History Recap / BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE6TheUnderdwellers

* HateSink: From his whiny, nasally voice to his penchant for throwing ugly tantrums, the Sewer King doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities. His brutal treatment of innocent children makes it clear he's just an all-around horrible, piece of crap excuse for a person.

* OffModel: To the point where the animation company behind this episode was ''almost'' fired for it.

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: The Sewer King can't understand why Batman would bother saving his life.

* HateSink: The Sewer King is an all around horrible, piece of crap excuse for a person.

* APirate400YearsTooLate: The Sewer King; if his boasts of "caring" for these children aren't enough to clue you in on how delusional this guy is, his slightly ridiculous pirate outfit will. The only thing he's missing is a hook for a hand.

* PapaWolf: Batman is ''enraged'' by Sewer King's crimes against the orphans.

* BerserkButton: Batman is ''ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS'' when he learns how Sewer King treats the orphans. He's so angry, in fact, that he's ''extremely'' tempted to actually break his ThouShaltNotKill code.
-->'''Batman:''' I don't pass sentence. That's for the courts. But this time--''this time'' I am sorely tempted to do the job myself!

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: The Sewer King can't understand why Batman would bother saving his life. See BerserkButton for Batman's reasoning.

* {{Symbolism}}: Throughout the episode, the children (Frog among them) [[DayHurtsDarkAdjustedEyes dread]] light, as the Sewer King likens it to the families who either abandoned them or mistreated them. During his first morning at Wayne Manor, Frog retreats from light as Alfred draws the curtains to greet the morning, as though signifying After the climax, Frog and the other children are able to [[FirstTimeInTheSun savor sunlight]] as Child Services and the Police help them out of the sewers, reflecting that they're ready to reenter society despite the Sewer King claiming they could never be accepted.

* AdultFear: If you got kids, this episode will make you wanna hold them pretty tight.
** Batman is logically angry when Frog picks up and plays with a decorative gun on the wall of Wayne Manor, since it could have been loaded, though realistically, if anybody would know you should never store guns loaded, it would be Bruce Wayne.
** There is also the matter of children being abused, enslaved, and demonstrably ''tortured''. As punishment for talking, a child who has been living underground in the dark is shoved into a brightly-lit room and kept there for several hours. The worst part is how this is only what we ''see'' of the Sewer King's treatment. Who knows how long those kids were down there, and what ''else'' this scumbag did to them?

* {{Symbolism}}: Throughout the episode, the children (Frog among them) [[DayHurtsDarkAdjustedEyes dread]] light, as the Sewer King likens it to the families who either abandoned them or mistreated them. After the climax, Frog and the other children are able to [[FirstTimeInTheSun savor sunlight]] as Child Services and the Police help them out of the sewers, reflecting that they're ready to reenter society despite the Sewer King claiming they could never be accepted.

** Notably, when they're fighting earlier in the episode, Batman inadvertently causes the Sewer King to fall into the pool of water they're fighting above. Batman sees the alligators going into the water after him, thinking that they're going to eat the Sewer King--and Batman simply comments on [[KarmicDeath how appropriate a fate]] it is for him. Only to hear [[NotQuiteDead mocking laughter coming from the other side of the room.]]

** Batman still goes by this, but he let the Sewer King know that he was sorely tempted to break it this time.

-->'''Creator/BruceTimm:''' It's [[Creator/StudioJunio Junio's]] weakest episode, we almost didn't use them after that. It was the first one that came back that really looked totally unlike our show. It was very [[{{Animesque}} Japanese]]. But I'm glad we did use them again, they've done great work.

** There is also the matter of children being abused, enslaved, and demonstrably ''tortured''. As punishment for talking, a child who has been living underground in the dark is shoved into a brightly-lit room and kept there for several hours. The worst part is how this is only what we ''see'' of him. Who knows how long those kids were down there, and what ''else'' this scumbag did to them?

* DayHurtsDarkAdjustedEyes: The Sewer King locks his slaves in a room with painfully (to them) bright lights as punishment. When they are finally freed, they are dazzled by the daylight, but it's apparent that they'll get used to it as they're returned to normal lives.

** Notably, when they're fighting earlier in the episode, Batman inadvertently causes the Sewer King to fall into the pool of water they're fighting above. Batman sees the alligators going into the water after him, thinking that they're going to eat the Sewer King--and Batman simply comments on [[KarmicDeath how appropriate a fate]] it is for him.