Batman: The Animated Series is many fans’ favorite depiction of Batman – which is hardly surprising as it was hugely influential – and it even inspired the upcoming Batgirl movie. But everybody always talks about the Joker-centric episodes, as Mark Hamill’s depiction of the character is iconic. As a result, so many other great episodes undeservedly live in the character’s shadow.
Many episodes of the show that don’t feature the Joker are the most mature, deep, and emotional of the series, and they resonate with viewers of all ages. Between some heartbreaking origin stories, surreal dreamlike episodes, and the only episode featuring Bane, some of these are even better than the Joker’s outings.
“Second Chance” (S3.E2) – 8.4
Outside of the Joker, based on IMDb’s numbers, Two-Face is the animated series’ most beloved villain, as all of his episodes are so highly rated. “Second Chance” is a direct follow-up to the epic two-part origins episode, as it sees his still close friend Bruce Wayne paying for Harvey’s face restoration procedure.
Everything goes awry when Harvey is kidnapped mid-procedure by an unknown criminal organization. The episode sees Batman truly acting like The World’s Greatest Detective, as he travels between villains attempting to uncover who is behind the kidnapping, and no viewer could have guessed who orchestrated the whole thing.
“Feat Of Clay Part II” (S1.E5) – 8.6
Batman: The Animated Series often had two-part episodes, and they were usually the best ones, as they tended to delve further into the villain’s backstory, and they were the more empathetic episodes of the series. “Feat of Clay” is a great example of that, as it follows Matt Hagen, a famous actor who is trying not to lose everything he has after a nasty accident disfigured his face.
Hagen becomes addicted to a chemical that temporarily reforms his face, which eventually turns him into Clayface. The story’s second part is especially well-told, as it flashes back to him first using the chemical, and it’s full of creatively drawn shape-shifting. The episode is also an excellent commentary on Hollywood’s vanity, and it’s something of a cautionary tale for anyone wanting to make it in Tinseltown.
“Harley’s Holiday” – (S2.E16) – 8.6
Harley might be mostly found in episodes led by the Joker, but as the sidekick was created for Batman: The Animated Series, she has some great episodes of her own, the best of which is “Harley’s Holiday.” The episode sees Harley discharged from Arkham Asylum, and she attempts to lead a normal life, but she finds it impossible to stay out of trouble.
The situation gets more and more out of hand, as she kidnaps a Gotham socialite, and it reaches the point where everybody is after her, including Batman and Robin, the GCPD, the army, and a group of mobsters. What makes the episode great is that Harley was simply a victim of circumstance at the start of the episode. Not knowing what to do, she acted on instinct, which makes her increasingly tragic backstory that much worse.
“Judgement Day” (S2.E9) – 8.6
While most iconic Batman characters date all the way back to the comic books, Batman: The Animated Series did more for the franchise than any movie or TV show. Along with Harley Quinn, the show created tons of new characters, including The Judge – the mysterious villain in “Judgement Day.”
However, the villain isn’t all that inventive, as he’s revealed to be Two-Face at the end of the episode. That twist should have been obvious considering that he was tormenting the Penguin throughout the episode, as the two villains have an ongoing feud throughout the series. But “Judgement Day” manages to keep viewers guessing, and it’s full of enough twists and turns to keep fans off the scent.
“Robin’s Reckoning: Part 1” (S1.E51) – 8.7
“Robin’s Reckoning” would make a great live-action Batman movie, not just because it’s much longer than other episodes, but because it’s the very best portrayal of Robin. None of the live-action movies have been able to nail down The Boy Wonder, but this two-part episode thrillingly and emotionally depicts how Dick Grayson entered Bruce Wayne’s life.
The two-parter follows the young Dick, as he’s adopted by Bruce after his parents are killed at the circus by mobster Tony Zucco. Years later, Zucco returns to the city and Robin wants revenge, and the story is brilliantly told through flashbacks. However, where “Feat of Clay” was better in its second half, most fans believe that the first part of “Robin’s Reckoning” is the better of the two. But the second part isn’t far behind, as it holds an 8.5 on the movie and TV database.
“Perchance To Dream” (S1.E26) – 8.9
Seeing how far they could take the show with its surrealism and philosophical narratives was something that the writers always did. Showrunner Bruce Timm was always testing the waters with Warner Bros., and, surprisingly, he got away with quite a lot.
“Perchance to Dream” is one of the most out-there episodes of the series, and it’s way more mature than anything that was on Sunday morning TV at the time.
“Beware The Gray Ghost” (S1.E32) – 8.9
“Beware the Gray Ghost” is one of the more fun BTAS episodes than the empathetic and emotional ones that are usually rated so high. The episode follows a mysterious criminal who is committing crimes similar to how they were pulled off in an old crime show, The Gray Ghost.
Though the series has never been one to lean into fan service, “Beware the Gray Ghost” has one of the most satisfying pieces of fan service ever. Adam West, who played Batman in the live-action 1960s series, voices the Gray Ghost, and it’s even more of a pay-off given that the character is one that Bruce looked up to as a child.
“Heart Of Ice” (S1.E14) – 9.0
Though it’s unlikely that a $107 million dollar blockbuster movie (via Box Office Mojo) would feature a premise heavily influenced by an episode of an animated show, that’s exactly what happened with Batman & Robin and the “Heart of Ice.” Interestingly, “Heart of Ice” isn’t based on any previous comic book, and it marked a major overhaul for Mr. Freeze.
The story of Freeze trying to find a cure for his wife was created for the show, and writer Paul Dini turned the character into the most three-dimensional comic book villain ever in just 20 minutes. Unfortunately, Batman & Robin was operating on an entirely different level, and it lacked the episode’s subtlety and compassion.
“Two-Face Part I/Part 2” (S1.E17/S1.E18) – 9.1/9.0
While The Dark Knight depicts Bruce and Harvey as being more frenemies than anything, it couldn’t have been more different in the animated series. The two worked very closely to improve the city, and between Harvey’s know-how and Bruce’s philanthropy, they were mostly successful. And that’s what makes Harvey’s downward spiral in “Two-Face” that much more hard-hitting.
The two-part episode sees the District Attorney lose hope in Gotham after becoming disfigured, and he then turns to a life of crime himself. Between losing his job as DA, and losing his fiancée and his friends, the episode beats The Dark Knight at its own game.
“Over The Edge” (S1.E11) – 9.2
“Over the Edge” is a huge event episode of the series, as it’s one of the few episodes that feature the entire Bat-Family, Batman’s true identity exposed, Batgirl’s death, and Bane’s only appearance. The 20 minutes is filled to the brim, mostly with Gordon wanting revenge on Batman for his daughter’s death.
As it was released the year after Batman & Robin, longtime fans of the superhero were probably grateful that Bane got the portrayal he deserved. But he was still relegated to simple henchman duties like he was in the 1997 film. And while the episode is great for so many different reasons, it has the disappointing “it was a dream all along” ending, as Barabara hallucinated everything when she was dosed with Scarecrow’s fear toxin.
