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Why the laugh of One Piece's Brook means so much to voice actor Ian Sinclair

At the New York Comic Con 2025 One Piece Panel, Brook's voice actor explained why he never gets tired of doing that iconic laugh for fans.

Brook In One Piece — Image credit: Toei Animation

News by Trent Cannon, Senior Contributing writer

Published on Wed Nov 05 2025

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One of the small details in One Piece that helps set the characters apart is how Eiichiro Oda gives everyone a unique laugh. However, no one tends to laugh quite as hard or as often as Brook, the Straw Hats’ undead bard crewmate. Ian Sinclair has been voicing Brook for 12 years in the One Piece dub, and the joy the character’s laugh brings has become truly infectious to him.

“I love doing the laugh,” Ian Sinclair said shortly after he came on stage at the New York Comic Con 2025 One Piece panel. “It comes from a real happy place.”

When asked what it was like to bring Brook to life, Sinclair made the obvious joke. “Well, I can’t really say that I brought him to life, can I? Cause he’s dead. Yo-ho!”

When he did manage to stifle Brook’s instinct for silliness, Sinclair explained why he loves playing the character in One Piece so much.

“It’s been one of the greatest honors in my entire life and my career, and there’s just nothing as special or as important as One Piece.”

He also admitted that he gets asked to do the laugh “all the time” but doesn’t mind because of how it makes fans feel.

“I love doing the laugh, though, because to make it sound right, I had to make it come from a place of pure joy. And when I do that laugh for somebody that asks for it and then I see them light up and get all dopamine and serotonin and like… I just love it. I love that I can brighten someone’s day a little bit. If I can brighten someone’s day with a Brook laugh, sign me up.”

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