Batman: All 10 Batmobiles ranked from worst to best

3. The first DCAU Batmobile

Appeared in: Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero

While this list is mostly comprised of live-action TV and movie adaptations of the Batmobile, the fact that animated movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was released in movie theaters gives this one a pass. But honestly, as we mentioned earlier with its successor, it doesn’t need one, because anything tied to the legendary world of Batman: The Animated Series deserves a place on any Bat list.

The Batmobile used in the animated movie is the same one from the classic series. To say it is a work of art might be a bit on-the-nose, but it’s true. It takes its design from the Tim Burton movies but it also adds its own features, unique to the world Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski and Paul Dini created.

The long, sleek body is identical to the live-action Batmobile of its era, but its much more rectangular, with sharper lines and edges. The sliding canopy is also similar, but with the addition of its own tailfins (a.k.a. Bat ears), making the back of the vehicle that much more spiky than its live-action counterparts.

If you grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series, that image of the long Batmobile speeding towards the exit of the Batcave, with its eerie yellow headlights illuminating the path ahead, in the show’s opening credits is likely forever etched into your memory. And for good reason; it’s absolutely legendary.