Some of the most iconic villains in the Caped Crusader's history don’t get a lot of screen time in Batman: The Animated Series. Fans may think that someone like the Penguin or the Riddler would be all over the show, but they only appear in a handful of episodes. Some other villains do not even receive that much. However, there is a standout reoccurring villain in the series whose identity should be obvious.
While it may seem like the classic villains should have the best episodes in Batman: The Animated Series, sometimes the opposite is true. Some great one-shot villains have better stories than the iconic comic antagonists. Of the many in the show, who are the best villains in Batman: The Animated Series, and what are their standout episodes? There will not be any spoilers ahead.
10 Rupert Thorne
Every good superhero story has to have an ordinary Mafioso around, and Rupert Thorne is that for Batman: The Animated Series. He is a boss that has ties to a lot of crime around Gotham and some big-name villains like Bane. Although he rarely takes center stage, Thorns is a fantastic secondary figure in episodes like "Two-Face."
Thorne's second-in-command, Candice Leopoldo, is also a lot of fun to watch onscreen. She is seemingly into violence and playing the field. Don't overlook Candice in the cartoon, she is more than what she appears to be.
9 The Penguin
The Penguin gets represented in a fun way in the cartoon. He is still designed to look like a penguin, but he behaves like a gentleman. While he may be a criminal, Oswald Cobblepot is still part of high society.
One of the best episodes featuring the Penguin is called “Birds of a Feather.” It tells a great Penguin story that highlights his softer side and how non-criminals can be just as mean as the supervillains. It's tragic, but the Penguin gets a good laugh in the end.
8 Baby Doll
Baby Doll is the nickname for a former actress turned criminal. After her show ended as a child, she went on to try new roles. She even went to the stage. The problem is that she has a disease that causes her to look like a little girl indefinitely, an element that plays a part in her growing angry and bitter at the world.
Even though she does not appear often in the cartoon, her debut episode, season 2's "Baby-Doll," was emotionally strong enough to cement this character as a villainous highlight of the Batman series.
7 Two-Face
The Animated Series helped introduce and establish many of Batman’s villains with an audience that might not be familiar with the comics. Two-Face, for example, had a good run as Harvey Dent before his self-titled two-part episode showcased how he went from an attorney to a gangster.
This special shows how Dent's transformation haunts Bruce to this day as he was unable to help his best friend. Not only that but he now has to fight Harvey on a normal basis. It’s his parents all over again. The difference is that there is still time to save Dent.
6 Catwoman
Catwoman is not really a supervillain so much as she is an anti-hero. She isn’t trying to kill anyone or even rob banks; she’s more interested in small plunders like grabbing specific jewels. Her introductory episodes, "The Cat and the Claw," also establish that she is a cat lover.
Selina Kyle is both an activist and cat burglar, which makes her an interesting character. Some of her best episodes include team-ups with other characters like Batgirl and Nightwing ("Batgirl Returns").
5 Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze is one of the most sympathetic villains in Batman: The Animated Series and in the comics. In the fantastic "Heart of Ice" episode, the show establishes that the antagonist's beloved Nora fell ill from a deadly disease, so Freeze preserved her in ice while he tries to find a cure. The only reason he robs banks and fights the police is that he needs money to fund his research.
Freeze is doing the right thing but in the wrong way. He doesn’t have many episodes in the cartoon, but they’re both great. “Deep Freeze” also involves a weird Walt Disney stand-in named Grant Walker.
4 Scarface
Scarface is a villain often not highlighted in other mediums outside this cartoon. He’s a puppet voiced by a man known as the Ventriloquist. Like Two-Face, he has a split personality disorder. On the surface, he is a cowering yes man but his other side, Scarface, is a mean gangster.
It may seem silly to take a block of wood seriously, but the way Scarface is played is brilliant. One of his best episodes is The New Batman Adventures' “Double Talk” which ponders whether Scarface is actually alive. A puppet is scary enough.
3 Ra's Al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a villain beyond all villains. Most of the crimes Batman deals with are confined within Gotham. Ra's al Ghul concerns his exploits with the world. His first proper episode, "The Demon's Quest," has him try and convert humanity into a pool of consciousness via a satellite dish.
There’s one where he tries to steal powers from a mummy ("Avatar") and another showcasing him as a younger man in the old west ("Showdown"). Ra's al Ghul has led quite the life, so he knows how to get under both Batman and Bruce’s skin. It’s also fun to hear Ra's al Ghul call Batman "the detective" all the time.
2 Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy has some of the most elaborate plans in Batman: The Animated Series, and she almost gets away with them too. Two of her better episodes involve marriage. In “House And Garden,” she marries and settles down with an ordinary man. She even acts like a mom to his kids.
Batman doesn't buy it though, which leads to him messing things up for Ivy. Who knows? Maybe she did change. The other episode would be too much of a spoiler to tell the name since her reveal is part of the mystery. The hint of marriage may even be too much.
1 The Joker
The Joker is the obvious answer for the best villain in Batman: TAS, and it is well-deserved too. He has the most episodes out of any antagonist. He is Batman’s number one squeeze in the comics and most of the cartoons besides this one.
Mark Hamill voices the Joker, and he may be the greatest version of the character outside the comics. The Joker is a blast to watch and listen to. One of the best episodes “The Joker’s Favor” finds the comedic clown facing off against an ordinary guy who ran him off the road.