10 Most Rewatchable Batman: The Animated Series Episodes, Ranked

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Summary

Batman: The Animated Series still holds up as the best version of Batman outside the comics after 30 years.
Episodes like "The Demon's Quest" and "Feat of Clay" are timeless, with strong storytelling and characters.
Notable episodes like "Harley and Ivy" and "Almost Got 'Im" showcase the show's enduring impact and entertainment value.

Batman: The Animated Series remains one of the easiest pieces of Batman media to return to time and time again over 30 years after its initial premiere. Widely considered to be the definitive version of Batman to exist outside the comics themselves, Batman: The Animated Series is still lauded today as a classic for good reason. On a very late re-watch, a handful of episodes stand out as weathering the test of time particularly well.
Beyond simply being good episodes, the best moments of the entire show to re-watch have to work in a vacuum without too much easily-forgotten context. Batman: The Animated Series had some serialized components, but more often than not, the show simply worked as a collection of Batman adventures with little background knowledge required other than a basic understanding of Gotham's characters. The best episodes to re-watch stand alone as fantastic stories in their own right.
10 The Demon's Quest Season 1, episodes 60 and 61

Ra's Al Ghul has always been one of the most competent and menacing villain of Batman's rogues gallery, and proves it in this two-part episode that brings Batman close to his breaking point. After Robin and Talia Al Ghul, Ra's' daughter, are seemingly kidnapped by the same villain, Batman and the ancient assassin enter an uneasy alliance to save them. Any episode that forces Batman to work with a villain is always a treat, and Ra's discovery of Bruce Wayne's identity is a shocking moment in season 1.
Unfortunately, this episode does require a bit of context to enjoy. "The Demon's Quest" isn't Talia's first appearance, so some knowledge of who she is will be required beforehand, and the story's status as a two-parter makes it inherently harder to justify going back to. For those that can overcome these hangups, however, it is one of the most dramatic and clever episodes of the entire show, which demonstrates just why R'as Al Ghul is so dangerous.
9 Feat Of Clay Season 1, episodes 20 and 21

Oftentimes, the episodes of Batman: The Animated Series that present an origin story end up being some of the most re-watchable. Enter "Feat of Clay", one of the most atmospheric episodes of the series, which introduces the villain Clayface for the first time. The slow downfall of Matt Hagen and Batman's eventual refusal to help him forge some of the darkest moments in Batman: The Animated Series.
The stunning animation alone makes this small duology worth returning to, with Clayface's amorphous hide being the star of the show. Ever moody and atmospheric, the tragedy of the character also makes for some compelling drama that doesn't need the wider context of the entire series to work. That being said, Clayface's debut is still a two-part episode, asking for more time up front than other, easier to return to touchstones of the series.
8 Harley And Ivy Season 1, episode 56

The moment that popularized the pairing of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, an entire animated show, Harley Quinn, owes much of its existence to this single episode. After the Joker viciously "fires" Harley, she joins up with Poison Ivy. The two go on a massive crime spree throughout Gotham with the city's police, Batman, and the Joker all scrambling to stop them.
This episode is responsible for planting the seeds of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy's sapphic relationship, and it's fascinating to re-watch through the lens of modern-day sensibilities. Seeing just how far past 90s-era censorship the showrunners could get in insinuating the two were perhaps more than friends makes for an entertaining exercise, and the episode itself is a load of fun regardless. Harley and Ivy's first big team-up might not be the most dramatic episode, but it's certainly worth re-visiting.
7 Holiday Knights Season 3, episode 1

Whether The New Batman Adventures should count as its own show or simply the third season of Batman: The Animated Series remains up for debate. In either case, the episodes within present some of the best of the DC animated series, with entries like the premiere episode "Holiday Knights." Taking place over the course of the days leading up to Christmas and New Year's Day, the episode features the Batman, Batgirl, The Joker, Harley Quinn, Ivy, and Clayface in a series of smaller stories.
Introducing the new art style and character designs of The New Batman Adventures, "Holiday Knights" is worth re-watching as a sort of time capsule marking the start of a new series. Other than that, the vignettes make for a cozy series of holiday stories worth coming back to every year, easy to become a tradition to return to in the winter months. If the stories didn't come and go so fast, the holiday-themed episode could be even more re-watchable than it already is.
6 Beware The Ghost Season 1, episode 18

