Superman: The Animated Series had a big hurdle to get over before the first episode even aired. Batman: The Animated Series was a big success and now Warner Brothers was hoping to recreate that success with the Superman. If the show hadn't worked, we likely wouldn't have gotten Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. Lucky for us, we live in a world where Bruce Timm and the team behind the scenes pulled it off.
Superman: The Animated Series ran for three seasons and is filled with fantastic moments. But what if you don't have time to watch every episode? What if you can only fit in the ten best episodes to your schedule? Well, you're in luck! Here are the 10 best episodes of Superman: The Animated Series according to IMDb.
10 Mxyzpixilated: 8.5
In his first appearance in Superman: The Animated Series, Mr. Mxyzptlk shows up in Metropolis to cause some problems for the Man of Steel. The episode takes place over the course of nine months as Superman keeps tricking Mr. Mxyzptlk into saying his name backward, forcing him to leave Earth.
The episode, written by Harley Quinn creator Paul Dini, is one of the funniest episodes of any of the DCAU shows. Mr. Mxyzptlk is expertly played by Gilbert Gottfried, and once you hear him as the 5th Dimensional Imp, you'll always hear his voice when Mxyzptlk shows up in the comics.
9 Ghost In The Machine: 8.7
Looking to get revenge on the Man of Steel, the Kryptonian robot Brainiac captures Lex Luthor and forces the billionaire scientist to create a new body for him. Mercy Graves, Lex's bodyguard, turns to Superman for help in finding her missing boss.
"Ghost in the Machine" plays a major part in the future of the DCAU, culminating in the series finale of Justice League and leading into Justice League Unlimited. It also gives fans their first look into the past of Mercy Graves, who before this was a blank slate.
8 Apokolips... Now! Part I: 8.7
Some of the New Gods had appeared on Superman: The Animated Series twice before, but the Season 2 two-parter "Apokolips... Now!" gave viewers who weren't familiar with the evil ruler of Apokolips a taste of just how dastardly Darkseid could be.
In Season 2, Episode 25, the first part of the story, we learn that the high-tec mafia called Intergang has been getting their equipment from Apokolips, acting as the unaware pawns of Darkseid. Finally, Darkseid can begin his true plan and turn Earth into a new Apokolips, unless Superman and Orion of the New Gods can stop him.
7 Brave New Metropolis: 8.7
If you lived in the DC universe, the idea of Superman turning evil would probably be one of the most horrific thoughts a person would have to live with on a daily basis. Superman stands for all that is good in the universe, and the idea of him breaking bad would be quite terrible for everyone involved. In Season 2, Episode 12, "Brave New Metropolis," Lois Lane gets to see how bad it really could be.
In the episode, Lois Lane ends up in an alternate reality where Superman became super fascist after Lois was killed by Intergang, turning Metropolis into a police state that he and Lex Luthor lord over. This is a great episode filled with some rather dark moments.
6 Apokolips... Now!: Part II: 9.0
After betraying Intergang and killing Bruno Mannheim, Darkseid turns his attention to the rest of the world, which he plans to decimate and turn into a new Apokolips. Superman and Orion do what they can to battle against Darkseid's army of Parademons, but they aren't strong enough to defeat their foes.
With Superman captured, Darkseid is sure that the people of Earth will give up their fight, but boy is he wrong. As the tanks of Apokolips try to take over Metropolis, the citizens fight back. Things get very grim when one of Superman's friends is killed!
5 Legacy Part I: 9.0
While Superman and Darkseid had a serious throwdown during the "Apokolips... Now!" two-parter, the series finale of Superman: The Animated Series gave them their second battle, and it was amazing. In the first of two parts, an alien race is battling Apokoliptian soldiers. In an impressive feat, these unknown aliens are beating back the Parademons when a new warrior enters the fight; Superman.
Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Supergirl is controlling a robot Superman while she and Lois try to figure out where the Man of Steel has gone. They don't know that Superman has been captured and brainwashed by Darkseid's minions and now serves the greatest evil the universe has ever known.
4 The Late Mister Kent: 9.0
Season 2, Episode 22, "The Late Mr. Kent" opens with quite a shocker; Clark Kent is dead! As his friends and family mourn the dearly departed reporter, we see Superman watching from afar. He recalls the events that led to this moment, starting with Clark being assigned a story about a man on death row. The dead man walking swears that he didn't commit the murder that put him on death row, and Clark Kent believes him.
When Kent finds proof that the man is innocent, he attempts to contact the governor and stop the execution. Before Clark can complete his task, the car he is driving explodes and falls into the ocean. Knowing that someone tried to kill him, Clark knows he can't reveal he is still alive without revealing that he is Superman!
3 Knight Time: 9.1
When Batman goes missing, Robin asks Superman to help him track down the Dark Knight. In order to keep Batman's disappearance a secret, Superman puts on one of the Caped Crusader's costumes and pretends to be Batman himself. As Super-Bat and Robin make their way through Gotham finding clues, the two run into a number of Batman's friends and foes.
This episode really shows just how different Batman and Superman work. Superman trying to act all dark and grim makes for some great comedic moments, and seeing Robin lead the Man of Steel around just makes it better.
2 World's Finest Parts I-III: 9.1
In their first crossover, Batman and Superman team up to take on Joker and Lex Luthor as the two villains pull a Strangers on a Train and take on the other's nemesis. Of course, working with Joker is never a good idea, as Lex Luthor learns. This three-parter not only saw Batman and Superman meet for the first time, but fans also got to see Harley Quinn fight Mercy Graves, and Lois Lane crushing on Bruce Wayne. These classic episodes, along with Season 2, Episode 4's "Speed Demons" where Flash is introduced into the DCAU, help set up the future Justice League and Justice League Unlimited series.
1 Legacy Part II: 9.2
The good news is that Superman is no longer under Darkseid's control. The bad news is that the people of Earth no longer trust the Man of Steel and he's been locked up in cell with a light that gives off the radiation of a red sun, draining him of his powers. After being reduced by Lois Lane and Supergirl - who is badly wounded in the jailbreak - Superman uses a Boom Tube generator to bring the fight to Darkseid's front door. The brainwashing of Superman becomes a major plot point in the first season of Justice League Unlimited where the US government has set up contingency plans to take down Superman if he goes rogue again.