10 Batman's Darkest And Mature Moments In Animated History - Explored - Prepare To Wreck Your Heart

[@mactony4]

The first thing that came to mind is ''If you can't imagine your version of batman comforting a child then it's a bad version of batman'' i don't remember where it come from but it stayed with me.

[@floatingcloud94]

Absolutely true . I remember that quote too don’t knw where but it was under the video of batman comforting ace

[@nonghole4870]

Under a video about that doll girl. The one who doesn’t age or just ages backwards or some shit

[@crhu319]

You would trust all the DC Trinity (Batman, Superman,Wonder Woman) to babysit a kid. Is that also true of Iron Man, Thor, Spiderman or Captain America? Only the last two really.

[@alijankhan3330]

@@crhu319 Thor is a god, I'm sure he can handle babysitting. Stark will just get JARVIS to watch the kid.

[@beelzemobabbity]

@@alijankhan3330 being strong doesn’t mean you can take care of something as delicate as children. Of course he wouldn’t hurt them, but wouldn’t be my first pick

[@suzumeko7]

Years and years have passed and I still remember how Tim's insane laughter bursted into cry...

[@sunshineyrainbows13]

His voice actor popped off. Award winning.

[@Lathanielestrada-qy9jq]

right

[@DaMoniable]

The return to Babydolls story is also just as sad honestly. Her character itself gets even more tragic when you realize that shes very likely reaching the end of her life as well, since that condition does some crazy terrible things to the body as it ages. Truly one of the more miserable of the characters in the series.

[@MASTEROFEVIL]

So she had that same thing Benjamin Button had?

[@carolejean8110]

@@MASTEROFEVIL no, it was more like Gary Coleman from Diff'rent strokes. Her body was stuck at a young age. Make her look like a child even at 40 years old.

[@MASTEROFEVIL]

@@carolejean8110 Oh

[@Deuteromis]

Best comment I ever saw was the clip where she is crying after she destroys all the mirrors. Batman comforting a woman who can't escape her childhood while his was stolen from him.

[@TheInfamousDope]

She got the Andy Milonakis syndrome

[@thomasruiz2565]

That scene with Ace gets me everytime 😢😢😢

[@acurry2323]

Me 2 bro

[@darklordpeezy4813]

True story

[@reaperking7748]

I like to think that Bruce's dog was named after her

[@thomasruiz2565]

@@reaperking7748 I never thought about that!

[@rcslyman8929]

@@reaperking7748 I think that's a confirmed retcon. Also, yeah, that scene is the biggest punch to the gut. Just that look... "Would you stay with me? I'm scared."

[@Nightman221k]

The scene where The Joker tortured and broke Tim's mind was the worst in my opinion. Especially since Tim was such a good, aspirational kid who had it rough growing up with a criminal father, but he idolized Batman and Robin and wanted to help people. It tore Bruce and Tim's father-son bond apart because Bruce blamed himself for endangering the safety of an innocent kid he was responsible for and loved. And Tim had to live with the mental damage, PTSD, and all the baggage of having a parent fail you in the worst way, not to mention how the Joker put the microchip in his neck. I feel like the movie missed an opportunity of having Bruce be the one to save Tim from the Joker in the end of the movie rather than Terry who had no history or real personal connection to the past between Tim, Bruce, and the Joker cause otherwise it really felt like a misstep in an otherwise gripping and deep movie for Terry to just joybuzzer away the issue.

[@kyle4563]

Yeah, I also wish they brought in Jason Todd

[@sebastianplodek2100]

To be fair though, batman was right to feel bad about putting Tim in danger.I mean, recruiting kids to fight crime it's not a good idea.

[@jBarlow90]

I actually like the end, Terry grows as a character by showing he has stepped into the role of Batman by defeating the original Joker. Bruce's (O.G. Batman) character arc had less to do with saving Tim and was more about failing to be there for him emotionally after the incident. So when Bruce visits Tim in the hospital is indicates that old man Bruce has also grown emotionally.

[@SonOfABith]

@@kyle4563 Jason’s torture was much worse than Tim’s in my opinion. Yes Tim’s was awful but Jason had a horrible torture at the hands of the Joker.

[@joester4life]

I always hated the new Robin aka Tim. Kind of glad they did it.

[@childofthe80s1981]

I liked the idea of Harvey Dent being friends with Bruce Wayne it made his transformation into Two Face even more tragic. I remember an episode when Hugo Strange created a device to read people's minds and discovered that Bruce Wayne is Batman. He tried to tell Two Face that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Two Face said he knew Bruce Wayne if he is Batman I'm the king of England. Do you think Two Face actually has some idea Bruce Wayne is Batman and the good part of him (Harvey Dent) was trying to protect his friend by making that quip or do you think Two Face has no knowledge of Bruce's secret identity.

