Summary
Batmanis one of the most popular comic book characters on the planet and one of DC’s biggest stars. While most fans will associate him primarily with comic books and movie adaptations, he’s also had quite a few excellent animated shows over the years. Some of these have been aimed squarely at younger audiences, but several offer plenty to like for adult audiences, too.
Countless arguments have taken place regardingthe strongest Batman versionsin the books, but what about in the animated shows? There are plenty of series to choose from, each with its own slight variations on the same character. Here are thestrongest animated series versions of Batmanbased on feats, the gear each Batman packs, and how formidable their skills appear to be.
Only versions of Batman from his TV appearances have been considered for this list.
9The Adventures Of Batman (1968-1969)
A Campy Adaptation Of Silver Age Batman
The Adventures of Batmanwas the first animatedBatmanshow. This version of the caped crusader was inspired by both Adam West’s Batman and the Silver Age portrayals of the character. While the show was a continuation, in a way, of West’s live-action show, it featured a completely new cast and was both pretty campy and cheesy.
This is reflected in the animation’s version of Batman. The show emphasized his detective skills and prowess in hand-to-hand combat, but both come off as fairly lame compared to modern interpretations. Likewise, the gadgets viewers do see are either comical or quaint by today’s standards. This all means that this animated Batman, while fun to look back at, is easily among the weakest versions of the character when it comes to animated series.
8The New Adventures Of Batman (1977)
Brought Back Adam West For A Charismatic Batman
Most of what was said in the previous entry can be applied toThe New Adventures Of Batman. Despite coming out nearly a decade after Batman’s first animated show, the two share a lot of similarities. Both were heavily inspired by the old Adam West show and Silver Age stories. However, there’s a key difference that gets this Batman aslightlyhigher ranking.
The New Adventures of Batmanbrought back both Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin. That means that, while this Batman was just as campy and his gadgets just as low-tech, he still came packing a superpower: Adam West’s iconic charisma. West was one ofthe best live-action versions of Batman, and he brought much of what made that portrayal special to this version. With that charisma, this Batman was better at talking himself out of trouble than he was at fighting his way out of it.
7Batman: Caped Crusader (2024)
A Low-Tech, Noir-Inspired Batman
If one were to rank these animatedBatmanshows on quality,Batman: Caped Crusaderwould rank much higher. This, the newest animatedBatmanshow, came out in 2024 and is aimed squarely at adult audiences. Set in a 1940s Gotham, it stars a younger Batman early on in his career. This is a much more grounded, low-tech Batman who isn’t a slouch in a fight but much prefers to use brains over brawn. In a lot of ways, it feels inspired by some ofthe best noir DC comics.
This interpretationfocuses much more on Batman’s detective skillsover martial arts. The show also has a habit of putting Batman in the backseat, so it can focus on interesting new versions of his iconic rogues gallery. This makes it a little difficult to rank him, as there isn’t much info to go on. This being said, this noir-themed Batman still gets a low ranking thanks to his 1940s-era gadgets and, so far, lack of impressive physical feats.
6Batman Unlimited (2015-2016)
A High-Tech Batman Designed To Sell Plastic Toys
At first glance, this version of Batman looks like he should rank much higher. The show is set in a futuristic version of Gotham City where Batman, his best friends, and his classic rogues all wield some impressive-looking technology. Each episode was fairly short and usually focused onBatman and his friendsfacing off against his iconic foes with little in the way of story or context.
The problem is that this was less an animatedBatmanshow and more a glorified series of adverts forBatmantoys aimed at young children. This results in a Batman who is much more reliant on fancy, over-the-top gadgets than other animated examples. Some of these gadgets are kind of cool but far too situation-specific, while others simply look ridiculous - especially some of Batman’s vehicles. Take away his high-tech toys, and it seems likely that this Batman would lose in a fight to his higher-ranking animated counterparts.
5The Batman (2004-2008)
A Younger Batman Facing Overpowered Villains
When it was released in 2004,The Batmanfound itself in a pretty unenviable position. It had to try and live up to the legacy of the belovedBatman: The Animated Serieswhile also appearing distinct. The show’s creators managed this by focusing on a younger Batman in a less grounded version of Gotham City. While not everyone loved the art style or re-designs of some of Batman’s rogues, the show is still regarded as one ofthe best animatedBatmanshows.
