Heartwarming / Batman: The Animated Series

“Nice guys like you shouldn’t have bad days.”

Moment pages are Spoilers Off per site policy. You Have Been Warned.

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• "Trial":
  • Gotham District Attorney Janet van Dorn spent the entire first half of the episode haranguing Batman under the belief his vigilante justice had made the crime in Gotham worse. After being forced to defend him in a sham trial, at the end of the episode she acknowledges his effectiveness in fighting crime.
    Janet: I see now there's a need for the things you do. But I'm still going to work toward a city that doesn't need Batman.
    Batman: Me too.
  • Killer Croc is fighting Batman in a dark room, Joker then grabs Scarface's Tommy gun with the intent to shoot inside the room. Scarface (With the Ventriloquist) said out of concern that he might shoot Croc, while Joker didn't care. It's nice to see that the inmates do have some sense of concern for each other.
• "Harley's Holiday":
  • The ending offers a rare glimpse of hope that at least one of Batman's Rogue's Gallery can be redeemed. Harley Quinn is declared sane and freed from the asylum, eager to start a new life for herself. Unfortunately, the day is riddled with misunderstandings (none of which are really her fault), all sparked by Harley being a bit too hasty to take a new dress she bought out of the store (the sensor used to prevent shoplifting was still inside). Even when she accidentally kidnaps Veronica Vreeland, she still remains pleasant. The end of the episode finds her back in Arkham courtesy of Batman and Robin, who explain that Ms. Vreeland won't be pressing kidnapping charges against Harley, since it was just incidental and Harley had been nice about it. But the truly heartwarming moment comes when Harley asks why Batman tried so hard to help her stay out of trouble:
    Harley: There's one thing I gotta know. Why'd you stay with me all day, risking your butt for someone who's never given you anything but trouble?
    Batman: I know what it's like to try to rebuild a life. (pulls the dress Harley bought out of a shopping bag and gives it to her) I had a bad day too, once.
    Harley: Nice guys like you shouldn't have bad days.
  • This was then followed up with a nice peck on the lips... and Harley liked it enough that she flung the dress away and kissed Batman for about 6 seconds in front of an uncomfortable Robin and Poison Ivy, who are looking at each other in confusion at the scene.
    Harley: (coy) Call me.
    Batman: (smirking as he stays badass) Don't press your luck.
    • Immediately after, though, Ivy gives a sincere smile to Harley as she passes by - she had, after all, long advocated that she break up with The Joker and find someone who'd treat her right.
  • Read The Killing Joke and see how Batman reacts to Joker's "one bad day". To show such pity to Harley is so damn good.
  • The opening counts, too. When Dr. Leland tells Harley that she's passed her competency hearing and is going to be released the next day, Harley screams with joy, jumps out of her chair, and dances, clearly thrilled. She tries to amend her outburst, but Dr. Leland tells her to go ahead and celebrate—she's proud of Harley's progress. Later, even Batman offers Harley a handshake, congratulating her on her release.
  • Even Scarecrow gets in on the heartwarming moments in this episode. As he's being hauled back to his cell in Arkham by Batman and Robin, they pass Harley and Dr. Leland, and does something that suggests he really does care for Harley:
    Scarecrow: I am the Master of Fear! The Lord of Despair! Cower before me in witless terror!
    Harley: Hi, Professor Crane!
    Scarecrow: [instantly calms down, smiles and seems outright pleasant] Good evening, child. [starts ranting again] Worship me, fools! Worship me! Scream hosannas of anguish to Scarecrow, the all-terrible God of Fear!
  • Dr. Leland gets another one in the ending: when Harley returns to Arkham, the psychiatrist assures her that with a little time and care, she'll be released again soon. It just goes to show that despite Arkham's status as a Cardboard Prison, there are people there who genuinely want to help their mentally ill patients get better.
  • The episode in general is heartwarming because it emphasizes that many of Batman's villains aren't necessarily bad people—they just suffer from a bunch of mental issues (to put it as politely as possible). It's a rare story that shows Arkham functioning as an actual hospital rather than a Bedlam House and while it's clear that Harley sadly has some serious problems that keep her from functioning in society it's also clear that there is hope not just for her but for other villains to be cured and rebuild their lives.
