The impact that Batman: The Animated Series had on everything from animation to children’s television to the Batman franchise itself is something that’s difficult to understate. It really was that big of a deal and there are still plenty of fans both new and old discussing the show’s high points on forums, in articles, and through long-form YouTube videos today.

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But although the fandom is still shockingly active for a cartoon that ended its run nearly 25 years ago, there are still certain great Batman: The Animated Series episodes that have been somewhat forgotten. When the finer points of the series get discussed, these episodes don’t often make their way into the conversation, but perhaps it's time that they do.

8 Moon Of The Wolf

Moon of the Wolf Batman Anthony Romulus Werewolf

The extra dark setting and gritty tone of Batman: The Animated Series definitely lent themselves to outright horror. There were a number of occasions when the show went there, but it wasn't often that they nailed it like “Moon of the Wolf.”

A full-on werewolf is stalking the streets of Gotham and it’s on Batman to figure out whether it’s a Scooby Doo-style crook in a monster suit or the real vicious deal. While it’s always fun to watch the Dark Knight square off against infamous foes, it’s also really cool to see him go toe to toe with a mostly unfamiliar one. The mood is creepy, the wolf transformations are awesome, and the final fight is a lot of fun.

7 Christmas With The Joker

Christmas with the Joker reindeer sleigh

Any time there's an opportunity to experience Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill working with one another it’s undoubtedly going to be something special. Add to that the only genuine holiday-themed episode of Batman: The Animated Series and the result could really only be an offbeat Christmas classic.

“Christmas with the Joker” foregoes the thoughtful plotting and human drama that this show is typically known for in favor of a classic Batman/Joker head-to-head with yuletide theming and a Robin who’s just itching to show Batman It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s not exactly thought-provoking, but it’s still a really fun episode to throw on during the holiday season.

6 See No Evil

See No Evil Batman Ventrix Invisible Man

Batman: The Animated Series had an incredible knack for giving an irredeemable villain a backstory so tragic that viewers couldn't help but empathize with them a bit, even in spite of their awful behavior. “See No Evil” offers a perfect standalone example of this with Lloyd Ventrix, aka the Invisible Man.

Ventrix is a convicted felon who has lost custody of his daughter, Kimberly (voiced by a young Elisabeth Moss). When he discovers an experimental material from his laboratory job that can turn him invisible, he goes on a crime spree and becomes Kimberly’s “imaginary friend", concocting a plan to steal her away from her mom. The guy is twisted, his approach is awful, and he's no Harley Quinn in terms of brand new villains, but the fact that his primary motivation is to be with his daughter again makes him feel very human and adds some real emotion to the episode.

5 A Bullet For Bullock

A Bullet for Bullock Harvey Bullock Batman

Harvey Bullock is one of the most delightfully unpleasant characters in the Batman: The Animated Series universe and yet it’s so rare that the viewer is afforded the opportunity to get to know him better. “A Bullet for Bullock” is one of those rare chances, and it proves to be an interesting ride.

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Someone is out to whack Bullock, but he’s put so many criminals behind bars that parsing out who it might be is a puzzle that only the likes of his nemesis Batman could possibly solve. The two come to an uneasy truce in order to get to the bottom of the mystery. and in the process viewer’s get a peek behind the curtain of Bullock’s everyday life. That peek could have been emotionally revealing, but it’s mostly played for laughs. Good ones. Especially when Alfred calls Bullock, “the detective who looks like an unmade bed.”

4 I’ve Got Batman In My Basement

I've Got Batman in My Basement Sherman Roberta Batman

"I've Got Batman in My Basement" is definitely not one of the high points in Batman: The Animated Series. It's the lowest rated on IMDB and producer Bruce Timm has even trashed it, stating that “the storyboard artists didn’t care, and it shows.” But regardless of this across-the-board slander, this episode absolutely qualifies for a little more love than it gets.

If this is really the worst that this show has to offer, it only stands as a testament to its greatness, because it’s really not that bad at all. It follows young detective Sherman Grant and his friend Roberta as they find themselves harboring an unconscious Batman in Sherman’s basement with The Penguin in pursuit. It’s pretty fun to see the show through the eyes of children rather than adults, and have the setting moved from darkened city rooftops to quiet suburban basement. No, it's no "Heart of Ice" but it's still lovable.

3 The Cape And Cowl Conspiracy

The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy Batman unmasked Bruce Wayne

While many characters and stories from Batman: The Animated Series would influence future Batman comics, movies, video games, and more, there were some episodes of the series that were actually drawing directly from previous tales of the Dark Knight’s exploits. “The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy” is one of them.

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The episode is a close adaptation of 1975’s “The Cape and Cowl Deathtrap” from Detective Comics #450. Writer Elliot S. Maggin wrote both the comic story and the episode itself. In the episode, Batman is pitted against an ingenious deathtrap designer who desperately wants to take his cape and cowl. Batman, however, is reluctant to oblige. The cat and mouse chase makes for an exciting and suspenseful experience that deserves more shine.

2 Sideshow

Sideshow Circus Performers

Willfully suspending disbelief is easy to do with a show as good as Batman: The Animated Series, but man do these villains escape way too easily sometimes. “Sideshow” shows Killer Croc breaking loose and escaping on his train ride to prison by simply biting through his handcuffs. It would be pretty difficult to accept that level of negligence and ignorance from Gotham’s law enforcement if the episode wasn’t so good.

Croc escapes the train in spite of Batman popping out of the crowd and trying to stop him. His journey to evade capture leads him into the mountains where he meets a group of retired circus performers whose unusual characteristics make him feel more at home than he ever has before. The only problem is that Batman is on his way to break up the party. It's a pretty heartfelt look at a villain who's otherwise a total monster.

1 Appointment In Crime Alley

Appointment in Crime Alley Newspaper Leslie Thompkins Bruce Wayne

Bruce Wayne’s tragic past is a critical part of what makes the entire Batman universe tick, and “Appointment in Crime Alley” is the first glimpse of it that the viewer gets to see in Batman: The Animated Series. It makes for one of the most heart-wrenching episodes in the entire series.

Every year on the anniversary of his parent’s murders, Bruce (disguised as Batman) meets family friend Dr. Leslie Thompkins in his childhood neighborhood to pay tribute to them. The only problem is that his childhood neighborhood is now what’s known as “Crime Alley” and there are more than just painful memories awaiting him there. The relationship between Bruce and Leslie Thompkins is beautifully portrayed in this pivotal yet underappreciated episode.

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