The character of Catwoman is typically considered a supporting character in the Batman mythos, but she has grown to become one of the most iconic DC antiheroes in her own right. She’s one of those DC characters in need of a movie reboot, as she’s usually only done well when written purely as a supporting character or love interest for Batman. Her tenure in DC movies has rarely done her justice, as her only solo movie to date was one of the worst movies ever made. However, she has fared much better on the small screen, with several DC shows adequately adapting the character.
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Just as every animated version of Batman varies in quality, so too do the various animated incarnations of Catwoman throughout TV history. For the purposes of this list, we’re looking solely at animated TV shows that have featured Catwoman in a significant role, exploring which of them did the best job of bringing her to life on the screen. It’s fair to say that Catwoman’s animated TV history has been pretty mixed, with some depictions of her far better than others.
8) The New Adventures of Batman
Often considered one of the worst animated Batman series, The New Adventures of Batman kept the overtly campy tone of the ’60s TV show wholly intact. The show featured an incarnation of Catwoman, voiced by Melendy Britt, that was utterly terrible. Her monotone voice, random meows, and unrepentant villainy all contributed to her status as the worst animated version of Catwoman to date.
7) Teen Titans Go!
Teen Titans Go! is one of DC’s best animated shows of recent years, but that doesn’t extend to every aspect of the series. It has featured many DC characters, including Catwoman, who did not fare particularly well. Reduced to almost entirely cat-like qualities, Teen Titans Go! depicts the complex antihero as nothing more than a cat-brained villain, and while it’s relatively funny, it doesn’t do the character justice at all.
6) DC Super Hero Girls
DC Super Hero Girls is one of DC’s animated shows aimed at a younger audience, which obviously affects its subject matter and characters. Catwoman appears in the show, voiced by Cree Summers, and serves as the leader of the Super Villain Girls. It’s a version of the character that makes Catwoman an obnoxious, outright villain, which is perhaps important for the show’s tone but does not represent her well at all to its young audience.
5) Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold featured some incredible character designs and a great art style, but its writing occasionally left much to be desired. This was also true of its version of Catwoman, whose appearance paid homage to the Silver Age version of the character, looked excellent, but lacked the appropriate depth. Voiced by Nika Futterman, the show’s take on Catwoman was frustratingly one-note, and, quite tellingly, didn’t feature in any of the best episodes of Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
4) Batman: Caped Crusader
Another animated iteration of the character based on her Silver Age design was introduced in Batman: Caped Crusader. Voiced by Cristina Ricci, slight tweaks to her backstory made her seem especially interesting, better tapping into the complexity of the character. Sadly, Catwoman was not featured much at all in Caped Crusader, which ultimately leads to its version of the character being unable to compete with other, more prolific iterations.
3) The Batman
2004’s The Batman is considered one of the essential animated Batman TV shows, and its version of Catwoman is appropriately excellent. The show’s version of the character is voiced by Gina Gershon, and is written to better convey the nuanced elements of Catwoman’s personality than previous incarnations had attempted. Though her costume’s design admittedly featured a pretty strange choice of ear shape, The Batman‘s take on Catwoman remains excellent.
2) Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an iconic piece of DC media and is widely praised for its adaptations of various elements of the character’s mythos. The show’s Catwoman, voiced by Adrienne Barbeau, is one of the depictions of the character regularly cited as the most complete take on the DC antihero. Her subtle and sleek design, her flirtatious relationship with Batman, and her unpredictable moral compass all contribute to making her one of the best animated versions of the character.
1) Harley Quinn
The best animated version of Batman villains typically needs to tap into the core of what makes that character great, and that’s exactly what Harley Quinn does with Catwoman. Introduced as Poison Ivy’s ex-girlfriend, the show’s version of Catwoman is a dishonest and effortlessly cool character that perfectly communicates all of the antihero’s most important traits. Complete with an excellent costume design and a great voice performance from Sanaa Lathan, Harley Quinn delivers everything fans could possibly want from an animated Catwoman.
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