All Batman Animated Series in Order

Even though the cinemas are filled with plenty of superhero films, television was the pioneer in bringing comic book characters to life. During the golden age of television, shows featured the action of superheroes and villains with brilliant camera work, writing, and costumes. Comic books were no longer for children or teenagers to consume. Instead, they were a visual product they could watch with their families and friends. While Marvel has reigned as king of the box office for nearly a decade, they owe a lot of their success to animated and live-action superhero series featuring DC heroes, namely Superman and Batman.

After the success of the cheesy 1966 live-action Batman, with Adam West playing the title role, the airwaves needed more of Gotham’s famous hero. But instead of replicating the genius of the live-action series, the studios went in the direction of animation instead. Thankfully, West would go on to reprise his role in a handful of these animated series.

In total, Batman is featured in over a dozen animated projects, all while being voiced by plenty of talented actors. Some of the animated series’ villains, like Riddler or Harley Quinn, even occasionally steal the show from Bruce Wayne himself. Below are all the animated series in order, either starring or featuring Batman, including the upcoming Batman: Caped Crusader and Bat-Family.

Updated Dec. 24, 2023: This article has been updated with even more information about every Batman animated series, including information about Bat-Family and Batman: Caped Crusader.

Batman Animated Series in Chronological Order

The Adventures of Batman (1968)

The first animated series after a handful of live-action adaptations was The Adventures of Batman. Technically, the series was a repackaging of episodes originally produced for The Batman/Superman Hour. Originally produced by Filmation, this series featured Batman teaming up with Superman, Robin, and Batgirl against villains like Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, and the Joker, with incredibly colorful costume designs and equally stiff animation. Radio personality Casey Kasem, who was also the original voice of Shaggy Rogers in Scooby-Doo, voiced Robin, with Olan Soule voicing Batman. As Batman’s first voice actor, Soule would continue to voice Batman in a number of adaptations to come. Buy The Adventures of Batman on Prime Video and Apple TV.

Super Friends (1973)

In the second animated series, Super Friends, Batman isn’t necessarily the main focus, but he is heavily featured. As one of the many members of what would become the Justice League, Batman teams up with the Super Friends, a collection of DC superheroes whose intermingled universes allow for dozens of unique adventures. The series existed under a number of unique titles for a time, including: The All-New Super Friends Hour, Challenge of the Superfriends, Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, and so on.

Soule and Kasem reprised their roles as Batman and Robin for Super Friends. Though the series is seen as delightfully cheesy nowadays, it would be an instrumental piece of the Saturday-morning cartoon lineup throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, setting the stage for future DC shows to come. The series also featured Batman and Robin teaming up with the cast of Scooby-Doo for a pair of crossover specials. Buy Super Friends on Prime Video and Apple TV.

The New Adventures of Batman (1977)

A little over a decade after the prolific live-action Batman TV series – which saw Adam West and Burt Ward becoming the famous Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin – The New Adventures of Batman premiered. Adam West and Burt Ward reprised their roles as Batman and Robin in this series. Melendy Britt, who originally portrayed She-Ra in She-Ra: Princess of Power, lends her voice to Batgirl this time around, along with the addition of a brand-new character, Bat-Mite, played by Lou Scheimer.

Interestingly, the villains of The New Adventures of Batman are something worth highlighting. Due to licensing restrictions, Riddler and Scarecrow were restricted to appearing in Challenge of the Superfriends, as that series aired alongside The New Adventures of Batman at the time. The New Adventures of Batman was able to feature the Joker through a similar set of circumstances. The series also features a unique, distinctly orange costume design for Catwoman. As neat as it is, it’s probably better off being left behind in the late ’70s. Buy The New Adventures of Batman on Prime Video and Apple TV.

Batman: The Animated Series (1992)

15 years after the ending of The New Adventures of Batman came one of the most beloved series: Batman: The Animated Series. Between 1977 and 1992, the world wasn’t without the caped crusader, though. Director Tim Burton’s acclaimed live-action Batman films were released between 1989 and 1992. Batman: The Animated Series takes inspiration from the films in its animation and storyline, presenting a deliberately darker, more serious atmosphere that modernized some of Batman’s dated qualities at the time.

To go over everything Batman: The Animated Series did for the franchise as a whole would take all day, but there are some important broad strokes to cover. This series introduced Harley Quinn to the world, a character who likely needs no introduction to Batman fans. Mark Hamill’s terrifying peformance as the Joker was established in this series as well, showcasing his range as a voice actor following his success in the Star Wars franchise. This would also be the first Batman series to feature Kevin Conroy in the title role, who would play the character in more than a dozen separate Batman projects, ranging from the Arkham series of games to future animated DC films. Stream Batman: The Animated Series on Max.