[@DracoMagnius]

Honestly I think Harvey and Two Face (or Big Bad Harv as his other personality was called before the transformation) couldn't comprehend that their former good friend could possibly be Batman. If they accepted that they would need to accept every time Batman stops them it was Bruce. Bruce trying to reach out to them to help or Bruce betraying them and fighting against them. Both personalities might veiw their fights with Batman differently which would cause division between them. So either they deny Bruce is Batman or they accept it and it tears their world apart.

[@kristopherhayes486]

I would say they probably didn't believe him. It would seem too bizarre for him even before the transformation into Two-Face but if he did figure it out (such as batman removing his mask) it would probably break his mind, causing the interactions between them to be more chaotic and/or diffcult. The evil personality would probably want to reveal it to the world.

[@wintertrooper7918]

To me I personally think that his mind is so messed that he can not mentally accept that his best friend Bruce Wayne was his bitter enemy Batman

[@TheArklyte]

Bruce Wayne isn't Batman though. There is a reason people like Two Face and Joker are in Batman's Rogue gallery while General Zodd and Lex Luthor are in Kal El's. A villain is a mirror of a hero. Bruce died in same alley with his parents, Batman was born on that day and he promised the poor child to set things right, forever taking away the reigns. Batman is fully insane, obsessed with his task. It's like as if Judge took over Harvey and deleted all other personalities. Bruce Wayne is just a leftover name.

[@jarianharris8240]

I think he had no idea at all

[@wintertrooper7918]

One of the most interesting facts that have been hinted at about Gordon is that he pretty much knows the identity of the batman family but if he were to actually confirm it he'd be forced to arrest them

[@crhu319]

Plus his own daughter.

[@wintertrooper7918]

@@crhu319 that too

[@rodvincent]

I think a lot of the best bat-verse storylines are about characters who are somehow stuck to their core programming or beliefs yet can at least understand the other main actors in their world. Hero or otherwise.

[@buffyotaku7142]

He knows ♫♫♫ He knows ♫♫♫

[@a7c777]

I like the idea of children’s shows being mature as possible within reason. More recent shows lately have been prioritizing animation over story-world building. The Paul Dini/bruce timm DC animated shows did a fantastic job of putting the story content first and the censorship second which really helped define the superhero genre for youth in the late 90s/2000s. Wise choice for some of their side stories to go straight to VHS/DVD but man the harsher stuff was always tastefully done through meaningful buildup and not just nonsensical spectacle or unnecessary violence. I’ve got so much admiration for the early 2000s Warner Bro’s animation department for what theyve done for my childhood

[@warrickmcinerney7899]

Yes to the maturity factor. I remember watching Robotech and there was a myriad of mature elements including the deaths of some of the main characters and the ongoing effect it had on the remaining characters. It created drama which gave the show depth.

[@whitedragoness23]

A lot of the stories had to work around the censorship. They had to change joker from killing people to rendering them with creepy smiles and uncontrollable laughter. Someone from the team said they thought that route was worse than death and scarier. Indeed it was.

[@Redshirt434]

Andrea decided to spare Terry's parents, and eventually, Waller realized that she was right.

[@jsutton0010]

The Episode It's Never Too Late, I think deserves to be on this list. The scene where Batman takes Stormwell to a rehab clinic, and shows the mob boss his son has become an addict to the same drug he sells, is very mature for a childrens cartoon. Also Stormwell's guilt over his own brother loosing a leg after saving his life.

[@MetroXLR99]

I agree. It showed that it isn't always about Batman beating up the bad guy. Most of the time, Batman wants to rehabilitate criminals (one main reason he never kills them.) This was further cemented in the 'Lock-Up' episode, where it is confirmed that Batman cares about his villains well being, and disapproved of them being abused by an Arkham Guard.

[@nastymotherfu-7593]

I just watched it, and your right it REALLY deserves to be on this list.

[@Seoyeaji921]

​@@MetroXLR99but sometimes he cares about the well being of criminals which is sick.

[@Seoyeaji921]

​@@MetroXLR99and not all villains have redeeming quality and not all villains deserve redemption

[@MFDoomguy21]

6:00 Amanda didn’t spare Terry’s parents, it was the Phantasm’s decision to not be the catalyst, and have his trajectory drastically changed.

[@MsKittyMeow]

Because Andrea still deeply loved Bruce and knew he couldn'tmarry her because of what happened to him. She would hate to create another Bruce. 😍

[@imkerrusin]

Definitely. Andrea knew the story all too well and didn't want someone else to go through what Bruce did. Hence why she backed off from it and argued with Waller.

[@BroadcastingChaos]

Wasn't the phantasm actually Barbara Gordon? I'm sure I remember it that way

[@GeekGamerAlert]

@@BroadcastingChaos Nope, Andrea Beaumont. (KINDA SPOILERS) daughter of financier Carl Beaumont who made some bad deals and got offed by the mob. She came back as phantasm to get revenge. Thats a VERY simplified version but I suggest watching the movie again it still stands up even by today's standards imo.

