Before CW's Arrowverse, before the DC Extended Universe, before the DC Animated Movie Universe, before even the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was a shared universe of comic book characters that impacted a couple of generations from 1992 to the mid-2000s. This was the DC Animated Universe created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini.
The DC Animated Universe has become an all-time classic universe that became the introduction to the massive multiverse of DC Comics for many people and even spawned the inspiration for other adaptations like the Batman: Arkham games and several animated movies that followed over the many years. It all started with the biggest hit of them all.
8 Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)
Originally created to capitalize on the success of Tim Burton's Batman (1989), Batman: The Animated Series was an instant hit for being an animated show that entertained more than kids: the dark tones, mature writing, and deep character-driven arcs led to a show that was just as great for adults as it was for the kids who enjoyed the action scenes and animation.
The animated series can also be thanked for introducing many iconic aspects from over the years including Kevin Conroy's legendary performance as the Caped Crusader that he continues to do almost thirty years later along with Mark Hamill's Joker. It also was the genesis of the famous Harley Quinn who became such a fan favorite that she was later introduced into the comics as an official character hence why the series will forever be cemented as one of the most important DC adaptations ever created.
7 Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000)
After the concept for a Catwoman spin-off series was canned, Bruce Timm and Paul Dini took on bringing DC's other flagship hero to life in their now-iconic and mature style. With Tim Daly as the voice of Superman, Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor, a new art style, and the return of Shirley Walker's fantastic music, Superman: The Animated Series was another hit.
Though not as fondly remembered as Batman: The Animated Series, Superman's series has garnered much praise over the years for its own unique take on Superman without feeling the need to repeat what had been done so well with Christopher Reeve movies. Tim Daly remains one of the best voices for Superman as he as well as the writers gave Superman more personality and depth than just a boy scout who saves kittens from trees.
6 The New Batman Adventures (1997-1999)
With Superman: The Animated Series being a hit as well and the creators wanting to create a shared universe with these two titans, it led to Batman getting a sequel series in the new art style called The New Batman Adventures which essentially act as the final seasons of Batman: The Animated Series.
With Nightwing and Tim Drake's Robin part of the cast, this series added more stories and altered many of the designs for characters. Some changes like Batman's new appearance were praised while the new Joker was met with disappointment. It was, however, yet another hit for the DCAU which led to a crossover event where Batman and Superman met, clashed, then worked together to stop a mutual threat. This was only the beginning.
5 Batman Beyond (1999-2001)
Sometimes a bold decision can lead to failure or a total success, especially with a character as beloved as Batman. The idea of making Bruce Wayne a retired old man while a young, wise-cracking teenager takes on the role of Batman was one of those decisions but luckily for them, Batman Beyond was a short-lived but successful series.
In the distant future, a much older Bruce Wayne apprentices a young man named Terry McGinnis who becomes the Caped Crusader for a cyberpunk version of Gotham City. The show had some critics but over the years, the show has become praised for being unique and much like with Harley Quinn, created a character and concept that would later be introduced into the comics. There are fans who await the day this concept is brought to the big screen in live-action form!
4 Static Shock (2000-2004)
Of all the superheroes to get their own series from Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, people would have expected Wonder Woman or The Flash but instead, the creators decided to go more obscure and adapt Static Shock into their universe which resulted in a series that much like all their other shows, was ahead of its time.
At that time and before, there hadn't really been an animated superhero series about a person of color. So adding that diversity was one of many reasons why the show was praised along with a likable lead in the form of Static Shock, it tackled mature subjects and themes, and even connected with The New Batman Adventures in a very fun crossover.
3 The Zeta Project (2001-2002)
Timm and Dini's work in making a more obscure hero like Static Shock into a series was a surprise success so they attempted this again by making a Batman Beyond spin-off with a totally different art style called The Zeta Project. Likely, anybody reading this has probably never even heard of the series until now and that's part of the reason why it did not last long.
Far from bad, the show had many of the same qualities that made the previous shows so good, such as the writing, great performances, characters, and animation. However, not many people watched the series, unfortunately, which led to the show getting canceled after two seasons despite having a cliffhanger ending to boost viewership. A fine series that is worth checking out if one happens to be curious about it.
2 Justice League (2001-2004)
After years of solo series, it was time to bring together the world's finest with Justice League. Instead of episodic adventures, Bruce Timm and Paul Dini amped things up by having stories that would last up to four episodes. This allowed them to fully tell a story and develop the characters over time.
Characters like Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, and Martian Manhunter have all become as iconic as Kevin Conroy's Batman. That's another thing, Batman was not in the series very much which allowed the other characters to shine on their own. Combine this with spectacular pacing, animation, villains, and thrilling adventures, Justice League is arguably the best series in the DCAU that every comic book fan needs to witness.
1 Justice League: Unlimited (2004-2006)
After having some of the best story arcs in Justice League, the creators decided to swap back to the Batman/Superman: The Animated Series style of storytelling with episodic adventures for Justice League: Unlimited. This allowed them to showcase different stories and heroes across their DC universe including Green Arrow, Captain Atom, Hawk & Dove, and more.
This did not take away from the show at all, as Unlimited had just as many fantastic episodes as its predecessor that ranged from fun and silly to epic and groundbreaking. It even features a final episode that has become iconic due to its heartbreaking events that will not be spoiled here. It was a perfect ending to the DCAU shows but the universe still lives in not only the hearts of fans but multiple movies.