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Batman: Watch every animated movie starring DC's greatest detective in release and chronological order

Batman has a storied history in animation, so let's dive on in with our watch order

A still of Batman in Batman: Soul of the Dragon
Image credit: Warner Bros. Animation
Joshua Lapin-Bertone
Guides by Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Contributing writer
Additional contributions by Grant DeArmitt, Avery Kaplan, Jules Chin Greene
Published on

Popverse's top stories of the day

"Who is the best Batman?," asked YouTube channel Screen Crush in September of 2022. Though there were plenty of great options to choose from, including two Academy Award winners, their answer was not someone from a live-action film. Joining a litany of DC fans, Screen Crush chose Kevin Conroy.

This video speaks not just to Conroy's talent in portraying the role, but also to the power of the Caped Crusader in animated media. More than any other superhero, Batman has made a mark on cartoons for audiences of all ages and continues to do so to this day.

That's why Popverse has put together this Batman animated watch order, in which we'll take you through all of the Dark Knight's feature-length adventures. Cue up the Danny Elfman theme and begin.

How to watch the animated Batman movies in release order

Batman and Joker battle in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Image credit: Warner Brothers

If you want to watch every animated Batman film, then buckle up, because the Dark Knight’s animation career has been busy. To make this list as comprehensive as possible, I’ve included all the films where Batman appears in a speaking role, even if he isn’t the main hero of the film. For example, Batman plays a role in The Death of Superman (2018) even though he’s not the main character.

This list doesn’t include movies starring Batman’s allies, unless Batman has a speaking role in them. For example, the DC Super Hero Girls film series stars Batgirl, but since Batman isn’t featured those films aren’t included. Batman: Death in the Family (2020) isn’t included because it’s considered a short. Likewise, television episodes packaged together as a movie aren’t included, unless they were released as a film first.

Teen Titans Go to the Movies (2018) has been left off of this list because Batman’s appearance is a short cameo that mostly serves a comedic purpose. With all of that out of the way, let’s dive into Batman’s animated filmography.

If you’re interested in going through Batman’s animated filmography, but need a more manageable list, here are a few smaller watchlists focusing on various corners of the Dark Knight’s animated world.

How to watch the theatrical animated Batman films in release order

Lego Batman: The Movie
Image credit: Warner Brothers

Although most of the Dark Knight’s animated features have been direct-to-video, a few of them have had theatrical releases. If you just want to watch the animated Batman films that made it to theaters, here is the complete list.

  • Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
  • The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
  • DC League of Super-Pets (2022)

The 2016 film Batman: The Killing Joke was briefly screened in theaters to promote its home media release. However, it should not be considered a theatrical film because these were special screenings used to promote an existing release, rather than a full theatrical rollout.

How to watch the DCAU Batman films in chronological order

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Image credit: Warner Brothers

The DC Animated Universe, or DCAU, is a shared continuity of animated televisions shows and movies set in the DC Universe. The DCAU began in 1992 with Batman: The Animated Series, and eventually included other shows like Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Batman Beyond. A series of animated movies set in the DCAU were produced. Here is their chronological order.

  • Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
  • Batman &. Mr. Freeze: Subzero (1998)
  • Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
  • Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)

How to watch the DCAMU Batman movies in order

Batman: Bad Blood
Image credit: Warner Brothers

The DC Animated Movie Universe, or the DCAMU, is a series of direct-to-video films that Warner Brothers Animation released between 2013 and 2020. Previous DC animated movies had been standalone features set in their own continuity, while the DCAMU told a continuing story across seven years of films. The following watchlist contains all the DCAMU movies that featured Batman.

  • Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
  • Justice League: War (2014)
  • Son of Batman (2014)
  • Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)
  • Batman vs. Robin (2015)
  • Batman: Bad Blood (2016)
  • Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)
  • Justice League Dark (2017)
  • The Death of Superman (2018)
  • Reign of the Supermen (2019)
  • Batman: Hush (2019)
  • Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)

How to watch the Tomorrowverse Batman movies in order

Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham publicity image
Image credit: Warner Brothers Discovery Home Entertainment

Animated DC projects are alive and thriving, now under the banner of the "Tomorrowverse" films. And of course, they've brought the Dark Knight along with them. Here are his appearances, in release order:

  • Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)
  • Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One (2021)
  • Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two (2021)
  • Injustice (2021)
  • Catwoman: Hunted (2022)
  • Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons (2022)
  • Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2022)
  • Justice League: Warworld (2023)
  • Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One (2024)
  • Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two (2024)
  • Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Three (2024)
  • Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League (2025)
  • Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires (2025)

And what's beyond that? Once again, Batman will be diving into the world of anime with Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League. In the trailer shown at Anime Expo 2024, both Batman and Robin were transported to a strange new world where they were faced with reimaginings of classic DC superheroes. It is currently expected to release in 2025. 

Learn about the massive quantity of Batman comics from the people that publish them.

Joshua Lapin-Bertone

Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.

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