Almost got ‘em still stands as my favorite. Because seeing the villains getting to interact and bounce off each other is great stuff. Plus, Beware the Grey Ghost is a great tribute to Batman 66 and Adam West.
Even though I like famous ones like Almost Got Im and Heart of Ice, my favorite is Two Face. Not only is one the best and most tragic villains origins but I love how Harvey was established early as Bruce's friends, making him into more personal foe for Batman than just generic bad guy for him to punch. My only nitpick is that I wish the episode had showed the effect that Harvey transformation has on the city as whole, just like in Long Halloween, where the incident not only represents Batman losing friend but it's also the nail in the coffin that Gotham will ever get rid of crime and corruption.
Actually, I’m pretty sure he was already the Joker when he went to that contest in that footage. He was just in disguise. It seemed recent, like a year before, while the Joker’s already active for years.
@@rcbmmines4579 exactly. Robin says he and Alfred taped that show from the year before, which means Joker was just impersonating that comedian as a stunt to perform and deceive everybody.
@@Bale4Bond His rogues gallery is great, it adapted story arcs from the comics, had faithful adaptations of characters, and had cameos from other Marvel heroes appearing in the show. While yes the production value is different, for a Spider-Man fan in the 90s this was THEIR Batman: The Animated Series (quite literally, Spider-Man: The Animated Series)
This, spiderman, x-men, gargoyles, reboot, beast wars. Got a lot of great shows that tackled things like ethics and morality while still being approachable for how young I was. Plus it helped prepare me for common tricks and twists for future shows/movies.
Here to remember Kevin Conroy, his performance in this show cemented him as THE definitive Batman in my mind and for many others. May we always remember and celebrate the impact he had on our lives.
First memory in life period is renting the Laughing Fish/Christmas with the Joker vhs from Blockbuster at 3 years old, became a weekly tradition for years, and I now watch both every Christmas
The Gray Ghost is my absolute favorite episode because of Adam West. I watched Adam West series and got to meet him at the local mall when I was a kid. When walking up he said "Hello Old Chum, how are you today?" And I'm just like "GUH, Uh, You're Batman." I learned at work and went into the bathroom and cried when I found out he passed. He was and always will be The Bright Knight. He was my hero when I was a kid, and he still is.
@@charleslee8313 I totally agree. That's a character I bet if they ever did a legit live action Batman show they could do. Get Kevin Conroy to play it.
Adam West, of all the live action Bats, is the only one who could have sold Batman as someone who'd have handled Ace like the Conroy Bat did in Epilogue.
My Favorite episodes (NOT in order): • Heart of Ice • Almost got ‘em • Mad as a Hatter • Beware the Gray Ghost • Two-Face (Part 1 & 2) • Nothing to Fear • Baby Doll • If you’re so smart, why aren’t you so rich? • Trial • Perchance to Dream There are SOOOOO many episodes to select on my personal book to watch!
I pretty much exactly agree, only Baby Doll wouldn’t be near my top 10 because for me it is only the ending in the hall of mirrors that makes this one stand out, Nothing to Fear would also be close to getting bumped off my list
The H.A.R.D.A.C. Episodes were great. But "This Silicon Soul" with the duplicate Batman having a complete suicidal breakdown over killing someone is so incredible. And how its broken down as one of his ultimate weaknesses and best strength just defines Batman to me.
That's one of my favorites too. The scene where the robot Batman tries to convince Rossum that he's the real one and Rossum just dashes his hopes is heartbreaking.
@@Ingenuity009 Well that radical opinion of yours did it. I'm going against 30 years of enjoyment for you. In fact that show is just terrible altogether.
@@Ingenuity009 Thank you for your opinion 10 days later its really made a difference. I hate Batman now. Thank you Stranger. I hope you enlighten us all with your great works of writing HaterAid.
One of my faves has to be "The Man who killed Batman" I just love that by weird circumstances, this nerd is considered one of the worst in the criminal underworld for taking the big bad bat. A fun episode for sure.
