Thanks for tuning in to this Bat-channel, Bat-fans! For Batman Day a little while back I decided I would celebrate the character, resulting in all 85 episodes of Batman: The Animated Series ranked by yours truly! This is something I have wanted to do for years and I decided to seize the day. Or night, rather.
BTAS is my favorite animated series ever. Loved it as a kid, loved it now, so I gave a little mini-review for each episode, explaining what I liked or didn’t like about it.
As with all rankings, it’s up to the ranker to decide what metrics and parameters to use. For my ranking, I opted for a balance of subjectivity and objectivity, personal taste and intrinsic qualities. It’s my opinion that that’s the best approach to art, since art is wonderfully neither completely subjective nor completely objective. It’s part of what makes art so fascinating!
So whether you like Batman or not, or enjoyed this show or not, or if you agree or disagree with my ranking, I hope you can enjoy this little celebration, nonetheless. Long live the Bat.
Note that I did adjust some of the rankings as they originally appeared on Twitter. I reserve the right to change my mind.
From worst to best (including Adventures of Batman & Robin but not including New Batman Adventures):
#85 – ep.71: The Terrible Trio
I really don’t like it. Much of this list is organized by how boring I think the episodes are and this one takes the cake. I get that these are twisted versions of Bruce and his use of cash, but their one-off gimmick already overstays its welcome. These are characters lifted from Batman’s extensive comics history, but the episode doesn’t do much for them, at all. They’re very two-dimensional and one-note.
#84 – ep.6: The Underdwellers
Another one-shot villain but one without much complexity. Underdwellers doesn’t show off what the series would be capable of. I always thought the theme of abusing kids here was a cheap trick to attempt to gather an emotional response, and in this episode, it’s a heavy theme handled clumsily without much care. To my mind, that’s worse than not including that theme at all. Bats beats gators, though. There’s that.
#83 – ep.19: Prophecy of Doom
No love for Nostromos. I think this one is pretty flat and this is as good a point as any to mention that the animation could really be hit and miss sometimes on this show. I still prefer this earlier animation before the animation was changed, but not all of it was that hot. Even as a kid, I felt that this villain was no match for the Batman! The Planetarium is neat, sure.
#82 – ep.53: Paging the Crime Doctor
BTAS wasn’t always about the costumed criminals and their gimmicks, or even about a man dressing up as a bat and beating people to a pulp in the streets. As I recall, it’s a quieter entry that builds the human world of Gotham, important but not exciting.
#81 – ep.77: The Lion and the Unicorn
As cool as it is to see Alfred get his own Alfie-centric episode, there’s a much better option down the road in Eternal Youth. This one was never much fun to me and Red Claw may be the series’ worst recurring villain. I don’t know why she appeared in so many episodes when she’s so uninteresting. Really feels like a filler villain, although it is nice to learn a little more about Mister Pennyworth’s background.
#80 – ep.13: I’ve Got Batman in My Basement
This is the one that I think most people remember as their “worst episode”. It’s not that bad although it is pretty juvenile. A big part of me just thinks that it’s cool Batman can be interpreted in so many ways, for adults or for kids. DC gets a bad rap for supposedly only doing the darkest possible stories for gritty grownups, but that’s just not true. Ask Lego Batman. Or this episode, which showed off the show’s range, for better or worse.
#79 – ep.4: The Last Laugh
The worst of the Joker episodes by a mile with really shoddy, overly ambitious, even occasionally nightmarish, animation and a very repetitive audio track that seems out of place with the rest of the series’ somber score. You can tell at a glance that this was the show still trying desperately to find its footing. At least it gave us Captain Clown. Rest in peace.
#78 – ep.7: P.O.V.
BTAS understood that Batman functions based on how others perceive him. I’m usually a fan of this narrative technique, and it was good to see more characterization with Gotham’s police force, plus there’s the bonus of seeing Batman through the eyes of others. But it is still fairly dull compared to what’s to come.
#77 – ep.17: See No Evil
Downright creepy, it handles the “kid in danger, feel emotion” gimmick better than Underdwellers and the villain is someone who hints at the kind of messed up but tragic baddies that would make this series shine. It’s just not there yet.