[@BroadcastingChaos]

@@GeekGamerAlert fair do's. It has been a while since I last watched it

[@joed2431]

the whole batman beyond robin torture really terrified me as a kid. I just kept saying "batman will stop him, batman will stop him".

[@RetroRuss]

The scene with Ace sheds a light on a side of Batman that rarely gets explored: his compassion. He stayed with a scared child until the end, and mourned her death in his own way.

[@AndreNitroX]

Moments like these are when I realized a s a kid these shows were more than just cartoons they were epic stories that treated me with respect for mature content and still provided me with superhero action.

[@LucienYT]

Fun fact: The original script and writing for that torture scene with Tim Drake from BB:RotJ was originally much, much darker than even we saw in the Director's Cut. Apparently they had a scene planned that included surgical moments to give Tim that smile after Joker's mental torture didn't quite push him over the edge completely... *shudders* I can't confirm this 100% mind, but it was making the rounds quite profusely back in the day. I can see it being a thing though, BB was all about touching on things like body horror, so this would be right up their alley.

[@cmiller0987]

I came here hoping you guys would make mention of Annie and you did not disappoint. Thank you for mentioning the great and tragic episode that is Growing Pains. Its one of my favorite episodes ever and I'm happy to see that it made the list

[@kapitan19969838]

❤

[@Syxxth]

If you are an Annie fan, there is an episode of Beyond where kids disappear and the Batcomputer shows several missing kids. One of the kids strikingly resembles Annie.

[@krishnansubramoni7801]

I'm glad to see more people appreciate that episode. When I was a kid, I was not able to watch all the episodes, but that one I was able to watch. And boy did it stick with me. Even now, when I'm almost 30, I still remember it. And it still gets me crying. 🧡

[@Syxxth]

@@krishnansubramoni7801 I can’t remember the episode, but Annie makes a single image cameo in Batman Beyond.

[@andersonviana245]

​@@krishnansubramoni7801me too man, and I hope one day she returns in animation and comics, as she is a very captivating character😢😢

[@markiahendrix60]

These were the shows that made our childhoods very unique... The animation was truly 'one of a kind' and could transport you to Gotham City more than any other show. Thanks for sharing these good memories!

[@johnnyroche138]

Tim Drake in that series had Jason Todd’s background. I think they couldn’t “kill” JT because of censors, but honestly, I think torturing him and brainwashing him into a kid Joker is even more twisted than just killing him.

[@sunshineyrainbows13]

Don't know why DC cartoons like to mix Robins. It's a disservice to the originals. But still a good story.

[@kuramayoko23]

@@sunshineyrainbows13 at the time, you couldn't do that. I liked that they mixed the two Robins in the Return of the Joker movie. It was a way to show the younger viewers that didn't know about the Jason Todd Robin. I was not one of those viewers. I knew there were three Robins at that time. Does it insult the original material? I don't think so personally, but I do see why some may see it that way.

[@nephicus339]

@@kuramayoko23 You could argue they made up for it with Batman: Under the Red Hood. Honestly, I don't know which would be worse; what happened to Tim for the Batman Beyond story arch; or Jason's story to becoming Red Hood.

[@noahsmith4877]

Since joker broke them both physically and mentally

[@That80sGuy1972]

That series was a great series for kids, kids need shock and awe far before they become adults that can get even far more traumatized by it via their bubble popping later. Keep in mind that all classic fairy tales were originally horror stories told to kids in a far darker way to teach them lessons.

[@jarianharris8240]

True

[@puterboy2]

You are obviously blinded by nostalgia, Netflix is making a ton of animated shows mature storytelling…I think.

[@puterboy2]

@Jorge H. So they are. Look at Arcane and Blade Runner Lotus.

[@shikniwho7215]

there are plenty of mature show or even creepy one like Courage the cowardly dog but as kid, even if you watch those, you rarely notice about the type of thing they try to show. It only when you watch it again when you are teenage or adult that you start to think "Was the show always this dark?"

[@That80sGuy1972]

@@shikniwho7215 The best kids' shows are the ones that sneak the dark under the notice of rose-tint glasses-type adults that forgot what they needed and got as kids.

[@Lazyla]

I think the saddest part about the “dream world” episode is mad hatter says “I was willing to give you the life you’ve always wanted.. just to keep you out of mine.” While crying

[@Girard1020]

In the DCAU wiki it says Bruce later became aware of his genetic relationship with Terry, but chose to hide it from him, feeling that Warren had raised Terry and deserved to be remembered as his true father. Bruce also wanted Terry to be his own man and not to feel that his fate had been dictated for him by his genes. And by so Terry has become a worthy Successor as Bruce’s heir to his Fortune & as Batman, and he did what Bruce couldn’t do find his father killer & bring him and their associates to Justice. He’s also a worthy member to be a part of the Justice League fighting along side Superman, Kai-Ro (New Green Lantern), Aquagirl (Mareena) Aquaman’s & Mera’s Daughter, Warhawk (Rex Stewart) John Stewart’s & Hawkgirl’s Son, Micron, Static, & Big Barda.

