Summary

• Batman has had a successful run in animated TV, appealing to multiple generations with diverse storytelling and character interpretations.
• Batman: The Animated Series remains a fan favorite with iconic portrayals of characters like Joker and Harley Quinn redefining their backstories.
• From campy to dark, Batman's animated series offer a range of tones, with shows like Batman: Caped Crusader promising a fresh take.

Batman may be one of DC's most successful and prolific superheroes on the big screen, but the Caped Crusader has an equally - if not more - successful history in animated television series. While the character has been the star of acclaimed films such as The Dark Knight trilogy, many children grew up watching Bruce Wayne take on a wide range of foes one 30-minute segment at a time. Moreover, with Batman animated series running largely without pause since the 1960s, enjoying The Caped Crusader on TV is a multigenerational delight.

More impressive yet is the diversity that Batman's DC animated movies and shows set to premiere soon, it doesn't appear that The Dark Knight will be leaving television sets anytime soon.

Batman Animated Series In Order

16 The Adventures Of Batman (1968-1969)

17 Episodes

The Caped Crusader's first solo animated series, The Adventures of Batman, actually re-cut and re-presented the Batman content from The Batman/Superman Hour. Each episode presented two short Batman stories, each clocking in at just 6.5 minutes. This short animated series, which aired 17 episodes over its run, featured the voices of Olan Soule as Batman and Casey Kasem as Robin. As one could expect from the era, The Adventures of Batman as a campy and light-hearted take on the Dynamic Duo and features all The Dark Knight's classic rogues.

15 Super Friends (1973-1986)

16 Episodes

Hanna-Barbera's Super Friends was a staple of ABC's Saturday morning cartoon line-up in the 1970s and 80s, and the iconic DC animated series defined the Justice League for a generation. Confusingly, the show actually changed names several times throughout its 13-year run, including alternates like "The World's Greatest SuperFriends," "The All-New Super Friends Hour," and "The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians." Regardless of titles, the show centers on the Justice League as a group, though Batman is among the most prominent characters. The show not only features iconic DC characters but also presents dozens of original heroes and villains.

14 The New Adventures Of Batman (1977)

16 Episodes

The New Adventures of Batman was a short-lived animated series that only aired on CBS for four months between February and May 1977. However, the show is notable for its cast of heroes. The iconic Adam West voices Batman, who is ed by both Robin and Batgirl as series leads. The show also leans into the absurd with Bat-Mite, a strange, dimension-hopping imp who claims to be Batman's biggest fan and wears his version of The Dark Knight's suit to match.

13 Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)

85 Episodes

Even more than two decades after it premiered, there is perhaps still no better Batman TV show than Batman: The Animated Series. Created by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, Batman: TAS blends an iconic modern-noir art style with complex writing and character depth that hadn't been seen before in Batman's animated adventures. The show is also the start of DC Animated Universe, which encomes several other TV shows and movies.

Batman: The Animated Series also introduced what would become iconic versions of several characters. Kevin Conroy lends his voice to Bruce Wayne, and Mark Hamill tackles the Joker. The pair continued playing the classic hero/villain combo for years across various movies, TV shows, and video games and remain, to many, the definitive voices for each. Furthermore, the show redefined Mr. Freeze's tragic backstory and invented Harley Quinn, who has gone on to become a DC staple in her own right.

12 The New Batman Adventures (1997-1999)

24 Episodes

Coming out only two years after its predecessor aired its second and final season, The New Batman Adventures is a follow-up series continuing on from Batman: The Animated Series. The general narrative and writing style remains, though the show was given an updated art-style to match the simultaneously-running Superman: The Animated Series. While Batman is, of course, still a central player, The New Batman Adventures is notable for focusing a bit more on other of the Bat Family.

11 Batman Beyond (1999-2001)

52 Episodes

Batman Beyond starts with an interesting narrative hook: what happens when Bruce Wayne is too old to continue on as The Dark Knight? Though others have temporarily taken the mantle of Batman in other DC media, Batman Beyond sees Bruce fully on the torch to the young Terry McGinnis. A continuation of the canon started with Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond is particularly notable for its futuristic take on classic Batman villains and gear. Terry's sleek suit is a marked departure from Bruce's and has become iconic in its own right.

10 Justice League (2001-2004)

52 Episodes

Justice League is, of course, about several of DC's most iconic heroes, but Batman remains one of the more central figures throughout the series' two-season run. The show is the seventh series in the DC Animated Universe and follows on narratively from Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, though it completely works as a stand-alone experience for those looking to jump in. As audiences may would expect, the show mixes famous and lesser-known villains and is still the definitive interpretation of several DC icons for many.

9 Justice League Unlimited (2004-2006)

39 Episodes

Justice League Unlimited picks up narratively a few years after the conclusion of Justice League and, as such, takes place in the same continuity. In fact, it's the final project in the canon that began over a decade earlier with Batman: The Animated Series. While similar to its predecessor, Justice League Unlimited often focuses on some of DC's more obscure characters, though Batman and the Trinity remain the central heroes. Justice League Unlimited does pick up narrative threads from previous TV shows, so it rewards long-time DCAU viewers, but it can be enjoyed perfectly well with no prior knowledge of the franchise.

8 The Batman (2004–2008)

65 Episodes

After several animated series taking place in the DC Animated Universe continuity, The Batman (which has no connection to the DC Universe film of the same name) is its own canon, though it ties into a few other pieces of media. Both a movie, Batman vs Dracula, and a comic series, The Batman Strikes!, take place in the same worlds as this animated series. Though the narrative threads in The Batman will be familiar to Bat-fans, the series found exceptional critical acclaim, earning, among other awards, 12 Daytime Emmy awards and 6 wins.

7 Batman: The Brave And The Bold (2008-2011)

65 Episodes

Batman: The Brave and the Bold may be the DCU's Batman movie, but it's also a well-received animated series (and, before that, several comic series). The Brave and the Bold is a much lighter affair than most previous Batman animated series, clearly made for a younger audience. Narratively, the show is set apart by its focus on team-ups between Batman and other DC heroes.