As Batman, Kevin Conroy's Humanity Was His Greatest Weapon

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The superhero world was dealt a terrible blow with the news that actor Kevin Conroy has passed away at age 66. It’s no exaggeration to say Conroy defined the voice of Batman for several generations of fans, from his original work on groundbreaking Batman: The Animated Series to follow-up shows like Batman Beyond and Justice League to the critically acclaimed Arkham games.

Bat fans can and will debate on which actor best portrayed the character in live-action, but the simple truth is that Conroy was Batman. With only the power of his voice, Conroy gave us the most nuanced and fully realized version of the Caped Crusader ever to appear outside the comics. This is how Conroy’s made humanity the most important tool in Batman’s crimefighting arsenal.

One of the true hallmarks of Conroy’s Batman performance was his talent for drawing such a distinct line between his Bruce Wayne and Batman voices. Watching Batman: The Animated Series, it’s easy to see how even Bruce’s friends like Lucius Fox and Commissioner Gordon could remain blissfully unaware of his nighttime antics.

There’s a scene in the episode “Heart of Steel Part 1” that captures this perfectly. As Batman is doing his thing in the Batcave, Alfred fields a call from Lucius, and Conroy’s voice immediately shoots up an octave and loses all its gruff edge as he mentally puts on a different mask.

But the real beauty of Conroy’s performance is that it was never simply about playing Bruce Wayne or Batman. They weren’t two people occupying the same body, but merely different shades of a person still struggling to make sense of a senseless tragedy decades after the fact. There are many moments over the course of the series where echoes of Bruce bleed into Batman’s voice, especially when dealing with his enemies…

Watch the full video for more on how Kevin Conroy’s gift as a voice actor was in finding the emotional man beneath the unstoppable Bat.

RIP Kevin Conroy, our Batman.

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40 thoughts on “As Batman, Kevin Conroy's Humanity Was His Greatest Weapon”

  14. Watch Epilogue from Justice League Unlimited, trust me, there is no better episode explaining how humanity is the number one strength of both Batman and Bruce Wayne. It's not the cape, it's not the cowl. It's not the gadgets, it's not the vehicles. It is the humane aspect that shines through the darkness and becomes Batman's greatest strength. Compassion for both friends and enemies alike, even if his greatest enemies very much don't deserve said compassion. Batman fights…because he knows the truth. In a way, he fights not just evil but also hatred, the hate of humanity that wages war and kills without reason. An arbiter of truth and justice…THAT is Batman. He is not perfect; he is simply human…and quite frankly. That is the way it should be, for better or for worse.

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  16. The Animated Series Batman will always be THE Batman for me. From Kevin’s voice to the humanity in his heart. We have a Batman who actually cares for his city and fights for it on every front, day or night, as the Bat or Bruce. He genuinely cares for his enemies and wants nothing more than for them to simply be better people for Gotham. While he is the most humane version of Batman, he is also the most badass.

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  21. This was a beautiful tribute. Extremely well done.

    It's been over a month now and this loss still saddens me greatly. Plenty of celebrities have passed but this is the only one that affected me so.

    Batman has been with me since Batman TAS first came out in '92. 30 years he was a steady presence in my life.

    Losing Batman so suddenly was a stark reminder to spend time with your friends and loved ones. To cherish the time we have.

    Rest easy, old friend

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  30. Thanks IGN for making me cry tears of joy and sadness, pain loss, and everything in between there will never be another Kevin Conroy, and we will always judge every actor that steps into that role and gets to wear the cape and cowl for the next 30 years because he is vengeance, he is the night he is …… and will be forever Batman

    Thank you Kevin Conroy, for everything words cannot describe for everything you’ve done for the LGBTQIA community and for the comic book community we both like to say thank you and rest in peace (1955-2023)

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  40. still cant believe hes gone, used to think what if he stops voicing one day who will be the next to take the mantle of the voice, we coulda had so much more performances

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