A lot of Batman's very best stories have taken place in the animated sphere, and that goes double for various Bat-adjacent characters. The Joker, Batgirl, and Dick Grayson all have cartoon counterparts that have given us some of the most definitive and influential takes on their respective tales. Yet, when it comes to animated greatness, Catwoman might be the best of them all.

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Seldom does a Bat-Cartoon pass without a top-notch Selina Kyle appearance in its midst, and many of the biggest names in voice acting have portrayed the daring cat thief. Though the versions have varied greatly from one another, they are each very much Catwoman.

The Batman - "The Laughing Cats"

The Batman (2004) sported some great redesigns of many classic Batman characters, but its Catwoman remains unparalleled. Though her costume features oversized ears and yellow-tinted goggles that may remain very much a matter of personal taste, this Catwoman is voiced by the great Gina Gershon, and the performance and the dialogue both perfectly communicate the street smarts and tough outer shell of the Cat.

Though all the Catwoman appearances in this series were great, this episode stands out for showing her always-entertaining and differently antagonistic relationships with Batgirl and The Joker. While she dismisses The Joker as a dangerous creep, she mocks Batgirl for being childish. Likewise, when Batgirl wants to believe the very worst of her, she proves that things are a little more morally complex than the girl wonder wants them to be. Revisiting The Batman is always worthwhile, but this is a standout.

Batman The Animated Series - "Cat Scratch Fever"

Batman: TAS debuted with a Catwoman-themed two-parter, "The Cat and the Claw." Playing up the chemistry between Catwoman and Batman right off the bat, he sees her stealing a necklace but their interaction ends with her playfully thanking him when he saves her beloved cat, Isis. Much of the rest of the story and her many follow-up appearances on the series deal with her as a slightly more morally complex send-off of a femme fatale. Burton's Batman and TAS had a love-hate bond, but they shared a similar vision of Selina.

Yet, there is no question that Selina follows a firm ethical code, even though she's more likely than not to keep it hidden from Batman. This episode shows off her more heroic side as she kindly feeds neighborhood strays and uncovers a plot masterminded by her longtime nemesis, the corporate criminal Roland Daggett, to infect cats with a virus that will then spread to Gotham's human population. Though she is put on trial and treated as a villain by everyone, Selina works to do the right thing and even helps save Batman.

Harley Quinn - "Catwoman"

This episode kicks off with Harley and her crew attempting to break into Mr. Freeze's icy fortress with no success. Never one to let a minor disappointment derail her plans, Harley decides to go steal the villain Firefly's flamethrower from the Gotham Museum. The villain Dr. Trap tells them that they can simply take the flamethrower if they can make it through his many boobytraps, which they absolutely cannot do. Enter: Ivy's old friend, Catwoman.

Catwoman's cool factor is amped up to eleven in this episode as Ivy reveals that Selina burned her on their previous team-up and is concerned that meeting up with her again will reveal a needy and approval-seeking side of herself that she doesn't like. This is exactly what happens as Selina openly wonders what Ivy is doing tied to a team of supervillains that she doesn't seem to have that much in common with. While Ivy ultimately decides on the path that's best for her, this take on Catwoman shows that unflappable, elegant antihero that we know and love.

DC Super Hero Girls - "AllyCat"

DC Super Hero Girls is an underrated cartoon, managing to combine some of the complex characterizations of the comic books with family-friendly hijinks. Lesser-known characters like Bumblebee and Jessica Cruz are given highly distinctive personalities, while longstanding greats like Wonder Woman and Lois Lane come to life in a whole new way. Amidst all this greatness, we have voice acting icon Cree Summer turning out a truly inspired tribute to Eartha Kitt's Batman '66 turn as Catwoman.

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This episode is a two-parter based around Lex Luthor, who discovers the Book of Prophecies. Zatanna immediately and correctly suspects that he will use this for his own evil purposes, and so they enlist Catwoman to help them infiltrate his operation. Selina agrees to help them but promptly switches sides the second it benefits her. This episode is hilarious, as is Catwoman's fight against a very headstrong Supergirl in "Fight at the Museum."

Batman: The Long Halloween

Ranking among the greatest animated superhero films ever and based on the comic of the same name, The Long Halloween follows Batman as a relative neophyte, taking on one of his first major cases when a holiday-themed serial killer begins leaving cryptic clues at messy crime scenes. This story is a lot of fun for anyone that loves Batman as a detective first and a fighter second, but its Catwoman is truly unmatched.

This Catwoman, voiced by Naya Rivera, plays up some of her very best traits. Teasing Batman, she leads him to several clues while obscuring her method and reason for doing so behind sultry flirtations. Very much a conflicted antihero, this version of Catwoman shows us her vulnerable side while making it clear that she is committed to helping Batman through his growing pains as a superhero...even if she only does when it is directly advantageous to her to do so.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold - "Death Race to Oblivion"

The Catwoman that we meet in The Brave and the Bold is based very much on her old school design in which she sports a long purple dress along with a bullwhip. She also doesn't get enough screentime by half, as her cat-themed puns and campy stylism were a perfect match for the silly, fun-loving series. Even in this episode, Catwoman is just one of an ensemble cast.

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Yet, as always, Selina still manages to catch the eye. When the intergalactic villain Mongul pits several characters against one another in a race with the prize being rulership of the earth, Catwoman jumps at the chance. She might have gotten away with it, too, if not for that meddling Huntress, who lands her motorcycle right on the roof of Catwoman's Kittycar and forces her to eject into the stratosphere. This appearance is all-too-brief, but it gives us enough of a glimpse of this Selina that we're still dreaming of what might have been. The Batmobile may be iconic, but the Kittycar is an underrated great in superhero vehicles.

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders

This film featured a return to the over-the-top stylism of Batman '66, featuring none other than Julie Newmar diving back into the Bat-franchise as Catwoman. Having played the very first TV version of the character back in the 1960s, this story feels like Catwoman coming full circle in all the best ways.

The plot is standard for the old TV show, with Catwoman, The Joker, The Penguin, and The Riddler all teaming up to defeat Batman. While the others work on their own plans, Catwoman reveals that her idea is to get Batman on their side by using Batnip. Though this appears not to work on him, the other criminals' commander a space station and attempt to eject her into space due to her apparently untrustworthy feelings for Batman. Fans of the original Catwoman owe it to themselves to check this one out.

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