The Top 10 Animated Series Notable for Their Exceptional Voice Acting

One of the most crucial aspects of animation is finding the right voice actor. This is because the actor’s voice needs to match perfectly with the animator’s drawings, and a poor voice actor can break the verisimilitude of animation. The best voice actors can even make up for lackluster animation, as they can inject heart and emotion into the characters and make them empathetic to the audience.

It’s no surprise, then, that many of the best animated shows also have some of the best voice acting. This is not only thanks to the talent of the actors, but the amazing voice directors who guide them through the process of making their lines feel as natural as possible.

10

‘The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh’

Voice Directors: Mark Zaslove, Andrea Romano, Karl Geurs

Deep in the Hundred Acre Woods, a boy named Christopher Robbin (Tim Hoskins) plays with his stuffed toys come to life. These include a bear of very little brains named Winnie the Pooh (Jim Cummings), a terrified pig named Piglet (John Fielder), a gloomy donkey named Eeyore (Peter Cullen), and an energetic, bouncing feline named Tigger (Paul Winchell and Jim Cummings). They get up to all sorts of adventures together, from finding honey for Pooh to playing sheriff in a lawless town, which often brings with it important life lessons.

The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was one of Disney’s most acclaimed shows on release, and remains a phenomenal watch for younger viewers and their parents, thanks to its creative writing, which never talked down to its audience even when it delved into complex subject matter. The characters are, of course, wonderful as always, and this voice cast is perhaps the best ever to voice them. Fiedler, Winchell, and Owl’s actor, Hal Smith, all return from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and they’re still amazing. Among the new actors, Cullen’s take on Eeyore showcases his range, particularly in comparison to his most famous role of Optimus Prime from The Transformers, while Ken Samson’s take on Rabbit can switch between bossy, friendly, and overly dramatic with ease. And need anything be said about Cummings, who still voices Pooh and Tigger to this day?

9

‘The Legend of Vox Machina’

Voice Director: Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

The kingdom of Tal’Dorei is under threat from an unknown foe, who has managed to kill every heroic group sent to face it. With no other option, the king turns to an unlikely band called Vox Machina, consisting of barbarian Grog Strongjaw (Travis Willingham), the ranger and rogue twins Vex’ahlia (Laura Bailey) and Vax’ildan Vessar (Liam O’Brien), cleric Pike Trickfoot (Ashley Johnson), firearms specialist Percival de Rolo (Taliesin Jaffe), druid Keyleth (Marisha Ray), and bard Scanlan Shorthalt (Sam Riegel). Though they may seem like an ill-matched group of screw-ups, they somehow manage to complement one another and, through skill and dumb luck, rise to defend the realm from world-shattering foes.

The Legend of Vox Machina details the first campaign of the hit Dungeons & Dragons live play Critical Role, helmed by dungeon master Matthew Mercer. It is a hilarious and epic story, full of classic D&D-style shenanigans and half-baked plans, but also terrifying villains, beautifully animated fight sequences, and strong character development. Being a story conceived by voice actors, it goes without saying that the performances are stellar, as the main cast have been playing these roles for over 10 years and know them inside and out. They are joined by other voice acting legends such as Khary Payton, Grey DeLisle, and Cree Summer.

8

‘Teen Titans’

Voice Director: Andrea Romano

Just offshore of Jump City is an island with a T-shaped tower. Within live the heroic Teen Titans: detective and weapons specialist Robin (Scott Menville), goofy shapeshifter Beast Boy (Greg Cipes), kind-hearted alien princess Starfire (Hynden Walch), technology specialist and strong man Cyborg (Khary Payton), and stoic mage Raven (Tara Strong). Together, they protect Jump City from all manner of super criminals and external threats, while also juggling the difficulties of living as roommates.

Teen Titans is one of the most unique superhero shows, thanks to how it blends long-form storytelling with episodic adventures, and balances off-the-wall comedic endeavors with serious and emotionally gripping arcs. Its main characters have phenomenal camaraderie thanks to their diverse personalities, individual flaws, and the great repertoire between the voice actors. It’s no surprise that they were brought back for the more silly but longer-lived Teen Titans Go!. The rest of the voice cast is also stellar, including guest stars like Malcom MacDowl as the hilariously British Mad Mod and regular cast members like Ron Perlman, who is absolutely chilling as the primary antagonist, Slade.

