If you grew up in the early 90s, you probably remember a show that felt way too intense for Saturday morning cartoons. It had this thick, oily substance called Dark Water devouring a world, a prince with a broken sword, and a bird-monkey who was obsessed with eating watermelons. It was weird. It was beautiful. Honestly, the Pirates of Dark Water cast is the biggest reason that show still feels like a fever dream today.
Most cartoons back then were basically just toy commercials. Transformers, He-Man, you name it. But The Pirates of Dark Water felt like high fantasy. It felt like something that should have been a live-action HBO epic before those even existed. When you look back at the people they got to voice these characters, it makes total sense why the show had such a gritty, grounded soul despite the floating islands and giant sea monsters.
The Voices Behind the Thirteen Treasures
Hanna-Barbera didn't just grab random session actors for this. They went for weight. They went for theater kids and character actors who knew how to sell high-stakes drama.
Take George Newbern, who played Ren. You might know him as the voice of Superman from the Justice League animated series or maybe as Bryan MacKenzie in Father of the Bride. He brought this weirdly sincere, noble quality to Ren. Most "chosen one" protagonists are annoying. They’re whiny. Newbern’s Ren felt like he was actually carrying the weight of a dying world on his shoulders. He was the anchor.
Then there’s Ioz. Oh, man, Ioz.
Originally, the legendary Hector Elizondo voiced Ioz. Think about that. You have a Golden Globe winner and a mainstay of Garry Marshall films voicing a greedy, treasure-hungry pirate in a cartoon about black goo. Elizondo gave Ioz a cynical, gravelly edge that made you wonder if he’d betray the group at any second. Later on, Frank Welker took over the role. Welker is the "God of Voice Acting"—the guy who voiced Megatron, Scooby-Doo, and basically every animal sound you’ve ever heard. While Elizondo gave Ioz sophistication, Welker gave him a rugged, brawling energy.
Tula and the Power of Jodi Benson
If the name Jodi Benson sounds familiar, it’s because she is Disney royalty. She’s Ariel. She’s the Little Mermaid.
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Putting Benson in the Pirates of Dark Water cast was a stroke of genius. Tula wasn’t a "damsel." She was an Ecomancer. She could control elements and had a mysterious, somewhat shady background. Benson used a lower register than her Disney work, giving Tula a sense of capability and intelligence. She wasn't just "the girl" on the ship; she was often the only one who actually knew what was going on.
The Comedy Gold: Niddler
Niddler is the character everyone remembers. He’s a monkey-bird. He’s cowardly. He wants melons.
Frank Welker (yes, again) and later Rodger Bumpass provided the voice for Niddler. If you don't recognize the name Rodger Bumpass, you definitely know his most famous role: Squidward Tentacles. Bumpass brought that same "I'm surrounded by idiots and I'm miserable" energy to Niddler, but with a layer of frantic anxiety that made him the perfect foil to the overly serious Ren.
The Villains: Why Bloth Was Terrifying
A hero is only as good as their villain, and Bloth was nightmare fuel. He was this massive, bloated pirate king who lived on a ship made of bones called the Maelstrom.
The late Brock Peters voiced Bloth. Peters was a powerhouse. He was the man who played Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird. He was Admiral Cartwright in Star Trek. When he spoke, the ground shook. He didn't do a "cartoon villain" voice. He didn't cackle or twirl a mustache. He spoke with a deep, rumbling authority that made you realize he could actually kill the protagonists. It gave the show a sense of real danger that was missing from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Power Rangers.
A Production That Was Cursed Like the Show
The production of The Pirates of Dark Water was almost as messy as the world of Mer itself. It was insanely expensive. The animation was being handled by Fil-Cartoons in the Philippines, and the level of detail was unheard of for 1991.
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The voice cast often had to deal with shifting scripts and a plot that was becoming increasingly complex. David Kirschner, the creator (who also gave us Chucky from Child's Play, funnily enough), wanted a multi-season epic. But the costs were ballooning.
You can hear the shift in the show’s tone through the performances. The first five episodes, originally aired as a miniseries called Dark Water, have a different "vibe" than the later episodes. The cast had to bridge that gap. They had to keep the characters consistent even when the animation quality dipped or the writing got a bit frantic.
- The show used 2D hand-drawn cells that required massive budgets.
- Voice actors often recorded together in the same room to build chemistry, which was becoming rare at the time.
- The "Thirteen Treasures" plot was never actually finished because the show was canceled.
It's one of the great tragedies of animation. We only got eight of the thirteen treasures. We never saw the Dark Water defeated. We never saw Ren fully restore Octopon. We’re just left with the echoes of these incredible performances.
Why the Voice Acting Matters for E-E-A-T
When we talk about "Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness" in content, we’re usually talking about Google algorithms. But in the world of 90s animation, it applies to the Pirates of Dark Water cast perfectly.
These weren't just "voice guys." These were actors who understood subtext. When Tim Curry (yes, Pennywise himself) showed up to voice Konk, a sniveling subordinate to Bloth, he didn't just phone it in. He brought a theatrical, slimy charisma to the role. That’s why the show has such a massive cult following three decades later. It feels "prestige."
The Supporting Players
Check out some of the other names that popped up in Mer:
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- Peter Cullen: The voice of Optimus Prime.
- Jim Cummings: Winnie the Pooh and Darkwing Duck.
- Dick Gautier: Best known as Hymie the Robot in Get Smart.
It was a "Who's Who" of the industry. They treated the world of Mer like it was Shakespeare. They talked about "The Twenty" and "The Blight" with total conviction. If the actors hadn't bought into the weirdness, the audience wouldn't have either.
The Legacy of a Broken Story
It’s frustrating. You watch these performances, you get invested in Ren’s journey and Tula’s secrets, and then... it just ends. The show was a victim of its own ambition.
However, the impact of the cast lived on. George Newbern became the definitive Superman for a generation. Jodi Benson continued to be the voice of a Disney era. Frank Welker is... well, Frank Welker.
The show also paved the way for more "serious" western animation. Without the risks taken by the Pirates of Dark Water team, would we have gotten Avatar: The Last Airbender? Probably not. It proved that kids would sit through a complex, serialized story with high-stakes voice acting.
What You Should Do Now
If you haven't seen the show in years, or if you only have vague memories of a monkey-bird, it's time for a rewatch. But don't just watch it for the monsters. Listen to it.
- Track down the original five-part miniseries. The voice direction there is some of the best in 90s television.
- Listen for the "re-casts." Try to spot the exact moment Frank Welker takes over as Ioz. It’s a fun game for any animation nerd.
- Check out the comic books. Since the show never finished, Marvel actually produced a short-lived comic series that tried to fill in some gaps.
- Support the quest for a reboot. Every few years, rumors surface about a revival. Given how many 90s properties are coming back, Mer deserves a proper ending.
The world of Mer is still out there, swallowed by the Dark Water, waiting for someone to find the rest of those treasures. Until then, we just have the voices of a stellar cast to remind us of what could have been.
Practical Next Steps
To truly appreciate the work of this cast, start by watching the "Saga City" or "Andorus" episodes. These episodes showcase the emotional range of the main trio—Ren, Ioz, and Tula—and highlight the chemistry that George Newbern, Hector Elizondo, and Jodi Benson built early on. If you're looking for the show today, it's often available on various streaming "throwback" services or through the Warner Bros. Archive Collection on DVD. Digging into the behind-the-scenes interviews with David Kirschner can also provide context on why specific actors were chosen to ground this bizarre, aquatic fantasy world.