  • Also, Batman's own attitude towards Harley is quite touching. At the beginning, he sternly warns her that he'll be keeping an eye on her, which makes her a little paranoid about him; however, throughout the episode, he consistently realises that Harley isn't at fault for what happens to her and makes every effort to resolve the situation in the best way for her. It's only when she snaps and starts throwing bombs around that he has to intervene to bring her into custody.
  • Even more Heartwarming in Hindsight, Batman's kindness and faith in Harley is ultimately rewarded in Return of the Joker, After the death of the Joker, Harley does reform. She has children, grandchildren, and lives to be an old woman.
    • It's a shame her grandchildren ended up joining the Jokerz, and even working for The Joker himself.
• This is related to the end of "Harley's Holiday": that moment in "Lock-Up" where Bolton realizes that Batman cares about his rogues.
  • When the inmates are testifying against Bolton, and Scarecrow, Harley, and the Ventriloquist are backed in a corner in terror, take a look at Crane: he looks like he's protecting Harley. Considering their interaction in "Harley's Holiday" mentioned above, even Jonathan Crane has a little humanity left in him.
  • Heck, even Batman's quote towards Bolton's actions;
  Batman: I've seen how you treat your prisoners; forgotten and scared, without hope or compassion.
  Lock Up: Can it be you actually care for those creatures?
  • Fridge Logic makes it even more heartwarming. Some fans might wonder why Batman isn't on Lock-Up's side, but then you remember that one of the inmates at Arkham used to be Bruce Wayne's best friend. Even after everything Two-Face has done, Batman still has hope that Harvey Dent can be redeemed. It makes perfect sense that he can't stand to see the inmates treated without hope or compassion.
    • Another is Harley, who he's seen can be redeemed. He knows there's hope - they just have to be given the help they need.
• "The Underdwellers" is a notable episode for showing Batman in full-on Papa Wolf mode - don't ever harm children on his watch. The Sewer King is a verbally abusive tyrant who keeps child slaves underground, and orders them out into the night to bring him food and valuables. Batman shows seething disgust when he finds the hellhole they're kept in, and tells them what's what with one symbolic gesture: he loudly rings the bell usually used by the Sewer King to summon all his minions, and once everyone's in the room, he rips the bell off, letting it slam to the floor. And then tells the children this:
  Batman: I don't know what kind of barbarian did this to you, but it's over. And from now on you'll be treated like human beings.
  • And that's not the most heartwarming moment. After Batman successfully captures the Sewer King and seriously chews him out — a Moment of Awesome for Batsy — the Happy Ending shows the children being rescued by the police, and seeing the sunlight for the first time in ages.
• The ending of "Dreams in Darkness", where Batman has tied some loose ends with Scarecrow by foiling his plans. After all the Nightmare Fuel he went through, he can take the cure for the toxins proper. Bear in mind that the antidote would leave him out of commission for three days at the most, and he refused to take it until Scarecrow had been dealt with. Earn Your Happy Ending doesn't even begin to describe it.
  • The way Bruce tells Alfred (who administered the antidote) that it comforts him that he can feel safe in the Bat Cave with him. Awwww!
  • There's also the visual of Bruce resting in the Bat Cave while an overhanging bat's shadow eclipses him, as though strongly representing that even though he's really Batman in spirit, he gets to ease up with all the comfort of a bat resting.
• In "Deep Freeze", after Mr. Freeze freezes Robin in a solid block of ice, Batman blankets his young partner with his cape, promising him he'll be okay.
• "Heart Of Ice"
  • Batman saves a mook that Freeze accidentally froze. He takes the man to the Batcave while he's semiconscious and puts him in a chemical bath. Suffice to say, it works.
  • Victor Fries engaged in potentially illegal research to save his wife Nora from a deadly disease. He only pulls a gun on Boyle when the latter threatens to shut down Nora's tube. And even when Fries is doused in chemicals that turn him into Mr. Freeze, his first response is to cling to Nora and beg for her to stay with him.
