‘Pokémon’ voice actor Rachael Lillis’ cause of death, confirmed

An anime icon passed away in mid-August 2024, leaving hordes of Pokémon fans in mourning over the loss of an enduring favorite.

Rachael Lillis, known best for her longstanding contributions to the litany of Pokémon projects out there, died at the age of 46 on Aug. 10. Her loss robs the world of the voice actor behind a range of Pokémon favorites, most notably the characters of Misty and Jessie. These two staples of the series have been voiced by Lillis since the late ’90s, and without her contributions, they’ll never be quite the same again.

The stark differences between Misty and Jessie are enough, all by themselves, to underline the talent Lillis brought to every Pokémon project she was involved in. Misty is a longtime companion and ally to Ash Ketchum, the primary protagonist of the sprawling universe, and she travelled alongside him for a full five seasons before retiring to oversee her family gym. Even then she later returned, cementing Misty as among the most prominent trainers out there.

Then there’s Jessie, one of three leading antagonists across dozens of Pokémon releases. One third of the ever-present Team Rocket, Jessie may be an even more vital character than Misty, but the two couldn’t be more different. Their starkly opposing characterizations serve to emphasize just how talented Lillis was, and how much the Pokémon community will miss this staple of the voice acting community.

What was Rachael Lillis’ cause of death?

Lillis lost her life far too young, after months of battling a breast cancer diagnosis. News that Lillis had been diagnosed with breast cancer only reached the star’s fans earlier this summer — in May of 2024 — but the instant support that announcement inspired shows exactly how loved she was.

A GoFundMe seeking to raise funds for Lillis’ medical care was initiated by her sister in May, and by the time of Lillis’ death, it had raised $96,478 from more than 2,600 donors. People flooded from all walks of life to contribute anything they could, offering words of support and love in the comments, and frequently citing favored Lillis projects and thanking the voice actor for being such a “great part of everyone’s childhood.“

On the same GoFundMe, Lillis’ older sister provided an announcement of her death, explaining that she “passed peacefully” and blessedly “without pain.” Any remaining funds in the GoFundMe will go toward remaining medical expenses, funeral arrangements, and — assuming there’s some left over — toward efforts to combat cancer.