Tara Strong is one of the most well-known voice actors working today and these are her absolute best roles! For this list, we’ll be looking at the best animated roles that this legendary performer has brought to life. We’ll include multiple characters in one entry if they were from the same show. Our countdown includes Bubbles from "The Powerpuff Girls” (1998-2005, 2014), Ben Tennyson from the “Ben 10” Franchise (2005-), Boh from "Spirited Away" (2001), Mary Jane Watson from “Ultimate Spider-Man” (2012-16), and more! What’s your all time favorite quote from a Tara Strong character? Sound off in the comments.
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00:00 "I don't mean to burst your bubble, girls, but from now on, I fly solo!"
00:06 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 Tara Strong voice roles.
00:12 "Let's just say I have issues with my father."
00:15 For this list, we're looking at the best animated roles that this legendary performer has brought to life.
00:20 We'll include multiple characters in one entry if they're from the same show.
00:24 What's your all-time favorite quote from a Tara Strong character?
00:27 Sound off in the comments.
00:29 #20. Slipstream - Transformers Animated
00:33 Although Tara Strong provided the voices for about 10 different characters on Transformers Animated,
00:38 her performance as Slipstream is the most memorable.
00:42 The character was a clone of classic franchise villain Starscream.
00:45 Like the original, Slipstream has a catchy and aggressive voice.
00:49 Outside of just resembling Starscream, Strong ensures the character comes off as ruthless,
00:54 sassy, angry, and even funny at times.
00:57 "He's a pathological liar. Each of us clones represents one aspect of your personality.
01:04 He's a coward. He's an egomaniac."
01:07 This clone is definitely not disguising how threatening she really is.
01:12 Maybe she's mad because no one ever uses her name in the series.
01:15 In any case, in a franchise full of robotic antagonists,
01:18 it's impressive that Strong's Slipstream is still so memorable.
01:22 "What are you doing? Aim for his thought chamber!"
01:25 #19. Kara and Sarah - American Dragon - Jake Long
01:30 During the short-lived and criminally underrated American Dragon Jake Long series,
01:34 Strong was brought in to provide the voice of the Oracle twins Kara and Sarah.
01:38 While they certainly look similar, they're definitely not the same.
01:42 Strong helps by using her vocal talents to make it easy to tell them apart.
01:50 While Kara is quieter and more downbeat,
01:52 she uses the upper register of her speaking voice to make Sarah sound more friendly.
01:57 The performance choices definitely match the personalities.
02:00 While Kara is dark and miserable as she predicts positive outcomes,
02:04 Sarah remains sprightly and happy while foreseeing negative events.
02:07 We'd honestly forgive viewers for thinking the twins are voiced by two different people.
02:11 #18. Bo - Spirited Away
02:19 After viewing Hayao Miyazaki's animated fantasy Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away,
02:24 then Pixar animator John Lasseter set about bringing an English adaptation to western shores.
02:29 The Academy Award-winning classic was full of eccentric characters for English-speaking voice
02:33 actors to dub. When casting was all said and done, Strong was tasked with bringing the big baby Bo
02:38 to life. "Wow, you're a big baby. Would you mind letting go of me? I'm in a really big hurry."
02:44 "You came in here to make me sick. You're a bad germ from outside, aren't you?"
02:50 Since the actress already had experienced voicing infants,
02:53 she had no problem delivering a believable performance with plenty of range.
02:57 The baby could go from being an obnoxious child to a seriously threatening presence.
03:02 Strong definitely made us believe that you wouldn't want to make Bo cry.
03:12 #17. Serling Roquette, Tara Markov, and others
03:17 Young Justice
03:18 Strong lent her talents to a range of characters in Young Justice while keeping each one of them
03:23 distinct. Her Serling Roquette character came off as authoritative and somewhat humorless.
03:28 "What, were there budget cuts?"
03:30 This Strong role sounded nothing like her performance as the headstrong Markovian
03:34 Princess Tara. Not only is there an accent, but there's layers to the young meta-human's
03:40 personality that are brought out by small vocal nuances. Although Strong's smaller roles as an
03:45 Atlantean and EMT were great, her funniest cameo came in the Nightmare Monkeys episode.
03:51 During a Teen Titans Go-inspired scene, Strong's negative woman sounds a lot like a young,
03:57 magical DC heroine Strong typically plays. It's fantastic that Young Justice let her
04:02 pioneer new characters and pay homage to her career.
