Thanks to their ever-growing popularity, DC’s Suicide Squad has been featured in two full-length animated films revolving around their cast. Following their great addition in Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014), the team would make their official debut in the new DC Animated Universe (DCAU) with Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018).

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Both films took some pretty different approaches to the team however, making it a bit difficult to see which team actually did “better.” Looking at some of these specific differences, here is our list of 5 reasons Assault on Arkham is the best animated Suicide Squad feature, and 5 why Hell to Pay is.

10 ASSAULT ON ARKHAM: Its Story Is Better

Task Force X Suicide Squad Batman Assault on Arkham

When it comes down to it, Batman: Assault on Arkham had a much stronger plot, arguably making it the better film overall. The characters all felt very well-balanced and as though they each had their own reason for being there.

Likewise, Batman fit well within the story, serving as a great addition without overshadowing the rest of the Squad, which is always no easy feat considering the nature of the character. While Hell to Pay still had a nice, streamlined story going for it, Assault on Arkham easily had the stronger narrative that also concluded nicely within itself, rather than setting things up for a sequel.

9 HELL TO PAY: Its Cast Is Better

Thanks to the nature of the team in general, the Suicide Squad has a constantly rotating lineup, and featured several familiar faces throughout their various missions. Though the team almost always features the likes of at least Harley Quinn, Deadshot, and Captain Boomerang, the rest of the lineup can feature almost anyone.

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Though both animated films feature these same three characters, Hell to Pay really stands out with the addition of Bronze Tiger. His character arc throughout the film was a great way to ground the narrative while also showcasing the range of personalities commonly affiliated with the Squad. Though both versions have some truly wonderful characters on their roster, Hell to Pay assembled their team in a slightly more intriguing manner.

8 ASSAULT ON ARKHAM: It Fit The Characters Better

Fitting in with its stronger narrative, Assault on Arkham utilized its characters in a way that made everyone feel necessary to the team. In regards to Harley Quinn specifically, she felt much more necessary to the Squad in Assault on Arkham while she felt very wedged in for Hell to Pay.

Thanks to her familiarity with the patients and layout of Arkham Asylum, it made sense for Amanda Waller to include Harley as part of the mission in Assault on Arkham. When the team was chasing down a magical artifact in Hell to Pay, however, Harley didn’t exactly need to be a part of the lineup then. While it is nice to see how the character has grown on her own apart from the Joker, this is still one aspect that Assault on Arkham handled much better.

7 HELL TO PAY: It's Rated R

While a film’s rating hardly ever reflects its overall quality, Hell to Pay did benefit from its R-rating in a way that Assault on Arkham did not. Considering how the characters themselves are villains, it makes sense for the film to feature some more mature and violent material.

Though Assault on Arkham did just fine with a PG-13 rating, Hell to Pay did feel a bit more natural in appropriate for the characters. Likewise, the age restriction gave the creators much more room to really deliver on just how brutal the team can be. If only the story were stronger, Hell to Pay could have really delivered, especially with an R-rating.

6 ASSAULT ON ARKHAM: Batman's In It

Batman and Harley Quinn in "Assault on Arkham"

Despite having “Batman” in the title, Assault on Arkham actually featured very little of The Dark Knight himself. With that in mind, it certainly made appropriate use of the Caped Crusader, keeping him involved without having the entire story revolve around him. Because of how they handled a character as big as Batman, Assault on Arkham did something that is very hard to do.

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Granted, Hell to Pay didn’t even try to feature characters this big, instead incorporating some smaller-scale names and heroes. Unfortunately, Assault on Arkham’s treatment of Batman really elevated the credibility of the Squad as a whole, showing just how threatening they could be while also keeping its focus grounded on them.

5 HELL TO PAY: It Was More Connected To The DCAU

While Assault on Arkham was still connected to a version of the DC Universe, Hell to Pay definitely made it feel as though the characters had a much larger impact on the main DCAU. Especially with the stakes at hand, Hell to Pay’s version of the Squad mattered much more in the grand scheme of things than Assault on Arkham’s version.

Even without some bigger named heroes, Hell to Pay’s Suicide Squad had a far more relevant role within the DCAU than they did in Assault on Arkham. Excluding the connecting art and animation style associated with the modern DCAU, this version of the Squad just had far more impact on the larger scale of their universe than they did in Assault on Arkham.

4 ASSAULT ON ARKHAM: The Art & Animation Are Stronger

Maybe this was because the character designs were already established, or maybe it is because people were used to seeing the typical DCAU art, but the distinctions within Assault on Arkham really help to set it apart from films in the main DCAU. The changes in character designs are subtle and appropriate and also fit well within Rocksteady’s established “Arkham-verse.”

Furthermore, by the time Hell to Pay was released, audiences and fans were already familiar with that particular style. Of course, Hell to Pay’s art isn’t bad by any means, and does well in helping it to fit in with the DCAU as a whole, but the differences within Assault on Arkham give it a more unique spin. While not a measure of overall quality, it is still something extra to appreciate about Assault on Arkham that Hell to Pay was extremely limited by.

3 HELL TO PAY: There's A Wider Array Of Characters

Blockbuster in Suicide Squad Hell to Pay

Due to the structure of the two narratives, Assault on Arkham was incredibly limited in terms of how many other characters it could feature. While they certainly picked a popular character, the entire film could really only choose from the likes of Batman’s supporting cast and rogue’s gallery.

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In regards to Hell to Pay, however, they could really feature any DC character they wanted. While it was probably smarter to exclude some of the bigger names, the movie was still full of all sorts of other characters ranging from Dr. Fate to Zoom and much more, making it feel more connected while also adding a bit extra for the fans in the process.

2 ASSAULT ON ARKHAM: The Voice Actors Were Better

Killer Frost in Assault on Arkham

The voice actors for both films featured some truly incredible talent. However, Assault on Arkham really had the advantage of big names, including the likes of Kevin Conroy, Troy Baker, Nolan North, and John DiMaggio.

Though Hell to Pay still had incredible talents such as Tara Strong, Liam McIntyre, and Christian Slater, it is truly hard to top voices as iconic as Conroy’s and Baker’s alone. Furthermore, the inclusion of these actors really helped the film feel at home within the Arkham-verse, giving it a bit of extra detail that can really go a long way.

1 HELL TO PAY: It Was Devoted To The Squad

At the end of the day, Hell to Pay committed to the Suicide Squad much more than Assault on Arkham did. Even though Assault on Arkham arguably had the better story, the Suicide Squad still held their own perfectly fine within Hell to Pay, all without the reliance on Batman.

Granted, Hell to Pay did have the popularity of Suicide Squad (2016) to help it, but it doesn’t change the fact that it committed to these characters in a way that Assault on Arkham didn’t. Even with its flaws, it is arguably the best full Suicide Squad film to date.

NEXT: DCAU: 5 Stories We Want In Live-Action (& 5 We Don't)