There have been more actresses to play Batwoman than you might remember. But who delivered the very best performance as the Scarlet Knight?
Batwoman is arguably the most underrated DC Comics superhero today. While the Batwoman identity was among the first of the Bat-Family characters introduced, that version of the character quickly faded from existence after a change in direction at DC. And, fun a character as she was, the way that Kathy Kane was portrayed was quite outdated.
Thankfully, Batwoman got real spotlight in 2006 when a revamped version of the mantle was introduced. This version, Kate Kane, was Bruce Wayne’s cousin and she was a much broodier hero like The Batman himself. She also made headlines for being one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ superheroes in DC – a welcome step forward for comic book representation.
Ruby Rose brought Kate Kane to life in The CW / Arrowverse series Batwoman before Javicia Leslie stepped in to take over the mantle as new character Ryan Wilder. They aren’t the only versions of the character to appear over the years, though.
With that in mind, let’s appreciate Batwoman’s on-screen legacy and look back at the performers to bring the Scarlet Knight to life. Who delivered the most definitive performance?
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7. Tara Strong
Appeared in: Lego DC Batman: Family Matters
Yes, we know Tara Strong is known for voicing Batgirl but did you know that she has also voiced Batwoman, too? She brought the Scarlet Knight to life in the animated movie Lego DC Batman: Family Matters and she showcased a very different performance than the one we’re used to hearing from her when playing a member of the Bat-Family.
Kate Kane may be a new addition to the Bat-Family but she’s an alluring, intriguing hero that very much operates as her own entity, much like Batman himself. Strong manages to capture this well, with a more serious tone as if she’s intentionally holding back; which is a very Batwoman thing to do. Again, this is a character that is quite like Batman, reserved and yet efficient, and it was nice to hear Strong portray her. She has some great lines in the movie, and her exchange with Killer Croc is fun.
While the character is perhaps the most underused in the movie, Tara Strong did a great job in capturing the allure of Batwoman. While she’ll always be the definitive voice of Batgirl (thanks to her legendary performance in The New Batman Adventures), we’d definitely be open to hearing her take on the role of Batwoman again in the future. A more significant role would certainly move her further up this list.
6. Stephanie Beatriz
Appeared in: Catwoman: Hunted
If you were thinking that Batwoman in Catwoman: Hunted sounds a lot like Detective Rosa Diaz from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, that’s because the wonderful Stephanie Beatriz is indeed voicing her!
The movie, which also stars Dynasty‘s Elizabeth Gillies as Catwoman, sees the iconic Batman villain steal a priceless jewel. That’s just a typical night in Gotham City for Catwoman, but when that jewel puts her in the crosshairs of Black Mask and various other villains (not-to-mention Interpol), the Scarlet Knight must step in to stop the heist and even help Selina out of the mess. And seeing them team up is a huge treat for DC fans in a very underrated movie.
Beatriz’s Batwoman is firm and direct, but also a little sarcastic and dry-humored. She has great chemistry with Liz Gillies’ Catwoman and the pair make for quite the formidable duo in the movie. What’s even more fulfilling is that Beatriz was among the names the threw her hat in the race to play the character on The CW’s Batwoman when Ruby Rose left the role, so it’s awesome to finally see her get the chance to bring the character to life here.
This felt like it was just scratching the surface of Beatriz’s potential as Batwoman, so here’s hoping it’s not the last time we see her play the role in some capacity.
5. Yvonne Strahovski
Appeared in: Batman: Bad Blood
Batwoman made her debut DC Animated Movie Universe appearance in Batman vs. Robin in a non-speaking cameo, but when her role was increased for sequel Batman: Bad Blood, Yvonne Strahovski was cast as the voice of the character.
Much like the character’s comic book origins, this version of the Scarlet Knight decided to step up to protect the people of Gotham City because she had lost loved ones to the criminals within it. She also vowed to defend herself from the threats, using the Batwoman persona as a means of doing that. Not long after leaving the military, she was attacked and had to be rescued by Batman, and from that moment on, she promised herself that she would never need rescued again.
Strahovski delivered an incredibly convincing voice performance in Bad Blood. Kate is known for being badass, but she’s also determined, stubborn, and, like her cousin, perpetually annoyed by the crime in Gotham. She captures all of that and more, standing out in a rather crowded movie and ensuring that we all sit up and pay attention whenever Batwoman is on screen.
4. Kyra Sedgwick
Appeared in: Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
There was a long time that DC Comics audiences were without a Batwoman, so the iconic DC Animated Universe decided to take its own spin on the character, introducing her in the 2003 animated movie Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (three years before Kate Kane made her comic book debut).
