Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Harley Quinn Season 3.The upcoming Harley Quinn: The Animated Series —Legion of Bats, a comic spin-off to the popular HBO Max animated show, is all set to focus on the fan-favorite character Harley Quinn’s (Kaley Cuoco) official initiation into (longtime) enemy grounds — the Bat-Family. However, the idea of the villainous Maid of Mischief stepping into the world of crime-fighting comes as little shock and more of a fitting twist in the tale. A look back on the latest season of Harley Quinn with regard to the antiheroine’s character growth and quality time spent with the existing members of the Bat-Family reveals just why her jumping ship holds the potential to play out like poetry in motion.
Over the course of Season 3, Harley grows substantially closer to the Bat-Family members, bantering with Nightwing (Harvey Guillen) and having Batgirl’s (Briana Cuoco) back in typical BFF fashion — even if she would despise any and all overt expression of the particular sentiment — thereby gradually earning the duo’s (somewhat reluctant) respect and trust. Her decision to return and rescue Batgirl from the clutches of the Mad Hatter (Griffin Newman) in Episode 7 speaks volumes in terms of her growth and newfound ability to build and sustain meaningful relationships outside of her current romance. It even prompts a pleasantly surprised Barbara Gordon to declare in acknowledgment that the therapist-clown isn’t "as ruthless as [she thinks]," a declaration the latter then goes the extra mile to prove wrong — and thereby setting a solid foundation for the perfect blend of sass, care, and sisterly quips previously lacking to the point of non-existence among the male-dominated Bat-Family.
Harley is indeed stepping up to be Bat-Family material, and this is evident by her exceptionally empathetic displays of compassion to a young version of Bruce Wayne (Diedrich Bader), as the pair of them take a literal trip down memory lane in Episode 8. She shields his mournful eyes from the gruesome loop of his parents’ murder, hugs him close, and lets loose the skills of her Ph.D. in psychology in gently guiding the hysterical adolescent to gain back control of his mind. In allowing herself to feel remorse for the boy who happens to be so desperately clinging to a repressed traumatic memory, Harley gains deeply invaluable insight into both their characters; she and Bruce Wayne are not too different, really, with the both of them acting on impulse stemming from a deep place of hurt.
When remarked upon by her own company consisting of girlfriend Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) and Doctor Psycho (Tony Hale), her face, contorted with pain lines, proceeds to betray the façade in her Harley-like insistence that she was only indulging in the unusual display of warmth so the child could “stop crying and help” the gang locate their plant comrade Frank (J.B. Smoove). In this manner, she is instantly demoted to an outcast of sorts to her own little party of bad guys — continuing to stand unperturbed — probably well on her way to a path of redemption and heroism.
The original comic books ultimately see Harley reach a similar destination, as she steps foot into the Bat-Family amidst a rather on-the-nose display of foreshadowing. In Season 3's “Batman Begins Forever," Harley, in the form of Batman’s age-old trustee sidekick Robin — complete with the get-up, of course — fittingly fights side-by-side with the billionaire superhero against ex-lover “Mistah J” (Alan Tudyk), shining light on the idea of the powerful duo harboring the great potential to turn into a useful team should Batman return to Gotham in the near future.
Additionally, the idea that Harley is downright disgusted by her counterpart being all up in the face of the Clown Prince of Crime has her honest proclamation to past-Harley — “I am not you —not anymore” — come across as especially symbolic of new beginnings, with the cemented idea of her wickedly toxic past now residing way behind her. But what new beginnings? Well, let’s just say that Harley soon has a life-altering realization while defeating the Joker and past-Harley — she seems to be enjoying “stopping the baddies” just as much, if not more, as being said baddie! It's another glaring hint toward her real calling as part of the Bat-Family.
The same episode does establish, through Bruce Wayne’s subtly advocating for guns and killing because "the mind-me is flexible," the notion that up in one’s noggin, one embodies their rawest and most authentic form, displaying the deepest of feelings that may otherwise never see the light of day — and what better way to demonstrate the idea than to show Harley, truly in her element, gearing up to take her place as a crime-fighting hero while so easily falling into rhythm with her old adversary?
Such is the extent of her evolution — and potential advance towards DC’s goal of incorporating her into the esteemed role of a respected member of the Bat-Family — that Harley goes against her very shared fantasy with Poison Ivy in a selflessly symbolic bit of dialogue to her girlfriend, who is causing all kinds of havoc. “This might be your Eden, but it’s not mine!” she purposefully declares, before proceeding to sacrifice herself to bring about the only way to put an end to her lover’s cruel antics. The Bat-Family watches on as she takes a black-goo-bullet for Bane (James Adomian), distancing herself in the process from outright evil that she cannot bring herself to get behind anymore — and any remnants of doubt regarding Harley having long transformed into one of them vanish right along with the zombie-sickness after Nightwing and Batgirl witness her round and profound journey from absolute villainy to loud and proud heroism.
Season 3's finale strategically works to free Harley of the last of her remaining shackles — a deep-rooted fear of abandonment at the hands of partner Poison Ivy — as a confused Harley confides in her girlfriend: “People say I’m not a villain anymore.” She knows it to be the honest truth, and as the very considerate and by no means oblivious Ivy vows to accept her in any and every form, newly awakened consciousness or not, Harley ultimately chooses to honor her heart’s desire and, perhaps by this time, the only suitable path for her: joining hands with Batman’s allies. It can only be deemed fitting, then, that Harley responds to the Bat-Signal soon after, confidently walking among the existing Bat-Family members as if one of their own, right from the beginning. On their part, they are only momentarily taken by surprise, the gang instantly falling into rhythm with Harley’s characteristic greeting, “…thought you rodents might need a little help!” elaborating on the idea of a well-executed plot point.
“Welcome to the fam, Harley!” Batgirl declares, marking Harley’s official step among the heroes, a long time in the making and fittingly brought on during the final moments leading up to the spinoff series Legion of Bats. It's a clever play on "legion of doom" and "Bat-Family" and a humorous, well-thought-out union the harboring utmost potential for wit, charm, and girl power in an unhinged display of camaraderie.