11 Darkest Moments Of Batman Animated series - Explored - This Cartoon Show Changed Batman Forever 

I actually thought that the episodes about the abusive relationship between Harley and Joker were the darkest. There were two that come to mind. The first was when Harley almost succeeds in killing batman to win Joker's love, only to realize that Joker saw Harley as too beneath him to live his own dream and saves Batman, his ego did not allow for him to be proud of Harley. The second was when Harley tried to leave Joker and became "Roomates" with Poison Ivy. Joker realized his own life is too lacking without somebody to kick around and tracks her down to get her back. Kinda like real life abusers.

The Baby Doll episodes remains one of my all-time favorites from the series. It was tragic, powerful, and incredibly messed up, but I truly enjoyed the fact that they portrayed Dahl as really a tragic victim of her circumstances, rather than just another "psycho-loony".

My favorite Batman TV series! I used to watch it every week on FOX Kids in the 90's. They even brought back the show on Cartoon Network.

Baby Dahl still to this day gets me emotional. She is literally lost in her own misery, and wants to die the last time she remembered being happy

15:55 I don’t think Batman creates more villains, but he reveals people’s inner villains.

"The Gray Ghost" is a surprisingly dark episode in places as well. A fan of the classic show to the point of dangerous obsession decides to recreate a series of fictional bombings. Not to confront the Ghost or Batman, but simply for money. The amount of lives he could have put in danger...

"Batman exposed a currupt cop, leading him to become a villain". my guy, he was cop - and crooked one - he was already a villain

Darkest episode to me is still Mudslide ( besides Mad Love). At the time, we the audience thought Clayface truly died falling into the water. It wouldn't be til the new animated series debut that we knew he was ok...but created another dark episode..."Growing Pains"...

Man, this show was the most epic thing to ever be made. The finest superhero cartoon around and I was happy to have watched it multiple times. Heck, I even loved the Batman: TAS movies they made. Each one was unique in its own way and quite dark, too. As for its episodes, they were very good to watch. Course, I remember plenty of dark stuff that was featured in several other episodes of Batman: The Animated Series. For the first one, in episodic order, I remember the episode Nothing to Fear had some dark stuff and it was the debut episode for Professor Crane aka the Scarecrow. I mean, Scarecrow is one freaky bastard who knows his fears and uses his smarts to use them for vengeance. I mean, his comic origins wind up being sympathetic if you read them and discover how he came to be who he would become later, but he was still pretty messed up. Heck, the professor he had from Gotham University seeing himself turn to a skeleton due to him fearing his own mortality and his age. That's just as scary as the security guard at the Gotham Bank being surrounded by spiders and Arachnophobia is nothing to laugh at nor should it be. Another dark one I remember was the two parter Two Face where Gotham DA and Bruce Wayne's friend Harvey Dent ends up becoming the iconic criminal. No thanks to Rupert Thorne messing with him and Harvey for not wising up to fix the problems he had with Big Bad Harv. Seeing Harvey Dent become a different person when BB Harv surfaces and a silhouette of Two Face as the lightning struck outside the psychiatrist's office was freaky and disturbing. Not to mention Harvey ending up his infamous disfigured self due to Thorne's goon causing the accident and how horrified Batman was when he saw the aftermath. Hell, even Grace, his fiancee, was fear struck when she saw him all scarred up. It was not only freaky, but sad, too. The second part was nuts, too, and the same going for the end of the episode. It was intense and amazingly well done. Kudos to the crew behind the show and for that episode. Another one I definitely remember was the legendary Heart of Ice episode and it was heartbreaking to see what one man's greed, ruthlessness, and callousness towards life did to someone who only wanted to save the one thing that gave him purpose and life. For Dr. Fries, people do crazy things when they're in love despite how they're done. Mr. Freeze may have been the primary antagonist of the episode due to Batman needing to stop his vengeance from coming full circle, but it was Ferris Boyle who was the true monster of it all. There are several other episodes from The Animated Series that had dark, mature, dramatic, and heartwrenching moments, but they're all just as amazing and intriguing to watch. Heck, a couple of them wound up getting an Emmy Award each for the spectacular work done in its making. Same going for the great VA work we would later recognize in other DC animated shows, video games, and movies. I'm telling you, without Batman: TAS, the DC universe and its media projects wouldn't be what they are today. I'm really grateful for this being created and I will always continue to enjoy Batman: TAS until the day I die.

This show went where many kids shows, even today fear to go as it tackles mature themes, if anything, this show not only educates, it gets one to think and doesn't present the answers outright, such as dealing with depression and suicide, there's also drug abuse, plus revenge, it covers a lot of themes and yet remains entertaining without treating the viewers as idiots, that is how you create a show that stands the test of time,not course having a good animation team doesn't hurt either!!