#76 – ep.67: A Bullet for Bullock
BTAS’s dirty cop gets his own episode, which highlights Batman’s occasionally tenuous relationship with law enforcement beyond Commissioner Gordon, not to mention Bullock’s tenuous relationship with the law. It’s an ok episode.
#75 – ep.31: The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy
Harkening back to a bygone era of booby trap villains in the comics, the foe here seems like a discount Riddler, but there is a monumentally great “GOTCHA!” moment in this one that demonstrates how this version of Batman is as smart and prepared as his comics counterpart. To my mind, you kind of watch it just for that moment.
#74 – ep.13: It’s Never Too Late
Proof that the show could become a heavy drama whenever it wanted to, with nearly any of its characters. The focus isn’t on Batman and the message it conveys is for the common person, not the superhero. It’s Superman’s belief in good in a Batman setting, and I typically find it quite touching. Gotham is a complex place thanks to this episode that dwells on drugs, addiction, loyalty, family, crime, and redemption.
#73 – ep.50: Off Balance
There’s a good misdirect in this episode. It has the privilege of introducing not just Talia, but her father and one of Batman’s greatest villains, Ra’s Al Ghul. I can’t rank it much higher, despite the payoff of the ending, although the vertigo effects are cool. It is at best foundational.
#72 – ep.2: Christmas with the Joker
Not great but not bad, actually enjoyable and endearing, even though the animation team and actors were still settling into the series. It’s a classic Joker story and there are some very memorable scenes. The It’s A Wonderful Life joke is questionable and I’m almost never comfortable with Batman laughing in the batsuit or Bruce using the Bat-voice when there’s no need to.
#71 – ep.66: Sideshow
While it can seem like a throwaway episode at first, we get to see Batman do some serious hunting and woodcraft tracking down Killer Croc. Further, the episode concludes on the notion of the irredeemable villain, nature vs nurture, which ends up being a big overarching theme throughout the series, this idea that some of the series’ villains are villains because they’re just bad people.
#70/69 – ep16/15 The Cat and the Claw: Part 2/1
I already mentioned that Red Claw was never too interesting to me, but this episode brings in Catwoman, who also never becomes too interesting in this series, seemingly even to Bruce. Well, at least she doesn’t have literally 9 lives like in the Burton movies. Would’ve been great if BTAS had explored their relationship more and developed it across the course of several episodes. This is a decent introduction but a character as significant as Catwoman deserved more.
#68 – ep.43: Moon of the Wolf
Not the strongest one-shot but one that I did find somewhat disturbing as a kid. Watching it again now, I don’t think it’s all that special. It’s Batman meets the Werewolf, which makes for some action, but it’s those intense memories of the show as a kid which I think are important and not to be ignored: they ought to inform some sense of how this show, aimed at kids, affected kids.
#67 – ep.23: Vendetta
If there’s a running theme in BTAS, it’s that not a lot of people like Detective Harvey Bullock. That includes Killer Croc, who is introduced in this episode. I’m on the fence as to BTAS’s design for Croc.
#66 – ep.44: Day of the Samurai
More on Bruce’s training leading up to donning the mantle of the Bat. Kyodai returns, although this one seems centered around a cheesy gimmick more so than the Ninja episode. Hard to beat a volcano fight scene, though. I was also educated on the samurai-slap.
#65 – ep.65: The Worry Men
The Mad Hatter is one of my favorite villains in Batman’s rogues gallery but this is the weakest of his three episodes in this series. He’s reduced to a simple criminal just trying to make a buck, rather than a basis for questioning the existence and nature love and free will. It’s a shame to see what could’ve been a fascinating villain so reduced. Highs and lows.
#64 – ep.42: Tyger Tyger
Quoting poetry is not a personality. Catwoman episodes seem to suffer most of the time for their lame villains and this one is just ok, though it is one of the more poignant Catwoman episodes. At least it attempts to be. Its weirder elements help it to be more memorable.
#63 – ep.59: Blind as a Bat
Penguin episodes have to go the extra mile to nerf Batman so Penguin is an actual threat, especially physically, so in this one, Bats goes blind. In the end, though, it just proves how much of a boss Batman is. The best version of Daredevil right here.
