The Animated Series Episodes I Always Skip On A Rewatch

I love Batman: The Animated Series, but there are some episodes that I’ll skip over whenever I rewatch it. DC’s Batman: The Animated Series is one of the greatest animated shows ever made – dark, stylish, and emotionally rich in ways few superhero series have matched. Yet, as with any long-running series, not every episode hits the same high bar.

Even after decades, Batman: TAS is a superhero series masterpiece. However, some episodes are tonally off, oddly paced, or just don’t capture the sophistication that made the show legendary. These episodes aren’t bad, exactly (still boasting the dark deco design and Kevin Conroy’s flawless performance as Batman), but compared to classics like “Heart of Ice” or “Two-Face,” they don’t hold up.

Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 28 “Night Of The Ninja”

A Ninja stands with a sword over Batman in Batman the animated series Night Of The Ninja

While “Night of the Ninja” tries to dig into Bruce Wayne’s past and martial arts training, it ends up feeling surprisingly flat. The episode introduces Kyodai Ken, an old rival from Bruce’s time in Japan. Unfortunately, the story’s revenge plot is generic and lacks the emotional nuance that defines Batman: TAS’s best villains.

There’s undoubtedly potential in exploring Bruce’s pre-Batman years. Yet the execution feels like a filler episode from a different series. The animation also seems stiffer than usual, especially in the fight sequences, which should have been the episode’s highlight.

It’s not terrible. It is, however, extremely forgettable. The ninja angle feels out of place in Gotham’s gothic atmosphere, making “Night of the Ninja” one of the few Batman: TAS episodes that feels tonally disconnected from the show’s core identity.

Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 55 “See No Evil”

Batman faces the Invisible Man in Batman The Animated Series

Batman: TAS episode 55, “See No Evil,” starts strong, with the eerie concept of an invisible man stalking his daughter. However, it quickly devolves into something far less gripping. The episode tries to balance science fiction and family tragedy, yet never fully commits to either.

Lloyd Ventrix’s invisibility suit is intriguing in theory. Yet the story that follows feels padded one-dimensional. Despite some cool visual effects, the pacing drags, and Batman’s investigation doesn’t have the clever detective flair seen in better episodes.

It’s an odd mix of sentimental melodrama and clunky action that doesn’t quite come together. While the ending aims for emotional resonance, it feels rushed and unearned. For a show that typically excels at tragic villains, “See No Evil” just can’t make its central character compelling enough to stand out.

Batman: TAS Season 2, Episode 13 “Showdown”

Jonah Hex speaks sternly in Batman The Animated Series Showdown

“Showdown” is necessarily bad. It’s just barely a Batman: TAS episode. Set mostly in the Old West and focusing on Ra’s al Ghul recounting a tale about Jonah Hex, it sidelines Gotham’s dynamic duo before the first ad break.

The result feels like a backdoor pilot for a Jonah Hex spin-off rather than a cohesive part of the Batman: TAS universe. While the animation and score are top-notch, the lack of Batman’s presence makes it hard to stay invested. The story itself is ambitious but overlong and oddly disconnected from the show’s usual tone.

As a one-time curiosity, “Showdown is certainly worth watching. It’s particularly notable for its Wild West-themed interpretation of Jonah Hex. Thereafter, though, it just feels like a pointless diversion to bestow a villain with an inconsequential (not to mention contradictory) backstory.

Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 16 “Cat Scratch Fever”

Batman carries Catwoman in the snow in Batman The Animated Series Cat Scratch Fever

“Cat Scratch Fever” features two things that Batman: TAS usually delivers perfectly: Selina Kyle and corporate corruption. Somehow, it fumbles both. The plot revolves around Catwoman looking for her missing cat, uncovering a deadly virus being spread through infected cats.

Despite this promising and distinctly feline outset, Catwoman herself has little screen time at all. Selina is taken out of action halfway through and it’s Batman who confronts the villain Rolland Daggett – and a big evil dog. It’s particularly frustrating considering it’s the direct follow-up to her debut in the flawless Batman: TAS episode, “The Cat and the Claw.”

Of course, Catwoman’s interactions with Batman are characteristically electric. There are just simply too few of these moments to carry the stilted plot and compensate for the notoriously poor animation quality. It’s worth watching once to understand Batman and Catwoman’s development, but upon rewatching Batman: TAS, it breaks up the momentum during a high point in cinematic superhero series.

Batman: TAS Season 2, Episode 5 “The Terrible Trio”

The terrible Trio in Batman The Animated Series — The Terrible trio wearing animal masks looking at the screen in Batman The Animated Series

“The Terrible Trio” could’ve been a biting satire of Gotham’s elite, depicting three rich thrill-seekers turning to crime for fun. Unfortunately, Batman: TAS never digs beneath that surface concept. The Trio (Fox, Shark, and Vulture) comes off as cartoonish rather than menacing, and their motivations more spoiled than sinister.