[@roksanamakowska-michalak369]

I never understood the idea of shielding children from difficult topics - it makes them no good. TAS and BB allowed me to gain sensitivity and empathy quickly in the childhood, I followed the Batman's moral code and recognised complexity of the people I meet. I would not be me and have been doing what I do the way I do without that taught lessons. Children are more than capable of being challenged like that and years after, I can assure you, they will come back to these titles and see even more nuances than before. As they should.

[@moralityisnotsubjective5]

Part of growing up is learning hard lessons and coming to an understanding of the darker side of life.

[@codagaming9186]

I really like that Batman dream one casued by Mad Hatter. It really nails home how Bruce's true personality is just Batmam. He's not living a double life like Spiderman, but Bruce Wayne's "life" really died that night with his parents. The playboy he behaves as Wayne is more of a mask than the cowl itself.

[@swiftlydone81]

Over the edge was very surreal, some people actually go through that, poor Harley!!

[@DmanDice]

Which makes people glorifying their relationship even worse.

[@geronimo5537]

As a kid who grew up watching these animation versions of batman. I just could never see the same greatness in the live action movies. Truly these were the best of Batman that honored who batman is and his character as an individual.

[@sleepingpiranha8879]

It is unlikely we'll get story telling like this for the next generations.

[@wisconsinking323]

I think we might, Batman Capted Crusader is going to be this generations BTAS. Like how The Batman was the BTAS of my generation.

[@MurphNTurph]

Not quite like this, but Young Justice certainly has some dark story telling, and is really good overall.

[@puterboy2]

@@MurphNTurph Except how they changed Barbara becoming Oracle in the latest episode of that show. Seeing how many people preferred it over the Killing Joke shatters my comic book purist persona.

[@DoremiFasolatido1979]

Exactly like this? Of course not...because most people aren't psychopaths anymore. They're still all narcissists, but not universally a bunch of psychopaths like prior generations. . But, eventually some good storytelling that doesn't obligate satiating a culture of people who bust a nut for the suffering of others, will come about.

[@amuroray9115]

Have you watched The Long Halloween? Also, these creators are still making some dope stories. Like Gods and Monsters. It’s done in Bruce Timm’s art style and similar writers

[@rodimus7926]

This was great cartoon, great stories mixed with attractive characters that inmersed you from beggining to end in a story you don´t want to stop

[@amazingcalvin]

I think Batman: Under the Red hood also deserves to be here. The film starts off with one of the most violent scenes I have ever seen in cartoon and there is no happy ending either.

[@oliviacox2593]

I was hoping someone would mention this 😭

[@SpeedyCheetahCub]

Yeah, that was one the first animated Batman content I ever watched, and it definitely helped me grasp the darkness that shows up in this medium. To be fair, I mainly watched it because I was a Supernatural fan and it had Jensen Ackles, so I guess I was already a bit desensitized to the violence. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@aval2392]

BRO ACTUALLY i was SHOCKED with the opening scene

[@mgelliott86]

I remember counting the bodies. I think it was like 19 in the first ten minutes or something

[@damianstarks3338]

Once again you take me back to my childhood.

[@acurry2323]

Me 2 bro

[@mkproductions2.0]

ditto gentlemen

[@carsenmaxwell3336]

I liked Ace, her death was a very sad moment, I like how it defined a part of Batman’s own life, but I would’ve loved to have seen a happier ending for her

[@clarkburr]

If that one doesn't get to you there's something wrong with you very emotional episode.

[@geronimo5537]

Its the episode that made batman standout from all the other characters too me.

[@migzy4704]

That would've been nice, but I kinda prefer this ending for her. It's sad, but the hardest thing about life is that not everyone has a happy ending.

[@eliasjdm976]

If there were some honorable mentions i would suggest these: 1. See no Evil : It's not a usually mentioned episode of the series. Its about a father/criminal who does everything that it takes to see his daughter after having a divorce with his wife. 2. Second chances : "Bruce ... Good old Bruce... Always there... You have never given up on me" . Two face is about to finally get a cure. An accident seem to happen in the procedure and the experiment can't be completed. Batman investigates who was the person that didn't let the experiment complete. After a lot of research he concludes that Harvey's most dangerous villain is himself- two face. He was responsible for the situation. The episode shows how easy is for harvey to lose control and how his multiple personality makes him even more insane. 3. Feat of clay : Bruce finds himself trapped after a mysterious guy has stolen his identity (somehow). It happens to be an actor that tries to find money and the goal is to buy even more of a "cream" that makes his deformed face look like whatever he wants. His face is the problem for his professional life as an actor and to make sure to cover the problem, he does "dirty jobs" for Dugget, the owner of the company that produces the cream. The anti-hero seems to be addicted to it and he tries to stole some of it. Dugget's thugs try to stop him and they torture him by throwing a huge amount of the cream into his body. And the result is ... Clayface... 4. Ace in a hole (batman beyond) : It is heartbreaking to know how old Bruce found Ace... 5. Rebirth (batman beyond): Terry's origin story. That's it....