#62 – ep.1: On Leather Wings
The first episode! It can be rougher around the edges, and surprisingly more adult than a lot of the episodes, but it has some showstopping moments: like the animation of Batman and Man-Bat swooping and diving around the blimp. There are some odd tonal and performance choices on display, but hey, it’s the first episode. It does outrank about 20 others!
#61 – ep.8: The Forgotten
Less about Batman, more about the man behind the mask, it emphasizes the power of Bruce’s trauma. One great thing about BTAS is the show was willing to put aside the adventures with costumed freaks for opportunities to explore the psychology of Bruce Wayne and Batman. It puts a finger on some of his less frequently represented traits: his masterful disguises and his own sense of his inability to make a difference. Not everything can be solved by punching it in the face, such as homelessness, poverty, or forced labor.
#60 – ep.63: Fire from Olympus
Sure, the series could be heavyhanded and dramatic and resonate with adults but sometimes you just want to see Batman flying kick a fruit cake, and Gotham has some real fruit cakes. This one features a villain who thinks he’s literally Zeus up on Mount Olympus. There are several highlights here but the peak is tying the Bat-verse to Greek mythology and realizing how well that works. It reminds us that superheroes are our modern myths.
#59 – ep.54: Zatanna
BTAS seamlessly introduced Zatanna and also gave us additional insight into Bruce’s past. I appreciate that this series spent so much time exploring his past as well as his present. I could wish that Zatanna had been a recurring character.
#58 – ep.45: Terror in the Sky
The sequel to On Leather Wings has a decent plot twist that caught me off guard when I first saw it, plus detective Batman is best Batman. They don’t call him the World’s Greatest Detective for nothing and that’s partly what makes the BTAS Batman one of the most well-rounded depictions of the classic character. A cautionary tale for scientists and a good conclusion to the Man-Bat mutagen plot.
#57 – ep.69: Avatar
A weaker Ra’s Al Ghul episode is still a good episode, and it’s refreshing to see Bruce taken out of his element, exchanging Gotham’s dark streets for ancient relics and tombs. The final scenes seem extremely comic booky. Does it have the worst title card? I think so. Incredibly messy and busy and low-res computer generated. A sore thumb when the others are typically so classy!
#56 – ep.82: Lock-Up
The best villains are Batman’s antitheses or a warning about what he could become very easily. Lock-Up presents this concept front and center. The supervillain cameos are great and the idea that they’re afraid of Bolton is also great, even if he himself isn’t that compelling of a character. What I like about this episode is it hints at a larger supervillain culture without and within Arkham itself.
#55 – ep.64: Read My Lips
Ventriloquist and Scarface represent one of BTAS’s darker, more tragic examples of mental illness among the Bat’s villains. One theme of the series was adapting villains in this vein and tone, grounding them and making them more serious. Empathetic villains would become what BTAS was known for. The same actor voices Wesker and Scarface, which is gold. Good music too.
#54 – ep.78: Showdown
A surprising Jonah Hex episode and a refreshing departure from Gotham for an episode, but the real highlight is showing off Ra’s longevity and his impact on history. I also appreciate the temporary truce at the end of the episode, which really sets the relationship between the Head of the Demon and Batman’s apart from his relationships with other villains. BTAS wasn’t just a street-level show and this is a decent reminder.
#53 – ep.55: The Mechanic
Good Penguin episode and I think one where they figured out a way to realistically give Cobblepot the upper hand. Seeing the previous Batmobile is a nice little nod to comics history and getting more Batmobile lore in was also cool. This is the coolest car ever, after all. Finally, it fleshes out more of Batman’s world. What? You didn’t seriously think that Alfred or Batman built and tuned up all those vehicles themselves, did you?
#52 – ep.25: The Clock King
It is simply incredible how adept BTAS was at adapting Batman’s sillier villains for a more grounded and cerebral world. Temple Fugate isn’t the most convincing villain and he’s no Victor Freeze, but this is a great entry that feels truly… timeless. Fugate’s shrill, whining, wound-up, inconvenienced self is actually fairly relatable, which lends some weight to his trivial revenge plot against Gotham’s Mayor Hill.
