Strongest Batman Versions In Animated Series

Key Takeaways

• Batman Beyond’s Batman has the best Batsuit among animated Batmans.
• The Animated Series’ Batman has genius intellect, master detective skills, and martial arts prowess.
• Brave and the Bold’s Batman is campy but capable of fighting cosmic-level threats as a team player.

Batman is 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 regarding the strongest Batman versions in 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 the strongest animated series versions of Batman based 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.

9 The Adventures Of Batman (1968-1969)

A Campy Adaptation Of Silver Age Batman

• Directed by Hal Sutherland
• Release: September 14, 1968 – January 4, 1969
• Genres: Action-adventure, Crime, Noir, Superhero

The Adventures of Batman was the first animated Batman show. 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.

8 The New Adventures Of Batman (1977)

Brought Back Adam West For A Charismatic Batman

• Directed by Don Townsley
• Release: February 12, 1977 – May 28, 1977
• Genres: Action-adventure, Crime, Noir, Superhero

Most of what was said in the previous entry can be applied to The 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 a slightly higher ranking.

The New Adventures of Batman brought 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 of the 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.

7 Batman: Caped Crusader (2024)

A Low-Tech, Noir-Inspired Batman

• Created by Bruce Timm
• Release: August 1, 2024 – Present
• Genres: Action-adventure, Crime, Noir, Superhero

If one were to rank these animated Batman shows on quality, Batman: Caped Crusader would rank much higher. This, the newest animated Batman show, 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 of the best noir DC comics.

This interpretation focuses much more on Batman’s detective skills over 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.

6 Batman Unlimited (2015-2016)

A High-Tech Batman Designed To Sell Plastic Toys

• Directed by Jake Castorena
• Release: 2015 – 2016
• Genres: Action-adventure, Crime, Superhero

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 on Batman and his friends facing off against his iconic foes with little in the way of story or context.

The problem is that this was less an animated Batman show and more a glorified series of adverts for Batman toys 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.

5 The Batman (2004-2008)

A Younger Batman Facing Overpowered Villains

• Developed by Michael Goguen, Duane Capizzi
• Release: September 11, 2004 – March 8, 2008
• Genres: Action-adventure, Crime, Noir, Superhero

When it was released in 2004, The Batman found itself in a pretty unenviable position. It had to try and live up to the legacy of the beloved Batman: The Animated Series while 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 of the best animated Batman shows.

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.

4 Batman: The Brave And The Bold (2008-2011)

Don’t Underestimate This Campy, Child-Friendly Batman

Batman: The Brave And The Bold is 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, but The 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, but Brave and the Bold had him working alongside some real powerhouses.

Batman is often at his strongest when working as part of a team, and Brave and the Bold understood 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.

3 Beware The Batman (2013-2014)

Battled Lesser-Known But Arguably More Dangerous Villains

• Directed by Sam Liu, Rick Morales, Curt Geda
• Release: July 13, 2013 – September 28, 2014
• Genres: Action-adventure, Crime, Noir, Superhero

Beware the Batman didn’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 animated Batman shows. It’s hard to imagine the Batman of The New Adventures of Batman going 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.

2 Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) & The New Batman Adventures (1997-1999)

A Batman With A Contingency Plan For Everything

Who could have doubted that this version of Batman would be considered one of the strongest versions from animated series. Voiced by one 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, the Batman of The Animated Series tended 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 up working with the Justice League in the Justice League animated 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.

1 Batman Beyond

Batman’s Successor Learned From the Best And Surpassed Him

Batman Beyond was launched as a direct sequel to Batman: 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 Beyond gets 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 Beyond features some of the coolest gadgets seen in an animated Batman series 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 the strongest 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.