Trivia

Best known for his role as Jigen Daisuke in the Lupin the Third TV series and movies which he has been doing for over 50 years (1969-present).

Only member of the regular Lupin the Third cast to be play his character in the pilot film, all 5 TV series, all the movies, and TV Specials. The only Lupin the Third project he was not involved in was the made for VHS movie "Rupan Sansei: fuma ichizoku no imboo" (Lupin the Third: Plot of the Fuma Clan) but none of the original cast was involved in the movie either. As of 2021, he has retired from his role, and Akio Ohtsuka will voice Jigen in Part 6.

Narrated the Japanese trailer of 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' and voiced Union Captain Clinton.

On the 6th of September 2021, at the age of 88, Kobayashi retired as the voice of Jigen after 52 years.

As well as voicing Daisuke Jigen, he voiced Britt in the 1974 NET Dub of 'The Magnificent Seven', who Jigen was modeled on.

Dubbed Gian María Volonté as Ramón Rojo and El Indio in the NET Japanese dubs of 'A Fistful of Dollars' and 'For a Few Dollars More'.

Voiced a thief modeled on Jigen in the Japanese dub of the 'Samurai Jack' episode 'Jack and the Labyrinth'.

Voiced Hernan Cortes in the Japanese dub of 'The Road to El Dorado'.

As he retired from voicing Jigen, Kobayashi left a note for Akio Ohtsuka, his successor. Ohstuka, in turn, left his own comment.

Voiced Rick Dicker in the Japanese dub of 'The Incredibles'.

Alongside Takako Sasuga and Midori Kato in 'Sazae-san', Kobayashi had one of the longest careers as a voice actor for the same character of an animated TV series.

He likes Italian Westerns, particularly 'Duck, You Sucker!'.

He is particular about the position of the microphone when voice acting, as he thinks it will affect his voice.

He taught himself a Czerny piece on the piano when he was in high school.

Felt like he "lost his alter ego" when James Coburn died.

He was close friends with Yasuo Yamada and would play golf with him.

His obituary was announced on the day Olivia Newton-John died.

He was fluent in English, and since junior high one of his hobbies was translating books, particularly detective stories, into Japanese.

Among the roles he played, Jigen was the one who he could speak in the most comfortable tone without overdoing it.