon Slayer and our page everything about Tanjiro Kamado trace his journey.

The voices of the Hashira

The nine Hashira each have their own voice, and several actors have made an impression on viewers. Adrien Antoine, as Rengoku, carries the whole last act of the Mugen Train.

Adrien Antoine had the most exposed task: Rengoku only truly lives through one arc, the Mugen Train, and everything rests on his last minutes, at daybreak. His frank and warm voice, then broken, is one of the reasons the French dub of this film moved French audiences so much. Our portrait of Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira tells of this character.

Nadine Girard gives Shinobu her unsettling politeness, that smile in the voice hiding an anger the series only reveals little by little. Juan Llorca makes Giyu a man of few words, and Damien Ferrette pushes Sanemi to the brink of explosion with every line. Our page on the nine Hashira of Demon Slayer presents each of them.

Shinobu, one of the most recognisable voices of the French dub, comes as a seated plush, gentle smile and butterfly-wing haori, in the character plush toys collection and the collection devoted to Shinobu Kocho.

The voices of the demons

A demon depends a great deal on its voice. The French dub’s actors have to convey the menace, madness or sadness of characters who often change tone in the middle of a scene.

Lionel Tua gives Muzan a polite coldness that sends shivers down your spine, and Damien Boisseau makes Doma’s cheerfulness more unsettling than any scream. Sébastien Desjours, as Akaza, carries two major fights, the one on the Mugen Train and the one in the Castle. Our page devoted to Muzan and the Twelve Kizuki presents all these demons.

The Upper Moons most recently seen on screen call for a register of their own. Eilias Changuel lends Kokushibo a slow, deep voice, fitting for a demon several centuries old, and Cyrille Artaux makes Hantengu a trembling old man capable of tipping into rage. Our portraits of Kokushibo, Upper Moon One and of Hantengu and his clones present these two demons.

Muzan comes as a pop figure, black hat and red splashes, with a choice of Tanjiro or Muzan, in the complete Muzan Kibutsuji collection and the pop figures collection.

The supporting characters

The French dub also takes care of the secondary characters, many of whom only speak in a few episodes. Here are the main ones.

Éric Herson-Macarel deserves a mention: Urokodaki speaks little, always behind his tengu mask, and it is through his voice alone, with no visible expression, that he conveys the old master’s sternness and then tenderness. His scenes with Tanjiro and Nezuko, in season 1, are among the most touching in the French dub.

The Butterfly Mansion has its voices too: Clara Soares for Aoi, Emilie Marié, Cécile Vigne and Fily Keita for Kiyo, Sumi and Naho, the little nurses. And Tengen’s three wives, Makio, Suma and Hinatsuru, are voiced by Karine Foviau, Laëtitia Godès and Lydia Cherton. Our articles on Aoi Kanzaki and the girls of the Butterfly Mansion and on Tamayo, the demon doctor present these characters.

All the characters in the series, with their voices and their story, are gathered on our page listing all the Demon Slayer characters.

Where to hear the French dub?

The French dub of the whole series is offered by Netflix and Crunchyroll, as of 16 October 2026. The Mugen Train film exists with the French dub on Crunchyroll, and the first Infinity Castle film will arrive there with the French dub on 17 February 2027, after its cinema release in September 2025. Our article on the platforms where you can watch Demon Slayer details what is on offer.

In cinemas, the films are released in France in both versions. The Mugen Train arrived in French cinemas on 19 May 2021, the day they reopened, with Enzo Ratsito and Adrien Antoine heading the French cast. Infinity Castle, part 1, followed on 17 September 2025, and the series’ actors take up their roles in it, from Martin Faliu as Tanjiro to Sébastien Desjours as Akaza.

If you want to compare with the original voices, our article on the Japanese seiyū of Demon Slayer presents the actors of the original version, from Natsuki Hanae to Akira Ishida.