04:08 #16. Mary Jane Watson, Ultimate Spider-Man
04:12 Upon jumping across dimensions and landing in the Spider-Verse,
04:15 fans can hear a familiar voice as MJ. During the Ultimate Spider-Man series,
04:20 the role of Peter Parker's enduring love interest and partner was played by Strong.
04:24 "Here's my first front page story."
04:26 What made her time on the show stand out from other MJ portrayals is that she played
04:31 different versions of the character. Fans were treated to a noir MJ version who talked like a
04:36 classic film star. "The spider will cut you down to size."
04:38 When MJ was bonded with Carnage, she sounded a lot more sinister than usual.
04:43 "Are you the ones angering my pets?"
04:46 Speaking of dark roles, Strong also appeared as the villain Thundra in one of the character's
04:52 few animated appearances. Whether she was good or bad, it was fun having this actress hang out
04:57 in the Spider-Verse. "The school is now under control of the...the..."
04:59 "The Frightful Four."
05:02 Number 15. Barbara Gordon - Batgirl - Various DC Projects
05:07 Whenever an animated version of Batgirl pops up in Gotham, there's a chance Strong might be
05:11 involved. She first played the smart and driven heroine in the excellent New Batman Adventures.
05:16 "There's justice for you. Well, now that he's rich, maybe he'll give up crime."
05:21 After starring in truly great stories, Strong kept playing different iterations of the character in
05:26 what felt like every medium. The voice actress has voiced Barbara in a web series, video games,
05:32 and movies. Strong has the range to play a young and inexperienced Barbara,
05:36 like she did in projects like Beware the Batman. "My dad's gonna figure out where I am."
05:41 But when the stories get as dark as Batman Beyond Return of the Joker,
05:44 the actress sounds more grounded. Strong always seems ready to play Batgirl at any stage of her
05:49 career. "How could you help Joker do it, Harley?" "Okay, so he roughed the kid up a little,
05:55 but I'll make it right." "Yeah, you're mother of the stinking year."
05:59 Number 14. Terrence - Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
06:04 Although Strong is great at playing upbeat and positive characters, viewers of Foster's Home
06:09 for Imaginary Friends heard an entirely different side of her vocal range. Strong played Terrence,
06:14 the nasty teenage brother of protagonist Mac. "Tough, strong, and really big, so he can smash
06:22 those guys." This antagonist was often an absolute nightmare to his younger sibling,
06:27 and the other main characters. To make Terrence sound distinct, he got a deeper and more gravelly
06:33 voice that Strong nails perfectly. Every cruel insult and groan comes off as completely realistic.
06:39 It's such a good role that we almost feel bad for Terrence whenever he got his comeuppance.
06:44 Emphasis on the word "almost." "What are you doing?" "Don't you remember? He is the enemy."
06:50 "But who give red flowers?" "Give me those stupid fists,
06:55 and you'll be due the flowers." "Kill this boy, man, man, crush!"
06:59 Number 13. Riku - Various Games When Final Fantasy X decided to take the series to a new level and
07:06 add voice acting, Strong was brought on to play Riku. This energetic character is known for her
07:11 upbeat persona and constant optimism. Soon after the sunny Riku was introduced, she quickly became
07:16 a favorite among fans. "You beat me up, remember?" Strong also received professional praise for the
07:22 role when she received an award for outstanding character performance for her work in Final
07:26 Fantasy X-2. After achieving this honor, Strong returned to play Riku in video games like Kingdom
07:32 Hearts 2. No matter if she returns to the role in upcoming years, she can always say she played
07:37 Riku at a pivotal time in the Final Fantasy franchise. "Glad that's all over." Number 12.