  • Alfred sees that Bruce is sniffly but refuses to rest. He packs the man a thermos of piping hot chicken soup, telling him it's the best cure for a cold. The soup ends up saving Bruce's life when he uses it to crack Freeze's helmet. Alfred was right, just not in the way he intended.
  • Bruce is nothing but sympathetic to Victor Fries when he learns the man's story. While Batman stops Freeze from killing Boyle, he also delivers the evidence about what happened.
• The ending of Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero. If you've seen Batman: The Animated Series, or even read its entries on the Tear Jerker page, then you should know about how the tragedy of Dr. Fries's wife's illness and then apparent death turned him into the tragically emotionless Mr. Freeze. Partway through the series, it's revealed that his wife is still alive, and Freeze spends the movie trying to get organ transplant for her in order to save her life. After an apparent case of Redemption Equals Death, Nora's body is saved, and, on the news at the end of the movie, we are told that not only has Nora been treated for the illness that would have killed her, but, as the camera turns away to reveal Freeze watching at the television through a window in the Arctic, his cryogenic research that turned him into Mr. Freeze saved her life, and she is now in stable condition. As Fries cries tears of joy, so does the audience, and, at that, Fries trudges through the ice and snow to nowhere in particular, just happy that Nora is alive and well.
  • Seriously. That was the perfect ending to that storyline.
    • "Meltdown" gave the story some closure which, while not being as heartwarming as the end of Subzero, does provide one last humanizing moment for Fries.
• And the series itself has a few too. One in particular is the scene at the end of "Over the Edge" when Batgirl is about to tell her dad about her "new job", and he interrupts her and says (paraphrased) "You don't have to tell me, honey. No matter what you're doing, I love you." Awwww.
  • Made even sweeter when the episode heavily implies he already knows what "job" she is talking about (her being Batgirl) and that he is proud of her anyway.
• There was also the Crossover episode "Showdown," right at the end when Ra's al Ghul finishes his story and reveals that the now-senile Duval is his son.
  Ra's: We will cross swords some other day. For now... let me take my boy home.
• "Beware the Gray Ghost". Oh, where to even begin:
  • Simon Trent was an actor who played a costumed hero on TV which ruined his acting career by being forever typecast (appropriately enough, he is voiced by Adam West). Trent can't get a job because no one will take him seriously, and the Gray Ghost has long since gone off the air. He has to sell all the collected props and memorabilia he has (which showed he had fond memories of the show despite it ruining him) just to pay the rent. After Trent sells all the memorabilia, Batman actually buys it and returns it to him.
  • When Batman comes to him for advice for a mad bombing case, Trent reluctantly points Batman in the right direction (the bomber was aping an episode of the old show), and tells him to leave... but he later has a change of heart, and decides to put on the costume and help Batman out - in fact, he saves Batman from one of the bombs. Imagine being saved by your childhood hero, decades on.
  • When he's taken to the Batcave, Trent marvels that the cave looks just like the Gray Ghost's Lair. Batman, with a smile, says he wants to show Trent something, and takes him to a small room, filled with Gray Ghost memorabilia (Bruce was an avid fan when he was a kid). At that point, Trent learns that for all the show had done to him, he had at least inspired someone to do real good:
    Trent: (in awe) So it wasn't all for nothing.
  • At the end, we see that because Trent as the Gray Ghost helped Batman, a renewed interest in the Gray Ghost franchise combined with Trent's ability to provide all the lost reels helped propel Trent back to wealth and stardom (the legacy of which lasted all the way to Batman Beyond). As a further reward, Bruce clues him in on his secret - he went to the VHS signing as Bruce Wayne and told him how he was a big fan when he was a kid, using the exact same words he said while in the batsuit.
    Bruce: You know, as a kid I used to watch you with my father. The Gray Ghost was my hero.
    Gray Ghost: [look of recognition] ...Really?
    Bruce: And he still is.
  • The fact that both times, Batman specifies, "I used to watch you with my father." The Gray Ghost isn't just an inspiration to Bruce, he's a connection with his lost father.
  • Seeing the point where Bruce is watching the Gray Ghost episode (to help him gain insight on the "Mad Bomber" case) and suddenly starts sporting this childlike grin on his face. There's a look in his eyes, and suddenly he's a child all over again — not the traumatized one that watched his parents brutally gunned down in front of him, but the one before that: the ordinary, carefree rich kid that use to watch his favorite superhero show with his father. It's amazingly touching.
