Honestly, if you grew up in the 90s, your version of "the" Joker probably wasn’t Jack Nicholson or Heath Ledger. It was a drawing. Specifically, a drawing voiced by a guy who used to be a Jedi.
The batman cartoon with joker dynamic is basically the gold standard for how these two are supposed to interact. But there is a lot of revisionist history floating around YouTube and TikTok these days about how these shows were made and what actually happened behind the scenes. People treat Batman: The Animated Series (BTAS) like it was this perfect, untouchable masterpiece from day one. It wasn't. It was a chaotic, risky experiment that almost didn't have Mark Hamill in it at all.
The Tim Curry Secret and the Hamill Audition
Most fans know Mark Hamill is the GOAT. But he wasn't the first choice.
Tim Curry—yeah, Pennywise himself—actually recorded several episodes as the Joker before being replaced. Some people say he was "too scary," but the truth is a bit more mundane: he developed bronchitis, and the producers felt his voice wasn't quite hitting the right "dynamic" range they needed.
When Hamill stepped in, he was convinced he wouldn't get the part. He figured there was no way they'd hire Luke Skywalker to play a serial killer clown. So, he just let loose. He treated the laugh like a musical instrument. If you listen closely to episodes like "Joker’s Favor," the laugh isn't just one sound. It’s a dozen. There’s the "I’m genuinely amused" chuckle, the "I’m about to kill you" cackle, and the "I’m losing my mind" shriek.
That nuance is why the batman cartoon with joker pairings in later years often felt a bit hollow. They were trying to mimic Hamill instead of finding a new "instrument."
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Why the 2004 Redesign Caused a Literal Riot
By the time The Batman premiered in 2004, fans were protective. Then they saw the new Joker.
He had giant green dreadlocks. He didn't wear shoes. He moved like a monkey.
People hated it. Kinda still do, if you check certain Reddit threads. But looking back in 2026, you've got to respect the swing they took. Voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson, this Joker was a physical powerhouse. He wasn't just a skinny guy with a gag flower; he was an acrobat who could actually trade blows with Batman.
It was a total departure from the "refined" psychopath of the 90s. While it didn't replace Hamill in the hearts of fans, it proved that the batman cartoon with joker formula could survive a radical visual overhaul.
The Episodes That Actually Matter
If you’re going back to watch these, don't just hit the "Best Of" lists. Some of the weirdest ones are the best.
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- The Laughing Fish: This is peak Joker. He isn't trying to blow up the world. He just wants to copyright fish so he can collect royalties. It's absurd. It's legally impossible. It’s exactly what a lunatic would do.
- Almost Got 'Im: The "villains playing poker" trope is a classic for a reason. Joker’s story about the giant laugh-activated electric chair is great, but his reaction to the "it was a rock" line from Killer Croc is the real highlight.
- Mad Love: This one is hard to watch now. It’s the origin of Harley Quinn, and it’s a brutal look at domestic abuse. It’s not "cute." The cartoon didn't pull punches on how toxic the Joker really is.
The Censorship Battle of Return of the Joker
We have to talk about the Batman Beyond movie.
If you saw the "clean" version on TV, you missed the real story. After the Columbine tragedy in 1999, Warner Bros. panicked. They edited Return of the Joker so heavily it barely made sense. In the original version, a brainwashed Tim Drake shoots the Joker through the chest with a "BANG" flag gun that turns out to be a real projectile.
In the censored version? He trips and falls into some electrical wires.
It’s lame. It robs the story of its weight. The "Uncut" version—which eventually came out on DVD and is now the standard on streaming—is probably the darkest the batman cartoon with joker rivalry ever got. It showed that the Joker’s ultimate victory wasn't killing Batman, but breaking his family.
Why We Still Care in 2026
The reason these cartoons stick is that they understood the "Flip Side of the Coin" philosophy better than the movies.
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In the live-action films, Joker is often a force of nature or a social statement. In the cartoons, he’s just a guy who thinks life is a joke and Batman is the only one not laughing. There’s a weird intimacy there.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to actually "get" this version of the characters, stop watching clips and do this:
- Watch "Joker's Favor" first. It’s the first time we see Joker interact with a "normal" person (Charlie Collins), not just a superhero. It’s terrifying because it shows how petty he is.
- Track the eyes. In the early BTAS episodes, Joker has yellow eyes with red pupils. In the New Batman Adventures redesign, they turned into black holes with white dots. Fans hated the "beady eyes," and they eventually switched back for the Justice League appearances.
- Listen for the breath. Mark Hamill used to record his lines standing up, moving his whole body, and often getting lightheaded from the laughing. You can hear that physical energy in the recording.
The batman cartoon with joker legacy isn't just about nostalgia. It’s about the fact that a "kids' show" managed to define two of the most complex characters in American fiction more effectively than billion-dollar blockbusters ever did.
Search for the "Mask of the Phantasm" theatrical cut if you want to see the highest budget version of this animation style. It remains the only animated Batman film to get a full theatrical release, and Joker’s entrance in the second half of that movie is still one of the best "villain reveals" in cinema history. Check the background details in the World's Fair scenes; the animators hid a ton of Easter eggs that most people still miss.
Actionable Insight: If you're a collector, look for the "Censored vs. Uncensored" comparison videos online. Understanding how the Joker's death was changed in Return of the Joker gives you a huge appreciation for the tightrope the creators had to walk between "Saturday morning" and "psychological thriller."