Although younger and less experienced, this version of Batman was pretty impressive. He wielded some stylish, high-tech Bat-gadgets, and he had access to vehicles that were powerful, but it never felt like he relied on them. Importantly, the mix of Batman’s fighting skills, physical fitness, and detective skills all resulted in a more balanced Batman. The villains this Batman faced off against were also a bit more overpowered compared to how they were portrayed in some other animated shows, which helps bump up his ranking.
Batman: The Brave And The Boldis unashamedly campy and cartoony compared to other high-ranking entries here. Inspired by the Brave and the Bold team-ups in the comics, the show is a love letter to Golden and Silver Age comics. At first, fans underestimated this purposely cheesy version of Batman, but he actually has some impressive feats.
The more cartoony take on Batman means that, throughout the show, he shrugs off hits that would wipe out other versions of the character. His gear and fighting style might not be as flashy as with some other examples, butThe Brave and the Bold’s Batman is still capable of taking on cosmic-level threats. What really makes this Batman shine in a fight, however, is the fact he’s a team player. Other shows often place Batman working with members of the Batfamily, butBrave and the Boldhad him working alongside some real powerhouses.
Batman is often at his strongest when working as part of a team, andBrave and the Boldunderstood this. Plus, Golden and Silver age heroes tended to be much more overpowered than modern versions, and this Batman is heavily inspired by those periods in the comic books.
3Beware The Batman (2013-2014)
Battled Lesser-Known But Arguably More Dangerous Villains
Beware the Batmandidn’t run for long, and not everyone enjoyed its 3D animation, but it did feature one of the most intimidating animated versions of Batman. This version of Batman was dark, edgy, and highlighted the kinds of villains DC would never have put in older animatedBatmanshows. It’s hard to imagine the Batman ofThe New Adventures of Batmangoing head to head with the likes of Professor Pyg and Anarky.
In the skills department, this Batman pretty much has it all. He’s a formidable detective, has impressive combat abilities, and carries around plenty of high-tech gadgets. The show focused on Batman’s physical skills, especially his use of stealth, something other series tended to skip over or just play for laughs. Mostly, though, this Batman gets a high ranking because he defeated some of the Caped Crusader’s darkest villains, many of whom would eat the other versions for breakfast.
Who could have doubted that this version of Batman would be considered one of the strongest versions from animated series. Voiced byone of the best Batman voice actors, this is one of the most fondly remembered versions of Batman of any medium. He’s also one of the most well-balanced and strongest all-round versions of the character. He has a genius-level intellect, is a master detective, and is one of the world’s greatest martial artists. Despite his noir-themed version of Gotham, this Batman also came packing some impressive toys.
Especially in the earlier episodes, theBatman of The Animated Seriestended to be a little more grounded, but this changed over time as the show gradually introduced more powerful villains and elements from the comics. Eventually, this Batman ended upworking with the Justice Leaguein theJustice Leagueanimated shows, taking on cosmic and supernatural threats. Much like the Batman of the comics, this one had a contingency plan for everything and was always a step ahead. He might not be as flashy as other examples, but there’s only one other animated version of the caped crusader who could hope to beat him.
Batman Beyondwas launched as a direct sequel toBatman: The Animated Series. It starred a new Batman, Terry McGinnis, who takes on the mantle after impressing an aging Bruce Wayne. Early on, Terry could be impatient and impetuous, which could get him into trouble, but over the course of the series and tie-in books, he grew into a worthy successor who arguably surpassed Bruce Wayne in some ways.
Batman Beyondgets top-ranking for a couple of reasons. For a start, he had the best Batsuit of any animated Batman. It could turn invisible, fly, give the wearer enhanced strength and senses, and has great defensive capabilities. Likewise,Batman Beyondfeatures some of the coolest gadgets seen in an animatedBatmanseries and the most advanced Batmobile.
Importantly, however, Batman Beyond didn’t rely on his toys. Terry was already a skilled street fighter and mixed his brawler fighting style with the older Batman’s martial arts skills and tactical genius. Oftentimes, the threats he took on were even more dangerous than those his mentor had battled, and Terry survived them all. Under Bruce’s mentorship, Batman Beyond became thestrongest Batman of the animated shows.Making an Arkham Batman Beyond game wouldn’t be easy, but countless fans would love to play as this incredibly powerful version of the Dark Knight.
