Batman: The Animated Series pushed a lot of the boundaries of daytime television. In the late '80s to early '90s, shows like Batman and The Simpsons were some of the first examples that showed TV animation didn't have to be solely for children and could touch upon deeper themes.
While Batman was still marketed as a kid show, it did feature a lot of the gothic imagery that the character is known for. This can be best seen in a few of the creepiest episodes of Batman: The Animated Series. They may not be the best, but they sure did creep out fans of the series.
Updated on November 18, 2022 by Scoot Allan: The tragic passing of Kevin Conroy left fans mourning the definitive voice of Batman for modern generations. He starred as Bruce Wayne in Batman: The Animated Series and other subsequent series. His work as the Dark Knight impressed fans, even in the creepiest episodes from Batman: The Animated Series.
10 "Never Fear"
The New Batman Adventures, Season 1, Episode 4
The Scarecrow is a Batman villain who should be in horror movies. In "Never Fear" from The New Batman Adventures, Scarecrow tried something different. Rather than spread fear into the hearts of his victims, Scarecrow instead took the fear away from people, including Batman. It may not sound creepy, but it caused people to take dangerous risks.
Even Batman wasn't afraid of breaking his one rule. It made for a tense episode and easily has the creepiest version of Scarecrow. He looks less like a Scarecrow and more like an undead hanged preacher who spoke in a whispery voice provided by Re-Animator's Jeffery Combs.
9 "Tyger, Tyger"
Season 1, Episode 30
When an evil genetic engineer kidnapped one of Batman's closest friends in "Tyger, Tyger," he turned Selina Kyle/Catwoman into a feline/human hybrid. While not one of the strongest episodes, it did feature some pretty cool animal designs and introduced a dangerous new threat that called back to movies like The Island of Dr. Moreau.
From a powerful gorilla man to the titular Tyger creature, they all made for some fun monsters. The episode may be a little on the sillier side of the animated series, but the scenes of Batman fighting cat creatures on an island of animal/human hybrids definitely creeped out some fans.
8 "Moon Of The Wolf"
Season 1, Episode 36
Batman is no stranger to fighting against classic movie monsters. The Dark Knight even faced a werewolf that was terrorizing Gotham City in Batman: TAS. Like some of Batman's more sympathetic opponents, the werewolf was a man who was wronged by someone else and forced to do their bidding.
"Moon of the Wolf" wasn't the most emotionally-driven episode, but it still featured an entertaining fight between the Dark Knight and the titular lycanthrope. The werewolf transformations were as terrifying as they were beautiful. The TMS animation studio did a great job with the effects which carried the exciting fight between Batman and the werewolf.
7 "Feat Of Clay"
Season 1, Episodes 4 & 5
The origin of Clayface was reworked for Batman: The Animated Series. "Feat of Clay" introduced fans to struggling actor Matt Hagen. He worked for a corrupt businessman named Ronald Daggett in order to procure a special face cream that could alter his appearance. However, Daggett has his men turned on Hagen and doused him in the face cream, turning him into Clayface.
Clayface became one of DC's greatest shapeshifters, which helped him take his revenge on Daggett. In the creepy finale, a mentally fractured Clayface constantly changes into the people he had shifted into before, including his former roles as an actor. "Feat of Clay" became one of the most memorable episodes, but it was also one of the creepiest.
6 "Terror In The Sky"
Season 1, Episode 37
After his debut in the premiere episode of Batman: The Animated Series, fans thought they had seen the last of Man-Bat. Dr. Kirk Langstrom had transformed himself into a monster during his experiments with bat DNA and echolocation. However, Langstrom was not the monster that haunted the skies of Gotham City in "Terror in the Sky."
Kirk's colleague, Dr. March, was trying to recreate the accident that turned Langstrom into Man-Bat, and he accidentally turned his daughter into a flying monster. The poor woman's transformation was a bit disturbing, especially when she was only halfway through her transformation. It shocked viewers and created one of Batman: TAS' eeriest episodes.
5 "Over The Edge"
The New Batman Adventures, Season 1, Episode 11
During a chase to capture Scarecrow in "Over the Edge," Batgirl falls to her death in front of her father, Commissioner Gordon. In his grief and rage, Gordon decided to take down Batman for endangering his daughter.
Batman's identity was revealed, Nightwing and Alfred were arrested, Robin was forced on the run, and Gordon stooped to new depths when he recruited Bane to fight the Dark Knight. While the ending is a bit of a cop-out that reveals it was all a bad dream, it's still an incredibly intense episode filled with one twist after another.
4 "His Silicon Soul"
Season 1, Episode 43
In this three-part storyline, an A.I. by the name of H.A.R.D.A.C. was slowly replacing people with robotic duplicates. Much like Hal 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, H.A.R.D.A.C. was a cold, calculating machine that showed no remorse for anyone who stood in its way.
H.A.R.D.A.C. returned after his apparent destruction to inhabit the body of a robotic Batman clone. These three episodes were just as haunting as any good sci-fi horror movie and will give fans flashbacks of The Terminator. Given society's increasing dependence on high-tech devices, the episode was ahead of its time in touching on these fears of robotic replacement.
3 "Nothing To Fear"
Season 1, Episode 10
The first episode to feature the terrifying Scarecrow was actually the first season's "Nothing to Fear." Scarecrow uses fear delivered in various forms, making him one of Batman's scariest villains. When the Scarecrow invaded Gotham City, he attempted to spread his fear gas using an airborne blimp. When Batman tried to stop him, he was infected by the gas.
Batman's greatest fears began to constantly haunt him, including false memories of his father calling him a disappointment. It's not one of the character's scariest appearances, as Scarecrow's best and most terrifying design had yet to appear. However, the dark episode still gave fans one of the most iconic Batman moments of all time.
2 "On Leather Wings"
Season 1, Episode 1
"On Leather Wings" was the first episode that kicked off Batman: The Animated Series. A massive bat creature started terrorizing Gotham, leading the police to believe that Batman was the cause of the attacks. The Dark Knight began an investigation to clear his name and take down the monstrous creature.
Man-Bat was an incredible physical threat to the Dark Knight as one of Batman's scarier villains. "On Leather Wings" feels right at home in a classic horror film and is remembered as the creepy episode that launched one of the greatest TV shows of all time.
1 "Dreams In Darkness"
Season 1, Episode 31
One of Batman: The Animated Series' darkest episodes opened with the Dark Knight in a straight jacket. Scarecrow infected Gotham City's water supply with a hallucinogenic fear toxin. Batman was also infected, leading him to see scary imagery. These visions ultimately result in his being committed to Arkham Asylum alongside Batman's most iconic villains.
"Dreams in Darkness" featured Batman at his lowest as he was forced to live through his failure to save the city. It also featured some of the creepiest illusions ever concocted by Scarecrow to further disturb fans. It may not be a perfect episode, but it is definitely one of the creepiest.