Yesterday, Batman: The Animated Series celebrated its 25th anniversary. From 1992 through 1995, Batman: The Animated Series delighted new and seasoned Batman fans of all ages (in the most literal way, not as a marketing term meaning “for kids”) with movie-quality tales of the Dark Knight and his most notorious foes condensed into 22-minute broadcast blocks.
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Beginning with “The Cat and the Claw: Part 1,” Batman: The Animated Series aired 85 episodes (plus two feature films, one released theatrically and one direct-to-DVD) and nearly all of them are worth the time to watch and enjoy.
Batman: The Animated Series is arguably the most influential work of Batman fiction since The Dark Knight Returns, which makes narrowing down its best episodes particularly challenging. So much of what we take for granted about modern Batman mythology – from Kevin Conroy’s performance to Mr. Freeze’s backstory, to the very existence of Harley Quinn – is rooted in Batman: The Animated Series. Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and the rest of the writers, directors, and producers who worked on Batman: The Animated Series created a masterpiece that deserves to be recognized as the definitive adaptation of Batman for a generation.
As difficult as it was, we’ve narrowed our list did to the 5 very best episodes of Batman: The Animated Series.
Read on see our choices, but first, an honorable mention:
Honorable Mention: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm doesn’t make our list proper because, while it takes place in the same universe and uses the same characters designs and style as Batman: The Animated Series. it technically wasn’t an episode of the show.
Instead, Mask of the Phantasm had a short release in theaters and remains one of the best pieces of Batman cinema to date.
Mask of the Phantasm introduces a new villain into Batman’s gallery of rogues and delves into the history of Bruce Wayne and the Joker. These concepts are typically storytelling minefields, but Mask of the Phantasm handles it all with aplomb. We couldn’t justify putting it on the core list, but it would have been a disservice not to at least mention Mask of the Phantasm.
Now, on with the rest of the list…
5. Robin’s Reckoning
Director: Dick Sebast
Writer: Randy Rogel
Robin only made occasional appearances throughout most of Batman: The Animated Series, but when the show decided to focus on Dick Grayson’s origin the result proved Emmy-worthy.
The emotional two-part episode “Robin’s Reckoning” show’s how Dick Grayson was orphaned when his circus acrobat parents were murdered by mobster Tony Zucco.
Shared tragedy brings Grayson and Bruce Wayne together, but a thirst for revenge puts Robin and Batman at odds.
With directing of the episodes gracefully handles heavy topics like the death of one’s family, “Robin’s Reckoning” is the definitive Dick Grayson animated story.
4. Two-Face
Director: Kevin Altieri
Writers: Alan Burnett, Randy Rogel
The introduction of Two-Face into Batman: The Animated Series is, appropriately, a two-part story.
While it doesn’t get as much praise as a certain other villain origin story episode on this list, Two-Face imbues Harvey Dent with as much humanity as any other character in the series, and pulls double-duty by introducing Poison Ivy as well.
Watching Harvey Dent go from heroic legal crusader to broken villain, and watching as Batman is powerless to stop his friend’s fall, is a powerful arc and it helps inform every future appearance by Two-Face in the remainder of the series.
3. The Demon’s Quest
Director: Kevin Altieri
Writers: Denny O’Neil and Len Wein
When Batman: The Animated Series decided to introduce Ra’s al Ghul into its animated universe, they did it in style with a two-parter titled “The Demon’s Quest,” written by Len Wein and Batman comic book veteran and Ra’s al Ghul’s co-creator Denny O’Neil.
Usually, Batman: The Animated Series focuses on depicting Batman as the urban vigilante detective of Gotham City.
What makes “The Demon’s Quest” so much fun is that it takes Batman out of that comfort zone and sense him on an international adventure that includes a bare-chested sword fight and even a little love between Batman and Ra’s daughter, Talia.
2. Heart of Ice
Director: Bruce Timm
Writer: Paul Dini
In the Emmy-winning story “Heart of Ice,” writer Paul Dini and director Bruce Timm took one of Batman’s most forgettable, one-note villains in turned him into a terrifying, tragic menace.
“Heart of Ice” introduces Mister Freeze and reveals his back story as Dr. Victor Fries, a medical researcher who was determined to find a cure for his terminally ill wife Nora. Fries put Nora in a cryogenic stasis to provide himself with the time, but an unexpected visit from Fries’ greedy patron ends in tragedy.
“Heart of Ice” provides one of the most emotionally complex origin stories for any of Batman’s villains, and it shows within the story and how Batman deals with Mr. Freeze.
1. Almost Got ‘Im
Directed by: Erik Radomski
Written by: Paul Dini
In “Almost Got ‘Im,” writer Paul takes everything great about Batman: The Animated Series and serves it up in a single, anthology-format episode that’s beautifully framed by Erik Radomski’s direction.
“Almost Got ‘Im” revolves around the frame story of five of Batman’s rogues – the Joker, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, The Penguin, and Killer Croc – enjoying an underworld poker night and trading stories about how they each almost nailed Batman.
The individual stories are enough fun to justify giving “Almost Got ‘Im” a place on this list. The twist that comes at the end shoots it to the number one spot.
