Every Animated Batman Series (In Chronological Order) (2023)

There's no doubt that Batman is DC's most profitable and iconic character. It's no coincidence 'Detective Comics' became the company's name and initials. And it's not just comic books; Batman has been a major part of entertainment for decades and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.

Batman has also been the star of several animated shows, many of which have touched the hearts of multiple generations. By taking a look at them in chronological order, viewers are able to explore his dynamic history in sequential form.

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Updated on February 27, 2022 by Scoot Allan: Batman has a long and rich animated history dating back to the beginning of DC's animated empire, as he helped launch the hugely successful DC Animated Universe in the '90s. With yet another new animated series on the horizon for the Dark Knight, we wanted to take another look at the various series like Batman: The Animated Series and The Batman cartoon that helped build Batman's animated history alongside the rest of the DC Universe over the years.

15/15 The Adventures Of Batman – 1968-1969

17 Episodes

After the 1966 Batman series starring Adam West exploded, cartoons were produced based on the series' popularity. This show was comprised of the Batman segments from The Batman/Superman Hour, with Olan Soule taking on Adam West's role, while Casey Kasem (who voiced Shaggy on Scooby-Doo) replaced Burt Ward as Robin.

It was later retitled, Batman With Robin The Boy Wonder. However, this was only the beginning. It spawned Super Friends (for better or for worse), as well as crossovers with The New Scooby-Doo Movies. It's certainly dated, but many share fond memories of it.

14/15 Super Friends – 1973-1986

93 Episodes, Premiering Under Different Umbrella Names

Following the success of Batman's first animated series (as well as animated appearances of heroes like Superman and Aquaman), the heroes joined together with other members of the Justice League in 1973 for Super Friends. While Batman wasn't the sole star of the series, both he and Robin played crucial roles in the makeup of the team.

While the series was canceled after the first season, it later returned under the new title of Challenge of the Super Friends before moving through other titles like The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians before it was ultimately canceled again.

13/15 The New Adventures Of Batman – 1977

16 Episodes

The New Batman Adventures was more or less a continuation of the previous show. However, it featured better animation and some familiar voices: Adam West and Burt Ward reprised their iconic roles years after their own show's cancelation. They continued to excel in the roles, even as the show decided to go in an interesting direction with the introduction of Bat-Mite – their cute but annoying little sidekick. Much like Scrappy-Doo from Scooby-Doo or Kazoo from The Flintstones, it wasn't the best of ideas, and it was a big reason why the show only lasted one season.

12/15 Batman: The Animated Series – 1992-1995

85 Episodes

When it comes to Batman, there's only one animated show that instantly enters the minds of fans, and that's 1992's critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series. With writing that was as thought-provoking & entertaining for adults as it was for kids with nuance and depth for the villains, this is one of the most revolutionary animated shows ever made.

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Batman: TAS spawned a shared universe known as the DCAU with shows like Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League, and even established a now-famous DC character with Harley Quinn. Kevin Conroy's Batman and Mark Hamill's Joker have become iconic and still sometimes voice the characters to this very day.

11/15 The New Batman Adventures – 1997-1999

24 Episodes

When Batman: The Animated Series was canceled, it got revived with a new art style to match what Superman: The Animated Series had been doing at the time. This resulted in two solid extra seasons for that version of Batman, even though fans were not fond of every redesign, especially The Joker's new look.

The show provided a ton of fun adventures, explored the history of Harley Quinn, and proved that Batman was still a marketable character despite the most recent . In fact, Batman was so popular that another series about him was greenlit.

10/15 Batman Beyond – 1999-2001

52 Episodes

In the cyberpunk future of Gotham City, Bruce Wayne retires due to a heart condition, combined with a mistake that almost made him cross a line. Gotham is without its protector until a troubled teen named Terry McGinnis stumbles upon the Batcave and steals the newest Batsuit for himself. Bruce ends up entrusting Terry with protecting the city as the new Batman.

Batman Beyond took a bold move in retiring Bruce Wayne, but it gained a cult following that helped it last a few seasons before being canceled. Terry went on to be featured in comics and an official 75th anniversary short, as well as getting a final wrap-up in the Justice League Unlimited animated series.

9/15 Justice League – 2001-2004

52 Episodes

The success of DC Animated Universe shows like Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series led to the first official formation of the animated Justice League on the small screen in 2001.

Batman was again voiced by Kevin Conroy as he joined heroes like Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl for the first 2 seasons. The show was expanded in 2004 to include more heroes alongside the main team in Justice League Unlimited, although Batman still featured heavily in the series while also appearing on other DCAU shows like Static Shock.