An underrated episode that I've always loved was Judgement Day. It's one I've never seen discussed, but the mystery and atmosphere, are on point, and the progression of Two-Face is a really interesting direction to take the character.
That was the only episode that actually surprised me at the end. When I first saw it as a kid I had gotten familiar with enough series mythology that I could predict who the twist villain would be pretty easily. But when it was revealed who the judge really was I was legitimately surprised.
One of my fav episodes was "Joker's Favor". I love how this guy, Charlie cusses out the Jokerwhile driving on the freeway & ends up having to move to hide from him but Joker finds him & calls in a favor. I mainly remember the musical score in that episode having a TV sitcom ish sound to it almost Andy Griffith show like.
Appointment in Crime Alley. Shirley Walker did an amazing job with that score and seeing batman not dealing with his usual supervillains but helping the community where his parents died just pulled on the heartstrings.
Trivia time! Kevin Conroy went to Juliard, and his roommate was Robin Williams. He said Robin was an amazing performer, his improve was uncanny....but Robin wasn't always "on" as they say. Robin had VERY deep self-esteem issues, and suffered from depression. Kevin said that were nights where Robin would just shut down...we know now, only when it's too late that he had some demons....but he made us all laugh and smile, and all Robin wanted from everyone. Robin Williams RIP, good sir.
I'd like to give a shoutout to 'Birds Of A Feather', which is just a really delightful Penguin episode with great character work; and also to 'Harlequinade' because the dynamic between Batman and Harley Quinn is just so perfect, plus her musical number with 'Say That We're Sweethearts Again' is pure gold.
To me, this and the rest of the DCAU, still stands as some of the best comic adaptations ever. Plus, this along with the 90s X-Men and Spider-Man shows introduced me to the world of superheroics.
"Heart of Ice" still makes me cry, such a beatiful story and this is why I really want Mr. Freeze in sequel to The Batman with Robert Pattinson. "Almost Got'im" second for me, fantastic story with funny side about villains from Batman gallery. "Dragon Quest" also still makes me mind about Ra's and make him my third favorite Batman villain after Joker and Mr. Freeze
Personal favorite has to be "Growing Pains" that episode really hit me hard when I was a kid. The gut punch of knowing that someday someone you know will just be gone and theres nothing you can do about it, resonates with me to this day. Sometimes there are no happy endings.
I discovered Batman and his universe with this show. It's Always Inspiring to watch Batman the Animated Series, who Brilliantly explored the Batman Mythology. With his depiction of the Duality of Bruce Wayne/Batman, the Bat-Family, Gotham City, Batman Rogues Gallery and The complete Voice Casting who Immortalized the characters. Thank you BTAS, Happy 30th Anniversary.
Thanks for giving BTAS a huge shout out. I was a huge fan of the show when i first came across it on Fox one day before my evening job. Many of my favorites made your list so i was right there with you when you counted them down. Throughout the years the show made changes but nothing said Batman more than the legendary Kevin Conroy as Batman. I watch BTAS on days when sitting down on the couch relaxing with not a care in the world, and that allows me to get deep into each episode. Thanks Matt!
“The Ultimate Thrill” (which made your honorable mentions) Is to me very memorable. It is so much more risqué than any other episode that it felt quite wild when I first watched it. 😊
The saddest part of "Cold Comfort" was the fact that Nora Fries was cured of her disease, but wanted nothing to do with Victor. Personally, "On Leather Wings" and "Dreams in Darkness" are my two favorite BTAS episodes, with "Feat of Clay Part 2" in a close third.
It wasn't that Nora wanted nothing to do with him. It's that Viktor felt he couldn't return to her the way his disease had progressed, so Nora eventually moved on and married someone else.