The New Batman Adventures (1997)

The New Batman Adventures – not to be confused with The New Adventures of Batman – technically counts as a third season for Batman: The Animated Series. Aside from some revamped animation and some slight differences in presentation, the similarities are more than apparent. But, the series shifts away from Batman and onto his partners: Batgirl, Robin, and Nightwing, with a handful of other DCU characters making guest appearances.

Most of the cast from the original series, including Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, reprise their roles for this series. In addition to this, The New Batman Adventures also featured several crossover events between Superman: The Animated Series and Static Shock, with the former running concurrently with The New Batman Adventures.

Batman Beyond (1999)

Batman Beyond took a bold step with the Batman franchise, depicting the Caped Crusader as an older, wiser man. Batman Beyond is set a few decades in the future, where an aging Batman has retired from crime-fighting after nearly breaking his moral code. Left without many connections in his golden years, a new gallery of villains has taken Gotham by storm, with the newly-orphaned Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle) taking up the moniker of Batman in Bruce’s stead.

Aside from being the first Batman to not sport a cape, Batman Beyond was acclaimed for moving the Batman franchise in a new direction, taking the property to an even darker place than previously thought possible. A direct-to-video sequel film, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, would see a similar level of acclaim, along with some unprecedented levels of violence and mature content. Though Return of the Joker was incredible in its own right, there are more than a handful of reasons why Batman Beyond should get a live-action movie. Stream Batman Beyond on Max.

Justice League (2001)

Justice League would serve as both a sequel to Batman: The Animated Series and a prequel to Batman Beyond, with Bruce Wayne donning his signature bat-themed getup once more. Like Super Friends, Justice League eschews Batman as the central focus in favor of a large cast of heroes, including Superman (George Newbern), Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg), Green Lantern (Phil LaMarr), The Flash (Michael Rosenbaum), Martian Manhunter (Carl Lumbly), and Hawkgirl (Maria Canals-Barrera). Conroy and Hamill reprised their respective roles.

Minus some small adjustments from their source material, Justice League saw an incredible level of acclaim across the board. The show’s popularity even persists until this day, with fans continuing to debate over which episodes of Justice League are the best. Though Batman was just one part of this series, its legacy as one of the DC animated universe’s best offerings makes it more than worth checking out. Stream Justice League on Max and Netflix.

Justice League Unlimited (2004)

A sequel to Justice League, Justice League Unlimited takes what worked in the original Justice League and expands upon it ten-fold. Set a few years after the events of the original series, it acts as the conclusion to the shared universe originally started with Batman: The Animated Series, drawing upon elements introduced in the entire DC animated universe for its continuity heavy storylines.

Unfortunately, due to more licensing restrictions, the numerous characters of the Batman universe would be unavailable for Justice League Unlimited‘s later seasons. Still, Justice League Unlimited is easily one of the greatest superhero shows ever made, somehow topping the original series while introducing some of the most underutilized and obscure DC properties to date. Some of Justice League Unlimited‘s best episodes up the ante in ways that the original series could never dream of. Stream Justice League Unlimited on Max and Netflix.

The Batman (2004)

Speaking of licensing restrictions, next up is The Batman. In this wild reinvention of the series, Bruce Wayne – now played by Rino Romano – teams up with Robin (Evan Sabara) and Batgirl (Danielle Judovits) to fight the villains of Gotham over a total of five seasons. Despite borrowing some elements from its predecessors, The Batman is set in its own unique continuity.

This series would secure multiple Emmy wins for Outstanding Sound Editing, in addition to securing nominations for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program on four separate occasions. It’s also notable for featuring some of the most dramatic redesigns of Batman’s cast of characters so far, with some notable names attached as voice actors. Just to name a few: Kevin Michael Richardson took over as the Joker; the Penguin was voiced by Tom Kenny; the Riddler was played by Robert Englund; and Killer Croc was played by Ron Perlman.

Related

Batman Movies in Order: How to Watch Chronologically and By Release Date

Batman is one of the most prolific comic book franchises of all time, with an appropriately vast filmography. Here’s every movie in order.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold is the first HD Batman series on this list. However, that’s not the only major change this series brought about. Along with a dramatic redeisgn that introduced brighter colors and a vintage comic aesthetic, The Brave and the Bold eschewed the long-running storylines of previous series in favor of episodic partnerships with just about every DC hero you can imagine. It’s a series more in-line with Adam West’s depiction of the character, even allowing Batman to crack some dry one-liners occasionally.

The Brave and the Bold is an excellent series for DC fans as a whole. While Batman takes center stage, the heroes he teams up with are often ripped straight out of the Golden and Silver Age, focusing more on lesser-known heroes like Guy Gardner or Booster Gold than well-known staples. The series also featured a brawl between Batman and Superman five years before Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, with Krypto the Superdog in tow. You can check out this brawl below.

