There have been many actresses to take on the role of Batgirl over the years, but who played the beloved Bat-Family superhero the best?
Batgirl is one of the most recognizable characters in all of comic books. A staple of DC Comics, she has been an integral part of the Bat-Family since her introduction (or, well, reintroduction of sorts) in the 1960s. And now it’s impossible imagine Gotham City without her.
There was initially a different, short-lived, character named Bat-Girl early on in the Caped Crusader’s stories, but the crimefighter was reinvented for the 1966 Batman TV series as Barbara Gordon, the daughter of GCPD Commissioner Jim Gordon. She quickly became a fan-favorite addition to the show and the Batman lore, getting involved in many major comic book storylines in the years that followed.
Babs has been through a lot since her DC Comics introduction, including appearing in multiple films and TV shows, specifically animation (like many other Batman characters). But which version of the heroine reigns supreme as the best of them all?
With all that in mind, we’re taking a look back at all of the Batgirl actresses and ranking them.
Note: While there were many actresses to voice Batgirl on TV, movies, and video games, this list will take a look at the eleven most famous/infamous (and best/worst) to do so on the big screen or small screen.
Honorable mention: Leslie Grace
Before we begin, we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the woman who should be appearing on this list, Leslie Grace. Grace was set to play the character in HBO Max’s Batgirl movie, which actually completed initial production before it was canceled by Warner Bros. Discovery in one of the most high-profile axings in movie history.
The movie was also set to star Michael Keaton as Batman, JK Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, and Brendan Fraser as Firefly. It’s unclear what direction it would have taken the DCEU in, but its cancellation shocked fans to their core, leaving them disappointed that they will never get to see it for themselves.
Leslie Grace was a huge fan of the project, championing it on social media for months throughout its production. It’s a darn shame she never got to show the world what her portrayal of Barbara Gordon was like. Leslie is a great actress and we have no doubt that she would have been placed very high on this list if Batgirl was released.
Nonetheless, she’s an important part of the character’s history and we just wanted to celebrate her contributions to the Batgirl legacy (even if we can’t see the movie).
11. Alicia Silverstone
Appeared in: Batman and Robin
As a huge fan of Batgirl (and a fan of Batman and Robin), I hate that Alicia Silverstone is down this low on the list. She’s an amazing actress and pop-culture icon who could have brought a comic-accurate version of Batgirl to life, but she was dealt a bad hand by Joel Schumacher’s Batman and Robin.
First of all, let’s just say that even though there are many questionable aspects of the 1997 film, Silverstone’s performance isn’t one of them. She does what she can with the role, but there isn’t an awful lot to work with.
For starters, the movie rewrote the character’s origins so that she was actually Barbara Wilson, the niece of Alfred Pennyworth (the likely reason being that Commissioner Gordon wasn’t as big a part of those Batman movies). She was quickly relegated to one of the many supporting roles in a movie with too much going on, at which point we then discovered that she was recklessly competing in life-threatening motorcycle races – which may or may not explain Alfred’s decision to prepare a suit for her and reveal Batman and Robin’s true identity to her.
Even with the odd domino mask, Silverstone looked the part. She’s also one of the many enjoyable aspects of a frankly ridiculous movie. It’s just a shame she wasn’t given the chance to play a more comic-accurate Batgirl.
10. Dina Meyer
Appeared in: Birds of Prey
Birds of Prey is an unusual relic of a bygone era but it kind of felt like that when it was airing too. Much of the presentation of the show felt dated for the early 2000s (especially as the superhero TV genre was essentially just surviving on Smallville alone) and its storytelling left a little to be desired.
That being said, Dina Meyer did a great job as Barbara Gordon. This version is based on the post-1986 comics in which the character is paralyzed from the waist down after being shot by The Joker, ending her career as Batgirl. This is something Barbara comes to terms with on the show, as she leads the Birds of Prey in their bid to protect the city during Batman’s absence. It also makes her the first live-action adaptation of Barbara’s Oracle persona.
One thing that does hold up for Birds of Prey is the Batgirl suit, which Meyer briefly wore in the second half of the season. Sure, it’s an altered version of Alicia Silverstone’s suit from Batman and Robin, but far more comic-accurate. And that just makes us wish the show had been given the chance to go on past its first season.
It goes without saying, but Meyer’s Batgirl looked amazing.
9. Rosario Dawson
Appeared in: The LEGO Batman Movie
Rosario Dawson is no stranger to playing beloved comic book characters. She portrayed Claire Temple (a.k.a. Night Nurse) in Netflix’s Daredevil and multiple other shows in the Marvel Netflix saga, and voiced Wonder Woman in the 2019 animated film Wonder Woman: Bloodlines. However, she also voiced Batgirl in 2017’s The LEGO Batman Movie.
