There’s always a discussion surrounding which live-action Batman serves as the best iteration of the character. It's a fun debate to have since there have been so many excellent adaptations over the years. But we often overlook all the animated iterations of the Caped Crusader that we’ve seen over the years. The thing is, there have been way more animated incarnations of the Dark Knight than live-action performers and every version brings something new and exciting to the character. Whether it’s incredibly campy and goofy, overly comedic, or dark and gritty, all of these Batmen have highlighted different aspects of the character. In celebration of DC Comics' biggest icon, we narrowed down the ten very best animated versions of the Batman.

10 Roger Craig Smith

'Batman Unlimited'

There’s nothing inherently wrong with Batman Unlimited and its titular character, but his entire existence seems based on the concept of selling action figures. The history behind this version of the world-famous Dark Knight (voiced by Roger Craig Smith, who previously voiced Batman in the Batman: Arkham Origins video game) is kinda fascinating. Back in 2015, Warner Brothers partnered with Fisher Price and Mattel to produce a then-cutting-edge toy-inspired animated series.

The made-for-video shorts and eventual movies (there are three of them) that spawned out of this collaboration were meant to marry the viewing experience and the playing experience for children. This Batman is a stern, straightforward hero, but he’s also the type that yells, “Lights out Grundy” before zapping Solomon Grundy with electrical wiring. A perfect Saturday morning Batman.

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9 Will Arnett

'The Lego Batman Movie'

Will Arnett is basically playing a caricature of Batman in The Lego Movie, painting The Dark Knight as an arrogant blowhard who knows his character is beloved by millions and is constantly worried about keeping up his macho, cool-guy charade. And by itself, it’s a very funny read about the Caped Crusader, who at that point had become so revered in pop culture that it was funny to see a version that knew how important he was and played off the image of Batman in today’s society.

That itself is impressive, but then things went a step further in The Lego Batman Movie, which still is one of the best Batman stories that’s ever been told. Yes, the movie is ridiculous on every level but it also goes out of its way to dig into Bruce’s mindset and feelings regarding his childhood trauma to help explain his relationship with his extended Bat-family. That’s heavy stuff for a kid’s movie! On top of exploring the inner workings of Bruce’s mind, the movie also highlights the Batman and Joker relationship and shows how much the two need each other to keep going.

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8 Adam West

'Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders' and 'Batman vs. Two-Face'

Adam West holds the rare honor of being the only live-action Batman to also have a full-length animated movie while playing the same character. Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders and its sequel, Batman vs. Two-Face, were two animated films that continued the story from West’s classic television show. And it makes almost too much sense because, in a lot of ways, Adam West’s Batman is a cartoon character. West’s 60s Batman show was a campy, cheesy hoot that leaned into the corniness of the character, which is a far cry from the dark, brooding, and grim characterization we usually get today.

Batman also offered a whole slew of now mostly forgotten villains. So for West and his trusty sidekick Robin (Burt Ward) to return for a new animated adventure almost sixty years later is something special. But admittedly, this version of Batman isn’t for everyone. Although this Batman probably would bring a smile to your face, it’s not exactly in line with what the character has become in recent years. And even if Batman certainly works more on the darker side, West’s animated portrayal reminds us that there are many interpretations of the Caped Crusader and all of them have merit.

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7 Jason O'Mara

DC Animated Movie Universe

While the live-action DC universe has struggled to maintain continuity and a singular vision over the last decade, on the animated side of things, they’ve been quietly crushing it. The DC Animated Movie Universe is a connected set of films that are loosely based on The New 52 comic reboot. Starting with Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and ending with Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, the series maintained a mostly consistent level of quality throughout, with Batman: Bad Blood arguably being the best Batman feature.

Although it focused on a lot of different characters, Batman was one of the driving forces for the overall series. We got to see this version of Batman (voiced by Jason O'Mara) handle the training and acceptance of Damien Wayne, assemble the overall Bat Family, deal with his daddy issues, and experience a Hush comic adaption. That’s a lot of major Batman stories! This is everything you want from a Batman, and as a bonus, you get to see him put the cocky Hal Jordan in his place. What’s better than that?

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6 Bruce Greenwood

'Young Justice' and 'Batman: Under the Red Hood'

Young Justice’s version of Batman sees the Dark Knight take on more of a mentor role than usual. Yes, Batman’s whole thing is that he trains young kids to become his crime-fighting sidekicks and now has about half a dozen Robins running around, but Young Justice initially put Batman in charge of an entire team of unique youngsters desperate to be superheroes. Bruce Greenwood returns from the animated feature Batman: Under the Red Hood to reprise his part of the Caped Crusader, which is just the perfect casting if you ask us.

Of course, Young Justice has evolved a lot since its early days and even survived an almost six-year cancelation before being canceled again, but its beginnings saw Batman play the role of an adult team leader who would give the unnamed team their assignments. It’s a role that suits Batman perfectly. The show isn’t really about Batman, but Greenwood's portrayal of the character both in Young Justice and Under the Hood stands out as one of the most notable in animation. His cool demeanor mixes well with Batman's style, and the way he interacts with the different depictions of Robin makes us wish we got a Greenwood-led animated series.

