7 Animated Batman Villains Better Than Any Live-Action Version

Batman is the most important character in the DC Universe. One of the big reasons he’s so popular is that he’s relatable. He doesn’t have incredible superpowers like Superman and Wonder Woman, and yet, he still goes out every night and fights the good fight. But it’s not just the fans that gas him up; filmmakers also find themselves drawn to the Dark Knight and his stellar supporting cast. Matt Reeves is still working to flesh out his universe, and James Gunn continues to promise that the Caped Crusader is going to make a major impact in the franchise he’s building.

But all the talk about the live-action version of Batman leaves little room to show love for the animated ones. That’s just not fair because the Dark Knight has his fair share of notable iterations in the medium, some of which feature stellar bad guys. Here are seven animated Batman villains better than any live-action version.

7) Poison Ivy (Harley Quinn)

Poison Ivy has yet to have any luck in live-action. Uma Thurman portrays arguably the worst version of the character in Batman & Robin, and Gotham fails to do her justice as well. Harley Quinn, on the other hand, doesn’t mess around when it comes to Ivy, turning her into a warrior for justice who is willing to hurt anyone who damages the environment. She’s also a great friend to Harley, and that earns her brownie points.

6) Red Hood (Batman: Under the Red Hood)

The only live-action version of Jason Todd lives in Titans, a show that’s messier than every project in the DC Extended Universe combined. Jason dies at the hands of The Joker, gets resurrected, becomes the Red Hood, and hunts down his former teammates. They’re not really to blame for his death, though, so the story falls apart quickly. Batman: Under the Red Hood sends Jason after the right target, his father figure, Bruce Wayne, and gives him an emotional arc that sees him come to terms with the darkness inside of him.

5) Ra’s al Ghul (Young Justice)

The Dark Knight bites off more than he can chew when he picks a fight with the League of Shadows in Batman Begins. The organization’s leader, Ra’s al Ghul, plans to poison the water in Gotham City and tear the city apart from the inside. Of course, since there are sequels to that movie, the plan blows up in the villain’s face. Young Justice‘s version of the Demon’s Head gets a lot more done, teaming up with the Light and the Reach to take over Earth. What really makes him stand out, though, is how much the show’s other bad guys respect him.

4) Deathstroke (Teen Titans)

Deathstroke’s most recent live-action appearance in the DCEU isn’t much to write home about. However, his time in the Arrowverse is much more memorable, with him having a great rivalry with Oliver Queen. The only thing the Arrowverse does wrong with him is let up on the gas and give him a redemption arc. Meanwhile, Teen Titans gives Slade Wilson a relentless attitude that he uses to terrorize Batman’s former sidekick and his friends. He only stops when he meets a grim end in Season 2.

Read Next

47 Years Ago Today, Warner Bros. Changed the Trajectory of DC Comics With One of the Most Iconic Movies Ever

3) Joker (Batman: The Animated Series)

Joker may seem like an odd choice for this list. After all, many consider Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight the best in a comic book film period. That’s a sound argument, but Nolan’s films only get to take the Clown Prince of Crime so far. In Batman: The Animated Series, the Joker is a constant thorn in the Caped Crusader’s side and has the reckless abandon that makes Ledger’s version so great. It also doesn’t hurt his case that Mark Hamill brings everything he has to the role.

2) Harley Quinn (Harley Quinn)

Harley Quinn finds herself in the same boat as her ex, as Margot Robbie knocks it out of the park anytime she portrays the character on screen. The only thing holding her back is the movies that she appears in. The Suicide Squad is the best of the bunch, and even then, she gets sidelined a bit by James Gunn and Co. In Harley Quinn, Kaley Cuoco’s anti-hero is always the star of the show. Harley gets to experience all of the wonders of life and even save the universe on a couple of occasions.

1) Mr. Freeze (Batman: The Animated Series)

Arnold Schwarzenegger is an icon, and nobody can take that away from him. However, his time in the DC Universe is something the entire world would rather forget. Batman & Robin‘s Mr. Freeze refuses to leave the ice puns at home, and his plan isn’t all that great, either. Batman: The Animated Series doesn’t stand for any of that, pushing the character to new heights by giving him a tragic origin that makes his fights against Batman a lot more nuanced.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!