16 Great Animated Batman Movies, Ranked By Fans Of The Caped Crusader (2024)

The Batman:Will Arnett

The Villain: Joker

The Plot: After Batman hurts his feelings, the Joker plots his most devious plan, planning to unleash all the greatest villains on Gotham City. Naturally, Batman needs to stop him, but he also has a new ward under his care: Dick Grayson. While the Brick Knight works alone, he'll need to break this rule to foil Joker's plan.

Why It Rocks:The Lego Batman Movie finds a way to bridge comedy and action while paying tribute to all the different eras of the Dark Knight. From the opening scene, the film explodes with fast, frenetic fun that never gets boring or derivative. It's not quite a straight-up parody of Batman, but laughs at the self-seriousness and self-importance of the Caped Crusader and his world of doom and gloom.

The Batman:Peter Weller

The Villains:The Mutants

The Plot:After a group known as the Mutants wreak havoc on Gotham City, Bruce Wayne comes out of retirement to put on the cape and cowl once again, and bloody his knuckles on these fools' faces. Yet, the city - and world - aren't as receptive to the Dark Knight's tactics for justice as they once were.

Why It Rocks:This two-part feature captures the attitude and vigor of Frank Miller'sThe Dark Knight Returns series. When the comic book was released in 1986, it changed the landscape of the medium, showcasing how there was a place for darker and realistic stories. In much the same way, this animated film doesn't feature a Batman doing a Batusi or paying for his purchases with a Bat-Credit Card. It's much more serious and intense.

The Batman:Kevin Conroy

The Villain:Amanda Waller

The Plot:Amanda Waller sends the Suicide Squad on a mission into Arkham Asylum to capture the Riddler. Not only does Batman need to keep a close eye on Task Force X and prevent them from succeeding in their mission, but he also needs to find Joker's hidden bomb.

Why It Rocks:This is the Suicide Squad movie everyone wished David Ayer'sSuicide Squad would have been. It finds a way to insert these villains into a heist story and give every character something to do without feeling shoehorned into the narrative. At the same time, it keeps the presence of Batman looming throughout the film, as he contends with all the headaches these villains give him.

Batman: Under the Red Hood

The Batman: Bruce Greenwood

The Villain: Red Hood

The Plot:A brand-new vigilante named the Red Hood arrives in Gotham City, laying waste to all the criminals like they're an all-you-can-eat buffet. Batman recognizes his moves and strategy, though, because these were all elements the Dark Knight taught his previous partners. At the same time, the Red Hood goes after the Joker. Now, the question is: Does Batman protect the rogue or let the Hood put bullets in the Ace of Knaves, who undoubtedly deserves it?

Why It Rocks:Poignant and powerful,Batman: Under the Red Hood continues to be remembered as one of the best Batman animated movies of all time. It explores the Caped Crusader's greatest failure, and how he finds himself torn between righting wrongs of the past and staying true to justice. This story pushes the Dark Knight to his limits - physically and emotionally.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

The Batman:Kevin Conroy

The Villain:The Phantasm

The Plot:A mysterious new masked vigilante known as the Phantasm arrives in Gotham City and begins to knock off the biggest and baddest crime bosses. People mistake this figure for Batman, so it's up to the Caped Crusader to find the real killer, stop the murders, and clear his name, because the Gotham City Police Department still sucks.

Why It Rocks:Essentially, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm plays out like a feature-length episode of Batman: The Animated Series, and that's never a bad thing, especially when Kevin Conroy brings the hero to life. Not only does the film introduce a morally complex villain in the shape of the Phantasm, but it also explores Bruce Wayne's history and the time he almost hung up his cape and cowl for love. This allows for a deeper insight into the character's psyche and the challenges of being Batman. In addition, the film provides a key backstory to the Dark Knight's greatest rogue, the Joker.

Batman: Year One

The Batman: Ben McKenzie

The Villain:Gotham City

The Plot:Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City after training his mind and body to become a weapon. Now, as Batman, he tries to clean up the cesspool of a city that's tainted by corruption and crime. He finds an unlikely ally in a good cop named Jim Gordon who moves to Gotham and wants to make a difference, too.

Why It Rocks:Based on Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's seminal comic book story,Batman: Year One boasts a darker, grittier origin story for the Dark Knight. One can practically smell the stench and feel the grime of Gotham on the screen as poor Batman and Gordon need hazmat suits to survive around here.Fun fact: Once upon a time, Darren Aronofsky wanted to make a live-actionYear One film, with Joaquin Phoenix eyed for the lead role.