“The Terrible Trio” tries to offer a morality tale about the corrupting influence of money and greed. The Trio is clearly a dark (albeit very boring) reflection of Batman himself. They’re rich playboys using gadgets and tools for law-breaking japes while hiding behind an animal persona.

This theme should have been very compelling, as seen in the iconic superhero movie, Batman Returns. Unfortunately, the Trio are just too dull to pull this off. Their half-baked image and ability are obviously intentional to contrast with the polished Caped Crusader, but after all the dynamic villains introduced in Batman: TAS, “The Terrible Trio” seems like a pointless entry.

Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 42 “Tyger, Tyger”

Batman stands in front of Catwoman transformed into a cat woman in Batman the animated series

“Tyger, Tyger” is one of the strangest episodes of Batman: TAS, and not in a good way. It dives headfirst into pulp sci-fi territory with a shameless Island of Doctor Moreau rip-off. It depicts Catwoman being and transformed into a humanoid cat-creature by a mad scientist named Dr. Dorian.

The result is equal parts weird and unintentionally funny. “Tyger, Tyger” feels like it has wandered in from a completely different cartoon. While Batman: TAS often tackled dark science themes, this one’s execution leans too far into melodrama and absurdity.

While it’s memorable for sheer oddness, it’s also tonally jarring and hard to take seriously. It also contributes nothing to the wider series with no real consequences or follow-ups. As such, it’s an easy episode to disregard when revisiting Batman: TAS as an optional diversion.

Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 43 “Moon Of The Wolf”

Batman grappling Werewolf in Batman The Animated Series Moon of the Wolf

“Moon of the Wolf” takes Batman: TAS noir tone and replaces it with a cheesy monster movie. The episode features a werewolf version of athlete Anthony Romulus, whose transformation is caused by a shady serum provided by Professor Milo. The idea of Batman facing a supernatural threat should have been perfect, but the execution feels lazy.

The werewolf design is clunky, and the animation lacks the eerie atmosphere that defines the series. Batman’s detective work is minimal, and the script feels padded with unnecessary exposition. It’s one of the few Batman: TAS episodes that leans into cliché rather than character depth.

What’s frustrating is that this is precisely the kind of narrative that should have flourished in Batman: TAS and could have looked stunning in the show’s celebrated “Dark Deco” aesthetic. It could have been the wolf equivalent of “On Leather Wings,” but it instead feels like a poor Teen Wolf rip-off.

Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 54 “I’ve Got Batman In My Basement”

Batman fighting with the Penguin in Batman: The Animated Series

“I’ve Got Batman In My Basement” is often cited as the low point of Batman: The Animated Series, and it’s easy to see why. The episode takes one of Gotham’s most iconic villains, The Penguin, and turns him into a punchline. Instead of a cunning criminal mastermind, he’s outsmarted by two ordinary kids.

The episode depicts two young children rescuing Batman after he’s injured. They quickly hide him in their basement until he recovers. When the Penguin pursues the Dark Knight, the kids set up a string of Home Alone-style defenses and traps to thwart the villain.

It’s a premise that feels more suited to a much younger audience than the mature, noir-inspired world Batman: TAS usually serves. The tone is overly childish, the plot defies logic, and even Kevin Conroy’s incredible superhero performance can’t save it. For a series renowned for psychological depth and sophistication, this episode’s goofy execution sticks out like a sore wing, and not in a good way.

Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 6 “The Underdwellers”

batman the animated series, sewer king wrangling crcodiles — sewer king wrangling crcodiles in batman the animated series

“The Underdwellers” is an early Batman: TAS episode that feels like the show was still figuring out its tone. The story concerns Batman discovering a society of kidnapped children living underground. This could have been an interesting premise, but it’s awkward in execution.

The villain, the Sewer King, is cartoonishly over-the-top, and his exaggerated voice and behavior feel out of sync with the show’s grounded world. The episode’s attempts at social commentary are admirable. However, the result is melodramatic rather than meaningful.

Batman’s interactions with the street kids are more preachy than poignant, and the action scenes drag. While it’s visually moody, the writing never matches that atmosphere. It’s a curiously random addition when there are so many iconic villains and narratives still waiting to be introduced.

Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 22 “Prophecy Of Doom”

Prophecy of Doom Batman_ The Animated Series — Batman rescues someone at the planetarium in Batman The Animated Series Prophecy of Doom

Few Batman: TAS episodes feel as hollow as “Prophecy of Doom.” A con artist claiming to predict the future comes to Gotham City to swindle the local elite. This could have offered a sharp critique of greed and gullibility.

Instead, “Prophecy of Doom” plays out like a sluggish procedural with no real stakes. Batman’s detective work is minimal, and the villain, Nostromos, is forgettable even by one-off standards. The pacing is glacial, the dialogue wooden, and the action sequences uninspired.

The grand final battle is so poorly animated that it loses all dynamism. It seems like such a lost opportunity for what could have been a dazzling animated sequence. While Batman: The Animated Series usually excels at psychological and moral complexity, this episode offers none of that and isn’t worth revisiting.