Fun fact: Originally they were gonna have Count Dooku himself Christopher Lee voice Ra's Al Ghul, while David Warner was a awsome Ra's that would've been awsome too. It also would've been intresting because Liam Neeson who played Qui-Gon Jinn from Star Wars and was also Dookus former aprentice played Ra's in Batman Begins, plus Corey Burton who voiced Count Dooku in both Star Wars the clone wars tv shows also voiced Hugo Strange in Batman Arkham City, and Mark Hamil who was Luke Skywalker voiced Joker on this series and other incarnations.
You Know the Tragic Irony in this. Both David Warner would Die Back in July & Kevin Conroy Would Also Pass Away in November of 2022. May Both those Men ''Rest in Power''!!!
The thing that really struck me going back and watching these recently was that ALL of my favorite episodes, by the end of them, turned out to be Mad Hatter episodes. Every. Single. Time. I thought my favorite villainous theme would turn out to be Scarecrow (fear is such a great premise with a lot of creative promise), or barring him, the Riddler (but he was used so sparingly in this show), but the psychology-based Hatter episodes were where it was at, instead.
I think the Superman show is painfully under loved (most people remember BtA and Justice League and then as almost an after thought that half of what they recall JL being was actually Unlimited, a technically new show and that Superman had his own show prior to JL) and I would ADORE seeing you give it some of your trade mark high quality, informative TLC!
Justice League unlimited Cadmus season is technically sequel to STAS. Many of the story arc that were introduced in STAS came to full realization in Justice League unlimited. Hence, people always forget STAS is separate series in DCAU.
I had to return here after the devastating news, Kevin Conroy: THE BATMAN has passed away… Kevin has been our definitive Batman for 30 years, he was the guy you would most likely think of when either reading a Batman comic or just in general. As someone who had grown up with his Batman for 20 years and for being the man who not only introduced me to the character, but also defined him for me, This is absolutely destroying. R.I.P to THE GREATEST to ever do it, LONG LIVE BATMAN.
although I'm aware there's better episodes my favorite episode is season 2 episode 2 where killer croc escapes and befriends some people from the circus who have been labeled as freaks by society. it really helps develop croc and shows a sympathetic side to him, but at the same time doesn't excuse his actions whether society calls him a monster or not, hurting innocents isn't the answer
My personal favourite is " It's never too late", Stromwell redemption arc in such a short time is done so well... and best part is that Batman is only a guardian angel/ guide in this story something like ghost of christmas past, present and future merged into one. Iove when we get normal human/ gangster story rather than his usual rogues gallery.
I appreciate the development in each of the characters, you truly understand villain motives from their origins. Often times resulting in tragedies like Two Face, Mr. Freeze, Clayface. It’s a timeless series with its beautiful Art Deco and Noir style
Quick shout out to people like Bruce Timms, Eric Radkovich, Alan Burnett, Paul Dimi, and of course the Amazing Andrea Romano, who gathered the most wonderful ensemble of Actors to make this iconic series possible……what a great team you all made!! Everyone and Everything seemed to just come together at exactly the right moment in time to create this Brilliant Animated series- You guy’s are all simply the best!!
The Arkham games were really a spiritual successor to this show. I feel that series was really able to let loose through incredible character development and world building. So much thought was put into the story and plot threads that were planted in earlier games for them to come to a head later. So much lore was created for the whole world like the Asylum’s history and Gotham’s past. Not to mention the incredible work that was put into the gameplay
Almost got em is probably my number one episode because of the premise. The joker, two-face, the penguin, poison ivy, and killer croc playing poker while telling stories about how they almost got the batman.
@@JazzStation95 I hate anti-hero Harley tbf, completely sucks out what made her a good character in the first place. No she's just DCs Deadpool and its cringey
Love your videos man! Keep up the amazing work. It's not my favorite episode of the bunch, but "Growing Pains" absolutely broke my heart as a kid. R.I.P. Annie.