A modern interpretation of the character before her DC Comics revival, this version of Batwoman was actually a mantle taken on by three people: Dr. Roxanne “Roxy” Ballantine, Detective Sonia Alcana, and Kathy Duquesne – the latter of whom was a clear nod to the original Batwoman Kathy Kane. Each of those characters were voiced by different actresses, but to keep the mystery going, Batwoman herself was voiced by another actress.
Kyra Sedgwick voiced the silver knight, whose appearance was drastically different to all other versions of Batwoman and more in line with the DCAU style of super-suits. She was everything the mysterious character required and more. She was edgy, confrontational, and quick-witted, making us all buy into the fact that this new vigilante with her own agenda could continue to elude villains like The Penguin, Bane, Rupert Thorne, and even Batman himself.
The world of Batman: The Animated Series has delivered many acclaimed original interpretations but its portrayal of Batwoman is amongst its most underappreciated. Sedgwick did a truly fantastic job!
3. Wallis Day
Appeared in: Batwoman (season 2)
After Ruby Rose’s departure as the title character, Batwoman decided to go in a different direction, introducing a brand new character to take on the mantle. Javicia Leslie’s performance proved that was the right choice, but there was initially the hope that Krypton‘s Wallis Day could have just taken on the role of Kate Kane instead (as she was a fan-favorite choice for the recast).
Thankfully, the show decided to take both routes, bringing in a new Batwoman, but also bringing back Kate Kane to explain her absence and tie up her storyline. And for that, Batwoman gave the fans what they wanted by recasting Rose’s character with Wallis Day.
Day instantly proved why she was such a fan-favorite choice to play Kate, radiating the badassery that fans envisioned when they hoped she would be cast. Moreover, she also had to play a dual role, as Black Mask manipulated her into believing she was Circe Sionis, meaning that Gotham City’s hero ended up thinking she was just one of its many villains.
Day was a phenomenal recast and it almost made us wish we got to see her don the Batsuit full-time. That’s the only thing preventing us from putting her higher, because even though her performance was amazing, it would be have been great to get to see Kate be Batwoman one more time before she was ultimately written off.
Thankfully, we had the perfect Batwoman to lead the show.
2. Ruby Rose
Appeared in: Batwoman (season 1)
When Ruby Rose was cast as Batwoman in the Arrowverse, fans were eager to see her debut in the role. That debut came in the Supergirl, Arrow, and The Flash crossover Elseworlds and to say the first time we saw her gave us goosebumps would be a major understatement. Seeing Rose in the Batsuit with that triumphantly haunting theme bellowing in the background truly was a sight to behold.
From there and throughout the first season of Batwoman, Rose proved to be a formidable presence on the screen, bringing the broody disposition of Kate Kane to life with ease. She also performed incredibly well opposite Rachel Skarsten’s Alice, and she looked phenomenal in the Batsuit, sporting the iconic red wig (and one of the best costumes that the Arrowverse had ever given us).
Rose’s departure after season 1 was unfortunate because she had really settled into her role as Kate Kane by then and the character was really flourishing post-Crisis On Infinite Earths. Who knows where the show would have went next if the original plan played out.
Thankfully, Gotham got a new hero to save it from evildoers (and Batwoman from cancellation) and she was exceptional.
1. Javicia Leslie
Appeared in: Batwoman (seasons 2 – 3)
There’s an irony in the fact that the Batwoman who takes our number one spot actually played a character that wasn’t Kate Kane, but that just makes what Javicia Leslie accomplished with the role that much more impressive.
Brought on to replace Ruby Rose on The CW’s Batwoman after the star had exited the show, Leslie portrayed new character Ryan Wilder, who found Kate’s Batsuit and decided to use it as an opportunity to empower herself and get vengeance on the woman who killer her mother. However, upon doing some good, Ryan realized that there was a lot of good in her, and instead took this opportunity to help the people of Gotham City as the new Scarlet Knight throughout seasons 2 and 3 of the show.
Leslie brought such character to Batwoman that we didn’t realize it was missing beforehand. She livened things up, ensuring that Ryan was a different kind of hero to the broody Kate Kane. She could be broody when she wanted to be, formidable at all times, and yet still make you crack up with a well-timed comeback. That’s just who Ryan was, and Leslie portrayed her beautifully.
Ryan Wilder changed the game as Batwoman and it goes without saying that we should see her adopt the mantle in the DC Comics at some point as well. Leslie made history with her phenomenal performance, and she’s the reason that we miss seeing Batwoman on our screens every day.