One episode that is always stuck in my head is the one with Batman confronting a child trafficker and freeing the children.

Objection, Lyle Bolton was already a villain, Batman didn't drive him to anything, just exposed him.

I sorta had a revelation about the Mad Hatter, as when I watched it growing up, I could feel sorry for Jarvis, but as an adult, I recognize he's kind of a monster as he takes away other people's free will using his mind control tech to make himself happy, and the reason you feel sorry for him is that he's kind of a geek who isn't as physically attractive like Alice's boyfriend, so he feels like kind of an underdog when he really isn't as he's got freckin' mind control tech that turns people into his mind controlled slaves. The Arkham series did a good job of showing how someone like Jarvis could be disturbing and helps paint the old BTAS episode in a different more disturbing light.

This show will always hold up. It's truly timeless.

To me, this will always be the perfect realization of Batman and The Joker.

Ah the nostalgia from these. I watched em as a kid and the cat humanoid, a few scarecrow episode, and Baby Doll stuck out to me the most. I remember most of the episodes though. I haven't seen the show since I was in elementary school, this made me feel so nostalgic. I remember crying far too much as a kid and sympathizing or relating to some of them. This show was so fantastic, honestly.

Surprised you didn’t mention the episode where bane almost pops when his venom pump breaks. That sht was brutal

The episode “it’s never too late” is dark as hell and is one of my favorites

The episode where Poison Ivy turns people into trees are nightmare fuel if anything and should've been on the list I think. You could make a list of darkest Johnny Quest episodes. There You have something to work with.

You should've included Barbara's nightmare sequence and when the Joker pushed Harley out the window.

Fun fact: Robbie Rist, who played Cousin Oliver in the Brady Bunch, appeared in "Baby Doll" as Cousin Spunky's actor.

Mr.Freeze and Dahl were two of the most tragic characters in BTAS Freeze just wanted his wife to be OK and Dahl wanted to be "Normal" Both victims of fate.

I think this video is missing the point of Lockup, as he was kinda already a villain (albeit not a costumed one yet) as he was able to strike fear in the freckin' Scarecrow of all people and even made Harley Quinn (who has a relationship with someone as unpredictable as The Joker) fearful of him. All Batman (as Bruce Wayne) did was show everyone the monster they were dealing with and how he abused his authority. The problem with Lockup, is that his methods are both fascist and draconian, while Batman can still see people like Scarecrow, Harley Quinn, and The Ventriloquist as mentally ill human beings who have the potential to be rehabilitated (Harley Quinn herself is kinda proof of this as in the animated Batman Beyond film it is implied she eventually reformed after The Joker's death following the tragedy of what The Joker did to Tim Drake). Lockup can also be seen as a dark reflection of Batman as both take the law into their own hands, yet Batman still respects the law to a degree while Lockup thinks if your not part of the solution, then your part of the problem, believing that the ends justify the means, failing to recognize he is as bad if not worse than the people he lock ups. At the end, the episode reveals that Lockup is as insane as the rest of the inmates at Arkham (and another example of a member of Arkham Asylum staff becoming one of the inmates).

The villain voice actors in this show were insane!!! As a kid I did know a few. Roddy McDowell (Planet of the Apes) as Mad Hatter, Mark Hamil as Joker, Paul Williams (Smokey and the Bandit) as Penguin, Richard Moll (Night Court) as 2 Face, Ron Pearlman (Hellboy) as Clayface. Hell, even Dan O'Herlihy did a voice!!!!!! Going back now and watching it.... pure joy.

I was 4 years old when this show came out I had all the toys and everything my sisters would come get or my mum would yell out to say it was on they all knew it was my favourite.. how ironic that 29 years later Batman is still my all time favourite hero..

Not BTAS, but from two moments in the broader universe come two of the best, most tragic character moments I’ve ever seen: The death of Ace in Justice League Unlimited and the death of Freeze in Batman Beyond. The moment when Ace asks if she’s going to die and asks Batman to stay with her… the pain and fear and desperation in her voice. A kid that never got to have her own childhood. Robbed of her childhood and her life, just so someone could have their perfect weapon. And yet somehow Freeze’s death is even worse. He was a man who only wanted to save his wife. He lost his humanity, his body, his very life to the greed of others. “You’ve gotta get out of here Freeze! The place is gonna blow.” “Believe me… You’re the only one who cares.”

You made a good point about creating more villains while protecting Gotham, even if it was accidental. That would be a neat video; discussing all the villains he created

Bolton is such an unappreciated character. He always seemed the most "real" to me - an abuser from the place of power. And what's the best about him is that most people would be on his side too, if we lived in the Batman universe. I just don't like how he went full on villain. But I guess if he didn't the episode would be too gray for children. Hell, even for most adults.