[@wabigcub1977]

BTAS had some serious content in those episodes and it made for an amazing watch. Many of the episodes are quite memorable even today. The same can be said for certain episodes from Batman Beyond as well.

[@mgelliott86]

Heart of steel is amazing

[@Gabronthe]

13:17 the scariest and darkest part of Harley is that this is VERY real and happens all the time.

[@theofficalsilentraven]

Yeah...

[@ghostface0927]

The scene with ace is even better then most people realize. It’s well documented in the comics that Batman can trick mind readers by implanting fake memories to mislead them. He learned this via training with the Martian manhunter. This means that Batman intentionally let ace read his mind without feeding her false information. Makes the scene more special

[@BgChf-dg5lv]

Ace’s death never fails to make me cry.

[@DaellusKnights]

Every. Single. Time. 😭

[@terra249594372]

They did us dirty with her story

[@DaellusKnights]

@@terra249594372 Indeed. But they accomplished their goal... all these years later, and here we are. 😳

[@mskiara18]

Thank you for taking the time to compile these episodes together, some I remember as a child while some were new to me like Robin wanting revenge. If only more series would make more mature-related themes like this, as they are both entertaining and thought provoking for certain ages.

[@RoyCyberPunk]

I'm amazed at how gritty animated Batman was it was almost on the same level as the live action Daredevil TV series.

[@crhu319]

Both excellent series. Jessica Jones first season also even exceeds both for darkness.

[@eat-lc5rx]

As a kid who watched them all, I appreciate every second of the limits they were allowed to push. Scars and all. These shows were masterpieces.

[@007Thanos007]

It has been at least a decade since the episode involving the demise of Little Annie, avatar of Clayface, and I'm still mad at an obviously fictional character, because of the death of another fictional character. THAT is what good storytelling is all about.

[@reaperking7748]

Will you stay with me? I'm scared. When Ace said that my heart broke. One of the few times that I mourned a fictional character😢 This wasn't even the darkest part of that episode. The darkest part was when Amanda Waller wanted Barbara Gordon to kill Terry's parents but Barbara refused to go through with it

[@TuckAndRun]

Barbara Gordon wouldn't have killed Terry's parents, as she was not a killer... it was the Phantasm, Andrea Beaumont...

[@danielhaire6677]

In my headspace, I have imagined Batman breaking down in the cave later and revealing what happened to Alfred. After putting Bruce to bed to sleep off the pain, Alfred calls Jason while pulling out his Benelli M4. 24 hours later, Cadmus is Scorched Earth and Waller looks like bloody swiss cheese.

[@vahagn19941]

the golden age of cartoons good old days.

[@jahquestanderson9471]

Fun fact: Hynden Walch plays the voice of Ace. She also plays the voice of Starfire from Teen Titans (2003).

[@Thedarksenshi]

Wasn't the whole Royal Flush gang played by the voices of the Teen Titans?

[@RyunosukeHachi]

@@Thedarksenshi Yep

[@glenhayman8722]

Another great story is the Mad Hatter origin in BTAS, his sadness, his longing, his misguided love, is very evident. He comes off more tragic than a villain

[@LegoReader12345hello]

Another great story is Arnold wesker, how for a long time his worst enemy was himself for letting a dummy call him a dummy, but without the dummy he felt incomplete, he would take therapy but the dummy returned, it was only Wesker who could take down Scarface once and for all. It felt great to see a Batman villain get redemption

[@RevWolf1776]

My childhood, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamil will always be Batman and the Joker for me.

[@Joe___R]

These are examples of why Batman the animated series is the best Batman outside of the comics.

[@jackster9775]

The fact that Walker is Alive after the Ace incident shows just how strong Batman’s willpower is.

[@danielhaire6677]

In my headspace, I have imagined Batman breaking down in the cave later and revealing what happened to Alfred. After putting Bruce to bed to sleep off the pain, Alfred calls Jason while pulling out his Benelli M4. 24 hours later, Cadmus is Scorched Earth and Waller looks like bloody swiss cheese.

