Batman The Animated Series with Harley Joker and Two-face in the background
By
Richard Craig
Published Feb 21, 2026, 9:00 PM EST
Richard Craig is Senior Author at Screen Rant, covering everything superhero related. Richard has also written extensively about horror and film soundtracks, contributing a chapter to the first major academic collection on the folk horror genre, The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror. Richard is also a performing musician and holds an MA in Music and Sound Art.
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Few animated shows boast a voice cast as legendary as Batman: The Animated Series. While many rightly celebrate Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, the DC series also quietly featured actors who would later become Emmy winners, sitcom icons, and blockbuster regulars. Long before they were red-carpet fixtures, these performers lent their voices to Gotham’s criminals, civilians, and tragic figures.
What makes this even more impressive is how seriously the show treated every role. Even one-episode characters were given emotional weight, grounded motivations, and layered performances. As a result, future A-listers contributed to stories that helped define the superhero masterpiece. From terrorist masterminds to invisible fathers, these episodes reveal just how stacked the talent pool behind Batman’s animated world truly was.
Batman: TAS Season 2, Episode 5 “House & Garden”
Cindy talking to Robin in Batman the Animated Series
In Batman: The Animated Series season 2’s “House & Garden,” a young Megan Mullally appears as Cindy, a Gotham University student dating Dick Grayson. Long before becoming a sitcom icon as Karen in Will & Grace and celebrated television and podcast host, Mullally injected Cindy with personality and bite. The episode briefly steps away from capes and chaos, and offers a look at Robin's private time.
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Posts By Richard Craig“House & Garden” shows Dick attempting a normal college life. While studying with Cindy in his dorm room, the mood turns flirtatious – until Bruce Wayne calls with urgent information. The interruption instantly shifts Dick back into crime-fighting mode.
This leaves Cindy frustrated and storming out after realizing she’ll never truly compete with his double life. It’s a small but telling moment that reinforces the emotional cost of being Robin. Even in limited screen time, Mullaly’s performance makes Dick’s balancing act feel authentic and complicated.
Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 26 “Appointment In Crime Alley”
Crocker Batman the Animated Series
“Appointment in Crime Alley” is one of Batman: TAS’s most socially conscious episodes. Jeffrey Tambor lends his voice to Crocker, a henchman working for Roland Daggett. Tambor had appeared in movies and television regularly for years. Yet he hadn’t quite achieved the A-List status afforded to him later by Arrested Development and Transparent.
In “Appointment in Crime Alley,” Crocker hires the explosive expert Nitro. He assists in a plan to level Crime Alley, clearing the way for Daggett’s real estate ambitions. He also helps plant the bombs that threaten Gotham’s most vulnerable residents.
Tambor even doubles as the SWAT Leader who later thanks Batman for his help, showing his vocal range within a single episode. The episode itself underscores Bruce Wayne’s annual pilgrimage to honor his parents, blending personal trauma with urban corruption. Tambor’s performance adds grounded menace to a story already rich with emotional weight.
Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 20 “Feat Of Clay Part I”
Clayface's origin story as depicted in Batman The Animated Series.
“Feat of Clay Part I” introduced one of Batman: TAS’s most tragic villains: Clayface. Voiced by Ron Perlman, Matt Hagen is a once-celebrated actor whose vanity leads him into Roland Daggett’s clutches. Addicted to a powerful chemical formula, Hagen uses the substance to maintain his appearance after being horribly disfigured in a car accident years earlier.
Years before Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy cemented Perlman’s tough-guy persona, this role showcased his ability to balance theatrical bravado with genuine vulnerability. Indeed, Perlman’s performance is magnetic from the start. He captures Hagen’s arrogance, desperation, and eventual horror as the formula mutates him beyond control.
The transformation scene remains one of the show’s most visually stunning and emotionally harrowing sequences. Clayface isn’t just a monster-of-the-week villain. He’s a cautionary tale about fame, addiction, and identity.
Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 40 “If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?”
The Riddler embarrassing Batman in Batman The Animated Series
John Glover is best known among superhero audiences for playing Lionel Luthor in Smallville. Before this, Glover voiced the Riddler in Batman: TAS. He made his first appearance in the standout episode, “If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?”
After being fired from Competitron by his arrogant boss Daniel Mockridge, Nygma adopts the identity of the Riddler to exact revenge. Glover’s vocal performance is theatrical yet restrained, emphasizing Nygma’s wounded pride and intellectual superiority. Rather than portraying him as a cackling madman, the episode frames him as a brilliant but egotistical designer pushed to the edge.
His elaborate death traps feel like twisted extensions of corporate humiliation. The story captures the series’ noir sensibilities while redefining a classic villain for a modern audience. Glover’s debut proves that Batman: The Animated Series consistently attracted top-tier talent long before many of its guest stars became television icons.
Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 15 “The Cat and the Claw: Part I”
Red Claw walks through a warehouse in Batman: The Animated Series
In “The Cat and the Claw: Part I,” Kate Mulgrew voices the Red Claw, a femme-fatale terrorist created specifically for Batman: TAS. Operating under the corporate front Multigon, Red Claw uses political extremism and calculated violence to pursue her own financial and ideological gain. Mulgrew brings a commanding presence to the role, blending icy sophistication with ruthless ambition.
Unlike many minor villains, Red Claw feels genuinely dangerous. She orchestrates large-scale threats that push Batman into globe-trotting action territory. Her scenes crackle with authority, proving she’s far more than a generic crime boss.
This was years before Star Trek: Voyager and Orange Is the New Black cemented Mulgrew as a television powerhouse. Regardless, Mulgrew delivered a performance that elevated an original villain into a credible adversary. Red Claw remains one of the series’ most underrated antagonists.
Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 17 “See No Evil”
Lloyd Ventrix with Kimmy in Batman the Animated Series
Batman: TAS “See No Evil” features a young Elisabeth Moss as Kimberly “Kimmy” Ventrix. She’s the innocent heart of one of the series’ most tragic stories. Kimmy’s father, Lloyd Ventrix, is a violent criminal recently released from prison.
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Posts By Richard CraigAfter a divorce and restraining order, he steals an experimental invisibility suit to secretly spend time with his daughter, posing as her imaginary friend “Mojo.” Moss captures Kimmy’s vulnerability and longing with surprising nuance. Her performance grounds the episode’s emotional stakes, making Lloyd’s descent into obsession all the more heartbreaking.
The story avoids simple villain tropes, instead presenting a broken man clinging to fatherhood in the worst possible way. Long before The Handmaid’s Tale earned her critical acclaim, Moss was already delivering layered performances. Even in a children’s animated series, she offers a masterclass.
Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 49 “I Am The Night”
Batman grabbing Wizard with Leslie Thompkins in Batman the animated series
In Batman: TAS “I Am The Night,” a teenage Seth Green voices Wizard, a small-time con artist scraping by in Gotham’s underbelly. Having run away from home in hopes of striking it rich, Wizard survives through begging and petty scams, earning both money and enemies. Batman intervenes to stop Willie and Monk from roughing him up.
Subscribe for deeper dives on Batman's voice-acting legacy
Unlock deeper context on Gotham’s animated era, subscribe to the newsletter for focused coverage of Batman: The Animated Series, profiles of voice actors, archival insights, and thoughtful analysis of classic animation. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.Despite this, Wizard is unimpressed by the Dark Knight’s stern lecture. Sent to stay at Leslie Thompkins’ mission, he initially resists the idea of reform. Yet as the episode unfolds, particularly as Batman grapples with his own doubts, Wizard begins reconsidering his path.
Green brings natural swagger and vulnerability to the role, making Wizard feel authentic rather than cartoonish. This was years before Family Guy and Austin Powers fame. Nevertheless, Green was already portraying streetwise characters with surprising emotional depth.
The New Batman Adventures Season 1, Episode 1 “Holiday Nights”
Harley Quinn with Mo, Lar, and Cur in The New Batman Adventures
When The New Batman Adventures debuted with “Holiday Nights,” it continued Batman: TAS’s tradition of stacked guest talent. A young Billy West voices Mo, Lar, and Cur. They are three dimwitted but physically imposing henchmen working for the Joker.
The trio may lack intelligence, but they provide memorable comic relief amid the Joker’s holiday chaos. West differentiates each character through subtle vocal shifts. He showcases the versatility that would later define his career in Futurama and countless other animated hits.
Even in relatively small roles, the series demanded strong performances. West’s energetic delivery ensures the henchmen never feel interchangeable, adding texture to the Joker’s criminal ensemble. It’s another example of how Batman: The Animated Series served as an early proving ground for future voice-acting legends.
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Batman: The Animated Series
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-PG Animation Drama Mystery Action Science Fiction Release Date 1992 - 1995-00-00 Network FOX, Fox Kids Showrunner Bruce Timm Directors Kevin Altieri, Boyd Kirkland, Frank Paur, Dan Riba, Dick Sebast Writers Michael Reaves, Brynne Stephens, Randy Rogel, David Wise, Len Wein, Marty Isenberg, Richard Mueller, Sam Graham, Peter Morwood, Dennis O'Neil, Carl Swenson, Beth Bornstein, Steve Hayes, Chris Hubbell, Martin Pasko, Henry Gilroy, Elliot S. Maggin, Eddie Gorodetsky, Diane DuaneCast
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Kevin Conroy
Batman (voice)
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Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
Alfred Pennyworth (voice)
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Subscribe for deeper dives on Batman's voice-acting legacy
Unlock deeper context on Gotham’s animated era, subscribe to the newsletter for focused coverage of Batman: The Animated Series, profiles of voice actors, archival insights, and thoughtful analysis of classic animation. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Trending Now
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