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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesWhat’s the best Batman movie—and which one is the worst? This ranking covers theatrical feature films centered on Batman, including theatrical animation. It leaves the 1940s serials and direct-to-video animated films out, and treats ensemble films such as Justice League as outside the main countdown. That scope matters: TIME’s 2022 list includes 16 films and the HBO Max release Zack Snyder’s Justice League, while GamesRadar’s 2025 ranking limits itself to live-action theatrical films focused on Batman. There is no single settled definition of “every Batman movie.”
The order below is an editorial judgment, not a consensus score. Each film is weighed by its portrayal of Bruce Wayne, story and pacing, supporting characters, visual identity, tone, and how well it works on its own terms. Camp, animation, and parody are not failures simply because they differ from a grounded crime story.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Batman: The Complete Animated Series (1992) (Blu-ray) | $34.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Batman, The (Blu-ray) | $13.88 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Batman Beyond: The Complete Series (Blu-ray) | $18.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Batman 80th Anniversary Collection (Blu-ray) | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
The Batman: The Complete Series (2004) (Blu-ray) | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Every Batman movie, ranked from worst to best
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Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)
This animated theatrical adaptation is undermined by its decision to add a substantial prologue before adapting the source story. The added material gives Barbara Gordon a troublingly narrow role and distracts from the story the film is meant to tell. Its strongest moments cannot make that structural choice feel necessary.
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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Ben Affleck’s older, battle-worn Batman gives the film a distinct physical presence, but the story’s grim confrontation often overwhelms the characters it puts on screen. Its plot depends on abrupt turns and compressed motivations, leaving the central conflict less persuasive than its scale suggests. Viewers who respond to its severe visual style may rank it higher; this list puts coherence and character first.
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Batman & Robin (1997)
Joel Schumacher’s film leans into bright colors, broad performances, and relentless puns. That camp is plainly part of its design, not an accidental departure from a serious Batman story. The problem is that the jokes and spectacle crowd out emotional stakes, so the film’s playful excess is more memorable than its character drama.
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Batman (1966)
Adam West’s theatrical Batman is a different proposition from the later gothic and crime-drama versions: genial, self-aware, and built around comic-book absurdity. The film’s parade of villains and knowingly silly set pieces make it enjoyable as camp, but its episodic feel and deliberately broad humor offer less dramatic depth than the stronger entries here.
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Batman Forever (1995)
Schumacher’s first Batman film replaces Tim Burton’s gothic mood with saturated color, kinetic action, and a more overtly comic-book world. Val Kilmer brings a quieter Bruce Wayne to a story that is otherwise crowded with spectacle and exaggerated villains. Its shift in tone is not itself a flaw; the weaker point is how little space the busy plot leaves for Batman’s inner conflict.
Rank #2
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Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
This is a distinct alternate cut of an ensemble film, not a separate theatrical Batman feature. Batman shares the story with a large superhero team, so the film has less room to develop him as its central character. Its expanded scope gives the team’s story more space, but at roughly four hours it is a major time commitment. TIME included it in its 2022 ranking despite its HBO Max origin; it is placed here as a clearly labeled edge case rather than part of the core theatrical countdown.
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Justice League (2017 theatrical cut)
Batman is one member of a large ensemble, and the theatrical film’s competing tones make its creative identity feel uneven. It offers a brisker, more compact team adventure than the 2021 alternate cut, but that compression leaves little room for Batman’s choices to carry much weight. It belongs only in an expanded Batman-film discussion, not a strict list of Batman-led features.
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Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
This theatrical animated film gives Bruce Wayne a personal story as well as a mystery to solve. Its emotional focus and shadowy atmosphere make it one of the most effective screen interpretations of Batman, regardless of medium. It sits below the upper tier because its feature-length story does not sustain quite the same scale or momentum as the strongest entries.
Rank #3
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Batman Beyond: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
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Batman (1989)
Tim Burton’s film reset Batman for a new screen era with a gothic city, heightened design, and Michael Keaton’s reserved Bruce Wayne. Jack Nicholson’s theatrical Joker is an outsized counterweight to that restraint. The film’s striking world and performances remain its great strengths, though its plotting and uneven balance between hero and villain keep it from the top of this ranking.
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The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
This animated comedy understands Batman well enough to parody his self-seriousness without dismissing the character. Its rapid jokes and playful references work best when they expose Bruce Wayne’s isolation and need for family. The jokes can arrive so quickly that the story sometimes feels crowded, but its affection for the character gives the comedy a center.
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Batman Returns (1992)
Burton’s sequel is stranger and more gothic than its predecessor, with a wintry Gotham that feels like a fairy tale turned sour. Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman gives the film a vivid emotional counterpoint to Batman, while Danny DeVito’s Penguin belongs to its deliberately grotesque world. That singular vision is a strength, though the film’s crowded, stylized plotting can make it less involving than its atmosphere.
Rank #4
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The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Christopher Nolan closes his trilogy with enormous set pieces and a story about a city forced to confront its own fragility. Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne is older and physically depleted, making the return to the cowl feel consequential. The film’s ambitions sometimes outrun its plotting, and its ending invites debate, but its scale and sense of finality make it a substantial conclusion.
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The Batman (2022)
Matt Reeves frames Batman as a detective in a rain-soaked noir mystery, with Robert Pattinson playing Bruce Wayne as withdrawn and still learning what his mission should be. The atmosphere and investigative focus distinguish it from earlier screen versions. Its deliberate pace and sustained darkness will not work for everyone, but they serve a coherent take on a Batman who has not yet become a polished symbol.
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Batman Begins (2005)
Nolan’s origin film makes Bruce Wayne’s transformation its central subject: how fear shapes him, how he trains, and what he chooses to represent in Gotham. Christian Bale’s performance gives the character a guarded intensity, while the film’s world-building makes Batman feel like a practical response to a broken city. The later action is less compelling than the character work, but the foundation it builds is exceptionally strong.
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The Batman: The Complete Series (2004) (Blu-ray)- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
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The Dark Knight (2008)
The top spot goes to Nolan’s crime-thriller, which gives Batman a citywide moral crisis rather than just another costumed adversary. Heath Ledger’s Joker is a formidable presence, but the film’s force also comes from Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon, whose choices make the consequences of Batman’s mission feel real. TIME likewise ranked it first in its 2022 list, praising the crime-thriller structure and those character arcs.
Why the count changes from one ranking to another
“Every Batman movie” is not a fixed category. TIME’s March 2022 ranking counts 16 films, including theatrical animation and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which debuted on HBO Max. GamesRadar’s August 2025 list instead covers live-action theatrical releases focused on Batman, excluding animation, director’s cuts, and Justice League. Den of Geek’s 2023 approach also centers theatrical features with Batman as the lead, leaving out serials, direct-to-video animation, and ensemble-heavy team films.
This countdown uses a broad theatrical-feature rule: animated theatrical releases qualify, while direct-to-video films and the 1940s serials do not. The two Justice League entries are included only as labeled exceptions because Batman is not the sole lead. The 2017 entry is the theatrical cut; Snyder’s 2021 version is an alternate cut with a separate release history, not an ordinary additional theatrical Batman film. A live-action-only list would require removing the animated titles and re-ranking the remaining films rather than keeping these numbers.
How to read the ranking
The list compares films across very different aims: the 1966 film’s camp, Burton’s gothic fantasy, Nolan’s grounded crime dramas, later noir, and animation that ranges from earnest drama to parody. The question is not whether every movie feels like the same Batman. It is how successfully each film delivers the experience it sets out to make, while giving Bruce Wayne, his opponents, and the story enough substance to matter.
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