Batman: All 10 Bane actors ranked from worst to best

3. Henry Silva

Bane was one of the best – if not one of the more underutilized – villains to appear in Batman: The Animated Series. Debuting in his self-titled episode at the beginning of the third season, he is voiced by Henry Silva. Though he only appears in one episode of the original series, this adaptation is so strong that it’s impossible to overlook. And that should come as no surprise given the show we’re talking about.

A prisoner in a Cuban prison who partakes in an experiment known as Project Gilgamesh, the venom-powered villain is hired by Rupert Thorne to take down Batman. He’s an incredibly comic-accurate portrayal, with Silva’s voice commanding your attention (and respect) whenever Bane spoke. As Bane’s animated debut, the show and Silva did a great deal in a short amount of time to highlight why he needed to be taken seriously as a foe – a point that Bane’s live-action debut in Batman and Robin completely missed.

Silva reprised the role in sequel series The New Batman Adventures. While he now spoke with an American accent (instead of the original Latin American accent), he was every bit as commanding and formidable in the role.

As comic-accurate depictions of Bane go, this is the best of the best.