07:43 Hello Kitty - Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater Strong got her career off to a strong and
07:48 impressive start at the age of 13 when she played one world-famous feline. The ridiculously adorable
07:54 show revolves around Hello Kitty putting her own spin on classic fairy tales and stories
07:59 by inserting herself into the narratives as various characters. "Hello Kitty's Furry Tale
08:03 Theater is proud to present... the Wizard of Paws." This gave Strong the opportunity to play
08:10 several roles in an episode while still sounding like Hello Kitty. Even though this role was early
08:16 in her career, she plays the title character as though she were a voice acting veteran. Although
08:21 the show didn't last for too long, what Strong accomplished in this role proved she was destined
08:26 for greatness. "Home, furry home." Number 11. Toot Bronstein and Princess Clara - The Drawn
08:32 Together Franchise Toot and Clara are pretty much what you would expect in a series about
08:37 characters from all forms of fictional media living in a shared house while getting into all
08:42 kinds of wacky and depraved adventures. Toot is what happens when you take Betty Boop,
08:47 add a drop of insanity, and make her an unabashed nymphomaniac. "Well can your stupid girlfriend
08:52 do this?" Whereas Clara, despite having the appearance and singing voice of a Disney princess,
08:59 is actually a religious nutjob who hates everything that doesn't match her traditional
09:04 values. Needless to say, Ms. Strong slays it as both. It can't have been easy to switch between
09:10 two crazy cartoons on the fly, but she pulled it off effortlessly. "Must be so frustrating that
09:15 you're not as buoyant as regular people." "And going." "Heck, two separate water fountains
09:21 just means shorter lines for everybody." Number 10. Ingrid Third - Fillmore Fillmore was a clever
09:27 children's show that followed a middle school safety patrol while referencing and occasionally
09:31 spoofing mature detective stories. One of the co-leads of this three-dimensional kids program
09:36 was Strong's Ingrid Third. During every mission for the safety patrol, she demonstrated her smarts
09:41 and grounded nature. "You were the one that caught him, weren't you? Well he should be thrilled to
09:45 see you again." Strong kept Ingrid from being just a one-note genius by layering her voice with
09:50 compassion and a touch of sadness. Unfortunately, the show's short run didn't give the actress a
09:55 ton of time to portray the character. Decades after it ended, Ingrid is still remembered fondly
10:00 as both a fantastic safety patrol officer and memorable protagonist. "Yeah, photographic memory.
10:06 This school, you got kids with slingshots, baseball card sharks, test paper peddlers,
10:12 but you don't have any rebels." Number 9. Dylan Dill Pickles - The Rugrats Franchise
10:18 Since audiences were so used to the Rugrats consisting of four main babies, it was a big
10:23 change when Tommy's little brother Dylan Dill Pickles was introduced during the Rugrats movie.
10:27 Strong initially played the new character as just bratty and a bit obnoxious.
10:31 However, she ensured we also saw the sweet and fun side of Dill too.
10:36 After playing the character with a very limited vocabulary, she got to give him a deeper voice
10:56 when he aged up in All Growed Up. Strong also kept fans entertained by fully leaning in to
11:02 how weird the older Dill had become. While it's unknown if she'll ever return to the role,
11:06 she'd definitely be welcomed back into the Rugrats family.
11:09 Number 8. Melody - The Little Mermaid 2 - Return to the Sea
11:16 In the second The Little Mermaid film, audiences were introduced to Ariel's daughter Melody.
11:21 Strong played this new character as someone who was every bit as headstrong and curious as her
11:25 mother was when she was younger. In a clever reversal of the first film, Melody makes a deal
11:36 with Morgana the Sea Witch to become a mermaid, without knowing the potential consequences.
11:41 While this movie wasn't exactly beloved by fans, Strong once again crushed the role.
11:46 Both her singing voice and vocal performance were widely praised. Despite plot shortcomings,
11:52 Strong showed Melody could be a worthy successor to Ariel.
11:55 Number 7. Ben Tennyson - The Ben 10 Franchise
12:01 Over the course of the Ben 10 franchise, Strong has voiced almost too many characters to count.
12:06 But none are more important than the lead character Ben Tennyson. While the young hero
12:11 started off as cocky and brash, he slowly matured into a more capable and responsible fighter.
12:17 Ben was also so energetic that he was always fun to watch. Although the title role was recast,
12:25 when the character was aged up in various follow-ups, it wasn't the end of Strong's journey.
12:29 She was brought back to lead the reboot series from 2016 to 2021. At this rate,
12:35 we feel positive that Strong will put on the Omnitrix again sometime in the future.
12:39 "When you've been in a game as long as I have."
12:41 Number 6. Miss Minutes - Loki
12:44 While the God of Mischief solo series wasn't animated, it still managed to house one of
12:49 Tara Strong's finest voice performances. She played the super intelligent AI known as Miss Minutes.
12:55 It was hilarious to hear Strong deliver heavy and dark concepts about time and reality with
13:01 a cheery southern voice. And when it came time for her to really get dark, audiences wondered how an
13:07 animated clock could look so scary. Thanks to Strong, Miss Minutes became a favorite MCU character
13:13 overnight. There's no telling when or where this clock-themed character might pop up next to make
13:18 another great impression. "You again." "Welcome to the Citadel at the end of time." "Come on."
13:29 "Congratulations. Y'all had an awfully long journey to get here. He's impressed." "Who's impressed?"
