10 Best Characters Voiced by Clancy Brown, Ranked

Few actors are as well known for their work in live-action and animation as Clarence J.Brown III, known professionally as Clancy Brown. Coming from two generations of Ohio congressmen, Brown spent a lot of time around Washington DC but chose to pursue a career in acting instead of politics. He made his feature film debut in Bad Boys, and is best known for playing villains, including the Kruger from Highlander and Captain Byron Hadley in The Shawshank Redemption.

Brown’s naturally deep voice also made him a perfect fit for voice acting. As with his live-action work, he usually plays villains and monsters, but his versatility allows him to slip into other roles from time to time. Whatever he plays, it’s certain to be memorable, thanks in no small part to the effort he puts behind each performance.

10 King Frederic

‘Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventures’ (2017-2020)

After the disappearance of their daughter, Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), King Frederic and Queen Arianna (Julie Bowen) were left devastated. Fortunately, she was returned to them as a young adult with the help of an ex-thief named Eugene (Zachary Levi), who joined the royal guard. While overjoyed to see Rapunzel again, the years of worry have caused Frederic to get understandably overprotective, and he passes some less-than-fair laws with the intent of keeping Rapunzel safe.

Frederic is an interesting take on an animated king: while he fits the usual depiction of a wise and good king, he can’t separate his decisions that are being made as a father from those made as a monarch. His need to keep Rapunzel safe inevitably leads to clashes between the two, but over time, they’re able to work things out. Brown’s voicework helps convey this complex situation through a firm but friendly performance.

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9 Damien Darkblood

‘Invincible’ (2021)

A repentant demon, Damien Darkblood, seeks to save his soul by helping humans on Earth. He uses his many supernatural abilities to investigate murders and never relents until the case has been solved. Unfortunately, his commitment to the truth and seeing justice done leads him to form enemies with those who do bad things for good reasons.

Darkblood only has a small role in Invincible’s first season, but he’s a very memorable character thanks to his concept and Brown’s performance. Along with his single-minded determination to see the truth exposed, he also has a habit of not using the word I in his sentences, which, combined with Brown’s deep voice, gives him an extra air of otherworldliness. Following Darkblood’s involvement in Season 1, Brown returned as General Kriegg in Season 2, which promises to be another interesting role.

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8 Hakon

‘Gargoyles’ (1994-1997)

A powerful Viking raider from the 10th century, Hakon lead his soldiers against Castle Wyvern in Scottland in the hopes of taking its treasure and people. However, the castle was protected by a clan of gargoyles who come alive at night, led by the powerful Goliath (Keith David). With help from a traitorous Captain of the Guard (Ed Gilbert), Hakon takes the castle, but for good measure, destroys all but a handful of gargoyles, who later track him down for revenge.

Hakon only appears in a handful of episodes throughout Gargoyles’ run, and while not one of the show’s most memorable antagonists, he has some memorable qualities. Aside from being the reason for the Manhattan Clan’s few numbers, he is always very straightforward when he appears, wanting either personal glory or revenge on Goliath. One episode even has him team up with his living descendant, Wolf (Clancy Brown), which gives Brown a chance to talk to himself.

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7 Taskmaster

Various Marvel Projects

One of the most skilled mercenaries in the Marvel universe, Taskmaster, possesses an impressive photographic memory. This allows him to mirror the fighting styles of other heroes after watching them in battle for only a few seconds. Combined with his near-unbreakable focus, he can consistently face off against heroes like Spider-Man (Drake Belle), Deadpool (Will Friedle), and even the Avengers.

Though not one of Spider-Man’smost iconic villains, Taskmaster proves to be an effective foe every time he shows up. Regardless of whether he’s fighting superheroes or regular humans, he approaches his job with a level of professionalism and slight sarcasm. Brown’s performance exemplifies this through how he almost sounds like he’s talking down to Spider-Man and his allies, but without any malicious emotions, showing how he treats their battle as yet another job.

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6 Gunmar

‘Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia’ (2016-2018)

Many centuries ago, conflict between humans and trolls for control of the Earth gave rise to Gunmar the Black, the most powerful and feared troll. His army came close to conquering the world, but he was defeated in battle thanks to the first of the Trollhunters created by the wizard, Merlin (David Bradley), and sealed in the Darklands. Now, in modern-day, Gunmar’s servants work to release him so that he can unleash an eternal night, allowing trolls to rule the world.