7

‘Animaniacs’

Voice Director: Andrea Romano and Audu Paden

Living within the water tower at Warner Bros. Studios are Yakko (Rob Paulsen), Wakko (Jess Harnell), and Dot Warner (Tress MacNeille), a trio of cartoon siblings who love mischief. They frequently sneak out of the tower and cause trouble for anyone they come across, especially studio psychiatrist Dr. Otto von Scratchansniff (Rob Paulsen) and Ralph the security guard (Frank Welker). In between their adventures are segments featuring other characters, including genetically altered laboratory mice Pinky (Rob Paulsen) and the Brain (Maurice LaMarche), retired cartoon star Slappy Squirrel (Sherri Stoner), and the cat and dog duo of Rita (Bernadette Peters) and Runt (Frank Welker), always looking for a home.

Animaniacs is easily the funniest of the animated shows Steven Spielberg produced for Warner Bros., thanks to its unique sketch comedy formula. Each segment offered something different, from the wacky antics of the Warners to Slappy using her knowledge of slapstick to one-up rivals, and plenty of satire to go around. Pinky and the Brain were the show’s breakout characters and got their own spinoff, cementing themselves as one of the best cartoon duos. As for the voicework, these are some of the best voice actors in the business, and they all excel at bringing life to dozens of characters.

6

‘Over the Garden Wall’

Voice Director: Kristi Reed

Half-brothers Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Collin Dean) find themselves lost in a mysterious forest called The Unknown. Following the warnings of a Woodsman (Christopher Lloyd), they try to find their way home, accompanied by a talking bluebird named Beatrice (Melanie Lynskey) and Greg’s new pet frog (Jack Jones). Yet every step into the Unknown brings with it strange new characters, while a mysterious entity called The Beast (Samuel Ramey) stalks the boys from the shadows, ensuring they remain lost and lose all hope.

In just 10 episodes at 11 minutes each, Over the Garden Wall captivated audiences with its story, which blended everything from ancient mythology, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and homages to the Golden Age of Animation. Its cast is made up of veteran actors and singers, resulting in a unique mix of voices to animate the show’s numerous wacky characters. Wood and Dean are a beautiful pairing, each perfectly encapsulating the cynical and optimistic halves of the brother duo, Lynskey slots in as a great foil through her gradual shift from bossy to compassionate, and Lloyd delivers one of his best performances as he captures the exhaustion and pain of a man fighting for so long to save others from a fate he feels resigned to. And this is only scratching the surface of the cast, which also includes the likes of John Cleese, Tim Curry, and Audrey Wasilewski.

5

‘The Boondocks’

Voice Director: Andrea Romano

Former civil rights advocate Robert Freeman (John Witherspoon) moves to the predominantly white suburbs of Woodcrest with his grandchildren, Huey and Riley (both Regina King). They quickly integrate into the community and become affiliated with people such as the neighboring Dubois family and local white supremacist (who happens to be black) Uncle Ruckus (Gary Anthony Williams). Every day brings new trouble for the Freemans as they deal with hot topic political issues and various societal problems.

The Boondocks is an incredible time capsule of the volatile climate of the early 2000s that remains hilarious and relevant today thanks to its biting social commentary, which fearlessly crosses every line imaginable. It’s also the best showcase of King’s talent as a voice actor through her dual role as Huey and Riley. The two couldn’t be further apart in tone and personality: Huey is a well-spoken and stoic social activist who never misses a chance to criticize those around him, while Riley is an up-and-coming hooligan who idolizes gangster and rapper culture. Among the other characters, Witherspoon adds so much life to Robert with his fast-paced delivery, and Williams is having a ball with Uncle Ruckus.

4

‘Adventure Time’

Voice Directors: Adam Muto, Andres Salaff, Collette Sunderman, Kent Osborne, Keythe Farley, and Pendleton Ward

The land of Ooo is a magical and wacky place divided into numerous themed kingdoms, each ruled by a princess. Defending them are the local heroes and adopted brothers, Finn the Human (Jeremy Shada) and Jake the shapeshifting dog (John DiMaggio). They amass many friends during their adventures, including a robot named BMO (Niki Yang), Princess Bubblegum (Hynden Walch) of the Candy Kingdom, Marceline the Vampire Queen (Olivia Olson), and former enemy turned frenemy, the Ice King (Tom Kenny).