One episode I always enjoyed was Night of the Ninja. I loved every time they would delve into his past, especially when it would show him vulnerable. And dealing with the villain who was one of the few who could best him in martial prowess was such a great touch. He actually had doubts he could win and his confidence was in question. Didn't hurt as a kid I thought ninjas were just awesome
As a child, I always found this show to be too frightening and violent to really enjoy it. I remember seeing the Clayface episode and being genuinely terrified. As an adult I can appreciate the amazing creative skill brought to this series in both the animation and writing, as well as the relative rarity of an American animated series that is mature in tone without being crass.
Love your comment. Yes, as a young kid, the clayface episode was kind of startling. And yes i can appreciate the writing as well especially the mature tone of atmosphere it brought without, as u said it, being crass
Happy to see Two-Face so high. It's probably my favorite episodes of the series as a big fan of the character. Also, cool to see some love for TNBA. I know it's not the most loved era of the show, but it still has some great episodes.
It is rare for a comic character to have a golden age, but batman under Conroy had 2. 30 years he devoted himself to the duty, 30 years in the cape and cowl, 30 years he brought us comfort in the night. Who among us will put that cowl on and carry it forward unto dawn?
Great video! BTAS was a huge part of my childhood and is what made me the massive Batman fan I am today. I would say my favorite episodes are Feat of Clay, If you’re so smart why aren’t you rich, Deep Freeze, Heart of Ice, Over the Edge, Judgement Day, Robin’s Reckoning, Two-Face, and Perchance to Dream.
30 years of the best animated stories ever told. And Heart of Ice is my favorite episode, so early in the series...and so unbelievably good. That, and the Werewolf episode that everyone forgets about.
One episode that has become a favorite of mine after checking it out would be "Lock-Up", which is about a cruel and sadistic guard named Lyle Bolton who becomes a super-villain known as Lockdown after he gets fired from his job at Arkham Asylum. My most favorite scene is the part where Lyle Bolton is being testified by three of the inmates (Scarecrow, Harley Quinn, and The Ventriloquist), all of whom refuse to speak up against him due to Bolton threating them earlier, until Bruce Wayne (Batman) decides to announce that Bolton's guard duties become extended, which causes them to panic and they instantly reveal the things he's able to do to them, and Bolton becomes so enraged that he even tries to hurt them before he is hauled away afterwards.
I like that one a lot too, I thought it had some great themes such as police brutality, abuse of power, and punishment vs. rehabilitation that are still relevant today. I'll admit it doesn't *completely* work for me given that it's set in a universe where, by default, the villains have to keep breaking out over and over again in order for Batman to have someone to fight (meaning that the show unintentionally vindicates Lock-Up's perspective somewhat), but I still think it has some great ideas. But I could just be biased bc I'm a Scarecrow fan so I loved seeing him in a somewhat pitiable/sympathetic role for once. 😂
See No Evil left a lasting impression on me and I have never forgotten the terror of the Lloyd Ventris' disembodied voice fill an empty room. Also the concept of a person illegally entering your home to secretly talk to your child and then planning to kidnap them is equally terrifying. great story.
To hit on every aspect of an animated show is just ridiculous. The music is beyond iconic, every time I hear I’m transported. The animation was gorgeous and revolutionary. Simply put nothing looked like it. And then the writing, oh the writing. Many of these Batman stories are the definitive take on said tale. This show was my childhood. I love it dearly.
'Dreams in Darkness" might have been the first aninated series episode I ever saw as a kid. As such it left an impact. My first exposure to the "psychological torment" style of batman story. Normally I hate scary stuff but I was able to get through it because I knew batman was hallucinating. Still the fact that he was locked up in arkham and the psychologist didn't believe him was kind of scary In it's own way.
This show is one of my favorites for maybe an odd reason. It was the first show I watched as a kid that had violence in it. I was amazed by the punches and kicks thrown, the massive explosions and the lengths the villains were willing to go to get what they wanted. Also yes Bane's eyes nearly popping out of his sockets traumatized me. Funnily enough I actually did not see Superman The Animated Series as a kid. I don't know if the channels I had didn't air it or what but I never saw it. Literally just a few months ago I watched it for the first time and said, "Oh it's more of Batman The Animated Series but with Superman." It's just as well done as the Batman series.
