Summary

• Batman's villains have been given dramatic makeovers in various animated series, making iconic antagonists like The Joker and Catwoman even more unique.
• Animation has allowed for Batman's villains to be more menacing and physically imposing, with unique designs and personalities in different animated series.
• Some animated series, like Batman: The Animated Series and Beware The Batman, have taken creative liberties in reimagining lesser-known villains like Anarky and The Ventriloquist.

each animated Batman series, famous antagonists like the Joker, Catwoman, and Mr. Freeze become even more unique.

Animation as a medium allows creatives to accomplish things that the live-action Batman movies can only dream of doing, especially when it comes to Gotham City's more bizarre and powered criminals. Whether it's a unique art style, deliberate tonal choices, or simply to keep things fresh, many animated Batman series have given dramatic makeovers to many of The Dark Knight's most vile villains. Over the years, this has kept the same familiar faces the different incarnations of Batman face off against time and time again from getting stale.

10 The Batman's Joker

An acrobatic circus act

As far as animation is concerned, Mark Hamill's insidious voice has typically been described as the best animated Joker, getting his start in the beloved Batman: The Animated Series.

The Joker has had just as much variation as his sworn archenemy, with the Clown Prince of Crime wearing many different faces and outfits in the comics, movies and beyond. As far as animation is concerned, Mark Hamill's insidious voice has typically been described as the best animated Joker, getting his start in the beloved Batman: The Animated Series. But Hamill isn't the only game in town when it comes to captivating cartoon Jokers, and 2004's The Batman presented an incredibly unique take on the comedic criminal.

The Batman's Joker has a strikingly different design compared to most, with shaggy, unkempt hair, a toothy yellow grin and a patchwork outfit of torn straight jackets and pristine spats with no shoes. Joker's imposing, almost simian frame allows him to perform incredible feats of agility like walking on ropes or throwing knive with his bare feet. Explaining a way to keep Joker a physical threat to Batman goes a long way to keeping him compelling as a villain, and paired with the smooth, dulcet tones of Kevin Michael Richardson's voice, this Joker is one to .

9 The Batman's The Ventriloquist And Scarface

From Michael Corleone to Tony Montana

One of the few recurring Batman villains to never get a live-action appearance, The Ventriloquist isn't usually the most threatening character in the episodes he's in. As much a victim of his own crime as those he targets, The Ventriloquist's split personality is channeled through his puppet, Scarface, who compels the reluctant villain to carry out his dirty work. In most classic incarnations, such as that of Batman: The Animated Series, the puppet Scarface's appearance and voice brings to mind a stereotypical mob boss evocative of the great mafia movies.

The Batman, however, brought Scarface (and The Ventriloquist, by extension) closer into the modern day, with the puppet trading his flapper suit and wide-brimmed fedora for a bald head, gold chains and earrings. This updated look makes him closer in appearance to his namesake, Tony Montana, a gun runner of the 80s rather than a bootlegger of the 20s. Combined with this version of Scarface's increased force of personality, literally dragging The Ventriloquist around by the hand, this relatively harmless villain is brought into more frightening territory.

8 Batman: The Brave And The Bold's Joker

An utterly unique Silver Age Joker

Not to be confused with the DCU Batman movie, Batman: The Brave and the Bold remains one of the most unique animated Batman series ever. Clearly taking inspiration from Adam West's 1966 series and the Silver Age of comics, the campy series is full of themed villains, cheesy one-liners, and oodles of cameos from heroes and villains across the DC mythos. Among the massive roster, a particularly unique version of the Joker stood out.

Modern audiences have grown accustomed to the Joker being a relatively dark character, juxtaposing his comedic antics against his horrible crimes, but Batman: The Brave and the Bold stayed on-brand with a Joker that was more nefariously mischievous than outright evil. His dapper outfit reminiscent of Caesar Romero's original purple suit, off-putting grin, and strong cleft chin results in one of the most unmistakable Joker designs ever. The series also took ful advantage of his happy-go-lucky personality, and even gave fans a sneak peek of the Joker as a hero in an alternate universe, operating under the Red Hood persona.

7 The Batman's Riddler

Far from the bowler-hat wearing nerd

Most designs for the Riddler across Batman media have gone one of two ways -- A smug genius in a question-mark-patterned suit and a bowler hat watching plans unfold from afar, or a cackling man in a green jumpsuit a la Jim Carrey in Batman Forever. While Paul Dano's Riddler in The Batman finally bucked this trend when it came to the movies, the animated show of the same name introduced a daring new Riddler far earlier.

The Riddler's striking design is almost reminiscent of Marylin Manson, with edgy makeup, long dark hair, and a wiry, acrobatic frame.

In The Batman, The Riddler's striking design is almost reminiscent of Marylin Manson, with edgy makeup, long dark hair, and a wiry, acrobatic frame. Once again, the series displayed its penchant for giving Batman's more brain-oriented villains some amount of fighting skill to keep up with The Dark Knight in a scrap, and this Riddler was no exception, giving Batman some amount of trouble with his versatile question mark staff. A capable combatant, expert hacker, and deranged game master, this Riddler was an overlooked gem in the criminally underrated series.

6 Batman: The Animated Series' Mister Freeze

Re-invented the character from scratch

Few redesigns of villains in an animated series have been more significant to the wider Batman lore than Batman: The Animated Series. The original design of Mr. Freeze in the comics was far different, even going by a different name; Mr. Zero. Though he was still an ice-themed mad scientist with a cryogenic blaster and a self-containment suit that kept his body temperature frosty, he looked decidedly less cool, appearing as a normal-looking man wearing an eye-watering yellow jumpsuit and what looked like an office water cooler on his head.