I still want Baby Doll to appear in the comics. I think she would make a great mob boss.

My Favorite was Batman Mask of Phantasm and the Episode Judgement Day (Two-Face's 3rd personality being an Antihero Judge). Imagine Batman's Enemy "Man-Bat" vs. Spiderman's Enemy "The Lizard", interesting Fight/Battle!

I honestly enjoyed the episode “Baby Doll” that had a bittersweet ending

14:53 "...He sets to target the liEberal media..." THAT actually makes him a HERO.

Okay, I have to disagree about the ending to the Demon's Quest Part 2... Batman didn't let Ras fall to his death, he was desperately trying to reach out and save him from falling in (He even shouted out "Give me your hand!" as Ras was just out of reach). Ras simply accepted his fate and allowed himself to fall in. You willingly left that part out, so what the Hell man?

You're wrong at 3:45. Batman tried to save Ras, not letting him down. Ras fell there purposely.

Batman screaming and absolutely losing it is the most hilarious and scariest thing I have ever seen on the animated series.

8:12 I love how Joker was the one enraged by being compared to Batman instead of the other way around

"Did Batman create more villains as he tried to make Gotham crime-free?" The answer to that is NO. If you look at the origin stories of each villain, their reasons for turning to a life of crime had nothing to do with Batman. In fact, the lady district attorney from the "Trial" episode pointed out that these people would've turned out exactly the same regardless if Bruce became Batman or not. Both that episode and Mask of the Phantasm even established that Batman's villains created him first because the Joker killing Phantasm's father caused her to call off her engagement to Bruce resulting in him becoming Batman and Andrea becoming Phantasm.

Another dark episode is the one about a drug dealer whose son almost dies of an overdose.

I know this show originally aired on Fox Kids, but I see Batman the animated series as more as a Cartoon Network show because that's how I was introduced to this show.

I can never get enough of BTAS videos especially count downs love this!

What did Batman ever do to Lyle Bolton? The guy was insane from the start, he got himself fired, went even further bonkers kidnapping a bunch of people and was eventually stopped, none of it was Bruce's fault

No other Batman cartoon comes close to this one. This is the only cartoon show that my dad actually liked watching with me, and since he’s retired and I got all 4 seasons of it in dvd, right now we’re sharing a bottle of Jameson and kicked back in our recliners watching his favorite episode Two Face part 1 and 2

Just got Batman Beyond and Teen Titans on blu ray a few days ago gonna be getting Batman TAS for my birthday in July this year

How about the time Batman cuts Bane's cords to his "Venom" device and almost kills him. That's pretty dark especially when we see his scared face and him being overdosed with his own serum. *Shudders*

Beautiful video and has some of my favorite episodes :) Please upload more Batman animated series videos :)

No mention of any of the Clayface episodes at all? They're the darkest of all.

My top1 is a little bit meta. Do you remember how funny is an episode about Joker trying to win the stand-up contest? Well, events of The Killing Joke take place at the BTAS universe. He still wants to be the best comedian in Gotham even if it's cant change his life anymore. He became a completely different person, but at this point, he still lives his past.

“Holds up “? My friend Batman the animated series is God tier to this day

I grew up with this series and I still love it today, I’m 25 and not ashamed of saying that this series does more then the live action movies do, show us the human side of Batman with the balance of Bruce Wayne and Batman and develop the characters from season one to 4 I know season 4 got character changes but that’s ok to me the character development and the characters I grew up loving even the villains where still great, thank you Paul Dinni and of Course Bob Kane (R.I.P) for such a great tv series and superhero that I can connect too,

When clay face wants his "daughter" back 😭

Feat of Clay parts 1&2 are amazing

“Joker’s favor” is one of my faves!! My dude flips off the joker in traffic!!!

Talia Al Ghul is so freaking hot in Batman the Animated series. Especially in that rocking belly dancer costume. 🔥

21:57 I am surprised to this day, that Batman did not get deputized, there and then for that courageous rescue, and returning to fight crime.

Loved this series. But I was kinda hoping the episode with killer crop manipulating a circus group to kill batman abd the episode with man bat returning but turns out its the scientists wife who was accidentally turned would make the list. But batman animated for fox had alot of dark episodes

What an awsome show. So many dark characters. I loved Heart of Steel episodes. Best parts Terminator, Batman and psychological thriller.

The best adaptation of Batman outside of the comic books. Easily the finest superhero cartoon series

A high quality show. We need more like this, please!

He didn't create Bolton at all, he was a villain way before he put on that costume.

here in 2024 and BATMAN TAS are still the best even after those years. takes "old is gold" to whole new level.

Batman TAS and the brief sequel series remain my most Treasured Plundered Booty.

In this brief moment at 8:20, the Joker's hair is completely green, as it should be.

