10 Batman: The Animated Series Characters Better Than The Live-Action Movies

Batman: The Animated Series has continued to remain the definitive version of Batman and his supporting cast for many DC fans, and for good reason when compared to live-action movies. It’s not secret that there are many things DCAU’s Batman does better than the movies, and the expanded list of characters that call Gotham City home are frequently done better in the iconic 90s cartoon. Whether it’s by a close call or an incredibly wide margin, the series has managed to present a more compelling draft of many Batman characters time and time again.

Of course, there are some notable disadvantages the many live-action Batman movies have in comparison to the TV show. The episodic nature of Batman: The Animated Series allowed for further in-depth exploration of many heroes and villains compared to the runtime of a feature film, which must struggle to juggle arcs for supplementary characters outside of Batman himself. The animation also can be a huge boon to depicting many of Batman’s more fantastical and unusual villains with mutated bodies or elaborate costumes. Still, it’s surprising just how inferior many film versions of Batman’s cast are compared to the venerated cartoon.

10
Killer Croc

The animated series’ Croc blows The Suicide Squad’s out of the water

Among Batman villains, Killer Croc has never been a particularly deep character. Though the comics explore the sense of tragedy bestowed upon a normal human born with a disease that makes them appear to be a hulking monster, the reptilian criminal was something of a one-dimensional brute in his first non-comics media appearance, not even the strongest villain of his archetype after losing badly to Bane. That being said, Batman: The Animated Series was still sure to give Croc some great moments, including his triumphant call to “Hit ‘im with a rock!” when discussing a punishment for Batman.

Somehow, 2016’s Suicide Squad managed to deliver a Killer Croc that was even shallower and more one-dimensional than the jobbing filler villain of the animated series. This Killer Croc barely gets any moments to shine, with the film clearly manufacturing a reason for him to go swimming in the third act just to give him something to do. Not only that, but the actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s makeup was awkward at best, giving Killer Croc odd proportions with an oversized head.

9
Mr. Freeze

Wound up being one of Arnold’s most bizarre roles ever

Batman: The Animated Series left its mark on DC with many key changes to the Batman mythos that would go on to become staples in subsequent media featuring The Dark Knight. One of these additions was the tragic backstory of Victor Fries, once a generic ice-themed villain given depth by the introduction of his wife, Nora, permanently preserved in cryostasis due to her rare disease. Batman: The Animated Series’ Mr. Freeze story developed the character to levels unheard of even by the comics.

Meanwhile, Batman & Robin enlisted the unsubtle efforts of Arnold Schwarzenegger to turn Mr. Freeze into something else entirely. Instead of a thoughtful scientist, Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze was a pun-spouting behemoth clad in over-designed chrome armor intent on bringing about a new Ice Age. Even more strangely, the sub-plot of Mr. Freeze’s comatose wife was incorporated into the film, the attempted dramatic stakes clashing with the bombastic, campy tone.

8
Scarecrow

The frightful villain’s fear gas went to greater lengths in the cartoon

Of all the characters to get a re-design in Batman: The Animated Series, Scarecrow was one of the luckiest, going from a goofy The Nightmare Before Christmas background extra to a genuinely chilling master of fear. Professor Jonathan Crane’s iconic fear gas created some of the most compelling Batman stories, concocting entire worlds rather than one-dimensional jumpscares. The New Batman Adventures, set within the same continuity, made Scarecrow even more terrifying, pushing his costume design and cold scientific curiosity to the borders of what a kid’s cartoon could get away with.

Scarecrow’s only live-action performance was in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, played by frequent Nolan collaborator Cilian Murphy. Murphy isn’t a bad Jonathan Crane by any means, displaying the same cold sociopathy displayed by Batman: The Animated Series‘ take on the fearmongering criminal, but he never gets a true chance to shine, overshadowed by Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul. More of a tool who is manipulated rather than a fearsome villain in his own right, Scarecrow’s Fear Gas is also lackluster in the film, conjuring basic “spooky” images of demonic faces and writhing bugs.

7
Two-Face

Only Batman: The Animated Series properly explored Dent’s split personality

Two-Face was one of Batman: The Animated Series‘ best villains, benefiting greatly from the show’s episodic format. Rather than simply appearing already in his alter ego at the beginning of a dangerous caper, Harvey Dent was slowly developed into Two-Face over the course of his first few appearances, giving audiences time to chew on his tragic transformation. The cartoon also did a great job at conveying Two-Face’s signature split personalities, making his erratic switches from one persona to the next a terrifying balancing act.

Two-Face has, fittingly enough, received two different live-action incarnations in Batman movies. Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face is an over-the-top buffoon in an absolute eyesore of a suit, eroding any potential for genuine intimidation, though he does have a strange moment of greatness in exemplifying Harvey’s fractured psyche just before dying. Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent is far more layered and complex, with a satisfying narrative, but he feels relatively shoehorned in to The Dark Knight, rushing his transformation to keep up with the film’s runtime.

6
Ra’s al Ghul

Failed in live-action for a multitude of reasons

One Batman’s most intelligent and wily opponents, Ra’s al Ghul felt like the menace he was meant to be in Batman: The Animated Series. His appearances frequently took up multi-episode arcs, demonstrating their gravity against the overall story of the series, while putting Batman in uncomfortable situations like a shirtless swordfight. Ghul’s desire to overturn the modern age of humanity also gave him a better reason to put Gotham in his crosshairs, other than testing Batman as his successor or trying to steal the Scroll of Osiris from the Gotham Museum.