Beware the Batman (2013)

Beware the Batman

Release Date

July 13, 2013

Cast

Anthony Ruivivar , JB Blanc , Sumalee Montano , Kurtwood Smith , Brian George , Wallace Langham

Seasons

1

By the the 2010s, 3D animation was becoming more commonplace, especially with action-based cartoons like Beware the Batman. A return to form after The Brave and the Bold, the series featured a number of changes, both stylistically and narratively, that differentiate it from its peers. Beware the Batman featured a similar style to the first-ever Green Lantern series ever produced, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, and focused on Batman (Anthony Ruivivar) teaming up with Katana (Sumalee Montano) instead of his usual partners. The series is also notable for featuring the character of Anarky as its central villain in lieu of the Joker. The series also featured a particularly stylish introduction sequence, which you can watch below.

After only four months, the series was mysteriously removed from its original television network, Cartoon Network, in favor of being aired on Adult Swim. Because of its limited run, unusual character designs, and its speculative status as a tax write-off, Beware the Batman hasn’t seen much attention since its original airing. Those who did see it, however, would more than happily rank it as one of the best Batman animated series out there. Thankfully, in the age of streaming, it’s readily available to watch. Stream Beware the Batman on Max.

Related

10 Batman Movies That Never Got Made

In honor of Batman Day, look back at the biggest cinematic takes on The Dark Knight that almost happened.

Batman Unlimited (2015)

In the 2010s, toy-based series and films were growing in popularity. Batman Unlimited is based on a toy line from Mattel, which is reflected in the machines Batman relies on. The Batmobile, as well as a Transformers-like robot that Batman pilots, are frequently featured throughout each episode.

Similar to other Batman series featured here, Batman either faces off against his usual rogues’ gallery by himself or with the aid of friends from the DCU, including Green Arrow, Red Robin, and Nightwing. Batman Unlimited is not available on streaming.

Justice League Action (2016)

The last Justice League series featuring Batman is 2016’s Justice League Action, with Kevn Conroy reprising his role as Bruce Wayne once more. While it may not be one of Kevin Conroy’s best performances as Batman, it’s still nice to hear him return to the character once again. In this series, Batman, along with Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Blue Beetle, come together to fight the numerous villains of the DCU. The series is reminiscent of Brave and the Bold, returning to more upbeat storytelling and brighter color palettes. Even the show’s overall atmosphere is much more comical than previous Batman series.

Conroy is joined by Diedrich Bader, who portrays Booster Gold, and Mark Hamill, who plays Swamp Thing and the Joker. Additional cast members attached to this series include Troy Baker, Jason J. Lewis, Khary Payton, Hannibal Buress, and Melissa Disney. Stream Justice League Action on Prime Video.

Batman: Caped Crusader (TBA)

Batman: Caped Crusader

An animated reimagining of the Batman mythology.

Seasons

1

Studio

6th & Idaho Productions, Bad Robot, DC Entertainment

While the latest Batman animated series doesn’t have a release date, it will be available on Prime Video after originally being developed for Max. Producer J.J. Abrams is behind the Batman: Caped Crusader series, and is reimagining the character completely. From the promotional photos, Batman’s broad chin is back and the ears on his mask are the largest they’ve been, though his physique is similar to the latest live action Batman actor, Robert Pattinson.

Bruce Timm has also returned once more as Batman: Caped Crusader‘s showrunner, having previously lent his incredible talent to the original shared universe started by Batman: The Animated Series. Under his direction, the series will try to do everything Batman: The Animated Series couldn’t. The series currently has two seasons ordered. Batman: Caped Crusader is coming soon to Prime Video.

Bat-Family (TBA)

Bat-Family, a direct sequel to 2023’s Merry Little Batman, is also in development. While little is publicly known about this spinoff series, we can infer a few things about it based on its parent film.

Merry Little Batman was a deliberately comedic film, one that focused on Damian Wayne (Yonas Kibreab) in lieu of the fully-grown Dark Knight. The film’s plot sees Damian Wayne donning his own signature cowl as Batman takes on a mission of his own, with the Joker’s plans for ruining Christmas forming the crux of the film’s conflict. Its character designs are much more cartoony compared to previous iterations, and its focus on the holiday season gives it a lighter, more family-friendly tone overall.

Mike Roth, the director of Merry Little Batman, will serve as Bat-Family‘s showrunner. The series itself will focus on Batman, Alfred, and Damian, in addition to characters not originally seen in Merry Little Batman. Bat-Family is coming soon to Prime Video.

For more information about Merry Little Batman, as well as an exclusive interview with Mike Roth himself, check out the video below.