The animated world lost a legend after the death of voice actor Kevin Conroy, whose famous growling voice made him the perfect Dark Knight in nearly every Batman and Justice League animated series, movie, and video game since he first stepped into the role in 1992.
While he most notably played Batman and Bruce Wayne, he also provided the voice of Bruce Wayne’s father Thomas Wayne once, as well as other characters in animated movies and TV shows. Conroy was in the process of recording for Batman: The Caped Crusader, due to release in 2023. The status of the series, which was going to be a retelling of Batman’s origins, is now unknown.
In memory of his longtime friend and costar, Mark Hamill — who portrays the Joker — shared a statement about Conroy’s passing on his social media pages.
“Kevin was perfection. He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him – his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated. . . Kevin was a brilliant actor. For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got the exact right guy for the exact right part, and the world was better for it. His rhythms and subtleties, tones and delivery – that all also helped inform my performance. He was the ideal partner – it was such a complementary, creative experience. I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman.”
Mark Hamill (The Joker)
In honor of Conroy — whose voice helped shape the animated world — here are his best movies and TV shows.
10. Batwoman
While Conroy made his mark as the voice actor for Batman and Bruce Wayne, he made every fan’s dream come true when he set down his microphone and stepped into the literal live-action shoes of Bruce Wayne/Batman in “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two,” the midseason finale episode of the first season of Batwoman, officially part of the CW’s Arrowverse.
Conroy’s live-action portrayal was a darker and edgier version of the Caped Crusader from Earth-99. The Kingdom Come version of Batman, complete with an exoskeleton, was responsible for the deaths of the Joker, Mr. Freeze, the Riddler, and even Superman himself.
9. Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
Two of the greatest cartoon characters ever created came together in the Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? episode titled “What a Night, For a Dark Knight!”.
In this hilarious episode where worlds collide, Alfred Pennyworth is Daphne’s uncle. When Alfred is kidnapped by Man-Bat, Mystery Inc. teams up with Batman to save the day.
8. Justice League Action
The Earth’s mightiest protectors — Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, along with a host of other Justice League members — came together in this animated series. While Batman and Superman starred as the series leads, the animated show acted as a great introduction for newer superheroes from Marvel Comics to be introduced to the animated world of the Justice League.
7. Justice League vs. the Fatal Five
The super villain team called the Fatal Five attacks the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st century and take off with the time sphere, where several future heroes end up traveling back to the 21st century to stop them. After the Fatal Five threaten to blow up every major American city, Batman and the Justice League must team up with the Legion of Super-Heroes to stop them.
6. Superman: The Animated Series
The animated series starring the Man of Steel has a few episodes featuring billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and his vigilante counterpart Batman. The episode “World’s Finest” marks the first time Superman and Batman come face-to-face and quickly discover each other’s secret identities. The superheroes also square-off to vie for the affection of Lois Lane.
5. Justice League
The first show to be produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Justice League follows the heroic adventures of the Justice League, including Batman with an updated look to his famous bat suit. The main superheroes include Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter, and there are several dozen recurring superheroes who also feature in the popular animated series.
4. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
In this animated film, set when an aged Bruce Wayne has handed over the bat suit to a young Terry McGinnis, the Joker returns to terrorize Gotham City, despite having died years prior. Even though Bruce Wayne isn’t the main Batman in this film, it features flashbacks to when he was the Batman.
3. Batman: The Killing Joke
After the Clown Prince of Crime escapes from Arkham, Batman is in a desperate search to track him down before he harms anyone. This animated Batman film is a darker, more adult story that became Warner Bros. Animation’s first-ever R-rated film. The film was adapted from the Batman: The Killing Joke graphic novel
2. Justice League: Unlimited
This animated series is set two years after Justice League and features the original “founding fathers” of the Justice League, along with more than 50 other superheroes in the first episode alone. This series was a great gateway animated series for viewers to be introduced to the newer comic book characters.
Unlike other cartoons where each episode is a standalone story, Justice League: Unlimited had a long-arching story culminating in a finale like traditional television shows. The series also focuses on romantic relationships between the superheroes, such as the love triangle between Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and Vixen. There was also a will-they, won’t-they storyline between Batman and Wonder Woman.
1. Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series follows the life of America’s favorite superhero and is arguably the best animated superhero series. The series won four Emmy awards and is known for its dark and complex writing. Although it is kid-friendly, the series is popular because of its more mature stories. It includes more violence and firearm use than previous animated shows.
Thanks to its more mature storytelling, Batman: The Animated Series gave new life to regular Batman villains like Mr. Freeze, providing him with a heartbreaking story for the tragic villain. It’s also the series that first showed the Caped Crusader’s archnemesis — the Joker — as a complete psychopath, instead of a funny frenemy.
This was the Batman and Bruce Wayne that made their mark on the viewers. Conroy owned the roles of the hero with a tragic backstory and his alter ego. The viewers loved every minute, which is why every Batman — live-action or animated — is compared to the Batman-sized shoes filled by Kevin Conroy.