Barbara is introduced as the new police commissioner of Gotham City and vows to make it a city without the need for vigilantes. As a result, she wants to team up with Batman under the promise that he works inside the law (instead of operating outside of it). This obviously doesn’t work for Batman and the pair reach a hilarious stalemate throughout the movie that eventually results in Barbara becoming Batgirl.
Dawson adds a charm to the character that we haven’t seen in other adaptations. She isn’t portrayed as a teenager inspired to be like Batman, she plays her like the mature grown woman who wants harmony in Gotham. Even so, she still retains the light-heartedness that Batgirl is known for. It’s a different take on Barbara that we absolutely loved, and it would be great if she got the chance to play the character again in another property someday.
8. Briana Cuoco
Appeared in: Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn is something of an Elseworlds tale in that everything in the animated series’ version of Gotham City is hilariously exaggerated in a way that pokes fun at many of the traditional Batman storylines. It’s an acquired taste for sure, but it’s also easy to see why it’s such an enjoyable show.
Harley Quinn loves to have fun with its storylines, but Barbara Gordon’s evolution into Batgirl stays true to the character in a way that also feels true to the exaggerated tone of the show. In fact, Harley’s subsequent friendship with Batgirl is one of its most enjoyable aspects. That might be down to the fact that the crimefighting hero is voiced by Briana Cuoco, the sister of Harley Quinn herself Kaley Cuoco, so the pair’s bestie chemistry is absolutely off-the-charts.
With her comic-accurate suit and a quirky personality not unlike the version of Batgirl from fellow animated show The Batman (more on that later), she is such a fun presence on the show, and it could do with a lot more of her.
Honestly, if she appeared more often, she would probably have ranked higher on this list. More Batgirl in season 4 please, Harley Quinn.
7. Alyson Stoner
Appeared in: Young Justice, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis, Lego DC Batman: Family Matters
Alyson Stoner has the unique honor of voicing Barbara Gordon / Batgirl in three different DC projects. She first played the role in the second season of animated series Young Justice (subtitled Invasion) before voicing her in two different Lego DC movies. She then reprised the role in the two seasons of the Young Justice revival.
She did a fantastic job as the character, portraying Barbara as the spunky and colorful addition to the Bat-Family that she is. While Babs was never a main character on Young Justice, her journey was evident throughout, as the show used its time-jumps to dramatize her rise as a hero, her promotion to the titular team of superheroes, and her eventual stunt as Oracle after her injury.
Stoner had to portray Barbara at various points throughout her life and she excelled at it, approaching her younger days with great enthusiasm and an excitable tone while also offering up a more reserved, determined performance when taking on her time as a veteran hero (but never losing that charm that made her sound so definitively Barbara).
6. Stockard Channing
Appeared in: Batman Beyond, Batman: Return of the Joker
Rosario Dawson wasn’t the first to play a version of Barbara Gordon that becomes commissioner of the GCPD, as animated show Batman Beyond showcased what a Gotham City under her protection for years looked like.
The DC Animated Universe took the Batman story into uncharted story here. Set decades after both Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures, New Gotham got a new protector. But Commissioner Gordon wasn’t thrilled about having a new Dark Knight, as she had long since moved on from that era – and wanted Gotham to as well.
Stockard Channing portrayed Barbara with a grit we rarely see from her on-screen. She was very matter-of-fact when it came to dealing with her old friend Bruce Wayne, hardened by the events that led to her retirement as Batgirl decades beforehand (which we see play out in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker). She’s firm, but occasionally shows us glimpses of the fun-loving girl that she once was.
It was an unexpectedly authentic portrayal of a woman who had grown out of the life of vigilantism after all it took from her, and Channing did an expert job bringing that to life on the show’s first two seasons.
5. Savannah Welch
Appeared in: Titans
Barbara Gordon made her long-awaited debut in the DC Universe/HBO Max show Titans when she debuted in its third season. Very much inspired by the Batman Beyond iteration of the character, she was the commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, taking over the role after the death of her father in a bid to move on from the Bat-Family era by ending the need for vigilantes.
Portrayed by Savannah Welch, Titans‘ Barbara retired her Batgirl persona after being paralyzed by The Joker. We don’t see her suit up on the show, but her days as Batgirl are very much still on her mind.
Welch had some powerful storylines to work with, as Barbara had to balance her desire to protect Gotham the official way with her feelings for Dick Grayson/Nightwing, and she was incredibly convincing in her performance.
Barbara was tough, hardened by the loss of her father (and many of the other events that had happened throughout Batman’s career as a crimefighter) but she also believed in doing the right thing and wanted to trust that Dick and the Titans could help her achieve that. It was a compelling conflict and Welch did an excellent job during her time on the show.