Paying homage to the most prominent Batman series to come before it, "Beware the Ghost" features the voice talents of Adam West in an exciting celebrity cameo. West plays Simon Trent, a washed-up actor who used to play a character called "The Gray Ghost" that Batman turned out to be a big fan of. Batman enlists Trent's help in solving a series of serial bombings that could be connected to the old show.
This episode justifies a re-watch just on the basis of being one of the few instances in which Kevin Conroy shares a screen with his Batman predecessor, clearly being a sort of meta-commentary on the passing of the torch from one performer to another. Batman being a fan of The Gray Ghost adds a fun bit of character to the otherwise stoic Dark Knight, and seeing him geek out over his hero is well worth another glimpse. Even if the reveal of the bomber's identity is nothing special, hearing Conroy and West in the same place is too good not to re-visit.
5 Legends Of The Dark Knight Season 3, episode 19

Few episodes stand on their own as enjoyable experiences like The New Batman Adventures' "Legends of the Dark Knight", in which Batman isn't actually the protagonist. Instead, the episode uses the framing device of a trio of kids telling stories as to what they have heard about Batman, which are in turn animated in unique art styles. Notably, the episode references Batman's Silver Age before adapting Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns shockingly accurately.
The sideshow of tones presented through the hushed whispers of Gotham's citizens adds an interesting bit of world building to the series, revealing how the average person sees Batman. More importantly, the anthology format is great to re-watch, needing no context and providing three stories for the price of one. That being said, the Batman of Batman: The Animated Series is barely present, so the episode works more like its own short film than a standalone entry in a larger show.
4 Mad Love Season 3, episode 21

Batman: The Animated Series is responsible for creating Harley Quinn, now one of the most iconic characters in DC Comics history. Interestingly, it wasn't until late into the third season that her origin story was actually fully explored, done so via flashback in the prequel episode "Mad Love." As Joker becomes obsessed with crafting a plan that'll take down Batman and casts Harley aside, she reminisces on how she fell in love with the Clown Prince of Crime and adopted the name Harley Quinn in the first place.
With every piece of Harley Quinn media that is released, this episode becomes all the more important and interesting to re-watch. It can be downright heartbreaking to see Harley's helplessness when compared to the independence the character has grown to demonstrate in other DC adaptations since. Beyond its significance, the striking visuals and engaging voiceover work make the well-produced episode stand out, even if the subject matter is a bit much for repeat viewings.
3 Heart Of Ice Season 1, episode 14

An Emmy Award-winning episode, "Heart of Ice" could be a movie in its own right. Taking the previously forgettable character of Mr. Freeze and utterly redefining him with a tragic story that would go on to influence nearly all of the character's future iterations, the episode deserves its esteemed reputation. The relatable motives of Mr. Freeze and the daring editing and animation choices all keep the episode remarkably great at standing up to repeat viewings.
Even if the way Batman ultimately defeats Mr. Freeze is a little goofy, the tender characterization of the series' most sympathetic villain doesn't go unnoticed. This episode knows how to write Batman as well, as he takes the time to save a dying thug rather than continue pursuing his criminal prey. The story may be a bit heavy to throw on on a whim, but "Heart of Ice" makes a good case for a way to sell someone on Batman: The Animated Series with a single episode.
2 Perchance To Dream Season 1, episode 30

Lots of episodes of Batman: The Animated Series stand out for their excellent characterization of Batman's villains, but it's episodes like "Perchance to Dream" that demonstrate the show's clear understanding of Bruce Wayne himself that are some of the most compelling. The episode sees Batman wake up in an alternate reality where he's completely happy, married to Serena Kyle and even with his parents somehow still alive. But Bruce Wayne can't shake an uneasiness as the true nature of his newfound life begins to wear on him.
"Perchance to Dream" shows off why Kevin Conroy's Batman, and Bruce Wayne, for that matter, is so highly esteemed. It's fascinating to come back to what Wayne imagines as a perfect world to occupy, with few other pieces of Batman media daring to dream up what Batman's ideal life could be. The only thing keeping it from being the single most re-watchable episode is the sudden return of the Mad Hatter, a previously-established villain.
1 Almost Got ‘Im Season 1, episode 46

While the most heady, critically-acclaimed episodes of Batman: The Animated Series are worthy of coming back to, "Almost Got 'Im" keeps Batman fun and light without being too goofy. The episode starts as a simple conversation between some of Batman's worst villains-- The Joker, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, Penguin, and Two-Face. While playing cards, the group discusses each time they, true to the title, nearly defeated Batman once and for all.
The strength of "Almost Got 'Im" as an anthology carries its ability to be re-watched again and again, with the episode's five stories culminating in one of the series' most amazing twists. In addition to that, the episode is one of the few to feature multiple Gotham villains at once. Throughout, the sense of danger and relentless comedy match each other in a delicate balance that lends itself to easy viewing, making this episode the single best of Batman: The Animated Series to re-watch.
Upcoming DC Movies Release Date Joker: Folie à Deux October 4, 2024 Superman July 11, 2025 The Batman - Part II October 2, 2026

Batman: The Animated Series (1992)

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