#51 – ep.35: Night of the Ninja
I was never a huge fan of this episode but to my mind, it’s an important one for understanding Bruce Wayne beyond the Batman. Providing Bats with a rival who is just as skilled in martial arts was brilliant. Hashtag Batman is a ninja. I would’ve loved to see more episodes exploring Bruce’s past mentors and rivals. Very few adaptations are willing to do that, it seems.
#50 – ep.36: Cat Scratch Fever
Almost the best Catwoman episode with some great scenes with Bruce and Selina interacting. Yeah, I’m in the Bat-Cat fan ship, I guess. This one justifies that, somewhat, plus there’s no costumed supervillain here to steal the show from the Cat. In that sense, it is the most distilled Catwoman episode, but can this version bear that burden?
#49/48 – ep.58/57 – Shadow of the Bat: Part 2/1
Not wholly remarkable but it does introduce Batgirl and creates new, complex dynamics with Commissioner Gordon. I’ve never been a big Batgirl fan and I think Barbara is better as Oracle, but this has heavier moments and it could’ve been worse. A LOT worse. Remember the 1960s Batman tv show jumping the shark? Right.
#47 – ep.73: Time Out of Joint
Fugate returns for a more memorable episode, thanks to the time-based superpowers he’s now gained due to a scientist’s temporal gadget. Sure, it’s the tired old revenge motif yet again but this is “some days you just can’t rid of a bomb” on steroids. Ante upped. As a kid, this was one of my favorites.
#46 – ep.81: Harley’s Holiday
One of BTAS’s biggest contributions to comics was the creation of Harley Quinn. Now it seems like she’s in everything. Back in ’94, she had a few episodes centered on her. This one is the sillier choice but endearing nonetheless. Paul Dini, tho.
#45 – ep.85: Batgirl Returns
A surprisingly great BTAS episode without Batman! It’s more about the Bat-family this time around, plus Catwoman. The Catwoman/Batgirl team-up is one I’d have liked to see again, maybe versus Harley/Ivy?
#44 – ep.74: Catwalk
Finally, Catwoman is written to outshine the other supervillain present in this one, and to my mind, this is the strongest of BTAS’s Catwoman-centric episodes. A great portrayal of her willingness to blur the lines into gray, here paying the price with loneliness and isolation. This makes her an interesting character, a conflicted one.
#43 – ep.56: Harley and Ivy
Who would have thought that pairing Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy could work so well? Their friendship has been a continued theme across other interpretations since this episode. Significantly, this was the first to begin to develop Harley as not needing Joker, growing and maturing beyond him and their abusive relationship, which only recently made its way into feature film territory with Birds of Prey.
#42 – ep.37: The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne
Doctor Huge Strange makes an appearance in an episode that proves just how watertight Bruce’s alibi is. The real payoff is at the end but it’s an episode fully centered on Batman’s secret identity and it potentially leaking. This is Batman’s biggest secret being put under a microscope in a single episode, plus there are some great cameos.
#41 – ep.51: The Man Who Killed Batman
Sid the Squid and Rupert Thorne fill out an episode about Gotham’s mob. It’s not always about the supervillains! The episode shows off Batman’s manipulative intellect, but it’s the premise, and the poignant(?) Joker burial scene, that’s pure joy. This isn’t even an episode really about Batman, but you get to see what a lot of the big players think of him in his absence.
#40 – ep.5: Pretty Poison
This is the villainous debut of Poison Ivy and it’s a real doozy of an episode. BTAS portrays her as seductive and absolutely cruel and inhumane, plus her initial relationship with Bruce’s friend, one Harvey Dent, ties the world together. This is a definitive portrayal of the character and leagues ahead of Thurman’s Ivy.
#39 – ep.52: Mudslide
Friendly reminder that Ron Perlman was a dead-on cast for the shapeshifting actor-turned-monster, Clayface. Yet another example of BTAS adapting a villain well and an example of the show’s great vocal talents. This is straight-up horror. Also kind of depressing.