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5 Rino Romano

'The Batman'

But what if you’re looking for a perfect Saturday morning Batman who also has a bit of grit to him? That’s where The Batman comes in. No, not Robert Pattinson’s The Batman movie, but rather a whole other animated show that ran for five seasons on both Kids’ WB and Cartoon Network. The Batman is an electric series that flew under the radar for most of its run but still managed to introduce and build a show around a mostly compelling new version of the Dark Knight––with Rino Romano playing the part perfectly.

This is a show that introduces new designs for almost every major Batman character and manages to pull in some pretty stellar voice actors to bring them to life, including Batman legends Adam West, Frank Gorshin, and Mark Hamill, who all voice characters you wouldn’t expect. This underrated series is worth a watch if not just for the clever ways it reinvents classic DC Comics characters Plus, this Batman has got his own follow-up movie where he battles Dracula called The Batman vs Dracula, which is even better than you might think.

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4 Will Friedle

'Batman Beyond'

So this list is all about ranking the best animated Batmen, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Bruce Wayne has to be the one behind the cowl. Batman Beyond was a new type of Batman show set in the future where Kevin Conroy's Bruce Wayne is as old and cranky as you’d expect. But with Gotham still having that pesky crime problem, someone else had to step up and become the new, futuristic version of the Bat. Enter Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle), a young teenager who would eventually be revealed as Bruce’s son in Justice League Unlimited. He even got an animated feature out of the deal: Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.

But in Batman Beyond, Terry brought something new to the table. Yes, he loved to work alone and do things his way like his predecessor, but he also wasn’t as dour and had a much more open display of compassion in everyday life compared to Bruce. While Bruce often let the Batman persona consume him, Terry strove to have relationships outside his superhero antics, and it gave him the strength to keep going. Plus, being set in the future meant a suit with more futuristic upgrades, which was always fun to watch. The sleek new suit, the fascinating villains, and the pull Terry feels toward his family (something Bruce never had) make this made-for-animation Batman stand out.

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3 Diedrich Bader

'Batman: The Brave and the Bold' and 'Harley Quinn'

Diedrich Bader doesn’t get enough credit for his Batman voice. His authoritative, soothing vocals always embed the Bat with the proper amount of gravitas and the work he does on both Batman: The Brave and the Bold and the animated Harley Quinn series. Whether he's playing a ridiculously campy Batman or a stone-cold version of the character, Bader is an underrated addition to the Dark Knight's animated mythos.

The Caped Crusader is many things to many people, and although everyone may disagree about what constitutes a good Batman, everyone can at least agree that Batman’s a hero. The Brave and The Bold — which is also set the be the title of an upcoming live-action DC Universe film — in particular takes this idea and runs with it, making this Batman the most heroic and righteous character in Gotham, framing the character as a role model upstanding citizens would want to emulate. He maintains a steely resolve in his pursuit of justice and nothing will ever stop him from doing the right thing.

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2 Peter Weller & Jensen Ackles

'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns' and DC Animated 'Tomorrowverse'

How much more can be said about the infamous The Dark Knight Returns that hasn't already been said? Regardless, Peter Weller's fabulous portrayal of the Dark Knight in the two-part animated feature (later collected into one, giant extended edition) captures the character perfectly. The gravel in his voice mixes well with this darker, more mature take on the character, and while some prefer their Batman as a campy, do-gooder, many others gravitate toward this brutal vigilante. Weller, previously known for his work on RoboCop, was perfectly cast.

But tied with Weller's excellent vocals is Supernatural star Jensen Ackles, who has likewise brought a certain gravitas to his role as Batman that has yet to be overshadowed. Beginning in the two-part Batman: The Long Halloween feature, Ackles has continued to voice the Caped Crusader in DC and Warner Bros. Animation's current animated universe dubbed, "the Tomorrowverse." With the epic three-part Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths adaptation upon us, Ackles' Batman has been given the chance to show us what he's made of like never before.

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1 Kevin Conroy

DC Animated Universe (and Beyond)

Was there ever really any contest? Of course, Kevin Conroy’s Batman is the best animated Batman thanks in large part to the iconic Batman: The Animated Series. This show was a major influence when it came to the Bat character and his characterization, style, and tone can be felt in almost every animated Batman that came after him. You can take traits from all the animated Batman characters mentioned on this list and apply them to this version of the character. Conroy voiced Batman throughout the entire DC Animated Universe from Batman: The Animated Series through Justice League Unlimited, and continued into the Arkham video games, plenty of animated movies, and shows like Justice League Action.

But it's his original work as Batman that still gets people talking. He’s so many things all at once: heroic, stoic, dedicated, compassionate, funny, and scary, and so much more. Thanks to the animation and the exemplary voice acting, this is far and away the defining animated Batman. And if the show wasn’t enough, then make sure to check out Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, which should always be in the discussion for the best Batman movie. Batman from The Animated Series (and the greater DCAU) showcases the absolute wonder animation can bring to the table, and he stands tall among the very best Batman of all time, animated or live-action.

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