    • The crowning touch is when Alfred offers him a bowl of popcorn, and Bruce doesn't hesitate to take it.
  • In a Christmas themed comic, Justice League Unlimited #28 Superman reveals that he watched the show as a child which means Simon Trent inspired, not one but two iconic superheroes to take up the cape.
    • It might have been implied even earlier. Take a look at this clip, and freeze frame at 3:32. There's a very familiar person, wearing glasses and a hat, standing in line at the video signing. Granted, this might just have been a coincidence, but it's possible it's not.
  • But the best part by far is that the character's legacy lives on. In 'Arkham Knight', located around the city (but mostly at Panessa Studios) you can find posters for 'THE GHOST IN GRAY', a movie featuring Simon Trent playing the lead role, and the figure on the poster even looks like the Gray Ghost. Not only that, but in 'Lego Batman 3', Adam West returned to voice several characters, including the 60s version of Batman, and even the unlockable secret character of the Gray Ghost. This episode was so influential on the Batman mythos it's practically become as cemented as any other detail, such as the Zorro movie or the bat-phobia that Bruce has.
  • Even without all the above, just seeing Batman get to team up with his childhood hero is pretty special.
• The flashback in "Robin's Reckoning: Part 1" when young Dick Grayson breaks down in front of Bruce and explains how it's his fault his parents were killed because he didn't warn them about Zucco.
  Bruce: I know. You keep thinking "if only I'd done something differently. If only I could've... Warned them". But there isn't anything you could have done. (looks at his parents' portrait) There isn't anything either of us could have done.
  Dick: (realizing) Your mom and dad? Does the hurt ever go away?
  Bruce: I wish I could say yes. But it'll get better in time... For you. I promise.
• The end of "Robin's Reckoning: Part 2" (despite the fact that it's nowhere near as good as part one.) Batman has gone after the people responsible for the death of Robin's parents, and has been cold and distant to him for the entire ordeal, leaving him behind and not revealing to him what was going on. By the time they finally get a chance to talk about it, they've had two screaming arguments, Bats is injured and in a makeshift leg-splint, and Robin's both accused Batman of heartlessness and come within a few inches of killing the crook. As Gordon is dragging away the villain and his mooks, they have a quiet conversation on the docks as the sun rises:
  Robin: You were right, y'know—not bringing me along. You knew I'd take it too personally.
  Batman: ...It wasn't that, Robin. It wasn't that at all. (limping) Zucco's taken so much, caused you so much pain. I couldn't stand the thought that he might... take you, too.
• Alfred's response when Bruce tells him about the visions of his father Scarecrow's toxin's been causing in "Nothing to Fear":
  Bruce: He says I'm shaming the family name.
  Alfred: That's rubbish, sir! I know your father would be proud of you because... I'm So Proud of You.
• In "I Am the Night", Batman is having severe self-doubt issues and wonders whether the neverending war he wages is worth it. These feelings reach a critical level when Commissioner Gordon is shot during a raid that Batman was supposed to help with, but arrived late to because he was visiting the site of his parents' murder. Harvey Bullock shouts at Batman that he's just as guilty as the man who shot Gordon, and Batman lies in crushing despair for days. Finally, when the man who shot Gordon escapes from prison, Robin pulls Batman out of his misery by reminding him of what he stands for, and Batman arrives just in time to save Gordon's life (in a Moment of Awesome, no less). Jim wakes long enough to deliver one of the biggest Heartwarming Moments of the series:
  Jim Gordon: Got to keep fighting. Never stop. What I try to live by. Maybe if I'd been younger, I could've been like you. Always wanted to be a hero.
  Batman: *following up one Heartwarming Moment with another* You are a hero, Jim.
  • The new series ''Gotham" is that scenario realized a prequel with a much younger Commissioner Gordon being the star and fighting the same crime that Bruce would fight years later.
  • When the guy Batman saved earlier — who had berated him at the time — thanks him at the end of the episode and tells Batman that, because of him, the guy is getting his life together. See, Batman? You do matter.
