Some of the greatestJokerscenes from appearances inDCmovies were brought to life years earlier inBatman: The Animated Series. FromBatman(1989) toJoker, the Clown Prince of Crime delivered some unforgettable movie moments. What many may not realize is that some of these were done first, and sometimes better, inBatman: The Animated Series.
Launched in 1992,Batman: The Animated Seriesset a gold standard for Batman storytelling. The series wasn’t just ahead of its time in storytelling; it pioneered versions of scenes that would later appear in live-action Batman films. Whether it was Joker’s twisted schemes or his complex relationship with Harley Quinn, the animated series laid the groundwork for many memorable moments.
9Joker Unleashes Laughing Gas On Gotham
Batman (1989) & Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 4 “The Last Laugh”
One of the most unforgettable Joker tactics is his use of laughing gas. In Tim Burton’sBatman(1989), the Joker releases Smilex gas on Gotham, causing victims to die with a frozen grin. Batman: The Animated Seriesalsoshowcased this chilling move, and more frequently.
In “The Last Laugh,” he drags a giant garbage scow that spreads toxic gas across the city,incapacitating citizens with laughterand prompting them into a crime spree. The animated version cleverly emphasized the psychological horror, with victims laughing uncontrollably as they collapse.
It’s a haunting image made even more intense by the stylized animation. It wasn’t just visual either; Mark Hamill’s maniacal laughter as Joker sold the madness perfectly. The movies may have popularized the gas attack, but the animated series trulycemented it as a Joker hallmark.
8Joker Takes Over Gotham’s Airwaves
Batman (1989) & Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 2 “Christmas With The Joker”
InBatman, Joker hijacks Gotham’s television broadcasts to reveal his dastardly plan to taint Gotham’s products with Smilex. This isa classic Joker technique, often seen in DC Comics. As such, it appeared in an early episode ofBatman: The Animated Series.
In “Christmas with the Joker,” the Clown Prince of Crimeseizes Gotham’s media, interruptingIt’s a Wonderful Lifeto broadcast a twisted live Christmas special. Joker threatens to kill hostages live on air if Batman cannot track him down by midnight.
In both media, it wasn’t just a visual gimmick. It served as a narrative device to show Joker’s love of theatrics and need for attention. The animated series used this trick not only to escalate tension but toreflect Joker’s unique brand of psychological warfare, with just as much flair and menace.
7Joker Poisons Gotham’s Products
Batman (1989) & Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 34 “The Laughing Fish”
InBatman(1989), Jack Nicholson’s Joker laces Gotham’s beauty products with deadly toxins, causing victims to die laughing after using everyday items like deodorant or lipstick. Thehorror of weaponized vanitymade the film instantly memorable.Batman: The Animated Seriesintroduced a similar plot in the episode “The Laughing Fish.”
Adapting the iconic comic story of the same name, Joker poisons Gotham’s fish supply, leaving them with his characteristic rictus grin. Joker hopes to claim a copyright on these fishto thereby control Gotham. Joker likewise takes over the television to advertise a string of fish products containing his toxin.
A major parallel with the movie is the idea of Joker’s toxin having a two-part binary compound. In the movie, it takes multiple Smilex products to cause death in its victims. Similarly, the animated Joker is able totarget one victim in a gas attack by having sprayed him with perfume earlier.
6Joker Corrupts Harleen Quinzel
Suicide Squadintroduced movie audiences to Harley Quinn, Joker’s volatile ex and partner in crime. Her descent from psychiatrist Harleen Quinzel to unhinged villainess was first, and best, told inThe New Batman Adventures. Inthe Emmy-winning episode“Mad Love,” the show delivers Harley’s tragic origin with emotional depth and dark irony.
WhileSuicide Squadflashes back to her transformation, the animated series explores the entire arc. Harleen starts as a professional treating Joker at Arkham, but his manipulative charm slowly breaks down her barriers. The Jokerexploits her empathy and romantic idealism, twisting her perception until she’s helping him escape and adopting her new clownish persona.
This manipulation is shown with shocking clarity in the animated format, making it both sympathetic and disturbing. “Mad Love” became a benchmark for storytelling in superhero media. By the time the films touched on this relationship, the animated series hadalready perfected it.
