Even if you haven’t played a Baldur’s Gate game, you might still recognize their voices!
Baldur’s Gate, a Computer Role-Playing Game series which takes place in the Dungeons & Dragons world of Faerun, has many memorable characters: A strangely-wholesome berserker ranger, an over-privileged advocate for social rights, and a halfling fighter who thinks she’s a paladin.
With Baldur’s Gate 3 soon to be released (if you’re reading this article, it’s probably available right now), I thought it might be fun to take a trip down memory lane and see what some of the voice actors of Baldur’s Gate and its highly acclaimed sequel might also be well known for.
Please Note: Although many of the actors performed multiple roles, some across both games, only their most prominent Baldur’s Gate series role will be listed here.
Drizzt Do’Urden – voiced by Jeff Bennet
Drizzt is a Drow (i.e. Dark Elf) Ranger. Drow are supposed to be dour, live underground, and generally act evil due to their isolationist and Drow Supremacist beliefs and yes, that sure did escalate quickly.
Fan-favourite Drizzt, however, is a heroic wanderer who travels the land of Faerun with a racially-diverse troupe of like-minded adventurers. He’s most well-known for his appearances in the Dungeons and Dragons novels.
Here’s where else you may have heard his voice actor:
| ROLE | MEDIA |
| Johnny Bravo | Johnny Bravo (TV series) |
| The Man In The Yellow Hat | Curious George (TV series) |
| Zazu (singing voice) | The Lion King (1994 Disney Film) |
| Kyle Kataran | Jedi Knight (Videogame series) |
| Revan (Male) | Knights of the Old Republic (Videogame) |
| Merlin | Kingdom Hearts (Videogame series) |
Minsc – voiced by Jim Cummings
Minsc is a Human Ranger who is equal parts psychotic and wholesome, and acts more like a Barbarian/Fighter multiclass. Although he was always quite strange, his mind broke when he failed his initiation rite, which was to protect a witch called Dynaheir. Sadly, Dynaheir was killed some time between the two Baldur’s Gate games.
Also fan-favourites, Minsc and his miniature giant space hamster Boo are apparently around during the times of Baldur’s Gate 3 (due to magical time-travelling hijinks) so we might actually see them there.
In the meantime, here’s where you can hear his voice actor:
| ROLE | MEDIA |
| Pete | A Goofy Movie (and most other Disney stuff) |
| Darkwing Duck | Darkwing Duck (Disney TV series) |
| Winnie The Pooh | Various Disney media |
| Tigger | Various Disney media |
| Taz Devil | Various Looney Tunes media |
Aerie – voiced by Kath Soucie
Aerie is an Avariel, a race of winged elves. However, due to being captured and enslaved for a circus, she was treated so roughly that her wings were damaged beyond repair. Being of no further use to the circus owners, she is then cast out and becomes homeless.
She hasn’t let that stop her from seeing the best in people. This may be simple naivete due to her isolated nature, but it also might simply be who she is.
Much like many of Kath Soucie’s other roles, Aerie is a resilient female character who values doing the right thing. Check out some of her other roles:
| ROLE | MEDIA |
| Kanga | Various Disney Media |
| Phil and Lil DeVille | Rugrats (TV series, film) |
| Lola Bunny | Space Jam (film series) |
| Janine Melnitz | The Real Ghostbusters (TV series) |
| Ingrid “Minx” Kruger | Jem and the Holograms (TV series) |
| Angela Cross | Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (Videogame) |
Viconia DeVir – voiced by Grey DeLisle (AKA Grey Griffin)
Let’s get this out of the way first thing: Yes, Grey Griffin is an awesome name for someone who often voices fantasy characters, and yes it’s her real name (although techincally ‘Grey’ is her middle name).
Like Drizzt, Viconia is another Drow. However, unlike Drizzt, it’s clear that Viconia didn’t leave the Underdark (home of the Drow) by choice. Also unlike Drizzt, she fails to understand why the surface-dwellers of Faerun don’t fall to her feet and worship her – Drow are the superior race, after all.
Much like many other Grey Griffin performances, Viconia is a complicated anti-hero type. You might also recognise Grey Griffin from:
| ROLE | MEDIA |
| Princess Azula | Avatar: The Last Airbender (TV series) |
| Mandy | The Grimm Adventures of Billy and Mandy (TV Series) |
| Daphne Blake | Scooby Doo (various TV series and films) |
| Vicky | The Fairly OddParents (TV series) |
| Catwoman | Batman: Arkham (Videogame series) |
| Black Cat | Spider-Man (TV series) |
Elminster (BG1), Terminsel (BG2) – voiced by Frank Welker
Elminster, and his anagramatical alter-ego, Terminsel, are played by the prolific Frank Welker.
Elminster is a bit of a nothing character who is essentially little more than Tolkien’s Gandalf in D&D clothing (YOU SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH, LIAM! – Hardcore D&D fans everywhere) so instead, I’m going to talk about Frank Welker here.
If you’ve ever watched (or even heard) a cartoon then you’ve heard Frank Welker’s voice – probably as an animal. Although he’s excellent at impersonating celebrities, he’s also very skilled in replicating animal sounds.
I know when I’ve heard Frank Welker, because it’s every time I hear an animal in a cartoon that isn’t that damn same bear growl or camel yawn that every single cartoon ever seems to use. Trust me – you know the exact sounds I’m talking about, even if you can’t place them right now.
But more than that, he’s also – oh right, I can just do another table:
| ROLE | MEDIA |
| Fred Jones | Basically every Scooby Doo thing ever |
| Scooby Doo | Most Scooby Doo stuff since 2002 |
| Capuchin monkey | Raiders of the Lost Ark (Yes, THAT one) |
| George | Various Curious George media |
| Spocks’s Screams | Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (film) |
| Stripe, various gremlins | Gremlins (film) |
| Megatron | most G1 Transformers media |
| Abu, Rajah | Aladdin (Disney film) |
| Aliens | Mars Attacks! (film) |
Honourable mention goes to Kevin Michael Richardson, who voices Sarevok (the main antagonist of much of the series) and the Baldur’s Gate series narrator. If they don’t get him back for the Baldur’s Gate 3 narration I will be sore wrath.
