Every Version Of Batman In DC TV Shows, Ranked

Over a dozen different versions of Batman have appeared in DC television shows over the decades, but only one can be considered the greatest of all time. In the 50 years since Adam West's Dark Knight first burst onto the screen in the original Batman in 1966, a total of 14 different versions of the character have appeared on the small screen. While the Batman movies may be more culturally ubiquitous, there have also been 21 Batman shows, both animated and in live-action, and he's appeared in several other crossover series. Batman has an incredibly rich history in television, but that history isn't exactly cohesive. Over the decades, Batman has been rebooted, canceled, recast, and rebooted again dozens of times. As a result, there have been dozens of Batman voice actors, eclipsing even the long list of Batman's live action actors. With each new version of Bruce Wayne comes a new depiction of that character, and those depictions weren't all created equal. For the purpose of this list, it's necessary to define terms. First and foremost, a distinct version of Batman is one from its own continuity. For example, while Kevin Conroy played Batman in seven different shows, they were all part of the same continuity, the DC Animated Universe, and count as one version. Additionally, each version of Batman will be judged based on the character himself, how he was portrayed by both writers and actors, rather than by the quality of the show he appeared in. 14 Super Friends (Olan Soule/Adam West) Arguably the worst version of Batman on television was the one who appeared in Super Friends, DC's crossover animated series that ran from 1973 to 1985. Interestingly, Super Friends is also one of the only versions of Batman to be voiced by two actors: Olan Soule and later Adam West. It's important to note that Batman has been and should be a funny and lighthearted character at times, but Super Friends is an example of how not to depict that side of him. Super Friends, perhaps as a product of its time and it being a children's cartoon from the 70s, is a bit ridiculous. Batman is campy and silly, but Super Friends doesn't have the same groundbreaking status as Adam West's take on the character. This version of Batman was frankly forgettable, featured none of the darkness and grit of more modern adaptations, and didn't even do the lighthearted stuff terribly well. Super Friends is a special show for DC, but it's not the best for Batman. 13 Harley Quinn (Diedrich Baker) Image via Max As a result of being the Batman in a comedic show focused on one of his villains, the version in Harley Quinn leaves a lot to be desired. Harley Quinn has a distinct, very sarcastic and mature, sense of humor that often makes Batman the butt of jokes. He loses fights frequently, he has an awkward relationship with Jim Gordon, and he's obsessed with his own trauma to the point he essentially becomes a villain in season 3 while trying to revive them from the dead. Harley Quinn's version of Batman isn't all bad. When Harley explores his mind, for instance, the show demonstrated a keen understanding of Bruce Wayne's trauma. Bruce also has a compelling relationship with the show's version of Batgirl, and it even explores some of the dysfunction in his relationship with Selina Kyle. On the whole, however, even in terms of comedic depictions of Batman, other shows have done it better than Harley Quinn did. 12 Bat-Fam (Luke Wilson) Another comedic depiction of Batman came in 2025's Bat-Fam. The animated series focuses more on Bruce Wayne's role as a father to Damian Wayne and as a father figure to the other members of the Bat-Family. While that setup does allow Bat-Fam to explore some of Bruce's relationships with characters like Damian and Alfred, it doesn't go very deep into those relationships. On the whole, Bruce is just a worn-down father. For what it is, namely a kid-friendly animated comedy, Bat-Fam's depiction of Batman is just fine. He's pretty funny in the show and takes great strides to be a good father. There's just not much here; Batman contains multitudes, and the Batman in Bat-Fam is very one-note. Perhaps if it gets another season, there will be a chance to grow, but for now, Bat-Fam's version of Batman leaves a lot to be desired. 11 Gotham (David Mazouz) One of the few live-action depictions of Bruce Wayne on television came from Gotham. Unfortunately, it wasn't one of the better versions of the character. The main problem with how Gotham handled Bruce comes from the fact that it's a prequel series. Bruce doesn't actually become Batman until the show's finale, but Gotham also tried to have it both ways and have young Bruce act as a vigilante while he was still a child. It's a strange change from established Batman lore, and one that isn't justified by the narrative it produced. Bruce's personality was also a problem for Gotham. While he is a child for most of the show, he comes across as too whiny and not nearly the figure of stoicism Batman is associated with. For a prequel series, that's fine, but Bruce never really develops into a character worthy of the cowl. Gotham does get points, however, for some of Bruce's relationships with villains like Ra's al Ghul. 10 The New Adventures of Batman (Adam West) The New Adventures of Batman is a slightly odd show. Thanks to the return of Adam West and Burt Ward, the show almost feels like a sequel to the live-action show, but it is part of a new continuity, technically. Batman and Robin have their same personalities, as well. In many ways, The New Adventures inherited all the advantages and flaws of the live-action show, but it doesn't have the same charm. The New Adventures of Batman really highlights how much Adam West's physicality lent to the role. He's still good in this show, but Batman just isn't as entertaining as he once was. That, coupled with the fact that it didn't have any of the depth or maturity of later outings, meant that this version of Batman was just underwhelming. 