13:38 "He who remains." Number 5. Twilight Sparkle - My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic
13:45 Originally, producers believed that Strong would play the bubbly Pinkie Pie in the My Little Pony
13:50 Friendship is Magic show. However, the actress really impressed the production team when she
13:54 read for Twilight Sparkle. The intelligent and naturally gifted character began her journey
13:59 by valuing gaining knowledge more than forging personal relationships. "I felt it the very moment
14:05 I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited
14:12 inside me when I realized that you all are my friends." But her adventures in Alliance taught
14:19 her to appreciate friendship more. Once again, Strong brings a lot of fun and nuance to one of
14:24 the franchise's main characters. Not only did she voice the character between 2010 and 2019
14:30 consistently, she's also reprised the role in multiple films. The character Strong wasn't
14:35 originally intended to be has ironically become one of her most iconic roles. "A little while ago,
14:41 my teacher and mentor Princess Celestia sent me to live in Ponyville. She sent me to study
14:47 friendship, which is something I didn't really care much about. But now, on a day like today,
14:54 I can honestly say I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the friendships I've made with
14:59 all of you." Number 4. Dr. Harleen Quinzel - Harley Quinn - Various DC Projects
15:05 There are a multitude of great takes on the famous anti-hero/psychologist out in the world.
15:11 However, there's something special about Strong's take on Harley that we can't get enough of.
15:15 The main positive of her equally manic, emotional, and darkly humorous performance
15:20 is that it sounds identical to a pioneer. "You're supposed to be dead! Well, there's
15:28 no way you're getting to Mr. J. We're safe and sound up here. You can just stay down there and
15:34 burn!" Actress Arlene Sorkin set the bar when she became the first person to bring Harley to life
15:40 with a Brooklyn accent that came with very distinctive vocal patterns. Strong captures
15:45 those vocal nuances so well that fans may not have even noticed when she stepped in for Sorkin as
15:50 Harley in between the first two Arkham games. This swap was the start of Strong's long and
15:55 prosperous career as the beloved Harley Quinn. "But I do got a PhD!" Number 3. Bubbles - The
16:03 Powerpuff Girls - Harley Quinn - The Powerpuff Girls were notably created from sugar, spice,
16:08 everything nice, and a little chemical X. Strong definitely represents the sugar aspect of the
16:14 trio by playing Bubbles. This light-hearted, sprightly, and high-pitched superhero constantly
16:19 made us smile. "You haven't even tasted it yet!" She instantly lit up a room and reminded her
16:25 siblings to embrace joy and laughter. And if anyone dared to threaten her siblings,
16:30 Bubbles would use her considerable powers to keep villains in check. "No, Smart-Son!"
16:35 After the original series ended, Strong returned for a 10-year special in 2014.
16:40 Her long involvement with the character made fans angry when the role was recast in 2016.
16:45 There are members of the audience who will always see Strong as the one and only person
16:51 who can voice Bubbles. Number 2. Raven - Various DC Projects - Raven is a troubled,
16:57 magical teen whose abilities are strongly tied to her emotions. In order to keep her powers
17:03 under control, she tries to heavily control every interaction. Strong reflects this struggle by
17:09 keeping her voice relatively monotone and devoid of energy. While that could come off as flat,
17:14 the actress keeps the heroine interesting. Strong injects life and emotion into Raven's
17:19 tones at crucial moments with incredible subtlety. "It's a portal into my mind, not a toy!"
17:25 Her outstanding performance made the character someone deserving of sympathy and absolute
17:31 respect. And, to make matters more impressive, the actress was also able to show off the
17:36 character's comedic side. It's no question why Strong has voiced Raven almost non-stop
17:41 in pretty much every animated medium for two decades and counting. "Don't want to talk about
17:46 it." Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
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18:01 Number 1. Timmy Turner - The Fairly Oddparents
18:06 One of Tara Strong's longest-running roles saw her playing one of Nickelodeon's most popular
18:11 characters of all time. Timmy Turner's sad life turned around when he was given Fairy Godparents.
18:17 After the magical encounter, the hyperactive and sometimes selfish boy has to learn how to
18:22 be careful what he wishes for. "Now if I can just find that Hall of Fame again. Geronimo!"
18:27 Strong always managed to portray Timmy's wide range of emotions and characteristics
18:33 while using a lower register of her voice. By the end of ten seasons and a few iconic crossovers,
18:39 she had taken the character to fantastic places. Fans will always want to see more of Strong in
18:45 this role. She made all of our wishes come true by voicing a character that will always be part
18:50 of Nickelodeon and animated history. "There's no way he can remember that I have Fairy Godparents!"
18:55 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
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19:03 [Music]