darkest Batman stories, the series was an enormous hit during its first run from 1992-1995. From there, the series spun out into The New Batman Adventures, and the DC animated universe only continued to expand.
There have been many Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne and Mark Hamill as the Joker, the series shaped so many perceptions of who these characters are for several generations of audiences. This lingering impact has made looking back on the show and seeing its great successes that much more exciting.
10 "He's A Friend. More Than A Friend. Jim Gordon's The Same Age My Father Would Have Been If He Hadn't..."
From Episode 34, "I Am The Night"
The relationship between Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon is an important one. This has been explored in all kinds of films, with different iterations of the hero having an often close relationship with the commissioner of police. Jim Gordon is shown here to be a surrogate father figure to Bruce. Having lost his parents, this dynamic means a great deal to him and to Batman.
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Authority figures are a complex idea, and it is important to see Batman's faith in a member of the Gotham Police Department. During this scene, that connection to his parents and their death is effectively shared. Understanding the intimacy between Bruce and Gordon helps to explain character motivations that would last in the series.
9 “I’ll See You In Your Nightmares”
From Episode 30 "Perchance To Dream"
The Mad Hatter is an underutilized villain in the larger Batman canon, and this scene is one of the strongest in the animated series. The animated series improved Mad Hatter's origin and turned him into a compelling and dark villain. In this scene, Batman is attached to Hatter's dream machine, but escapes through the power of will.
Batman's motivations are enormous, and he feels an intense responsibility toward his actions in fighting crime. This scene shows Bruce willing to put everything on the line and to throw himself from the top of a tower in order to escape from Mad Hatter's dream. He cannot be fully sure that what is happening is not real, and this line shows him utilizing a threat, letting Hatter know that even death would not stop him from coming for him after this was all over.
8 "Not The Robot Theory Again"
From Episode 46 "Almost Got 'Im"
This episode is an important one, because it gives a great outlook on the relationship between Batman and his villains. This is all encapsulated with this line, which sees Killer Croc reflecting on how he believes that Batman could be a robot. While this is quickly dismissed by Joker, the weight of what he has suggested remains. These villains do not know who or what Batman is, which makes him even scarier.
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Spending some time with Batman's villains is a great way for the series to provide additional context to these characters. Batman's rogues gallery is arguably as compelling as the Caped Crusader is himself. Seeing the fear that they have for The Dark Knight, and how that affects even their own conversations, is so interesting in ways that help viewers to understand their motivations.
7 "I Am Fear Incarnate. I Am The Terror Of Gotham. I Am The Scarecrow!"
From Episode 3 "Nothing To Fear"
Batman always has the chance to introduce himself, but it is too rare that his greatest villains get the fanfare of an excellent introduction that they deserve. All of that goes away here, with the Scarecrow able to provide insight into exactly who he believes he is with just a handful of words. Seeing these ideas of what matters to Scarecrow is terrifying and helps to quickly establish the villain.
Fear incarnate, Gotham's terror, and more, Scarecrow is a genuinely special villain in the Batman canon. His actions in the show are some of the best reflections of his characterization yet seen. Watching his clash against Batman helps to solidify his place in the canon of the animated series.
6 "I Am Vengeance! I am The Night! I Am Batman!"
From Episode 34 "I Am The Night"
Batman's confidence in who he is and what he does is incredibly important. During this intense scene, he must fight against illusions that have been forced upon him by Scarecrow. One terrifying image transforms before his eyes into an incredible monster, against which he must fight to remain in control of his own mind.
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Pushing away thoughts of his father and of failure, Batman must assert himself. He has been a hero to Gotham, and he has done good things. He must assert himself in this intense scene, resisting the urge to fall prey to Scarecrow's horrors. He does this by reiterating who Batman is, and how much he genuinely matters.
5 "Think Of It, Batman. To Never Again Walk On A Summer's Day With The Hot Wind In Your Face And A Warm Hand To Hold. Oh Yes, I'd Kill For That!"
From Episode 14, "Heart Of Ice"
Mr. Freeze is an underutilized Batman villain who has received great DC redesigns through the years. One of the most important and influential iterations of the villain, however, came from this animated series. In this romantic line, Freeze outlines his plans, subtly lamenting his loss of emotion and the state of his life.
Freeze is only able to survive in the cold, and he wishes to fight back. His motivations are cold and intense, and it is haunting to see him reflect on them here. With a cold disposition and a twisted outlook, this scene is one of the most notable to appear in the popular animated show to reinvent the popular villain for audiences.
4 “When You Look Too Long Into The Abyss, The Abyss Looks Back Through You. Maybe It's Time For Batman To Return To The Night That Spawned Him. Before Anyone Else Gets Hurt!”
From Episode 34, "I Am The Night"
One of the most important and introspective episodes of the series, "I Am The Night" appears here again with another reflection on the importance of the hero himself. During his clash with himself, Bruce contemplates putting away the Batman mantle. It seems that many of his actions, while heroic, inspire violent opposition to them.
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Understanding Batman's place in his canon of villains is a haunting and upsetting realization. While Batman is not evil, it is difficult for him not to feel some level of culpability over what happens around him. Whether concerning his foes, or his friends, like Commissioner Gordon in this clip, Batman has a great deal to consider as he fights crime in Gotham City.
3 “Play Chicken Long Enough, You Fry”
From Episode 6 "It's Never Too Late"
During this intense scene, Batman gives an important warning to a pair of kids. He discovers them standing on top of a train, challenging one another to stay on longer. This leaves Batman having to rescue one after he finds himself stuck. After doing so, he educates both children with this simple dialogue.
There is great weight to what Batman does. As shown several times in this list, he feels an enormous responsibility to others, and that is something that he has to communicate effectively with others. He does not do what he does to challenge danger, understanding that violence will likely one day beat him. However, this is not something that others should do if they have the choice.
2 "There's Only One Person Who's Ever Been Able To Challenge Me. Batman. He's The Only One Worthy Of The Game"
From Episode 79, "Riddler's Reform"
Continuing on a theme that has appeared multiple times in this list, this scene is an excellent look at how Batman's villains view him once again. Riddler's plot to trick Batman is in action, and he refuses to go back to Arkham. He wishes to test his wits against the Caped Crusader once again, because he believes that Batman is the only one deserving of his brilliance.
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Riddler is twisted and selfish, and believes himself much more intelligent than everyone around him. However, he sees a kindred spirit of a sort in Batman. Only Batman allows Riddler to feel fully understood, which is an important and gratifying feeling. In this scene, the villain explains this well, outlining how his motivations to test Batman are fundamentally important.
1 "Without Batman, Crime Has No Punchline"
From Episode 51 "The Man Who Killed Batman"
The death of Batman is a frightening prospect for all of Gotham. While for many villains, Batman's death is something to hope for, it is also something that would be extremely distressing for many. Just as was covered previously in this list, seeing how many villains see Batman as a kindred spirit, the Joker's own response to the prospect of Batman dying is surprisingly sad.
Seeing how a twisted criminal like the Joker could actually be defeated by the death of the hero in Batman: The Animated Series gives great insight into his outlook and why he does what he does.
In this short clip, the Joker's remorse is shown. His actions are motivated by Batman's, and the two are often depicted as two sides of the same coin. Seeing how a twisted criminal like the Joker could actually be defeated by the death of the hero in Batman: The Animated Series gives great insight into his outlook and why he does what he does. Without Batman, there's no point in any of it.