Meanwhile, the motivations of Liam Neeson’s Ra’s al Ghul in Batman Begins didn’t make as much sense. Somehow, Gotham was apparently so much more corrupt and crime-ridden than any other city on Earth that the feared immortal warlord takes it upon himself to personally wipe it off the map. Neeson turns in a fine performance as Ghul, but casting the Irish actor as the Middle Eastern Ra’s al Ghul didn’t exactly do the character justice.

5
Poison Ivy

Outdoes her live-action counterpart via thoughtful growth

The superpowered eco-terrorist Poison Ivy has remained one of Batman’s most iconic villains, thanks in no small part to the influence of Batman: The Animated Series. While Ivy begins the series as a dangerous femme fatale, she goes from an easily-manipulated first-time criminal to a mastermind capable of impersonating multiple people at once with her life-like plant clones. Not only that, but her iconic crime spree alongside Harley Quinn set the stage for the duo’s eventual romance in HBO Max’s Harley Quinn.

Conversely, Poison Ivy’s sole live-action representation leaves much to be desired. In Batman & Robin, Poison Ivy inhabits the neon-nightmare world of Joel Schumaker’s Batman movies, going from an awkward, gawky scientist to a seductive villainess. Ivy’s inexplicable personality change, ultimate lack of agency in the overall story, disappointing costume and eye-watering wig keeps Batman & Robin far outside the realm of Uma Thurman’s best movie appearances.

4
Bane

Wasn’t done justice in either movie adaptation

Though Bane only makes a single appearance in Batman: The Animated Series, he leaves a big impression as one of Batman’s closest calls in the entire series. It would be easy to assume that a criminal as physically strong as Bane wouldn’t be particularly smart, but this isn’t the case in either DC Comics nor the cartoon, in which Bane is described as a devilishly clever and successful assassin. Among Batman’s entire rogue’s gallery, Bane comes the closest in the show to delivering a catastrophic injury, nearly re-creating the breaking of Batman’s back that he performed in the comics.

Despite giving audiences far more time with Bane, neither his appearance in The Dark Knight Rises nor Batman & Robin properly represent the Venom-powered grappler’s full potential. Batman & Robin, despite having a surprisingly great design for Bane’s costume, presents him as a mindless servant, merely following the orders of Poison Ivy without teasing any higher thinking. In The Dark Knight Rises, Tom Hardy’s Bane is so different that he may as well be another character entirely, casting the English actor as the typically latino-coded villain.

3
Harley Quinn

The original incarnation still reigns supreme

Since the 90s, many different incarnations of Harley Quinn have come and gone, but no subsequent performance has quite been able to re-capture Harley Quinn quite like her original appearance. Harley Quinn’s creation in Batman: The Animated Series is by far one of the most profound impacts the show has had on DC Comics as a whole, and for good reason. Harley’s peppy personality, hopelessly toxic relationship with the Joker, and trademark New York accent in Batman: The Animated Series is an incredibly tough act to follow.

Thus far, the only actress to make a pass at portraying Harley Quinn has been Margot Robbie, who played the acrobatic villainess in Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, and The Suicide Squad. Robbie’s version of Harley isn’t bad by any means — In fact, her performance was one of the few redeeming qualities of 2016’s Suicide Squad. Yet the precedent set by Harley Quinn’s original appearance is so high that following up Arleen Sorkin’s incredible voice work is a Sisyphean task, forever eclipsed by the version of the character that made her so popular in the first place.

2
Robin

Has shockingly never been done justice in a movie

Robin in Batman: The Animated Series went a long way to balancing out the show’s tone. Whereas too much time with Batman could get depressing, Robin is always able to inject some amount of levity into the dynamic duo’s adventures, although he knows when to be serious and how to hold his own when things got dangerous. In this sense, Dick Grayson represents one of Bruce Wayne’s biggest accomplishments. Robin goes on to develop into an iconic hero in his own right, and his guest appearance even results in one of the best episodes of Superman: The Animated Series.

In the movies, Robin hasn’t been so lucky. Batman & Robins Dick Grayson was entirely too focused on being cutting edge and cool in an incredibly 90s way, dating his appearance while overcompensating for the character’s perceived dorkiness to general audiences. Meanwhile, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Robin John Blake was simply a cop with Robin’s name, only ever teased to take up the mantle of a vigilante in Gotham. It’s shocking that the Boy Wonder has yet to have a worthy live-action movie appearance considering his ubiquity as Batman’s partner.

1
Batgirl

Is saddled with only a single sorry live-action performance

Batgirl offers a dynamic female superhero that helps balance out its masculine roster, presenting a more relatable, down-to-earth protagonist with Barbara Gordon. Barbara didn’t have a tragic backstory, expert training or wealthy parents, but her burning desire to do what was right still inspired her to put on the cape and cowl in the first place, in many ways making her a more compelling character than even Batman or Robin. It goes without saying that the episode featuring her fakeout death was one of the most gut-wrenching moments in the entire series.

Batgirl’s only appearance thus far in a live-action movie gets several things wrong. Changing Barbara to be Alfred’s niece rather than Commissioner Gordon’s isn’t the end of the world, but her abrasive personality that doesn’t extend beyond “strong female” and eyebrow-raising suit is less than flattering to Batgirl’s character. It’s a shame that Warner Brothers’ shelved Batgirl movie never came to fruition, but as of now, Batman: The Animated Series will continue to have the best Batgirl for years to come.