• "Paging the Crime Doctor": Bruce Wayne pays the legal fees for a disgraced "mob" doctor who is also the brother of Rupert Thorne and only asks for one thing in return.
  Bruce Wayne: Tell Me About My Father.
  • Even better is Dr. Thorne's reaction. At first he assumes Bruce wants something illegal and refuses his offer for help—but when Bruce explains that he simply wants to know more about his dad, Dr. Thorne lights up. Thomas Wayne (Bruce's dad) was Dr. Thorne's friend, so this isn't just Bruce learning about his dad...it's a man getting a chance to talk about his friend to his friend's son.
• In the Batman-Superman story, Lois discovers that Bruce Wayne (whom she is dating at the point) is Batman. As she tends to his wounds, she bemoans how she is sitting atop the biggest story in history, the true identity of Batman, yet there's "not a blessed thing" she can do about it. Bruce smiles at her and says
  Bruce Wayne: Then you really do care about me?
• A strange moment occurs in "Holiday Knights" when Harvey Bullock is on a stakeout where has to pose as a mall Santa. There he meets the daughter of a man he put in prison who innocently asks him (or rather, Santa) to bring her (imprisoned) daddy home. Bullock, instead of being rude and hurtful like he was to the other kids, softens up and gives the girl some money so she could buy herself a present. When she asks if she can get one for her dad, he said she could, just as long as it's not a hacksaw. For the very abrasive Detective Bullock, even such a small thing is a Heartwarming Moment.
  • The epilogue is one, too. Jim Gordon is shown sitting inside a nondescript diner on a street corner in Gotham, with the place's sole waiter commenting that "he's not gonna show up" and Gordon calmly denying it. Suddenly, the door swings open—it's Batman. It turns out that he and Commissioner Gordon have a yearly tradition: they meet in the same booth of the same diner at midnight on every New Year's Eve to have a cup of coffee and toast surviving another year. There's something extremely sweet about seeing two men who spend every waking moment of their lives defending people taking the time to appreciate each other's friendship.
    • In the comics based on the cartoon, the Penguin becomes the Mayor of Gotham and orders an all-out assault on Batman and his vigilante activities. Come New Year's, Gordon's still sitting in the same spot, mourning the fact that he won't see his friend this year, because he'd have to arrest him. Something distracts him and, when he looks back, there's a half-empty cup of coffee sitting across from him.
• "The Man Who Killed Batman" has a heartwarming moment involving Bullock of all people. Too bad Bats couldn't see how truly devastated the crusty old detective was when he thought there was no more Batman. D'AWWWW!
  • Sid "The Squid", a bungling failure who's considered a useless joke in criminal circles (not to mention he's far too nice and meek to make an effective criminal even if he wasn't a clumsy doofus), is taken to jail at the end, only to find that he now has a massive rep for almost offing Batman, as well as getting the better of The Joker AND Rupert Thorne. That's all he ever really wanted.
  Sid: *walking through lockup as the prisoners cheer his name* A bigshot at last...!
  • Note that, at no point, does the Joker ever consider that Batman could have lost a fair fight - he notes that Batman "probably slipped on the slime trail" that Sid left behind him, implying that he's not just angry because Batman is apparently dead... but also because it came from sheer dumb luck and Batman deserves a much better death, one that he could provide instead.
• The mayor being reunited with his son at the end of "Be a Clown."
• Batman covertly returning Isis to Selena in "Cat Scratch Fever".
• In "The Demon's Quest Part I", Ra's al Ghul beings coughing so violently that he nearly collapses. Despite this strange man and his knife-throwing henchman having just broken into the Batcave and made it clear that they know he's Bruce Wayne, Bruce's first reaction is to try and run up to Ra's to help him.
• Batman and Leslie Thompkins paying respects to Bruce's parents in "Appointment in Crime Alley".
  Leslie: This used to be a beautiful street. Good people lived here once.
  Batman: Good people still live in Crime Alley....