[@ragingjaguarknight86]

One of the scariest things about fighting Joker/Tim Drake was that he was trained to the absolute pinnacle of Batman's and Robin's fighting style. He even taunts Terry during their fight when he beats up Terry without a problem. Ace's death was another taxing episode. She was just a girl and the Batman told her how he knew how it felt to have a childhood stolen from them. (In a Justice League episode, he tells Diana that he hasn't been a child since he was 8 years old.) Paul Dini killed it as Mr Freeze, you feel the pain in his voice in the episode's ending. I wasn't really troubled by Barbara's "death" and was shocked more by Batman actually laughing than anything else. Regarding Robin and Annie, I really hoped that they would end up together, since they made such a cute couple. ^_^ It would have been cool to see a shapeshifter on Batman's and Robin's side. I didn't feel that Bruce committed suicide when I watched it as a kid. I just thought that he was "jumping" out of the dream, to get it out of it. Two-Face was an interesting villain. I even liked him as the Judge. Baby Doll's female bodyguard was an awesome character to say the least, I would have liked to see more of her.

[@jarianharris8240]

Yeah but Terry easily overcame that and played Joker like a fiddle

[@ragingjaguarknight86]

@@jarianharris8240 yup. Way to think on his feet. ^_^

[@kevinstull8552]

Paul Dini wasn't the voice of Mr. Freeze. it was Michael Ansara that did his voice.

[@ragingjaguarknight86]

@@kevinstull8552 whoa oops. But Michael did a real good job as him. You really felt his pain whenever he spoke.

[@kevinstull8552]

@@ragingjaguarknight86 Absolutely. He did an amazing and powerful performance as Mr. Freeze.

[@michaelsong5555]

I remember ALL of these scenes. And they all really stay with you, some more than others. I mean, Joker mind-breaking Tim Drake, then Tim Drake breaking down after killing the Joker... that was the least sad scene in this list. That ought to speak volumes. The saddest (and most impactful) moments were (tie): 1. Ace's death. Honestly, "Could you stay with me? I'm scared." That was heartbreaking. 2. Mr Freeze's origin. You can't have this list without that. That's the episode that shined new light on Batman TAS. Really redefined it. "I failed you. I wish there were other ways to say it. But I cannot. I can only beg for your forgiveness, and pray that you hear it somehow. Somewhere warm." Yikes. 3. Growing Pains. Very well titled. Oh boy, where to start. Annie was a one-shot character, but I'm betting that literally everyone who saw that episode remembers her. I think she was the first "permanent death" character, after the audience got attached to her. And that's the first time Tim Drake witnessed murder of someone close to him, all because he was too weak t do anything about it (remember, Annie sacrificed herself to protect Tim from Clayface). "Sometimes, there are no happy endings." Growing Pain title wasn't just for Robin -- it was targeted towards the AUDIENCE. I'm surprised there was no Mask of the Phantasm. There, we see Bruce getting over his parents' death, and actually obtaining genuine happiness, with someone who truly understands and accepts all of him -- his initial anger towards the crime that took away his parents, and even him getting over their deaths (Bruce was begging in front of his parents' graves for their forgiveness, because Bruce felt guilty for getting over their deaths). And then everything went south.

[@rodimus7926]

It´s funny how the Dark knight can become a beacon of light when he has to

[@wintertrooper7918]

As one of the few completely mortal non powered humans in the JL so he's often the one who relates the most to those that are dealing with the curse that is mortality

[@jarianharris8240]

@@wintertrooper7918 Wow 😮

[@greyfox37]

Robin's Reckoning was a classic two parter. I loved how Bruce said he was making Zucco his full investment, but Alfred had to remind him that Dick is a boy in need. The talk they have as Bruce tells him, you wish there was something different you could have done. The moment they spend together in tragic solidarity is so powerful.

[@war4nl1]

Rest In Peace Kevin Conroy

[@brunopmcosta]

I think these animations with a darker tone should absolutely be shown to children as long as they're well thought out. I don't consider BTAS tough for kids at all. I consider it character forming

[@festro1000]

Yeah, I miss the old style of storytelling in cartoons, I grew up on Gargoyles, Zoids and the like after all; and honestly it prepared me for the world more than these new cartoons devoid of most of the problems plaguing the world.

[@swordracer]

Mr. Freeze is always a tragic character and I love it because it’s a good example of DC comics keeping characters mostly grounded/realistic

[@sparkyjr.3121]

It's moments like these that definitely left an impact and taught some hard lessons. The world isn't always fair Not every story has a happy ending It's hard to let go of past trauma But also Not every criminal is evil There are people who just want to help Holding onto anger will hurt you and those around you

[@doublerr1242]

"Joker tortures Robin" Tim and Jason need some goddamn therapy.

[@nerdgeekcosplay909]

YES

[@vinylpenguin2651]

Batman and Gargoyles did a good job of presenting mature themes in a kid format. Those where shows that other cartoons should aspire to be. Telling a difficult message without kidding it up but still making it both serious and kid friendly.

[@radicalgear391]

Only bad stuff in this series is how they treat Dick and the awful “romance” batman had with batgirl. Other than that it gets so much right about batman that the movies fail at.