8/15 The Batman – 2004–2008

65 Episodes

As one of the more divisive shows to star the Caped Crusader, The Batman focuses on tons of action and thrills rather than character drama or intrigue. This time, Batman was voiced by Rino Romano and sported a flashy and high-tech arsenal of weapons, including a Batcave that would make a Bond villain jealous.

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While it wasn't for everyone, The Batman lasted several seasons and continued to embrace its own style for every villain and hero. It introduced new versions of Robin, Batgirl, and even the likes of Martian Manhunter.

7/15 Batman: The Brave And The Bold – 2008-2011

65 Episodes

Imagine if the Adam West series was modernized, action-packed, and featured a vast array of DC heroes – that's Batman: The Brave And The Bold. Each episode focuses on Batman (voiced by Diedrich Bader) as he teams up with a famous or obscure hero in a Silver Age-esque adventure.

It was a fun show that lasted a few seasons on Cartoon Network. It included unique animation, well-written humor, and action galore, and most of the stories and characters were given justice. The show is likely how modern kids were introduced to characters like Blue Beetle.

6/15 Young Justice – 2010-Ongoing

98 Episodes (Currently)

Cartoon Network first aired Young Justice in 2010, which focused on a new team of DC sidekicks who joined together to strike out on their own away from their superhero mentors. Dick Grayson/Robin was one of the founding members of the team, and his mentor Batman played a large role in the series – as both a member of the Justice League and the Team's mission organizer.

He was voiced by Bruce Greenwood, who reprised the role of the Dark Knight from 2010's feature-length movie Batman: Under The Red Hood. Young Justice spanned a few years and featured more than one Robin, highlighting the ever-growing team that Batman works with to keep Gotham City and the rest of the world safe.

5/15 Beware The Batman – 2013-2014

26 Episodes

Swapping from a colorful and action-filled atmosphere to a darker, detective thriller angle, Beware The Batman stars Anthony Ruivivar as the titular hero. This series should be commended for trying to differentiate itself from any other Batman series: it never copied a previous show's story arcs and even brought more obscure villains like Magpie & Professor Pyg into the spotlight for a change.

The series also introduced Katana as Batman's partner and chauffeur, and the two shared a dynamic similar to The Green Hornet. However, it made the show divisive among fans, combined with the 3D animation similar to Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which was still popular for many back in 2013. As a result, the show only lasted one season.

4/15 Batman Unlimited – 2015-2016

33 Episodes

Remember this series? More than likely not, since it was a series of short episodes that went straight to the DC Kids' YouTube channel. It and a few animated movies were based on the toyline of the same name and were essentially a way to market those toys to kids. Roger Craig Smith returned to the voice of Batman after providing it for Batman: Arkham Origins.

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As a whole, it's obvious that the show was an afterthought toy commercial, evidenced by both the confused writing and animation. Batman Unlimited struggled to adopt an identity other than pretty colors and gadgets. It tried so hard to appeal to everyone yet appealed to no one by throwing everything at the wall in the hopes it would stick.

3/15 Justice League Action – 2016-2018

52 Episodes

2016 saw the debut of Justice League Action on Cartoon Network, which featured the return of Kevin Conroy in the role of Batman as he joined DC's Trinity in leading a new era of Justice League members.

The series featured short episodes that focused on a member of the Trinity as they worked alongside less popular DC heroes like Blue Beetle, Firestorm and Stargirl. The series was geared towards a younger audience than previous entries in the DCAU, but it still retained the heart of the original Justice League animated series, which included a fun take on the Dark Knight.

2/15 Harley Quinn – 2019-Ongoing

30 Episodes (Currently)

Gotham City villain and former flam of the Joker, Harley Quinn, starred in her own self-titled series that launched in 2019. It followed her attempt to make a name for herself while also earning her spot with the Legion of Doom.

While Batman doesn't play a large role in the series, he frequently appears in scenes that re-examine the Dark Knight and his relationships with other characters in new and hilarious ways. Harley Quinn's Batman was voiced by Diedrich Bader, who reprised his role as the Dark Knight from Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

1/15 Batman: Caped Crusader – 2022 Premiere

No Episodes Have Been Announced Yet

Fans of Bruce Timm's iconic take on the Dark Knight from Batman: The Animated Series were excited by the news that he'll be teaming with producers J. J. Abrams and Matt Reeves for a new animated series called Batman: Caped Crusader.

The first image revealed a new take on the character that homaged his earliest Batman costume, which seems to reflect how the series will examine the noir beginnings of the Dark Knight. Batman: Caped Crusader will air on Cartoon Network and stream on HBO Max in 2022, further adding to the Dark Knight's long animated history.

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