• During "Mean Seasons", the B-story is about an employee at Wayne Enterprises who is being forced into retirement (having hit the mandatory maximum age). Bruce Wayne calls the despondent employee into his office and mentions that he won't be coming to the retirement party...because it's being canceled, along with the mandatory retirement policy. Bruce then tells him that, as far as he's concerned, the employee can stay and work at Wayne Enterprises as long as he wants.
• The teddy bear that says "I love you very much" in "Christmas with the Joker" is ridiculously cute.
• The ending of "Old Wounds", even though much of the episode was a Tear Jerker. It starts with Nightwing helping Robin take down a couple of guys who were stealing wallets. The flashback that takes up most of the episode has a part where Batman interrogates one of the Joker's lower goons in front of his frightened wife and child. This was one part of what drove Dick to quit being Robin, and he explains at the end that he hasn't forgiven Batman because he claims the latter will never change. Then he discovers that one of the wallets belongs to the man that Batman had questioned. When they go to return it, they find that his confrontation with Batman had driven him to go straight and get a job as a security guard for Wayne Industries, where Bruce Wayne always takes the time to stop and ask him how his son is doing.
  Robin: Guess Batman had a change of heart. Who'd have thought he had one?
  (They see the Bat-Signal in the sky)
  Robin: Speak of the devil. You coming?
  Nightwing: ...I guess it's about time.
• The exchange between Batgirl and Nightwing in "You Scratch My Back":
  Batgirl: You alright?
  Nightwing: You know me, always happy to have a little help.
  • During Dick's graduation ceremony, Alfred says he's very proud of Dick because he's like a second son to him.
• "Double Talk" was one of the few episodes that allowed a member of Batman's rogues gallery a happy ending. The Ventriloquist, a criminal with multiple personalities, is dominated and bullied by Scarface, a ventriloquist dummy thats really a split personality acting through the dummy. By the time Double Talk rolls around, the Ventriloquist (real name Arnold Wesker), is seemingly cured and released from Arkham, but relapses through a series of events that turns out to be the work of two of Scarface's former henchmen who wants Wesker to relapse to get their leader back. Wesker does relapse, but Batman tries to help him the whole time, and when the final confrontation occurs, pleads with Wesker to realize that Scarface isnt in control, Wesker is.
  Batman: *after knocking Scarface off Weskers arm with a batarang* Arnold, dont do this!
  Arnold: *reluctantly picks up Scarface's machine gun* It's-it's out of my hands!
  Batman: He's the puppet, not you!
  Scarface: Don't listen to him, Dummy! He's playing you like a cheap fiddle! Do him already!
  Arnold: I'm sorry... *struggles with the gun, unwilling to pull the trigger*
  Scarface: Come on, what are you waiting for?! For once in your life, do something right!
  Arnold: ...Yes! *turns and shoots the dummy, knocking it into an air vent where it's shredded to dust*
• From the related comic series here: Batman has rescued a baby whom some Russian general implanted the launch codes of several nuclear weapons into his DNA. Because of the Possibility of Ra's coming after the codes, Batman decides that he has to keep the child with him. He never stops doing his usual rounds. He pulls it off well, even though he gets lectured on how to properly hold the baby by both a woman he rescued from muggers and the muggers. In the end, Batman turns over what is supposed to be the kid's blood sample to the FBI. Only he switched it with his own, figuring that when they failed to find the codes, they'd assume it was a red herring and all parties involved would call off the hunt. When asked about the possibility of the FBI using the sample to find out his Secret Identity, he simply says:
  Batman: If I had to choose between my identity becoming known, or Kristov having a normal life with his parents (cut to Batman watching as the baby's mother sobs with joy as she hugs her child) that's no choice at all.
• The ending of "It's Never Too Late", where Batman manages to get a mob boss to turn state's witness in order to repair his relationships with his family.
  • To elaborate, the plot in general is Batman trying to convince mob boss Arnold Stromwell to turn his life around, to close his organization and to help the police stop the crime in Gotham by showing him how much his actions damaged his family. Seeing the Caped Crusader trying to convince a criminal to repent instead of beating him up for his informations is strangely heartwarming. The last part of the episode, while also a Tearjerker, has Stromwell reuniting with his brother, now a priest. The latter manages to finally convince him to do what Batman asked. At the end, Stromwell is shown talking to Gordon, to give him informations about Gotham's underground. It is implied that he then surrendered himself to the Gotham Police. He probably went in prison afterwards, but is now at peace with himself.
