Summary
Steve Blum has to be one of the hardest-working voice actors in the business. His IMDb page is riddled with roles dating back to the 1980s, spanning Japanese dubs, video games, American animation, and more. Known for his particularly growl-y voice, Blum has cultivated a particular style over the years that is instantly recognizable to fans.
This means that he is incredibly talented and professional, but also that it is very difficult to pick out his most iconic characters. He voiced The Laughing Man inGhost in the Shell, Amon inThe Legend of Korra, and Vincent Valentine inFinal Fantasy Advent Childrento name a few. So, who are the best characters voiced by Steve Blum?
There can’t be a list of the best Steve Blum characters without mentioning Spike Spiegel – a character who arguably put him on the map when the anime was released in the 1990s. Under the direction of Animaze and voice director (now Steve Blum’s wife and the VA for the Major inGhost in the Shell) Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Blum brought the iconic character to life for Western audiences.
Blum’s performance grounded Spike who could be flighty, unserious, and directionless. His voice brought drama toscenes with Vicious, levity to scenes like when Spike has a Prairie Oyster for his hangover and sincerity to every line he delivers. It truly established Blum as a staple in the VA community.
Many fans credit Blum with delivering theirfavorite Wolverine performancesin his many times playing the character over the years. He first portrayed Logan inX-Men: Legendsin 2004, but most recently brought him to life inMarvel’s Midnight Suns. Though he did not have as meaty of a role in that game, he still brought the same attention and respect to the character that he always brings.
In comparison to other takes on the classic mutant, Blum brings more growl to Logan’s everyday voice and not just when he’s portraying his superhero personality of Wolverine. Many fans hold him as their favorite or second favorite next only to Cal Dodd who voiced Wolverine in the acclaimedX-Men: The Animated Seriesfrom the 1990s.
8T.O.M. – Toonami
A Nostalgic Presence For Cartoon Network Fans
This may not be a character from a video game or an anime, but TOM (Toonami Operations Module) from Toonami (a block of programming in the afternoon for teens similar toAdult Swim) and Blum’s portrayal of him has been a constant from 1999 - 2008 and now from 2012 - present. Across seven versions, Blum has voiced all except the very original TOM. There’s a lore behind the character, too, and Blum lends his signature style to the performance.
Despite the lore behind Toonami and TOM, it is Blum’s involvement that keeps fans coming back or looking back nostalgically. Knowing that, at the end of a busy day, there’s a consistent presence there to engage with can mean a great deal to middle school, high school, and adult fans alike. Blum provided that through TOM for thousands of people.
Marked as being the “opposite of Spike Spiegel,” Mugen’s story inSamurai Champloois wonderfully complemented by the soundtrack from Nujabes and incrediblemartial arts and swordfight animation. Blum’s performance does draw criticism in that he doesn’t feel like the “best fit,” but still garners praise as well, with some fans saying that the character would not be the same without Blum voicing Mugen.
At the time of the series release, Blum was in the prime of his career (though he has been active for decades) – coming off multiple successes in the near-decade since voicing Spike. Blum alters his voice to match Mugen by bringing in more recklessness, some lackadaisical vocal posture, and casual dialectical choices like dropping the “g” on words like “walking” or “doing.” The “Devil May Care” attitude feels legitimate with Mugen, whereas with Spike, it felt like a defense mechanism to hide how much he actually cared about something.
This role of Blum’s gets slightly overlooked because, forMass Effectfans, Urdnot Wrex notably came first and plays a bigger role in the overarching story across all three games in the series. But the tank-born Krogan who is searching for identity and community endeared himself to fans from the first moment that Blum’s distinct growl brought the character to life inMass Effect 2.
It’s also a rare instance that Blum gets to bring cuteness to his role because, though Krogans are known for being gruff and cantankerous andnot very charismatic, Grunt is a newborn. He is experiencing the world for the first time and doesn’t really know anything. Blum captures this trait wonderfully while still displaying the aggressiveness Krogan are known for exhibiting.
Though fans feel the character is underutilized, Higashi stood out immediately after his initial appearance in Judgment in 2018. Despite his background in the Matsugane Family, Higashi has an affable nature and enjoys spending time with kids at the gaming arcade. Blum captures the dual nature of the character by sounding much more intimidating in scenes, like the fight Yagami walks in on inJudgment.
But very quickly, Blum reveals the vulnerability Higashi feels being a part of the fragile power dynamic within the Yakuza families. Another veteran voice actor, Crispin Freeman, appears alongside Blum inthe English dub ofJudgmentas Kaito, too, so seeing the two of them interact so much in theJudgmentgames is a treat for long-time fans.
The series draws obvious influence from characters such as James Bond or Batman but implements the mecha component influenced by older super robot series. LikeEvangelion, the series has deeper themes than one might expect for being an action-oriented, noir-inspired anime. Blum brings that expected nonchalance to Smith, while also capturing an elusive concept: Smith being surprised at his own emotions. He operates by specific rules that are meant to make life easier such as not carrying a gun, respecting others, and using “pent-up energy to fight through the harshness of reality.” For someone who is supposedly so calm and collected, some of these rules feel like reminders of coping mechanisms.
The series plays with the concepts of memory and emotional attachment, and Smith is just as susceptible to those whims as anyone else, despite his rules and cool demeanor. Though it isn’t the meatiest role of Blum’s, it stands out as a fun contrast to Spike whom Blum had voiced just two years prior. Smith is much more collected than Spike, which is why hearing that surprise in his voice when he catches himself is such a key part of Blum’s performance.
Rytlock has appeared in everyGW2update except for the most recent expansion,The Wilds of Janthir.The Charr, an anthropomorphized species of feline people known for their combative natures, put value in strength, cunning, and tactical knowledge. Rytlock exhibits all of this throughout his tenure in theGW2but perhaps comes to the fore most inThe Icebrood Saga.
Blum gets to flex his voice acting chops immensely, displaying disgust, rage, desperation, pleading, entreating, sarcasm, glee, and everything in between. Much like Grunt inME2, Rytlock seems like a one-note character, but Blum brings nuance and depth to him with a captivating performance spanning over a decade.
TheMetroseries came out of formerStalkerdevelopers creating their own line of survival games based in adark, post-nuclear Asia setting. But the DLCSam’s StoryforMetro Exodusintroduces the American named Sam, voiced by Steve Blum. He’s a weary man who just wants to see his family again, and the role came at a time in Blum’s life when he was getting older – something that perhaps influenced his performance.
The character originally appeared as a member of Artyom’s crew on the Aurora, but the DLC explores a ruined Vladivostok and Sam’s history. The English version of that game has Blum using the traditional American accent favored for voice acting, while others in the game have thick Russian accents. But Blum brings everything to Sam’s performance expected by fans, and it was great to see the character get a more fleshed out narrative after his initial appearance. Blum also voiced Hunter inMetro 2033.
TheNarutoseries has many iconic moments and characters, but Orochimaru stands out as a textbookclassic villain throughout the series. As with all of his other characters, Blum brings depth to what could have been a very two-dimensional character along with making him terrifying to the audience. There’s a simultaneous silkiness and breathiness in Blum’s voice as this character evokes the snakes that he evokes and is named after.
Blum’s performance here marks a transition from gruff-voiced, brash characters to a more inward-looking, soft-spoken performance. By no means is Orochimaru a demure character, but Blum’s performance feels much more thoughtful in comparison to his earlier work as Spike or Roger Smith. TheBorutoseries does bring a redemption arc to Orochimaru, but the character remains notably evil.
