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Batman has graced our screens for generations - from Adam West's campy take to Christian Bale's uber realism and now the gothic grit of Robert Pattinson's The Batman.
There's a Batman of every shape and size for everyone, and all the fans have their favorite version of the character played by an actor in live-action, be it Ben Affleck or Michael Keaton.
But The Dark Knight's heroics aren't limited to live-action, and some of the best movies of the iconic character have come out in animated form. From faithful adaptations of classic comic arcs to spinoffs from the animated series, The Caped Crusader has never had a dull moment in any medium.
Here's a list of the top 5 animated Batman movies
5) Death in the Family
Adapting one of the key moments in the Batfamily's history, this animated movie brings Jason Todd's death to life. His death at the hands of the Joker came when he ventured out one night alone as Robin, changing the dynamics within the Batfamily forever.
Jason returns from death and we finally get to see the iconic Red Hood character in the animated medium for the first time. The movie Under the Red Hood follows further threats that the character puts on the Batfamily, and both movies together make one hell of a double feature.
4) The Lego Batman Movie
Batman has lately been treated with complete seriousness and grim darkness across mediums, but the great thing about The Dark Knight is how malleable he is as a character.
We can have dark character studies like Joker inspired from the comics, and at the same time we can have a movie like The Lego Batman Movie, which is a parody and meta comedy at the same time.
The movie is filled with one hilarious gag after another, and even has Batman rapping as he fights criminals - what more does anyone need?
3) The Dark Knight Returns (Part 1 & 2)
Adapted from Frank Miller's timeless masterpiece, The Dark Knight Returns is a faithful adaptation that does its source material justice. This new take on an older Batman who has lost his way, reimagines the character's roots and adds a whole new dimension to the Caped Crusader's mythology.
The political commentary mixed with iconic moments like the fight between the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel in the third act, makes this movie truly special and a landmark achievement in comic book history.
2) The Long Halloween (Part 1 & 2)
Another classic tale from the comics gets adapted for the screen with beautiful animation in this two-parter The Long Halloween movie. Jeph Loeb's story is a staple of the Dark Knight's core mythology and is one of the best tales depicting his detective skills. The new Matt Reeves movie with Robert Pattinson also borrows a lot from this particular story.
The movie features almost every villain from the Caped Crusader's rogue gallery and nails each of their characterisations.
1) Mask of the Phantasm
Considered by fans to be one of the best movies ever made on the Dark Knight, in both live-action and animated mediums, Mask of the Phantasm is truly something special. In the 90s, WB gave Bruce Timm and Paul Dini the right to do anything, and they turned in this instrospective tale of depression for a movie based on a children's cartoon.
Mask of the Phantasm is a deeply psychological take on Bruce Wayne's character and nails the trauma of the Caped Crusader better than almost any other movie.