In Batman: The Animated Series, Mr. Freeze was now a callous villain, with a striking blue suit evocative of early science fiction, a blue pallor demonstrating his condition, and piercing red eye goggles. Not only that, but the sympathetic addition of his comatose wife, Nora, and his efforts in finding a cure for her made him one of the most sympathetic Batman villains ever. The show's redesign was so effective that it completely eclipsed the original character, making Batman: The Animated Series' Mr. Freeze the new default.

5 Batman: The Brave And The Bold's Clock King

Emphasized his regal title

As far as Batman villains go, the Clock King has always been a distant D-Lister. Even if versions of the lazily-named William Tockman have appeared in various Batman media outside the comics, such as his brief tenure as an antagonist in Batman: The Animated Series, he was never the most compelling criminal. Looks-wise, the Clock King is also relatively mundane among Batman's rogue's gallery, usually appearing as a particularly well-dressed man, perhaps with small clock faces on his glasses.

In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, this subtle direction simply wouldn't do, and the Clock King was upgraded to truly live up to his lofty name. The timepiece-loving mastermind is outfitted with a royal cape, elaborate crown, and a helmet resembling a full clock face in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, increasing his visual appeal exponentially. Combined with the additions of impressive clock-based vehicles and doomsday devices, a sharp German accent, and two loyal thugs named Tick and Tock, it's hard not to wish this version of the Clock King was the default.

4 Batman Beyond's Mr. Freeze

Brought the chilling villain into the future

Being set much further along the timeline of the DC animated universe, Batman Beyond didn't have the luxury of recycling most well-known Batman villains. It would be hard to justify Terry facing off against a geriatric version of the Penguin in the far-off, futuristic year of 2019. That being said, the far-fetched technology of the series provided great justification for the return of one of the continuity's best villain redesigns, Mr. Freeze.

Kept alive for 50 years as a severed head thanks to advanced cryogenics, Victor Fries manages to resurface during Terry's tenure as Batman, taking up a new body thanks to an advanced medical procedure. Seemingly cured of his old condition, Fries seems to be turning a new leaf in his new body only for the personality of Mr. Freeze to slowly resurface. When he finally gets back in a new suit, it's one of the most advanced yet, making Mr. Freeze more artifical than ever as the dramatic lighting design of the show casts a callous shadow on his face.

3 The Batman's Catwoman

Trades questionably skintight spandex for a practical burglar's gear

As one of Batman's recurring love interests, Catwoman's sex appeal is usually the focus of her designs, whether it be in live-action movies or animated series. The questionable practicality of bringing high heels and skintight leather bodysuits to every mission gets harder to justify, not to mention the token cat-ears that are usually half-heartedly stapled to her outfits once the designers she's supposed to be a feline. Yet again, The Batman demonstrates a willingness to question the norms of design-language for Batman's villains with a perfect Catwoman portrayal.

While certainly not losing Selina Kyle's figure, her costume in The Batman is a more practical bodysuit an actual cat burglar might want to wear, with a high collar and plenty of pocket space for priceless pilfered artifacts. The design also leans heavily into the cat theme, with large, unmistakable ears, huge goggles evoking a cat's eyes, and a whip that dangles around Catwoman's waist when not in use, giving the impression of a tail. The Batman proved Catwoman could still be a femme fatale without sacrificing some practicality.

2 The New Batman Adventures' Scarecrow

One of the most terrifying incarnations ever

In the original Batman: The Animated Series, Scarecrow didn't start out all that scary, with a burlap outfit that made him look more like a Wizard of Oz extra or a lost trick-or-treater rather than a fearsome criminal mastermind. The second season of the series did iterate on this design, giving Scarecrow sunken eyes, a concerning row of teeth, and an overall more menacing aura worthy of his reputation as Gotham's master of fear. But it wouldn't be until The New Batman Adventures, essentially the third season of the series, that Scarecrow would truly live up to his name.

In this deliciously horrific redesign, Scarecrow would finally come into his own as a genuinely scary villain, with a haunting, scarred visage, tattered clothes, and a hangman's noose for a necktie. Add in the blood-curdling voicework of Jeffery Combs, and Scarecrow officially goes from laughable C-Lister to one of the most spine-chilling villains of the whole series. It helps that he was the center of some of the third season's best episodes, including "Over the Edge", in which his upgraded fear gas created some elaborate and dizzying nightmare sequences.

1 Beware The Batman's Anarky

From forgotten teenage rebel to Batman's biggest threat

The only animated Batman series to dare to dabble in 3D animation, Beware the Batman had some villain designs far out of left field that presented a welcome change of pace from the same old criminal roster. Rather than stick to the classics, Beware the Batman preferred lesser-known villains like Professor Pyg, Humpty Dumpty and The Key. The most notable redesign was Anarky, who surprisingly replaced the Joker as Batman's primary antagonist within the scope of the series' brief single season.

In the comics, Anarky is a teenage vigilante acting in the name of anarchy itself, styling himself after Guy Fawkes while frequently crossing paths with Batman as their differing ideals clash. Beware the Batman aged up Anarky significantly, giving him a new white costume and a sneering matching mask that contrasted clearly against Batman's black attire. Anarky's mysterious origins in the show, and the impetus behind his preoccupation with and hatred for Batman, were never fully explored, but he still remains one of the most striking redesigns of a villain in Batman animation history.