Heart of ice was the first time I watched an animated tv show and cried. What was more impactful was that I cried for Mr. Freeze. It was the first time I understood the motivations of the villain could be more than just greed or pure evil. The poetic nature of the dialogue had me glued to the screen till the very end.
1. Two-Face 2. Perchance to Dream 3. Over the Edge 4. Heart of Ice 5. Baby-Doll 6. Feat of Clay 7. The Man Who Killed Batman 8. Robin's Reckoning 9. The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne 10. Never Fear
Speaking of Man Bat being scary, my first experince with Man Bat was his debut in the episode "The Man Who Would Be Bat" from The Batman 2004, I was five when I saw that episode and when his eye opens during the transformation scene it creeped me out.
Damn how much i loved that series.Kickstarted my Love for Dark Heroes and Comics in general. So well done.The only thing i really didnt like on later episodes was that they made a new Joker without his red lips,still think hes missing something. Wonder what the decision behind that was.
Your video on Heart of Ice was the first video I saw from this channel. It's great to see you talking about TAS again. I'd probably say that Heart of Ice is my favourite episode of Batman the Animated Series because of how well the writers handled Mr. Freeze when turning him into a more sympathetic villain. Going a bit further into the DCAU, I love the two part episode of Justice League, The Terror Beyond, and its pseudo-follow-up from unlimited, Wake the Dead, for using Solomon Grundy in much the same tragic way. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the rest of the DCAU sometime in the future!
one of my earliest fond youtube memories was Doug Walker's list of the best BTAS episodes, which for kid me was always the definitive list (since his was the only one I could find at the time XD) so it's staggering how different this list is, reflecting both the differences in what two people look for in this show, and the ov erall quality of BTAS. Any episode can be someone's favorite because every episode of BTAS would have been the best episode of any other cartoon that was on at the time
This show was so incredibly good. Not just the quintessential characterization of Batman, but the perfection of Tim Burton’s Art Deco/noir look, the terrific music by Shirley Walker (with original scores for each episode!), the great writing with adult themes, Mark Hamill’s Joker…I could go on and on.
Over the Edge, Perchance to Dream, and Beware the Gray Ghost were my favorite episodes, I'd say. I remember thinking that Over the Edge was the extremely dark series finale for a while as a kid (perhaps I missed the ending somehow); can you imagine?!
I had no idea it was BTAS 30th anniversary today, but this was a wonderful tribute to the series. Would love see more videos on the rest of the DC Animated Universe. Happy 30th BTAS!
This list needed “Appointment in Crime Alley” in it as its a good thriller-esque episode + it features an unsung core member of Batman’s mythos, Leslie Thompson, which ya know what the score is with her & Bruce
I loved every bit of this video. Your passion for BTAS is pretty much on par with my own, only difference being I was 18 years old when the series debuted and it still grabbed me as if I were a little kid. My friends too. I live in Northern Ireland and I was attending art college at the time and myself and some of my buddy’s used to skip classes to get home early on Wednesday afternoon just to see the latest episodes. It was instantly a cult classic even on its original run. Nothing has touched the brilliance of this show and there will never be a better Batman than the one we get here. All hail Kevin Conroy! As for your top 30 episodes I think your selection is similar to my own, except (off the top of my head) I would have to add ‘Never Too Late’ somewhere in the list. Arnold Stromwell and Rupert Thorne characters are so real and fleshed out in this episode you could almost make a documentary film about them. Anyway, thank you for your hard work and effort in making this video and you definitely get, and deserve, a like and subscribe for it.
Definitely Happy 30th Anniversary to Batman Animated! Excellent episode choices! I was in my early 30’s when this came out and absolutely the best showcase of the Batman not mention opening the door to the rest of the DC Universe! I could go for hours of what my favorite episodes are but you covered it and 🎯😎👍❤️!!