#38 – ep.3: Nothing to Fear
Very far from the best version of the Scarecrow (that would wait until TNBA) and it’s an earlier, rougher episode, but one that set the tone for the impact of Bruce’s childhood trauma and loss by revealing his deepest fears. Plus, the Scarecrow music is tops!
#37 – ep.47: Birds of a Feather
This is a great Penguin episode that’s less about trading punches and more about the role of upper society in Gotham. The Penguin in BTAS is voiced by Paul Williams, who brings a velvety respectability to the character lifting his deformities from Batman Returns. Fun fact: Paul Williams wrote Kermit the Frog’s theme song, Rainbow Connection. This performance and the episode’s writing makes Pengers more than a mere gimmicky freak. Dang it, BTAS why you gotta make me sympathize with the villain? “But, doctor… I am Pengliacci!” …Ok, that didn’t work.
#36 – ep.62: His Silicon Soul
A follow-up to the HARDAC saga, His Silicon Soul has a lot of weight and knows when to throw it around, what with its courage to get philosophical and muse on the nature of the soul, as well as questioning Batman’s goals. The animation here is great, too, and the ending is haunting. BTAS was a master at leaving you thinking.
#35 – ep.48: What Is Reality?
Not the best Riddler episode but one that captured my imagination as a child. Extremely memorable and perfectly cast with John Glover voicing Edward Nygma. His buttery smooth voice was a bull’s eye for all that taunting, riddling arrogance, and a step toward the more intellectual and away from the more maniacal laughter of Gorshin or Carrey.
#34 – ep.9: Be a Clown
This one has become more and more terrifying to me over time, especially now as a parent. Joker nearly had his own Robin. Kidnapping a boy could’ve gone really dark really fast but this episode dials some of that back while showcasing Hamill’s vocal talents. The rollercoaster fight scene is amazing and iconic.
#33 – ep.24: Fear of Victory
Scarecrow’s redesign isn’t quite there yet, but it’s better. Robin isn’t affected by the fear toxin the same way Batman was, and this has some incredible moments with some very precise attention to detail. It made Robin a character more than a sidekick by giving us insight into his mind and his world. The fight scene above the stadium is wonderfully choreographed, plotted, and executed with accompanying oohs and aahs from the ignorant crowd below.
#32 – ep.26: Appointment in Crime Alley
This is a very heavy episode that establishes a character vital to Bruce and his painful journey through life. It takes a somber look at the spot where Thomas and Martha Wayne were gunned down. Hard to believe it’s in a “kid’s show”! BTAS transcended the “Saturday morning cartoon” category.
#31 – ep.41: Joker’s Wild
It’s still far from the strongest Joker episode, but this one does build on the character by examining his extreme vanity and dedication to his image and reputation by being baited into a crime. BTAS did well in developing its characters, which is especially impressive given how long some of them had already been around in print and other adaptations. An episode like this gave the BTAS Joker his own identity.
#30- ep.76: Baby-Doll
It would be an easy episode to dismiss at a glance, but you’d be a fool to do so. Dini’s original character is a crystallization of BTAS’s best villains: tortured, mentally and physically scarred, and ultimately tragic. Bats can’t solve this one by punching a “bad guy” in the face. There’s a somber reflection here as the man dressed as a bat because of his childhood trauma stands against a woman dressed as a doll because she’s trapped in the trauma of childhood.
#29 – ep.40: If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
Questionable animation can’t derail the Riddler’s origin episode, what with its impressive labyrinth sequence and the sheer adventure of it all, and Glover at the center. The riddles themselves aren’t too shabby, even if the characters look a little wonky. Did you know they smuggled the word SEX into one of the backgrounds? C’mon, that’s cheap guffaw for a show like this.
#28 – ep.83: Make ‘Em Laugh
Remember the note I made about Joker’s vanity? This episode doubles down on that idea. It gave us one to top even Captain Clown: the Condiment King, that sultan of sauce. Also, is that a Roseanne Barr reference? This episode is nuts. While the premise is a little hokey, it’s very endearing.
#27 – ep.80: Second Chance
BTAS’s Two-Face is one of the series’ strongest characters, so well-crafted with enough time dedicated to his descent into madness that it’s occasionally hard to watch. Second Chance paces itself and eventually illustrates how deep that madness truly goes. It’s beyond all hope (question mark). Not what you might expect.
