Many view Batman: The Animated Series as the definitive depiction of the caped crusader, and its not hard to see why. The series gave us one of the most iconic depictions of the dark knight as well as all of Gotham, and was able to create a tone that was dark in brooding without getting overbearing. The series didn't only provide a character defining rendering of Bruce Wayne, but it innovated Batman's rogues gallery, innovating some and reimagining others. It's hard to imagine what the Batman franchise would look like if we never were never given Batman: The Animated Series. Many depictions of Batman's villains from the series have since become the default portrayals of these characters in film, television, and even the comics themselves. So without further delay, here are 10 Villains that Batman: The Animated Series Got Better Than The Comics.
10 The Mad Hatter
While the Mad Hatter has gone through many incarnations across his stint as a Batman Villain, his depiction in Batman: The Animated Series is the most boiled down and condensed version of the character one could hope for. The character is consumed with two things: Alice in wonderland, and his coworker, Alice. Every crime he commits in some capacity is related to Alice or his perception that Batman is trying to keep the two apartl Mad Hatter serves as the perfect example of what not to be in a relationship, and is essentially an incel before incels were a thing.
And hey, he gets bonus points for his involvement in the excellent episode, "Perchance to Dream."
9 The Terrible Trio
Many of the greatest super-villains in comics can be seen as twisted spins on elements of their corresponding hero. While many often critique the concept of Batman as "a rich guy using his money to act outside the law," The Terrible Trio contorts that idea and makes it their very identity. A group of three extremely wealthy individuals, the Terrible Trio utilize their wealth in order to commit crimes simply for the entertainment value. While the underutilized group has seen many incarnations, their appearance in Batman: The Animated Series, while limited to one episode, serves as the most condensed and epitomized version of the characters.
8 Killer Croc
A common problem that villains with super-strength often run into, is that our hero's encounters with such a character run the risk of becoming stale and repetitive. Say what you will about Killer Croc in the comics, but Batman: The Animated Series portrayal of the character is a refreshing and fun departure from the rest of the rogue's gallery. While the vast majority of the villains may try to outsmart the caped crusader, Croc takes a much simpler, rock-based approach. This is a much more comedic take on the character, that also allows for him to intimidating when he needs to be, but a hilarious goon as well.
7 The Clock King
Created in 1960, Clock King has been a very "of the times" villain, representing a gimmick, and letting the gimmick consume his entire character. As one could glean, The Clock King's gimmick is clocks. Clock based plans and clock based traps had long made up his repertoire. While the character's reimagining in Batman: The Animated Series may appear simple, he is far from it. This version of the Clock King is less focused on clocks and is enamored by time itself, obsessing over scheduling, the character regiments his plans and actions by fractions of a second.
6 Two-Face
Their are few villains in Batman's rogue's gallery as synonymous with the Dark Knight as Harvey Dent. Elements of Two-Face's character that sets him apart from other antagonists in the franchise is his sympathetic nature and personal history with Bruce Wayne, and few depictions of the character showcase this as well as Batman: The Animated Series' two-part episode, "Two-Face." These episodes allow for the development of Harvey's psychology prior to becoming Two-Face, allowing viewers to grow to like Harvey as well as view his tragic fall first hand.
5 Baby Doll
With the majority of the women in the Dark Knight's rogues gallery filling anti-hero roles in recent years, it's shocking that we haven't seen more of Mary Louise Dahl, Baby Doll. Making little more than cameos in comics like Batman: White Knight, Baby Doll stared in multiple episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, and made a huge impact on many viewers. Suffering from a genetic disorder that stops her from aging as she grows old, the classically trained actress had a great deal of potential that no comics have truly attempted to capitalize on since the airing of The Animated Series.
4 Clayface
Many of the most effective villains in the dark knight's rogue's gallery are those whom we can empathize with, and the lines of morality begin to blur. In the comics, Clayface is most often portrayed as a shapeshifting master of disguise who uses his abilities to perform various crimes. However, the episode, "Mudslide" subverts everything we'd expect to see from the character, as his powers begin to slowly kill him, forcing Clayface to seek a means to become a normal human again. Without spoiling the episode for those who may not have seen it, this episode is able to portray what is normally a pretty standard Batman villain in a light that makes us question Bruce Wayne himself, as he encounters Clayface.
3 The Joker
To this day, Mark Hamill is viewed as many to be the perfect joker, having appeared in multiple movies, video games, and TV shows, voicing the clown prince of crime. Batman: The Animated Series was where that all began. There is so much that works with this joker between Hamill's performance and the writing in the series. Hamill brings so much energy to the role while simultaneously being both terrifying and hilarious, resulting in one of the most entertaining and memorable Joker's Batman has ever encountered.
2 Harley Quinn
One of the crown jewels of Batman: The Animated Series that has left the most profound impact on the DC Universe is the creation of Harley Quinn. One of the most popular women in all of comics, Harley has gone through many incarnations throughout comics and TV shows alike, few of Harley's appearances have matched her original incarnation in The Animated Series. Rounded, iconic, and legitimately funny, Arleen Sorkin's voice work helped to make Harley Quinn a character that Batman fans couldn't forget.
1 Mister Freeze
Let's be honest. If you have any knowledge regarding the character of Victor Fries, you knew this was coming. Prior to Batman: The Animated Series, Mister Freeze was nothing more than a C-list villain wielding an gun and paper thin motivations. The Episode, "Heart of Ice" reimagined and innovated the character, overhauling his background, rewriting his personality, providing him with one of the most empathetic plights of any super villain. This new portrayal of Freeze immediately became the standard for the character, with his backstory from The Animated Series being utilized in everything from the comics to Joel Schumacher's 1997, Batman and Robin.