A big aspect of voice acting is reliability, which often determines which actor gets used. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, there was some criticism that certain actors like Nolan North and Troy Baker were being used too often and taking spots from fresh new voices.
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Thankfully times have changed, but this shows how important reliable actors are, and Steve Blum is definitely among them. Known for his rough and tough voice, he’s portrayed several characters over the years. While not a lot of his characters are well known, they all stand out in one way or another.
10Vilgax: Ben 10
Ben 10 was a great animated show in the mid-2000s that followed Ben Tennyson, who receives the Omnitrix, a watch that allows him to turn into ten or more alien beings. The show seemed targeted more to teens with its rougher edge, and nothing highlights this better than the villains. Ben 10 had an all-around incredible rogues gallery of bad guys, but the head honcho, Vilgax, steals the show.
Steve Blum’s voice for this villain is so menacing and threatening, especially for a children’s show. His performance was just something you didn’t see in other Cartoon Network programs. Even today, Vilgax remains one of the best villains in the history of Cartoon Network.
Boss fights inDead Risingare handled differently than many other games since the basic premise is a zombie apocalypse set in a mall. Psychopaths, people who were changed mentally by the events around them, are the bosses here. Dead Rising 1 has a lot of stand-out boss battles, but Cliff Hudson has the most emotional weight.
Being a Vietnam War Veteran, he still thinks he’s in the war, taking prisoners. Issues surrounding PTSD are a heavy real-world topic, and due to this, he’s the only psychopath you feel bad for when he’s killed, and he gives you his family photo. Steve Blum’s voice also sells the character and his war backstory well.
8Brutes: Halo 3
Introduced inHalo 2, Brutes were the main new enemy type and also played a huge part in the story. SinceHalo 3was marketed as a finale of sorts, it made sense for them to return, especially since their conflict wasn’t resolved by the end of the second game.
Steve Blum is one of the people who voice the Brutes in Halo 3, and it was a great pick as his voice is perfect for this group of enemies. Not only that, but it fits because Brutesare significantly harder in this gamecompared to Halo 2. On Legendary or if you’re playing LASO, you never want to encounter a Brute by yourself with no help from your co-op buddies.
7Zedonius: Ninja Gaiden 2
DespiteNinja Gaiden’srocky track record in terms of quality bosses, the four Greater Fiends present in Ninja Gaiden 2 are all noteworthy in terms of their fights and design. Zedonius is likely the best of them all. He’s both menacing and threatening but also a bit wacky.
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He quotes Shakespeare in his dialogue for crying out loud. Steve Blum does a great job of capturingthis chaotic evil villainhere, and you’ll definitely end up hating him. He hits like a truck and can fly above you, making it incredibly hard to hit him.
6Zadornov: Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker
Out of all the mainlineMetal Geargames, Peace Walker’s characters are the most forgettable. A lot of them hardly even do anything, but Zadornov thankfully shines in the cast. He’s the secondary antagonist, though much more memorable than the lead, Hot Coldman.
Like many Metal Gear characters, it’s unclear whose side Zadornov is on. This is especially true near the end when you have to keep finding Zadornov, and it is an element that Steve Blum plays up well with his voice acting. Zadornov also has an awesome prosthetic hand, very similar to what was featured inMetal Gear Solid 5. It has the same rocket launch feature you could use in Metal Gear Solid 5.
5Sub-Zero: Mortal Kombat X And 11
Mortal Kombat’stwo most famous characters have always been Scorpion and Sub-Zero. However, for the longest time, Scorpion was depicted as the more hard-edged of the two, which makes sense considering his backstory and undead nature. Sub-Zero wasn’t seen in the same limelight, unfitting for a person whose original Fatality in the first Mortal Kombat helped create the ESRB rating system.
In Mortal Kombat X, Steve Blum voiced Sub-Zero and finally made him more of a badass. His deep voice was great for this character, which needed a shakeup. Not every new voice actor in the new MK games was a home run, but Steve Blum definitely was.
4Killer Croc: Batman Arkham
Rocksteady’sBatman Arkhamseries paved the way for Superhero games with its great gameplay and faithfulness to the source material. Plenty of voices from the Batman Animated Series returned, at least in the first two games, but other actors voiced Batman characters for the first time.
This includes Wally Wingert as The Riddler and Steve Blum as Killer Croc. Steve’s voice is a perfect match for Croc, because he’s much bigger and more intimidating than certain other media depictions of him. Luckily Steve got to voice him in all three main games.
3Grunt: Mass Effect 2 And 3
There are two main Krogan companions throughout theMass Effect Trilogy, and one of them, Grunt, debuts in Mass Effect 2. He’s a genetically engineered Krogan which makes him stand out compared to Wrex from ME1 and also helps to contrast them when they’re both together in ME3.
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Through Grunt and his loyalty mission, you learn more about the Krogans than you ever did in the first game. Steve Blum’s voice here sounds perfect for a Krogan, who’s essentially the Captain America of their species. While he’s not afan favorite among the companions, that’s more to do with how amazing all of them are, and Grunt is another piece to the fantastic companion pie of the series.
2Wolverine
Steve Blum has voiced many characters, but like many actors, there are a few that he’s become synonymous with. One of those characters is Wolverine. Steve’s deep tough voice was made for this hero, and it’s no wonder he’s portrayed him in various shows, movies, and video games.
He still voices him, too, as he portrays Wolverine inMarvel’s Midnight Suns. Hugh Jackman will always be the definitive live-action Wolverine, and while the animated realm has some competition for the counterpart, Steve Blum is surely in consideration.
1Ares: God Of War
The best Steve Blum character, especially in video games, must be Ares fromGod of Wardue to its significance. The first God of War is still one of the best entries in the series due to its gameplay and Greek tragedy-style story.It’s about revengeas Kratos aims to kill Ares, the God of War, for tricking Kratos into killing his family.
Ares is one detestable villain, as he can be seen in the background of a few areas throughout the game wreaking havoc on Athens. As the title progresses, you learn more about the backstory between Kratos and Ares, and when the time comes to fight Ares and inevitably kill him, it feels immensely satisfying. The events of God of War 1 really sets up the whole series going forward. Steve Blum’s performance brings intense interactions with Ares to a new level.