5Joker Is Transformed In A Vat Of Chemicals
The image of Joker falling into a vat of chemicals and emerging bleached and twisted has become one of the character’s most defining origins. Tim Burton’sBatman(1989) immortalized this scene in live-action.The New Batman Adventureshelped fold this into Batman lore, depicting it in two episodes, most notably “Mad Love.”
In a flashback sequence, audiences see the man who would become Joker, then a mob enforcer. He falls into a vat of chemicals during a confrontation with Batman. The reveal of his newly altered appearance, albeit brief, is played with atmospheric tension,mirroring the horror of rebirth.
While different in tone than Burton’s version, the animated transformation remains just as impactful. Itmight be even more tragic. The series managed to show the Joker’s creation with emotional resonance and narrative purpose, long before it was cemented as a live-action visual trademark.
4Joker And Harley Quinn Break Up
Birds Of Prey & Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 56 “Harley And Ivy”
The toxic nature of Joker and Harley’s relationship has become widely known. This is especially thanks toBirds of Prey, where Harley finally breaks free from her abusive partner. Long before Margot Robbie swung her mallet,Batman: The Animated Seriesexplored their messy breakups and emotional falloutin surprising detail.
While they broke up frequently, the primary example appears in “Harley and Ivy,” where Joker fires Harley for her incompetence. This prompts her to partner up with Poison Ivy, foreshadowing he pair’s later romance in the comics and beyond. Even as the series often played their dynamic for laughs, theemotional undercurrent was always present.
Batman: TAS’s handling of their separation was years ahead of its time. It treated Harley not just as comic relief, but as a survivor. Long before cinema took it seriously, animation gave her the arc she deserved.
3Joker’s Acid-Shooting Flower
Batman (1989) & Batman: TAS Season 1, Episode 56 “Harley And Ivy”
One of Joker’s most iconic gadgets is his flower lapel that squirts acid. It’s a perfect blend of clown humor and lethal danger. Thisgag weapon has appeared in variousBatmanfilms, includingBatman(1989), where Joker tries to squirt Vicki Vale, but she’s able to dodge out of the way.
Batman: The Animated Seriesused the acid flower long before andoften with more creative flair.The first example came in “Harley and Ivy,” Joker uses his lapel flower to spray Poison Ivy with laughing gas. Joker would later use the same technique throughout the series.
The weapon is emblematic of his style: a deadly joke hiding in plain sight. While the films gave the acid flower a moment in the spotlight, the animated series established it asa signature part of Joker’s arsenal. It reinforced his role as a walking contradiction of whimsy and menace.
2Joker’s Unsuccessful Stand-Up Attempts
Joker & Batman: TAS Season 2, Episode 18 “Make ‘Em Laugh”
Joker(2019) portrays Arthur Fleck as a failed stand-up comedian whose descent into madness is fueled by rejection and humiliation. It’s a tragic originrooted in emotional pain.Surprisingly,Batman: The Animated Serieshinted at this same concept years earlier.
In the episode “Make ‘Em Laugh,” Joker targets Gotham’s top comedians with a mind-control device, revealing that heonce failed as a stand-up comic himself. The story hints that his obsession with humor stems from a past life that never took off. It suggests that his current persona is partly a warped reclamation of that dream.
Though the tone is lighter thanJoker(2019), the animated series still taps into the same core idea. It’s a man broken by failure, channeling that pain into chaos. Thepsychological complexity behind Joker’s humor-first identitywas explored subtly but effectively.
1Joker Falls To His Death
In bothBatman(1989) andThe Dark Knight, Joker’s demise (or near demise) involves a dramatic fall. Jack Nicholson’s Joker plummets to his death from a cathedral, while Heath Ledger’s Joker is saved from falling but left dangling, laughing maniacally. YetBatman: The Animated Seriesdelivered multiple iterations of Joker’s signature fall, often with similar gravitas.
In “The Laughing Fish,” Joker takes a plunge off a skyscraper after battling Batman,laughing all the way down, only to mysteriously survive. InMask of the Phantasm, his lair crumbles as he disappears into the smoke and fire, seemingly lost. Even in “Mad Love,” he takes a brutal fall during a scuffle with Batman and Harley.
These sequences established the trope of Joker’s dramatic,often ambiguous exits, before they became cinematic set pieces. The animated series knew that nothing suited the Clown Prince of Crime better than a final laugh followed by a deadly drop, at until the next episode.Joker’s repeated falls throughout his cinematic history are lifted directly from these moments inBatman: TAS.
