Junya Ikeda (池田 純矢, Ikeda Jun'ya) is a Japanese actor, voice actor, screenwriter, and stage director, best known for his role as Gai Ikari/Gokai Silver in the 2011 television series Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger and as Takeru Jakuzure/Zen the Flame Sword Knight in GARO: The One Who Shines in the Darkness (2013).
Biography[]
Junya Ikeda was born on October 27, 1992, in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. At the age of 14, he participated in the 19th Junon Super Boy Contest in 2006 and secured second place. This led to his debut in the entertainment industry. He initially performed under the stage name Jun Ikeda but later adopted the name Junya Ikeda following his appearance in the 2011 musical *Kokoro*, produced by Niconico and based on the Vocaloid song of the same name.
Ikeda's career gained significant momentum with his portrayal of Gai Ikari/Gokai Silver in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger (2011–2012). He continued to build his portfolio with roles in various television dramas, films, stage productions, and anime series. Notably, he voiced Mitsuru Tenma in *Ensemble Stars!* and Knives Millions in *Trigun Stampede*.
In addition to acting, Ikeda ventured into screenwriting and stage direction, founding his own performance series, En*Geki, in 2015. He also portrayed Takeru Jakuzure/Zen the Flame Sword Knight in the 2017 film *GARO: Kami no Kiba*.
In July 2018, Ikeda announced that he had been married since 2016 to a non-celebrity woman. His wife had a daughter from her previous marriage, born in 2007 or 2008, and together they had another child in 2018.
Legal Issues & Career Downfall[]
On September 26, 2023, Ikeda was arrested for impersonating a police officer and defrauding a 60-year-old man by convincing him to hand over three cash cards under the pretense of investigating unauthorized withdrawals from his bank account. Subsequently, on November 15, 2023, it was discovered that Ikeda had withdrawn ¥1.5 million from the victim's bank accounts, leading to a second arrest. In response to these events, his talent agency, BāRU, terminated their contract with him on October 30, 2023.
On October 12, 2024, Ikeda was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to three years in prison. Following his conviction, he posted a letter on his social media, expressing remorse and stating that he had no relatives or savings and was homeless. His voice roles in *Ensemble Stars!* and *The Kingdoms of Ruin* were recast following his arrest and subsequent conviction.
Impact on Garo Series[]
There have been no official announcements regarding his character's return in future GARO productions. Given the serious nature of his crimes and the termination of his professional relationships, it is highly unlikely that he will reprise his role in the GARO series in the foreseeable future.
Filmography[]
Television[]
- Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger (2011–2012) – Gai Ikari/Gokai Silver
- GARO: The One Who Shines in the Darkness (2013) – Takeru Jakuzure/Zen the Flame Sword Knight
- Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger (2016) – Gai Ikari/Gokai Silver (Episodes 28 and 29)
- Short Program (2022) – Tomio Akahori (Episode 3)
Films[]
- Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger the Movie: The Flying Ghost Ship (2011) – Gai Ikari/Gokai Silver
- Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger vs. Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie (2012) – Gai Ikari/Gokai Silver
- Kamen Rider × Super Sentai: Super Hero Taisen (2012) – Gai Ikari/Gokai Silver, Go-On Red (voice)
- Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters vs. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger: The Movie (2013) – Gai Ikari/Gokai Silver
- Love Gear (2013) – Takuma Sekiguchi
- Kamen Rider × Super Sentai × Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z (2013) – Gai Ikari/Gokai Silver, Kamen Rider Meteor (voice)
- Messiah "Shikkoku no Shō" (2013) – Junya Higayama
- Shinjuku Swan (2015)
- Garo: Kami no Kiba (2017) – Takeru Jakuzure/Zen the Flame Sword Knight
- Kaizoku Sentai: Ten Gokaiger (2021) – Gai Ikari/Gokai Silver
Stage Performances[]
- Hakuōki Musical (2012–2015) – Tōdō Heisuke
- Messiah "Dō no Shō" (2013) – Junya Higayama
Anime[]
- Majestic Prince (2013) – Ataru Suruga
- Digimon Adventure tri. (2015–2018) – Jo Kido
- After the Rain (2018) – Takashi Yoshizawa
- Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna (2020) – Jo Kido
- Trigun Stampede (2023) – Knives Millions
Video Games[]
- Ensemble Stars! (2015) – Mitsuru Tenma
References[]
- "Gokaiger Star Junya Ikeda Sends Controversial Letter After Receiving Three-Year Prison Sentence" – Tokyo Weekender, October 2024
- "GARO: Kami no Kiba" – Wikipedia
- "Takeru Jakuzure" – Garo Wiki
- "Actor Junya Ikeda Faces Fresh Charges" – TokyoHive, November 2023