That one with joker taking that kid to his carnival was super unsettling.

"The Joker plants a bomb in a childrens party" Is only #4 lmao this show is great

I'm just realizing every single batman villain is a victim of sercumstance and afflicted none have real powers by choice is always tragic backstory and it's usually trying to do what they had to for family

You remind me of the Narrator from the How It's Made show. Cool video.

Great vid

Lockup was already a villain before he became Lockup. He was already unhinged and was incrediby heavy handed. Eventually he would have been caught, and he would have become Lockup

Gotta love shirtless Batman still wearing his cowl lol also it's "ray-sh" not "roz."

9:30 As Batman escapes his straight-jacket, the Joker grumbles "They don't make straight-jackets like they used to." Breaking the fourth wall, he adds, "I oughta know."

3:42 Lmao they took his shirt off, but left the mask on.

I watched these as an adult and they sstill hit hard even after a few watches.

16:11 “ransforming” I think you’re missing a letter

NICE VID!

Baby doll still f*cks me up everytime

Poor Tygrus, I totally forgot about him.

2:32 I love this video and anything BTAS! But how can you misread Noras last name as 'Fries' when talking about Mr. Freeze in the same sentence?!

I really miss how most shows nowadays, is literally just "add gore = mature". The story has suffered immensely due to that in many modern shows and movies.

Btas is hands down my favorite. I watch this with my son's, they love it as well.

You forgot when Clayface made a daughter, then at the end of the episode re-absorbs her, ending her life

Don't worry folks grant walker got out of the ice but he most likely died when his body deteriorated.

God, that Baby Doll episode was something else...

thought you were going to break down why these shows were dark but it's really just summaries of the shows.

So didn't notice this last time but Batman didn't "lead" Boltan to become a criminal he was already messed up to begin with

Lockdown was one of the eeriest villains in the series in that he showed what Batman might have become

" EVERY VILLAN HAS BEEN MADE BY THE HAND OF BATMAN "

*Walker eventually stopped thinking*

Batman The Animated series was so awesome

A couple of these episodes scared me.

I remember thinking a lot of episodes seemed dumb but that's maybe because most it probably went over my head as a kid. I bet I'd appreciate it more now as a grown adult. I also know a little more batman lore now through those Arkham games.

When Baby doll broke down it really hit hard

"I didn't mean to.."

Bart Simpson: WOW, how does this show stay so fresh ?

fun fact, the voice actor for Ra's Al Ghoul is the same actor for the Lobe on freakazoid. he died this year. RIP.

TAS had alot of hard hitting moments like these... i think out of the ones listed here, the Baby one was the hardest. I think the darkest one would of had to be the torture and brainwashing of young robin by Joker...though, i suppose this doesn't exactly count in terms of being in TAS since it was a flashback scene in Batman Beyond. (if i remember right)

One of my favorite moments is from an Uber-rare Uber-powerful story involving Batman and Joker. Most of the time, Joker’s daring Batman to kill him--but THIS time, Joker’s begging Batman to let him commit suicide! In Part I of this three-part story, called “April Fool”, Joker discovers he has a daughter and ironically owes Batman for reuniting them. He comes THIS close to reforming for her sake, out of pure real fatherly love, but tragedy shatters that joy and hope forever. And in his agony, Joker contemplates hurling himself off the hospital rooftop, but Batman won’t let him. And the conversation they have is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking: Joker: Let me go! Let me fall! Let me die! Please, Batman! Let me die! We both know the world will be far better off once I’m no longer in it! Batman: They won’t let you into Heaven if you do this! Joker: Even if I get cast down, and I’m forever parted from April, and my daily torment is visions of her in Heaven--at least I’d get to see her again--hear her laugh--see her smile! PLEASE, Batsy! Let my pain end! Let me go! Batman: I can’t do that, Jack! We BOTH made her a promise! Remember? (Joker completely breaks down in tears and cries his heart out in Batman’s arms) And Joker’s grief is taken advantage of by an assassin in Part II, called “Lovelorn”, and in Part III: “Wedding Blues For Batman”, Joker and Batman sing a duet together, a sad lamenting ballad for Joker’s dearly-departed daughter.

I don't see Jervis as a sympathetic villain. He hardly thought twice about using mind control to enslave people to his will. He's just an atypical stalker with incredible technology and intellect. And then he blamed everyone else but himself when he finally gave in and made the woman he claimed to love just another puppet. F*** him. Batman had MANY sympathetic villains who were either victims of circumstance or otherwise not entirely evil but Mad Hatter was not one of them.

It still surprises me that Mark Hamil Was the Joker in this

Joker would not be insulted by being compared to Bats. Joker firmly believes they are the same.

We’ll never get such great dark shows like Batman The Animated Series ever again