Gunmar doesn’t appear onscreen until Season 2 of Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, only appearing in Season 1 in the shadows while talking to his minions. This helped to build up the mystery of his character and just how powerful he is. When he finally appears, he lives up to the hype: Gunmar feels like an unstoppable force with how easily he defeats some of the show’s best warriors, and Brown’s booming voice accentuates this.

Watch on Netflix

5 Savage Opress

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)

Originally one of the Nightbrothers of Dathomir, Savage Opress was chosen by Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman) to be the instrument of revenge against her former master, Count Dooku (Corey Burton). However, Savage broke free of her control and went to Mother Talzin (Barbara Goodson), the leader of the Nightsisters, for advice. She revealed that Savage had a surviving brother, Darth Maul (Sam Witwer), and advised him to find Maul and train with him to become more powerful than any Jedi or Sith.

Savage is one of the original villains made for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and while not perfect, there are a few things to enjoy. His story is rather tragic, starting off wanting to protect his younger brother, Feral (Dee Bradly Baker), only to be forced to kill him due to Ventress’ mind control. There’s a lot of tragedy to his character, and one can’t help but feel sympathy for the revenge-obsessed beast he became.

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4 Red Death

‘The Venture Bros.’ (2003-2018)

In a world full of supervillains to the point where they register in a guild, none are more feared than the flayed grim reaper called Red Death. Most of the year, he is a calm, well-respected family man committed to providing for his wife and young daughter. However, when on the job, Red Death lives up to his name, reveling in murder and intimidation, especially against those who disrespect him, his family, or his guild.

Red Death is the epitome of the phrase, “Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young”. He’s one of the few characters in TheVenture Bros. to successfully balance his personal and professional work, and his age and wisdom give him a unique outlook on life compared to the younger villains around him. Brown’s voicework is amazing, as he’s able to seamlessly swap between the loving husband and the murderous demon, which further adds to Red Death’s intimidation factor.

Watch on AppleTV

3 Captain George Stacy

‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’ (2008-2009)

As the Captain of the New York Police Department, George Stacy has his hands full as more and more super-criminals begin to appear. Fortunately, the city has an ally in the form of Spider-Man (Josh Keaton), whom George sticks up for thanks to his commitment to keeping people safe. When he’s not keeping the peace, George does his best to be a good father to his teenage daughter, Gwen (Lacey Chabert).

Brown’s take on Captain Stacey is a good one, as his deep voice naturally lends itself to authority. This helps to sell George as a man committed to his job, while also allowing for some flexibility, such as when he becomes a bit more casual when talking to Gwen. Some of his best moments come in Season 2 when he begins to suspect that Gwen’s friend, Peter Parker, is Spider-Man, and begins to subtly give him advice and acknowledgment of his deeds.

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2 Lex Luthor

Various DC projects

One of the most brilliant minds on Earth, Lex Luthor prides himself on being a self-made man. Amassing a fortune through hard work and determination, Lex established LexCorp in Metropolis, and, thanks to ruthless business tactics, was able to not only get his hands on nearly every business in the city but also expand LexCorp to one of the country’s largest corporations. When a Kryptonian called Superman (Tim Daly) began protecting Metropolis, Lex’s ego saw this as a challenge to his authority, and he dedicated vast amounts of time, intellect, and money, to either wiling out Superman or forcing him to work for Lex.

For 90s and 2000s kids, Brown’s work as Luthor has become just as iconic as the late Kevin Conroy’s work as Batman. He perfectly captures Lex’s vast ego by speaking every line with a hint of arrogance and class, as Lex knows that he is always the most powerful man in the room. And when things don’t go his way, Brown has no trouble flying into a fury as Lex scrambles to regain control.

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1 Mr. Krabs

‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ (1999)

After serving in the Navy, Eugene Krabs fell into a deep depression that seemed endless, until he converted a retirement home into the Krusty Krab restaurant. Now he operates the most successful fast-food establishment in Bikini Bottom, selling customers his delicious Krabby Patties. Due to a childhood of poverty, Krabs covets wealth more than anything, which often leads to him overworking his employees, SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) and Squidward (Roger Bumpass).

Mr Krabs is one of SpongeBob SquarePants’ most recognizable characters, thanks in no small part to how many stellar episodes of the show feature him. While serving as a textbook example of the greedy boss who cares more about profit than his workers, Krabs does have his moments of compassion and generosity and often serves as a father figure for SpongeBob. Brown sounds like he’s having a ball voicing Krabs, and it’s hard not to smile when he performs Krabs’ iconic pirate laugh.

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