• The moment in "Perchance to Dream" when Bruce Wayne decides to accept that he isn't Batman, and hugs his dad. It turns out to be All Just a Dream, but it's still heartwarming to see Bruce so happy.
• "Two Face Part 2":
  • Two-Face is deeply saddened that he feels like he can't be with his fiance' anymore,and his two Mooks seem legitimately worried about how depressed he is, encouraging him to try and see her again and even volunteering to pick her up and bring her to him. Even better, Two-Face later takes them up on their offer and they actually do it with no catch whatsoever. They don't threaten her or use her as leverage against Two-Face for money or anything like that. They just take her to Two-Face's hideout so they can be together again. A rare HeartwarmingMoments for some generic Mooks of all characters.
  • Notably, one of them was established to be very greedy, thought Two-Face's coin gimmick was stupid, and was usually attacked by him because of these things. This mook would've had a perfectly good reason to betray Two-Face yet he still just wanted to do something that made Two-Face feel better.
  • In case you were curious, their names are Min and Max, a pair of twin criminals, who Harvey mentions having prosecuted in his pre-Two Face days. They make a resounding comeback (along with damn near every mook in the TAS canon) in Batman and Harley Quinn if their ambiguous fate in the show left you unsatisfied.
  • A holdover from the comics, but still heartwarming to witness: throughout the entire two-parter, Batman never once refers to Harvey as 'Two-Face', only ever as Harvey or Dent, because he KNOWS his friend is still inside somewhere. He isn't even willing to throw a punch at Harvey for the entire episode
  • And Harvey even returns the favour. In the finale, Rupert Thorne has Harvey cornered, only for Batman to take out one of Thorne's goons. Thorne turns his own gun on Batman... and Harvey tackles him before he can pull the trigger. Considering all Batman's done so far (from Harvey's eyes) is interfere with his plans and thwart him at every turn, it really does mean something that Harvey would actually stop someone from killing him
• In Two-Face's origin, while Batman is poring over scores of psychology books:
  Batman: So what are you dreaming tonight, Harvey? Peaceful dreams? Nightmares? Maybe both at once? Sleep well my friend. No matter where you are, no matter what you've become, I will save you. I swear it.
• Harvey is being hauled back to Arkham, when he stops and sees Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson nearby. Harvey smiles sadly and says the following to Bruce, reminding you of the fact that they were once close friends:
  Harvey: Always there. You never give up on me.
  • Followed by Dick pointing out Harvey was right, that Bruce still had hope for Harvey's redemption. Followed by Bruce pointing out Dick was always there for Bruce as well. This part becomes a Tear Jerker though when you realize that, one day, Dick and Bruce have a falling out and ultimately go their separate ways.
• At the end of "The Forgotten", Bruce Wayne finds the two men he befriended in the labor camp, one of whom helped him remember who he was. Both had been duped into being imprisoned because they had been out of work and needed the money. After he reveals his identity, he tells them both that they should stop by Wayne Enterprises the next morning to start their new jobs.
• A Real Life moment for actor Kevin Conroy. After 9/11, he was volunteering in a kitchen preparing meals for rescue personnel. When another cook learned that he was the voice actor for Batman, he was encouraged to go into the cafeteria and recite his famous line ''I am Vengeance! I am the night! I. AM. BATMAN!!'' After being greeted by cheers and applause, many of the rescue personal told him how they had grown up watching BTAS. The actor noted feeling humbled and honored.
  • According to Conroy, that fellow volunteer recognized everyone was so tired and downtrodden they needed some cheering up, and having the voice of Batman in their presence was perfect. So Kevin does his big recitation, everyone lights up and starts talking, and the fellow volunteer leans in and says "How's it feel to be Santa Claus?" And in context, Kevin absolutely agreed, "I felt like Santa Claus that day."
• Even though "Mad Love" is a heartbreaking look at the cycle of abuse as personified in the Joker and Harley's relationship, there is a subtle moment in Batman's line "He's got a million of them, Harley." It's delivered gently, almost sympathetically. Even though she's got him tied up and is close to killing him...he sees her as an innocent victim of the Joker's schemes and it's clear that if she let him go at that moment, he would've helped her leave.
