Rachael Lillis, voice behind Pokémon’s Misty and Jessie, dead at 55

Voice actor Rachael Lillis, famed for playing Misty and Jessie in various film, television and video game versions of the beloved Japanese animated series Pokémon, has died following a battle with breast cancer. 

She was 55.

Co-star Veronica Taylor, who voices the role of Ash Ketchum, shared the news Monday morning in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“We all know Rachael Lillis from the many wonderful roles she played. She filled our Saturday mornings and before- and after-school hours with her beautiful voice, her terrific comic timing and her remarkable acting skills,” Taylor wrote.

“Rachael was an extraordinary talent, a bright light that shone through her voice whether speaking or singing.”

Lillis’s sister Laurie Orr also confirmed the news via a GoFundMe page that was previously set up to raise money for the star’s medical treatment.

“I would like friends and fans everywhere to ‘let not your heart be troubled.’ Rachael is at peace, [and] now free of pain,” Orr told CBC News via email.

“My sister is gone too soon, but her legacy in the anime world will live on. I’ve learned these past few months just how loved she was and the impact she had on so many.” 

She expressed thanks to fans for their comments, emails and generosity that lifted her sister’s sprirts.

Fan love pours in

Since the GoFundMe page was created in May, it has raised more than $100,000 US ($137,250 Cdn) in donations, many of which were made by fans.

“I wouldn’t be who I am today without amazing voice actors such as Rachael bringing life to the characters who gave me motivation, strength, [and] taught me never to give up,” one fan wrote.

“Thank you for being a core part of my childhood and shaping who I am today,” wrote another.

Orr wrote that the donation funds will go to any remaining medical bills, a memorial service and charitable causes in Lillis’s name toward efforts in combatting breast cancer.

Lillis was born in Niagara Falls, N.Y. According to her page on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com), she appeared in more than 400 episodes of the Pokémon television series. She also voiced the role of Jigglypuff in all iterations of Nintendo’s game series Super Smash Brothers.

In 2013, Lillis won the BTVA (Behind the Voice Actors Awards) award for best vocal ensemble in an anime feature film, for her role as Princess Charlotte in Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I — The Egg of the King.

Over the years, she also lent her voice to characters in Winx Club, Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, Sonic X, Hunter x Hunter and Your Lie in April.