[@MichaelThomas-we2zp]

Damm, the memories of childhood. Batman was my hero and still is TBH. Great video.

[@andyrandall9289]

On Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, there were two versions. One where Tim shoots The Joker, the other was an accidental, and off screen death of the joker. Earlier, when the Joker was fighting Bruce the animators cleaned up the fight. One scene had the Joker welding a knife, the edited scene was with the Joker's closed fist. Bruce was also bleeding under his cowl, edited shown no blood. The reasons why was that Columbine had just happened so everything on television like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ect., were being edited.

[@85futureshock]

See No Evil is honestly one of the more creepy episodes in Batman TAS. The father is implied to be a abusive and disturbed husband/father who stalks his ex-wife and daughter. What makes it creepier is Lloyd Ventrix is played by one of the most famous TV dads ever in Michael Gross aka Steven Keaton in a great performance.

[@Spiran_SphereHunter]

Ace's death particularly them sitting on the swing and her plea for him to stay with her and the image of her in his arms as he walks out of the park has stayed with me almost my entire life, It's burned into my memory in a way I don't think anyother show ever has, It wasn't my earliest experience with death by far but I think it might have been the first where I truly understood what happened and what it meant if that makes sense.

[@charlespennie3621]

The 90s...when writers had backbones

[@SilvanOrion]

While it wasn't on the list here, and I just recently found this channel, I think an honorable mention should be given to watching Bruce Wayne begging at the graves of his parents. Bruce finally finding a level of happiness that he never imagined and pleading with their memories to let him give up being Batman shows just how tortured Bruce is. Even though he took up the mantle on his own, there is clearly a level of him that feels trapped as Batman and longs for that happy life that was robbed from him.

[@abigails4088]

MAD LOVE ...let's not forget, folks...She did manage to outwit Bruce in the heat of it... shows us how clever Harley can really be when properly motivated--- she is a prodigy psychologist after all. ...Also shows you how far you can fall if you succumb to an abusive, controlling spouse that doesn't actually care about you.

[@sicksadworld765]

I mean that’s kinda the point: she’s actually way smarter and competent than the Joker himself, without really trying and this drives him mad 😂 The Joker spend years of his life to achieve something that Harley did on a casual afternoon because she wanted to make him happy

[@SkittleXero]

The way Batman handled the death of Ace is the reason I love Batman as much as I do. Most things don't effect me that much but the moment Ace said that she was scared is when it broke me. It's right up there with Peter Parker when he straight up started begging not to die in Infinity War.

[@athfcoz]

A hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat on a young boy's shoulders to let him know that the world hadn't ended.

[@jimmike8029]

I think Batman stories have the best writing and this stuff is why. Perfect

[@Ahteshamquraishi]

I teared up a little after watching this!

[@nunyabiznes33]

Growing Pains was memorable to me. I remember being horrified when Annie was absorbed back into Clayface.

[@pratikamatya5190]

She has a very tragic love story with Killer Croc too. She wants to be in a relationship but can't. Physically. you know...

[@WarmLusamine]

Baby Doll/Mary was in love with the Croc.

[@HELLO_KORO]

That episode solidified Tim Drake as my favorite character

[@johnryder1713]

Mask of the Phantasm was the best Batman movie

[@Kurudoftw]

I was 6 years old when i watched that back in 97, its was soo good

[@MsKittyMeow]

As a child I never got over the Annie episode. Amazing storytelling.

[@kmech3rd]

He wasn't in the "touching" category, but ManBat from "On Leather Wings" was absolutely terrifying. That was quality animation and storytelling.

[@katedidier6083]

That was one of the episodes I REFUSED to watch as a kid. I’d start crying if my dad tried to make me watch it lol (tbh I’m glad my dad started having me watch this when I was two though, I think it really affected what my own writing is like as an adult)

[@lesheezy]

R.I.P. Kevin Conroy

[@Scout_from_deep_rock_galactic]

I like that Batman the animated series treated their fans as adults. It truely was amazing.

[@innovator90]

B:TAS had so many amazing and great stories, a cartoon that both kids and adults enjoyed yet never sugar coated serious topics. It spawn Batman Beyond probably one of the few great sequel series for any show. The Babydoll has to be one of the hardest episodes to watch. So heartbreaking yet it’s so hard to really hate Babydoll. But Batman showing compassion for her, just kept showing why Batman is one of the greatest heroes. Regardless if Batman was your favorite hero or not, B:TAS made everyone a fan of Batman. Damn. I miss those good ol’ days. When cartoons were for kids entertainment yet was still mature for adults to enjoy.

[@alifmuhammadchicago]

Whew, that ending with Freeze... that hurt my little preteen heart. I still remember the line verbatim almost 30 years later... "Where were those pretty words when she needed to hear them?" 🥺 I'm not crying. You are. ...shut up. 😬

[@tevinroberts501]

That series made me the man I am today! All the episodes is about life well to me, there hasn't been another animated season like Batman. So I say thank you for making my childhood a great one.