4. Danielle Judovitz
Appeared in: The Batman
The Batman is perhaps the most underrated chapter in The Dark Knight’s long-running story. It’s so underrated that I’m tired of calling it underrated. And one of the many reasons that the wonderful animated series is so underrated is its inspired interpretation of Batgirl.
The show changed up a number of things in the lore, and one of them was having Batgirl debut before Robin. She was Batman’s unofficial partner, as Barbara Gordon initially donned the costume to save her friend Pamela Isley (who, of course, evolved into Poison Ivy), and subsequently helped him against his own will. That dynamic made for an incredibly enjoyable watch, largely due to Danielle Judovitz’s committed performance.
This version of Barbara was energetic, vibrant, and ambitious, and Judovitz did a great job of conveying all of that with her voicework. She added a new, more light-hearted tone to The Batman and she worked very well with Rino Romano’s young Dark Knight who was reluctant to team up.
From her thrill of working with Batman to her initial jealousy over Robin’s arrival, Barbara’s energy always came across, and thanks to Judovitz’s quirky performance, she quickly became one of the best parts of the show.
3. Melissa Gilbert / Mary Kay Bergman
Appeared in: Batman: The Animated Series (Gilbert), Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (Bergman)
Batman: The Animated Series‘ run somewhat mirrored the original 1966 Batman TV series, as the majority of its first two seasons focused on Batman and Robin’s adventures before Batgirl came along towards the end of its run. However, Barbara Gordon was actually introduced earlier in the show, with Melissa Gilbert voicing the character.
Barbara is a young woman but incredibly mature and focused. This came across from her first appearance, and even moreso when she dons the Batgirl suit in later episodes, with Gilbert’s performance complementing the show’s portrayal. She played Barbara as confident and self-assured, particularly standing out in the episode “Batgirl Returns” when the character stood up to Robin.
While we didn’t get to see enough of Batgirl on the original animated series, she did return for the animated movie Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero, with the late great Mary Kay Bergman taking over the role. Barbara had a much bigger part to play, and Bergman did a wonderful job voicing her, channeling Melissa Gilbert’s version of her but also adding unique qualities of her own.
It’s hard to pick a favorite between the two portrayals since they are the same version of the character, and both actresses were amazing in the role.
2. Tara Strong
Appeared in: The New Batman Adventures, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, Batman: Return of the Joker, Batman: The Killing Joke
Tara Strong is a name commonly associated with comic book icons. She’s one of the most recognizable Harley Quinn voice actors, and she also just recently reached a whole new audience as the voice of Miss Minutes in Disney Plus’ Loki. Before all of that, though, she voiced Barbara Gordon/Batgirl on The New Batman Adventures.
Set after the events of Batman: The Animated Series (which ended just as Batgirl was becoming a recurring hero), Barbara had become the official full-time partner of Batman at this stage. Tara Strong took over from Melissa Gilbert as the voice of the character and quickly proved herself a great choice.
This was a Barbara that was more mature and comfortable as an established vigilante, so she needed to be sure of herself. With Strong’s performance, she was all of that and so much more. She was efficient, self-assured, and confident, and quickly became one of the best parts of the show. The sequel series focused more on Batman’s fellow heroes, so a Batgirl episode was always a joy.
Strong would reprise the role in spinoff movies Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, and video games Batman: Vengeance and Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu (as well as completely unrelated properties such as Batman: The Killing Joke and Lego DC Super-Villains). Given her definitive performance as the voice of Batgirl, that isn’t surprising in the slightest.
1. Yvonne Craig
Appeared in: Batman (1966)
They say you just can’t beat the original, and that’s especially true in the case of Batgirl. Yvonne Craig was the first to don the purple cape and cowl in the legendary 1966 Batman TV series, debuting in its third season in 1967. It was quite a monumental debut too, because the Barbara Gordon character was created specifically for the show (although she debuted in the comics before the episode aired), meaning that she was making history. And as one of the first female superheroes to appear on TV, a lot of history was already being made.
Craig was nothing short of a delight in the role, highlighting Barbara’s cleverness right out of the gate with her ability to outsmart the esteemed detectives all around her by hiding her secret identity as Batgirl. Barbara was a charming addition in her own right, but when she joined in on the action alongside Batman and Robin, Batgirl breathed new life into the show.
It’s impossible to sum up the legacy of Yvonne Craig’s portrayal of Batgirl as anything other than game-changing. She made history and brought Batman back to life as a result. While it’s a shame the show didn’t return for a fourth season, her performance started a legacy that has stood the test of time. She set the tone for what Batgirl should be, and she also set the bar so high, nobody else has managed to reach it.
Thank you, Batgirl.
Which Batgirl performance has been your favorite over the years?