Adventure Time was a shot in the arm for Cartoon Network and ushered them into a golden age throughout the 2010s. It began as a hilarious and inventive slice-of-life series focused on crazy adventures, but gradually matured with its audience and told more ambitious and existential stories dealing with identity, loss, redemption, and more. It’s pretty much impossible to nail down who is the best voice actor among the show’s large list of lovable characters, as each one perfectly breaths such life and personality into them. A few worth mentioning include Shada, whose voice matures over the seasons to reflect Finn’s development, and Kenny, who breaks away from his usual silly characters to give something more subdued and tragic when diving into the Ice King’s past.

3

‘SpongeBob SquarePants’

Voice Directors: Stephen Hillenburg, Andrea Romano, and Tom Kenny

SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) is an energetic and optimistic sea sponge living in the underwater community of Bikini Bottom. Most days, he can be found either working as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, trying to earn his boating license, or catching jellyfish with his starfish best friend, Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke). Others in SpongeBob’s social circle include his pet snail Gary (Tom Kenny), his grumpy cephalopod neighbor and co-worker, Squidward (Roger Bumpass), his crustaceous cheapskate of a boss, Eugene Krabbs (Clancy Brown), and a scientist squirrel from Texas named Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence).

SpongeBob SquarePants defined an entire generation with its unique mixture of slapstick comedy and abstract humor, allowing children and adults to enjoy it in equal measure. While later seasons don’t live up to those early three, there’s no denying the impact it has had on popular culture, with shows such as Regular Show and The Amazing World of Gumball taking inspiration from SpongeBob when creating their own surrealist jokes. Its characters are deeply ingrained in popular culture, and the voice actors did most of the heavy lifting, for nobody else could have delivered the lines in such a hilarious way. SpongeBob himself remains Kenny’s best character after more than 25 years, thanks to the simple yet beloved delivery that makes SpongeBob a child at heart, yet a wise and compassionate person who endears himself to everyone.

2

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’

Voice Director: Andrea Romano

For 100 years, the imperialistic Fire Nation has declared war on the rest of the world, and is on the verge of conquering the Earth Kingdom. In the Southern Water Tribe, siblings Katara (Mae Whitman) and Sokka (Jack De Sena) discover a boy named Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen) trapped in ice, and realize that he is the last of the Air Nomads wiped out by the Fire Nation. What’s more, he is the Avatar, the one person who can control all four elements, and join him on his quest to master the bending techniques as quickly as possible.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the most creative fantasy shows ever made, seamlessly weaving Eastern Philosophy, martial arts techniques, and numerous Asian cultures into a world that pulses not just with elemental energy, but rich history and an emphasis on balance in all things, physical and spiritual. The characters who inhabit this world are diverse in their personalities, abilities, and goals, which often leads to great drama, especially when different ideals regarding the war come to blows. The main trio are all wonderful, but the real stars are the banished Fire Nation prince, Zuko (Dante Basco), and his uncle, General Iroh (Mako and Greg Baldwin). Basco’s delivery is pure raw emotion, capturing Zuko’s mounting frustration and inability to find fulfillment in his life, while Mako and Baldwin both imbue Iroh with wisdom and humor, making him the perfect mentor character.

1

‘Batman: The Animated Series’

Voice Director: Andrea Romano

Gotham City might appear like any other bustling metropolis during the day, but at night, the city reveals itself as a den of corruption where criminals run rampant. Fortunately, the city is watched over by the mysterious Dark Knight known only as Batman (Kevin Konroy). Armed with high-tech gadgets and brilliant detective skills, and aided by his ward Robin (Loren Lesler) and his loyal butler, Alfred (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.), Batman defends Gotham from everything from small-time criminals and gang lords to super criminals like the Joker (Mark Hamill), whose plans often involve mass destruction.

Batman: The Animated Series is legendary among animated shows: it defined a generation’s view of the Caped Crusader, broke new ground with its stylistic animation and design choices, and kickstarted an expansive universe of DC animated shows. The show also gave us easily the best and longest-running versions of Batman and the Joker, with Konroy and Hamill reprising their roles over three decades until Konroy’s tragic passing in 2022. Hamill’s Joker walks that perfect line between terrifying and hilarious, and Konroy masterfully conveyed Batman and Bruce Wayne as two separate individuals, much like Christopher Reed did with Superman and Clark Kent. But above all, Konroy captured Batman’s empathy, leading to many wonderful moments where he empathizes with his villains. The side characters are no slouch either, including the likes of Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn, Paul Williams as the Penguin, Ron Perlman as Clayface, and Robert Costanzo as Detective Harvey Bullock.

NEXT: Why Casting Celebrity Voices in Animated Movies Has Lost Its Novel Touch

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