#26 – ep.84: Deep Freeze
The second outing of Mr. Freeze isn’t as powerful as Heart of Ice but it does have a knock-off Walt Disney madman and a chilling end to Victor’s arc, at least aside from the animated movies. Still, super sad. Put a smiley face on this thing, geez.
#25 – ep.29: Eternal Youth
It’s like the Poison Ivy episodes progressively dug deeper into body horror. A much better Alfred-centric entry in the series and he gets Maggie this time, too. Good for him? Anyway, Diane Pershing provides the perfect voice as Ivy, and the moment Batman realizes what’s up is haunting. Lots of visual darkness to enjoy.
#24 – ep.79: Riddler’s Reform
The best Riddler episode, if you ask me. Nygma nearly outsmarted everyone but in the end, he’s left tormented, screaming in his cell for the answers. The episode gives an otherwise gimmicky character some real motivation, menace, and insanity. Like so many episodes, it humanizes him and explores the way his twisted little mind works.
#23 – ep.75: Bane
The stuff of nightmares. Bane adapts the Knightfall mastermind as a nigh-unstoppable death machine, but it’s a shame he was just a hired mook here. The episode could’ve truly soared if it was a two-parter where they broke Batman’s back! Could you imagine? Perhaps a little too intense for a show in this category already, though.
#22/21 – ep.33/32: Robin’s Reckoning: Part 2/1
A two-parter always had the opportunity to go bigger than one episode could, and this Emmy-winning entry didn’t disappoint, diving headfirst into Grayson’s origins and his own journey of self-realization and overcoming rage and vengeance. Does Batman need a Robin?
#20 – ep.27: Mad as a Hatter
One of my fave villains and episodes, I love that Tetch does it all to himself. It’s not revenge. It’s not the crime of the century. He is just a man who wants too much, past all moral social inhibitions, and is willing to eradicate free will itself to get it. Roddy McDowall is perfectly whimsical here. What a cast!
#19 – ep.72: Harlequinade
A character study of an episode that delves into Harley’s perverted notion of “love” for a chronically abusive serial criminal. She is one of this show’s most successful creations for a reason. If you ask me, nobody voiced Harley quite like Arleen Sorkin. This is where it all began for a now popular and iconic character.
#18 – ep.68: Trial
Pure fanservice. More supervillains crammed together in one episode than ever before as Gotham’s worst put Batman on a mock trial. This episode really just shows off. It has fun playing around with everything BTAS built up to this point in regards to its culture of supervillains. Batman has the best rogues gallery in the world. Plus, this one examines a justification of Batman himself, a theodicy of the Dark Knight, if you will.
#17 – ep.18: Beware the Gray Ghost
Casting Adam West himself as the Gray Ghost was a stroke of genius, turning what could’ve been a simple throwaway episode or filler into one in which we get to see heroes from Bruce’s perspective. Also, Bruce Timm as the villain? It relies on some foreknowledge of who Batman is but it sets up its playing pieces well.
#16/15 – ep.39/38: Heart of Steel: Part 2/1
I’ve said a lot so far about the cast of BTAS, typically in regards to the many villains on display, but central to it all is Kevin Conroy as Bruce and Batman. He gives a great performance across the series, notably here. I would say Conroy’s is the definitive take on Batman. It’s now a cliche to say that his is the voice one hears in the comics, but it’s true! Heart of Steel is a dead serious treatment of a fairly typical sci-fi concept, tweaked perfectly for the tone of the series.
#14 – ep.70: House & Garden
If any episode will make you throw up… it’s probably this one. This is a horrific outing featuring Poison Ivy and her absolutely warped sense of priorities. I won’t spoil the shock value of the climax, but Pamela wants to have a normal life and it just cannot work. The ramifications of what she does and was trying to do are best left un-mused over. Best Ivy episode. By showing us what she wants, we’re shown just how inhuman she is.
#13/12 – ep.21/20 – Feat of Clay: Part 2/1
The climax of part 2 might just exhibit the finest animation in the whole series! Matt Hagen represents obsession and even drug addiction, a surprisingly adult theme for a show like this. This two-parter teases your sympathy and disgust. Shapeshifting villains are kind of a dime a dozen and Clayface himself would’ve been forgettable so far as the comics are concerned, except BTAS was willing to take the time to explore these mature themes and characters for a hideous, frightening, tragic tale.
#11 – ep.28: Dreams in Darkness
Uniquely narrated in a claustrophobic voice by Batman himself, Dreams in Darkness boasts impressive animation and an intense examination of Batman’s own fragile psychology. One of the series’ most cerebral and hallucinatory episodes, occasionally disturbing. Goes miles beyond a simple superhero’s adventure.
#10/9 – ep.61/60: The Demon’s Quest: Part 2/1
Proof that BTAS was willing to adapt a wide range of Batman lore, this episode places Ra’s Al Ghul center stage, a formidable foe voiced eloquently by David Warner. These two entries feature a lot of texture, misdirection, and intelligence. They’re more swashbuckling, globe-trotting adventure than what one may typically think of when one thinks of Batman, but that’s why they’re great, filling out his universe.
#8 – ep.12: Heart of Ice
It needs no introduction. Award-winning and an entry that put the show on the map for some folks I’ve met. It is as tragic as they say and moving, depending on your disposition. The best example of BTAS adapting a hokey villain and making them great. Pure poetry.
#7/6 – ep.11/10 – Two-Face: Part 2/1
In my view, even better, more extreme and intense than Heart of Ice, to the point of being hard to watch. BTAS takes its time portraying Dent’s descent and his madness makes repulsive sense. This is the strongest Two-Face outing in the show and it demonstrates the narrative force that BTAS could wield.
#5 – ep.30: Perchance to Dream
The episode that screams neverending crusade against crime. In it, Bruce Wayne would rather choose pain over an artificial peace. Maybe the closest Bruce ever strayed to true madness in the whole series. A sheer rollercoaster of hope and despair. The fact that this is an episode with a bottom-tier villain makes it all the more impressive. It doesn’t merely examine the psychology of Bruce Wayne, it dumps us shrieking headfirst into it with him, defenselessly.
#4 – ep.22: Joker’s Favor
The idea that the Joker would stalk a miserable little nobody for years as a hobby is of the best examples of Joker’s cruelty. Impressive that they couldn’t have Joker kill anyone or shoot Barbara through the spine but they could have him torment a family. And it’s still somehow not the best Joker episode? Wow.
#3. – ep.49: I Am the Night
As dead serious as they come. There is no adventure, just Batman’s struggle with the abyss, self-doubt, depression, Gordon’s health, and Bruce thinking of quitting. The image of the body lying shot on the cement is shocking and graphic. Here is proof that BTAS broke boundaries.
#2 – ep.34: The Laughing Fish
The ultimate Joker episode. It is perfectly balanced between whimsical hilarity and sheer horror, meted out by Hamill’s stellar vocal performance and some excellent animation. Here is a Joker who is as hilariously harmless as Romero and as sadistically cruel as Ledger. Violently scored, repulsively themed, tightly animated, freakishly disturbing, a hallmark story in the unending battle between the forces of chaos and order in Joker and Batman.
#1 – ep.46: Almost Got ‘Im
The best of Batman: The Animated Series is proudly on display here: the voice cast, Walker’s music, plotting, pacing, twists, nods to the source material, a legendary Dark Knight, the culmination of all of the themes I highlighted in this very article, making Gotham and its supervillain culture feel alive, with Batman at the center of it. Everything that made the series great, but too much to mention. Watch it! You might be disappointed but you probably won’t be.
Thanks for reading!
What are some of your favorite Batman: The Animated Series episodes?
Red formerly ran The Well-Red Mage and now serves The Pixels as founder, writer, editor, and podcaster. He has undertaken a seemingly endless crusade to talk about the games themselves in the midst of a culture obsessed with the latest controversy, scandal, and news cycle about harassment, toxicity, and negativity. Pick out his feathered cap on Twitter @thewellredmage, Mage Cast, or Story Mode.
