With the recent passing of legendary Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy, Batman fans worldwide are reflecting upon all the great things Conroy did for the character. In June 2022, DC Comics released its annual Pride special, which included a short story by Conroy showing fans why he fell in love with the character.
With all this in mind, it's a great time to honor this generational talent by looking back on his illustrious career voicing the Caped Crusader. Between the starring role of one of the most iconic comic book shows ever made — Batman: The Animated Series — and numerous other roles in Batman films and video games, the list of great Conroy Batman performances is seemingly never-ending.
10 Conroy Played An Evil Batman In "A Better World"
One of the best episodes of Justice League, "A Better World" shows an alternate universe with a less forgiving and somewhat totalitarian version of the Justice League known as the Justice Lords. Though an evil Justice League is something fans have seen plenty of times, this episode — directed by Dan Riba and written by Stan Berkowitz — presents a team that lost its heart after The Flash was tragically killed.
Coming to understand why Justice Lord Batman turned to evil, Batman explains to his counterpart that while his choice to protect others would make his parents proud, going too far and taking people's fundamental freedom would make them incredibly disappointed. With Conroy voicing both characters, the scene perfectly expresses Batman's inner monologue of morality.
9 Batman Endangered The Justice League In Doom
Loosely based on "Tower of Babel," a storyline from JLA Vol 1 by Mark Waid, Howard Porter, and Steve Scott, Justice League: Doom is an animated film directed by Lauren Montgomery and written by Dwayne McDuffie. In the movie, Vandal Savage creates a super villain team and lays out a massive plot to eliminate 60% of the world's population.
Hiring Mirromaster, Savage hacks into the Batcomputer and discovers contingency plans created by Batman in case any member of the League turns evil. With a passionate and emotional performance from Conroy, this film analyzes one of Batman's most significant flaws: severe trust issues.
8 Conroy Voiced The Phantom Stranger In The Brave & The Bold
One of the greatest episodes of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, "Chill of the Night" revolves around Batman coming face-to-face with the man who killed his parents: Joe Chill. Directed by Michael Chang with writing by Paul Dini, the episode is rather dark for the usual standards of the show as it takes a deep dive into Batman's desire for vengeance.
Observing Batman's struggle, Phantom Strange (voiced by Kevin Conroy) and the Spectre (voiced by Mark Hamill) debate how Batman should find vengeance. With the Spectre recommending Batman kill Chill and Phantom Stranger saying he should bring Chill to justice, Conroy and Hamill voicing these characters is an excellent homage to their days as Batman and Joker.
7 Batman Found The Good In Mr. Freeze In SubZero
The second film in the legendary DC Animated Universe, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero was directed by Boyd Kirkland and written by Randy Rogel. Taking place during the third season of Batman: The Animated Series, SubZero revolves around Mr. Freeze long after his latest encounter with Batman.
Building an arctic home for himself and his wife's cryogenic chamber, Freeze learns his wife will soon die unless they find a suitable donor for an organ transplant. Though the story focuses on Mr. Freeze, the third act gives viewers a beautiful moment in Conroy's career: Batman and Mr. Freeze put aside differences and work together to save innocents. This is an excellent representation of why Conroy's Batman is beloved; he constantly searches for the good in his villains.
6 Conroy's Batman First Met Superman In "World's Finest"
One of the most important events in the timeline of the DCAU, Conroy's Batman first encountered Superman in an episode of Superman: The Animated Series titled "World's Finest." Directed by Toshihiko Masuda and written by Stan Berkowitz and Alan Burnett, the three-part episode centers around Bruce Wayne arriving in Metropolis to the excitement of many locals.
Visiting the offices of the Daily Planet, Bruce comes face-to-face with Clark Kent, and Conroy's chemistry with Tim Daly (Superman's voice actor) is noticeable immediately. In the second and third parts of the episode, fans see Batman and Superman work their first case together, a sinister plot orchestrated by the Joker and Lex Luthor.
5 Bruce Wayne Reflected On His Past In Return Of The Joker
A fan-favorite entry in the DCAU, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker was directed by Curt Geda with writing by Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, and Bruce Timm. Though the movie centers around Will Friedle's Terry McGinnis AKA Batman Beyond, the numerous scenes that include Conroy's Bruce Wayne stand out as Conroy provides some of the best work of his career.
With the movie focusing on the Joker's return, Bruce is forced to reflect on one of the most tragic events of his life: the kidnapping and brainwashing of Tim Drake. Telling Terry about that time in his life, Bruce speaks from the soul and shows sincere regret for putting Tim through such trauma.
4 Conroy's Batman Was Immortalized In "Nothing To Fear"
The Batman: The Animated Series debut of the Scarecrow, "Nothing To Fear" centers around Batman shortly after being exposed to Scarecrow's fear toxin. The episode was directed by Boyd Kirkland and written by Henry Gilroy and Sean Catherine Derek.
In typical Batman fashion, the fear toxin causes him to have vivid visions of self-doubt, with the ghost of his father telling Bruce he's a disappointment. Eventually overcoming the fear toxin, Batman shouts away the voice in his head with the line, "I am vengeance! I am the night! I am Batman!" An iconic quote that stuck with thousands of Batman fans, this line effectively immortalized Conroy's Batman.
3 Batman Showed His Softer Side In "Epilogue"
Recognized as one of the best episodes of Justice League Unlimited, "Epilogue" was directed by Dan Riba and written by Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie. Epilogue centers around Amanda Waller telling Terry McGinnis a story about Batman. In the story, Waller describes her concerns about a young girl with strong psychic powers named Ace.
Knowing Ace will soon die due to a brain injury, Batman volunteers to kill Ace for Waller. However, as Batman does, he lies to Waller and uses the opportunity to have a personal conversation with Ace. Aware that she'll soon die, Ace asks Batman to stay with her and hold her hand. Moments later, Ace passes away in Batman's arms, resulting in one of the best Batman moments in the character's history.
2 Bruce Saw The Alternate Path In "Perchance To Dream"
Directed by Boyd Kirkland and written by Laren Bright and Michael Reaves, "Perchance To Dream" is a fan-favorite episode of Batman: The Animated Series. The episode centers around Bruce Wayne as he suddenly wakes up in a world where he isn't Batman.
Noticing his parents are alive and he's engaged to Selina Kyle, Bruce determines his Batman memories to be that of a nightmare. Eventually coming face-to-face with Batman, Conroy's ability to switch between Bruce and Batman's respective voices takes a front seat as he delivers one of the best scenes of his career.
1 Bruce Wayne Bared His Soul In Mask Of The Phantasm
Long recognized as one of the best Batman movies ever made, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm, with writing by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reeves. A movie that analyzes the core of Batman, Mask of the Phantasm does a remarkable job showing how being Batman is ultimately a tragic burden on Bruce Wayne's life and is something he feels compelled to do.
Introducing a love interest to Bruce's life, Bruce battles a desire for vengeance with a desire to be happy. Conroy's excellent skills are displayed throughout the entire movie, but one particular scene featuring Bruce crying on his knees at his parent's graves hits incredibly hard.