[@TheBlankJoker]

And that's why the series would always be loved. It didn't hand everything out. And it wasn't always predictable. But rather everything that happened always seemed within character. I sometimes go back and watch old shows like this only to now understand, or have gone through some of the life lessons presented.

[@Forced2DoThis1]

Batman The Animated Series and Beyond wasn't meant to be a "Kids" show. It was an animated show for all!

[@eldritchmorgasm4018]

The "Mad Hatter" is quite underrated, should be used more, in a serious way! He was 1 of the best things in the Arkham games, realy like the moment in "Arkham Knight" where he calls Batman "crazy", because he's effectively immune against his methods, which makes me realy think Batman IS crazy, but so strongly determind to do good & not killing that he's not just a maniac going rampant. Discipline. Two-Face too, underrated, because he's not realy "evil", he was underused in the Arkham games. Him in a movie, like "The Batman 2" (just a carefull sight into a possible future), he could be a bad guy, but with drastic psycjological problems like Batman in "Arkham Knight", slowly changing into "The Judge", which would be the main threat later on in that movie. Also, "The Phantom" should be in the ne movie-continuity, as well as... Well, don't remember his name, and I totaly don't know anything about this character, but in the Arkham games he was "mentioned" at least once, in all the collectible informations about other characters/enemies. Basicly evil Batman, very smart, a tactician, using gadgets, but also guns, and he kills. Now that I think of it, I don't think I have ever heard of this character before & after the Arkham games... 🤔

[@dogloversrule8476]

The baby doll episodes were definitely sad. The scar face episodes weren’t as sad, but they were definitely up there

[@shadizersilverhand2113]

You have to feel for Terry's parents when you consider that thanks to Waller his mother was basically robbed of the child of the man she loved and effectively impregnated with a stranger's seed and the man she loved was robbed of his biological child thanks to what was done to him. They'll never know what their child would have been like, he could have been an even greater hero but was denied ever being born.

[@andrewblanchard2398]

BABY DOLL is the most tragic villain she's stuck as a child forever

[@shenron9988]

Nothing is more heartbreaking than Ace's final moments, it makes anyone cry 😭

[@RedHeadKevin]

The Ace storyline is even sadder when Bruce named his dog after her.

[@Shiirow]

the Baby Doll episode, if you look closely at the henchmen, they resemble Gilligan and the Skipper from Gilligan's Island.

[@jarianharris8240]

Lol yeah they kinda do

[@liamharris9721]

There is a difference between a cartoon show being designed for kids & it being kid-friendly …BTAS is a mature show , that is simply kid-friendly I’m a big time Batman fan, and BTAS is the gold standard for cartoons. I remember enjoying it as a kid, and even as an adult I was able to binge it, and still be highly entertained. This was a great video!

[@nicoleedwards4727]

The scene with Robins parents get me everytime gosh I didn't know half of these tell now.

[@joshuawilliams8921]

The episode with Ace is the reason Batman is the GOAT. It shows the human side of Batman and the complexity. It is also the one episode i Cannot help but tear up.

[@krishnansubramoni7801]

Oh god the tears are coming back. This was peak DC. No. This was just peak Superhero stories. I was never able to watch all the episodes of the old animated Batman series. But damn, I will always remember the one with Anne and Clayface. That one I saw, and remember to this day. That affected me on a deep level.

[@noahsmith4877]

Rip Kevin conroy Will never forget you (my childhood hero)

[@TuckAndRun]

Trial was another mature episode. Batman has to be defended against the group of super villains by an attorney who detests him, and comes to realize that Batman did not create his rogue's gallery, but was created by them.

[@ladyem5741]

I remember watching most of this when I was 4,this is why I love Batmen

[@RNA]

I loved shows like this and gargoyles among others growing up they were meant for kids but at the same time they weren't treating us like babies or people who wouldn't understand the outside world.

[@James-78]

Great video 👍

[@ulyssesveracruz8343]

Can you do a superman and spiderman Darkest and mature moments please

[@yoursafeplace8476]

The best moment for me in all superman media is after Darkseid uses his omega beams to kill Dan Turpin and leaves via boomtube before Supes can retaliate it sends Supes into an all out rage.

[@ThaSouthMU]

I always felt for Mr Freeze and his dearest Nora…

[@moosewillis7098]

The one with Ace always broke me up.

[@sakuchaoran5985]

overall the animated series and movies we had from 1990 to now , there's one quote i keep in mind forever, it's from justice league flashpoint : " Have the courage to accept what you can't change, the force to change what you can, and the wisdom to make the difference"

[@notbrian6805]

I rewatched justice League unlimited a few days ago,I reached the ace seen and after all these years, it still gets me