9 Scooby-Doo Crossovers (Various) Perhaps the most unique version of Batman in television history came not from a Batman show, but from several Scooby-Doo! shows and TV movies. Technically, these crossovers feature several different versions of Batman, including Adam West, Kevin Conroy, and Diedrich Baker. However, given their nature as crossovers that lasted for only a handful of episodes at most, they've all been lumped together. Batman's crossovers with Scooby-Doo! are also all of about the same caliber. They're great representations of the lighter side of the character, and Batman is quite funny while interacting with Mystery, Inc. His heroism is also plain to see in all of them, but since they're all crossover events, there's not a lot of depth to be had. All in all, Batman's depiction in Scooby-Doo! has been fun but flat. 8 Beware the Batman (Anthony Ruivivar) The short-lived animated series Beware the Batman had its greatest strength in diving deep into Batman's rogue's gallery. Across its 26 episodes, Beware the Batman featured some deep-cut characters like Katana, Professor Pyg, Anarky, and more. The show also handled each of these encounters well, and its version of Batman got to flex both his detective skills on a number of occasions. It was also a breath of fresh air to see Bruce depicted as a man who could easily be injured, rather than as a bulletproof tank despite having no superpowers. Where Beware the Batman's version of the titular character failed was in focusing on so many niche Batman allies and villains. The show never got a chance to dive into Batman's relationship with Robin, Batgirl, or notable villains like The Joker and Catwoman. Those characters are mainstays of Batman for a reason, and without them prodding into Bruce's psyche, Beware the Batman has some built-in flaws that hold it back. On top of it all, the show completely ignores Batman's softer, funnier side. 7 The Batman (Rino Romano) 2004's The Batman, not to be confused with Robert Pattinson's movie, took one of the most inventive approaches to Batman and his villains of any TV show in DC. Almost every villain is reimagined in some way, which gave Rino Romano's version of Batman quite a bit of leeway to redefine himself. This version is less of a detective, has better gadgets, but is still a great Batman. The only problem with The Batman's version of the character is that he often gets overshadowed. There are so many great villains, stories, and a great animation style in this series that Romano's version doesn't always stand out on his own. Still, Romano manages to play a very convincing young Bruce Wayne, and by the show's later seasons, he also developed a great relationship with the Bat-Family. 6 Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Diedrich Baker) Batman: The Brave and the Bold was purposefully campy in the same vein as the 1966 series, and that actually works in its favor. The Brave and the Bold is a love letter to Batman's earliest depictions, and Diedrich Baker's version of the character is very charming and warm. It also certainly helps that Baker has a great voice for the role, and that he chose to play Batman incredibly straight no matter the ridiculousness of the situation. As with so many of the other shows on this list, the main problem with Baker's version is that he wasn't very flexible. The Brave and the Bold didn't give him hardly any opportunity to be truly intimidating, which was a shame. Still, as far as comedic interpretations go, this is one of the best. The Brave and the Bold nails Batman's love of gadgets, his willingness to help his friends, and his campy origins. 5 Batman: Caped Crusader (Hamish Linklater) Most versions of Batman exist in the modern day, except for Batman: Caped Crusader, which takes place in an alternate version of the 1940s and 50s. That setting does a lot for Hamish Linklater's version of the character, most notably forcing him to rely on his own brain and brawn instead of fancy gadgets. Like The Batman before it, Caped Crusader also reimagined many of Batman's villains, which allowed Linklater to explore new sides of this classic character. Yet again, Caped Crusader's Batman isn't able to find a balance between Batman's dark and light sides. However, Linklater's performance is one of the franchise's darkest to date, and it handles the mature and sometimes disturbing parts of Batman so well that it can be forgiven that he's not terribly friendly. Caped Crusader feels like a case study in a psychology textbook, and Linklater's version of Batman added something valuable to the character's mythos.