Batman is one of the most iconic superheroes in comics, and one of the most complex, with almost a century of accrued lore behind him by this point. With that Marianas Trench of mythology to explore, adaptations have always made perfect sense. From early film serials to TV shows and onwards, we live in a world where Batman is always being remade and reimagined by someone.One of the most successful reimaginings is Batman: The Animated Series, created by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski. In stark sky
Batman is one of the most iconic superheroes in comics, and one of the most complex, with almost a century of accrued lore behind him by this point. With that Marianas Trench of mythology to explore, adaptations have always made perfect sense. From early film serials to TV shows and onwards, we live in a world where Batman is always being remade and reimagined by someone.
One of the most successful reimaginings is Batman: The Animated Series, created by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski. In stark skyscraper canyons dropping away beneath menacing red skies, this cartoon introduced a new generation of viewers to Batman and his rogue's gallery. The art was stellar, as was the noir-infused storytelling, but the casting was just as important. Here was Mark Hamill as the Joker, and the late Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn. And holding it all together was Kevin Conroy, stern and perfectly unknowable, and bringing just the slightest trace of grim humour, as Batman.
I've been thinking about Conroy a lot these past few days. A fan favourite, his death in 2022 devastated the community, and it underlined something that had been felt for a long time: here was truly a Batman for the ages. This summer has brought news of a new Batman game, Batman Arkham Shadow, with Roger Craig Smith returning to the character after his turn in Batman: Arkham Origins. New Arkham games are always welcome, and I'm sure Smith will do a great job. But it's been a perfect opportunity for me to think of Conroy again and be thankful for what he brought to the role, regardless of the medium.
When it comes to video games, there are a lot of memorable characters. Outside of their design or role within a game, what makes these characters memorable is their voice, and every one of these comes as a result of actors spending hours in a recording booth.
There are a lot of voice actors out there, but some are more prolific or memorable than others. Their voices resonate in our heads as part of the characters we come to love while playing, but who’s behind these voices and where else ha
When it comes to video games, there are a lot of memorable characters. Outside of their design or role within a game, what makes these characters memorable is their voice, and every one of these comes as a result of actors spending hours in a recording booth.
There are a lot of voice actors out there, but some are more prolific or memorable than others. Their voices resonate in our heads as part of the characters we come to love while playing, but who’s behind these voices and where else have they appeared?
Joel Miller (The Last of Us) - Troy Baker
Image via Naughty Dog
Troy Baker might be one of the most well-known voices in video games. He’s not only the voice of Joel in The Last of Us but also Higgs Monaghan in Death Stranding, John Jones in Fortnite, The Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins, and the voice of Snow in multiple Final Fantasy titles, including Final Fantasy XIII.
Harley Quinn (Arkham City) - Tara Strong
Image via Rocksteady Studios
Tara Strong is a voice that’s iconic for multiple generations. To me, she’s Timmy from Fairly Odd Parents. To my daughter, she’s Princess Twilight Sparkle from the My Little Pony franchise. In video games, Tara has played not only Harley Quinn in multiple titles, but you can also hear her voice in Rage, and she’s the voice of Rikku in Kingdom Hearts II.
Snake (Metal Gear Solid) - David Hayter
Image via Konami
While David Hayter is perhaps most well known for his role as Snake in the Metal Gear Solid franchise and outside of it in other titles, he’s also appeared as the Winter Soldier in Marvel Heroes, a Jedi Knight in Star Wars: The Old Republic, and has multiple voice roles in the Ghost in the Shell game, released in 1997.
Mario (Multiple) - Charles Martinet
Image via Nintendo
I can’t in all good conscience write this list without including Charles Martinet. His voice simply is Mario to anyone who has ever played a single game of the franchise. However, Mario isn’t Charles’ only voice role in the world of video games. He’s appeared as Orvus in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, Vigoro in Skies of Arcadia, and, perhaps surprisingly, The Cat in the Hat in a few titles aimed at kids, such as Dr. Seuss Toddler.
Asterion (Baldur’s Gate III) - Neil Newbon
Image via Larian Studios
If TikTok is to be believed, Neil Newbon is the voice of everybody’s favorite Dom. However, before he was the voice of Asterion, Neil appeared in the Resident Evil games as Karl Heisenberg in Resident Evil Village and Nicholai in Resident Evil Resistance. He also played two roles in Detroit: Become Human, Elijah Kamski and Gavin Reed.
Ezio Auditore (Assassin's Creed II Trilogy) - Roger Craig Smith
Image via Ubisoft
Roger Crag Smith, I’m not ashamed to say, played a pivotal role in the formation of my love for gaming. I was, and remain to this day, obsessed with Assassin’s Creed II and will always consider it the best of the Assassin’s Creed titles. However, Roger Craig Smith has appeared in many more video games. He’s played Kale Vandelay and SEB-AAA in Hi-Fi RUSH, Sonic the Hedgehog in multiple titles and Mirage in Apex Legends. Most recently, you might recognize his voice as Mission Control in Helldivers 2.
Tiny Tina (Borderlands) - Ashly Burch
Image via Gearbox
Although most recognizable for her voice as Tiny Tina in the Borderlands games, Ashley Burch has played a lot of memorable characters in other titles. She’s the voice of Aloy in Horizon Zero Dawn, Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series, Mel in The Last of Us Part II, and also provided the voice of Chloe Price in both Life is Strange games.
Urianger (Final Fantasy XIV) - Timothy Watson
Image via Square Enix
Aside from gracing the world with the purely Shakespearean presence that is Urianger Augurelt in Final Fantasy XIV, Timothy Watson has also appeared in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla as King Burgred, has multiple voice roles in Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, and played Mumkhar in Xenoblade Chronicles.
GLaDOS (Portal) - Ellen McClain
Image via Valve
The voice of everybody’s favorite psychopathic robot from the Portal games was provided by Ellen McClain, but it wasn’t the first time she provided an iconic robotic female voice in the world of video games. Ellen is also the voice behind the Combine Overwatch AI in Half-Life 2. She also appears in Cyberpunk 2077 as one of Delamain’s split personalities, though this one was modeled after GlaDOS.
Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher) - Doug Cockle
Image via Bandai Namco
Doug Cockle is the voice of Geralt in The Witcher game series as well as when Geralt appears in other titles like Soul Caliber VI. He’s also appeared as Bhaal in Baldur’s Gate III, Robert Nightingale in Alan Wake II, and provides multiple additional voices in Horizon Zero Dawn. Outside of gaming, Doug also played the role of Father John Maloney in 2001's Band of Brothers.
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Steam is commemorating Bruce Wayne’s birthday with a massive sale, offering discounts of up to 90% on several games featuring Batman. The sale went live on February 19 and will be live until February 26. Batman: Arkham Collection available for only ₹202 You can grab …
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