  • A Real Life example also comes from this episode. During the scene at the dentist office, The Joker makes the pun "May the Floss be with you!" as he makes his escape. This wasn’t just a cute little Actor Allusion to arguably Mark Hamill's most famous role, but possibly a reference to his wife, who he met during a dentist appointment.
  • Also, in a sense, Batman's jab at Joker's ego later on top of the train: he points out that Harley actually did very well with her plan, she thought of every contingency and covered all of her bases, Batman was almost totally helpless... and it was far closer to killing him than Joker had ever gotten. Considering Harley's reputation (even within the episode itself) as being a complete dimwitted bimbo, it's pretty telling that she was smart enough to capture Batman so effectively and leave him without any real means of escape, and Batman himself being the one to say it makes it all the sweeter
• Harley's relationship with Bud and Lou, Joker's pet hyenas. She treats them just like a pair of beloved dogs (to the point of calling them her "babies"), feeding them, playing with them, walking them, and in return, they act like a pair of loyal pups around her. In contrast, they snarl and snap at almost everyone else, even the Joker, like you'd expect a pair of undomesticated animals to act.
• Surprisingly, there are moments that imply Joker may feel some affection for Harley, such as keeping a picture of her on his desk when she runs away to live with Poison Ivy in "Harley and Ivy"
  Paul Dini: Somewhere deep down in whatever shriveled up little nut he has for a heart, there might be a little bit of affection for her
• In "Joker's Favor", Commissioner Gordon is less than happy at receiving a testimonial dinner. He argues that Batman should be receiving this honor, but Batman humbly declines ("I'm just the nightshift") and points out that it's Gordon who protects Gotham 24/7. At the Dark Knight's encouragement, Commissioner Gordon decides to accept it.
  • Batman has a supporting presence for most of the episode, since Charlie Collins is really the protagonist. Still, when Batman and Charlie finally meet, the Dark Knight is nothing but sympathetic towards his plight and what the Joker put him and his family through.
  Batman: He called you his hobby?
  • And, after Charlie deals the defeating blow to the Joker, Batman calls him Mister Collins with respect akin to the one he uses to speak with Gordon.
• In "The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy", Josiah Wormwood is defeated and sent to prison, but Batman sends him a package. The note reads, "Confinement will speed your reform, but long, cold nights will be the norm, so here's a thing to keep you warm." Inside is a copy of Batman's cape and cowl. Sure, Wormwood throws it aside in anger, but who imagined Batman would do that?
• "See No Evil", concluding with Batman coming to talk to Kimmy and make sure she's all right after her ordeal.
• The last few minutes of "Tyger, Tyger" are equal parts this and Tear Jerker; severely disillusioned and possessing a concept of family that he now knows is flawed at best, Tygrus still tries to be a good son to Dr. Dorian, bringing his unconscious body out of the destroyed laboratory and gently laying him at Batman's feet.
  Tygrus: Father needs help. You will help him, won't you?
  Batman: Yes.
• The final conversation of "Day of the Samurai", between Bruce Wayne and his old sensei, Yoru:
  Yoru: If you see Batman, tell him I have great respect for him.
  Bruce: Why? He's as much a ninja as Kyodai was.
  Yoru: Not so. Batman offered to help his adversary, and a lesser man would have used the knowledge of the o-nemuri touch against his opponent. Batman is the essence of samurai, Wayne-san. You would do well to remember that.
  Bruce: (bows low) Domo arigato, sensei.
• "Fear of Victory" has a Freeze-Frame Bonus of a framed photograph of Bruce and Dick with a message written on it from Bruce telling Dick to have a good time in college.
• Seeing Catwoman almost immediately manage to tame both a black panther and a giant genetically-engineered sabertooth cat in "Cult of the Cat" and even getting them to turn on their masters is sure to incite a few 'dawww's from animal lovers.
  • The sabertooth is also makes it out of the episode alive and well, stated to be bound for the Gotham City zoo where it will no doubt be well-treated and adored by visitors. