The animated series season, ranked

Batman: The Animated Series is one of the best animated shows of all time. The show ran for several years on Fox, airing 85 episodes before moving to The WB to air its final 24 episodes. While the Bruce Timm-produced show was on the air, they made DC's best animated film to date, Batman: Mask of the Phantasmreleased in 1993. After the success of the show and the previous film, Batman and Mr. Freeze: Below Zero was released in 1998, with Kevin Conroy reprising his role as Batman. The film is set between the end of the original series and the beginning of the new series titled The New Adventures of Batman broadcast on The WB.

Batman: The Animated Series holds up to this day with its top-notch animation for the time, gripping storylines, and iconic voice acting work from Conroy and Mark Hamill, who made a name for himself away from Star Wars. The show has adapted the comic book storylines while never shying away from introducing new concepts and characters. The biggest example of this is the show debuting a completely new and original character named Harley Quinn. Today, Harley Quinn is one of DC's most popular characters, played by Hollywood stars Margot Robbie and Lady Gaga in the new JokerSeizing the opportunity and demonstrating creativity, Timm produced a show that would have a huge influence on DC Comics as a whole.

4 Season 4 was awesome but had very few episodes

Batman: The Animated Series Season 4 was short-lived, as it only had five episodes, which aired in the same week. This is a strange change from the long seasons of previous years, as it seemed like they wanted to wrap up the show, with little concern for its exit. The show changed quite drastically from what fans were used to, and they were not happy with the changes. Many characters progressed into new versions of themselves, such as Dick Grayson who became Nightwing after growing tired of being Batman's protégé. He is replaced by Tim Drake, a young orphan who is trained by Bruce Wayne to become a skilled fighter and the new Robin. Additionally, Batman faces off against familiar faces such as The Penguin, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy. However, the classic villains take a backseat compared to previous seasons, with new threats such as Red Claw emerging.

Batman: The Animated Series
is an award-winning television show that won an Emmy and numerous Daytime Emmy Awards during its run.

There simply isn't enough content in Season 4 to be considered a Batman: The Animated Series best seasons. The episodes were solid but were further hampered by the odd choice to redesign the characters. This was the most controversial thing about the final season, as the entire style changed. Some say it was to realign the animation to something more akin to Superman: The Animated SeriesIn any case, the stylistic change was abrupt and took away the magic of Batman: The Animated Series past seasons.

3 One of Batman's most powerful enemies was introduced in season three

Batman: The Animated Series Season 3 is a solid addition to Timm's run with a shortened total of 10 episodes. This is down from Season 2's 16, which marked the beginning of the end for the animated series in terms of episode count. However, Season 3 opened strong with the introduction of Bane, who is hired by Rupert Thorne to kill Batman. Henry Silva gives a great performance as the famous Batman villain. Apparently, the show's producers were hesitant to use Bane because they thought the character was too “contrived.” However, the episode titled “Bane” turned out to be a classic, as the steroid-induced mercenary tried to kill the Dark Knight.

The voiceovers for
Batman: The Animated Series
were regularly recorded in group sessions, with the actors reciting their lines in the same room.

Some argue that trimming the season down to 10 episodes is a good thing. Just look at the countless miniseries and shortened seasons that TV shows make these days. It is very rare in 2024 to see TV shows that go over 20 episodes in a single season. The second entry of Season 3 is a solid episode that expands on Two-Face's story as he tries to get surgery to fix the damaged side of his face. Additionally, Harvey Dent tries to eliminate Two-Face's personality at the time. However, things go awry when Two-Face is kidnapped and his reform is put on the back burner. Season 3 got off to a great start, with two great episodes that were followed up by some solid but unmemorable episodes to round out Season 3.

2 Kevin Conroy's legacy further developed with the second season

The first season is by far the best, but the second season is a close second as it builds on the characters and storylines that were already established. The second season confirmed that Kevin Conroy's portrayal of Batman and Bruce Wayne was the gift that keeps on giving, with the actor shining in every episode along with some familiar voices, like Mark Hamill, reprising their roles in the next season. The only thing that disappoints the second season is that it doesn't have 65 episodes. With such a high amount of episodes, it's inevitable that there will be countless instant classics, whereas the second season only had 16. That amount of episodes would be more than reasonable for most animated shows, but after such a strong and long first season, it would be an impossible task to top it.

Fox renamed
Batman: The Animated Series
TO
The Adventures of Batman and Robin
and made sure Robin was in every episode.

There are some great episodes in season 2, such as “Trial,” which is among the most iconic episodes of the series. This villain-focused episode follows an Arkham trial over Batman's effect on Gotham's criminals, examining whether the Caped Crusader is guilty of inspiring people to become supervillains. The Gotham villains kidnap the district attorney and capture Batman to stage a mock trial that is very entertaining and thought-provoking as the episode analyzes Batman's actions. Some of the other episodes fade into the background of Batman: The Animated SeriesA huge catalog, which is not so bad considering that, in hindsight, many series seem to merge into one.

1 Batman: The first season of the animated series was a defining season for superhero television

It's hard to imagine what it was like to watch Batman: The Animated Series when it first aired. It had a 65 episode long season that ran for a couple of years. There was a lot of great content for viewers to indulge in, with some of the best episodes of the entire series debuting in the first season. The season one episode titled “Almost Got 'im” is considered a high-level episode that features Joker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and Penguin arguing over who came closest to killing Batman. It's more of a sit-down-get-to-know-the-villain type episode that shows viewers another side of some of Batman's greatest foes. The four villains sit around a poker table and tell intriguing stories about their best attempts to take down the Dark Knight.

The pilot episode has been repurposed as the iconic intro adored by generations of fans.

Kevin Conroy's Batman was a revelation, as fans quickly became sold on his stern, dark voice. His stint on Bruce Timm's show saw him called back to voice Batman many times over the years, but sadly, Conroy passed away before he could record Timm's voice. Batman: The Caped Crusader. The show presented Gotham as a dark and gloomy place, full of criminals, but no one is safe from Batman, who always looms in the shadows. The world of Batman: The Animated Series was inspired by Tim Burton Batmanwhich featured noir camerawork and an instantly striking Art Deco design. Season 1 introduced Hamill’s Joker, who gave one of the best voice acting performances of all time. Joker is a constant presence throughout the series as he teams up with his lover and accomplice, Harley Quinn, as they try to get to Batman in their own maniacal ways. Season 1 is incredible, but it has one major advantage: it ran for 65 episodes.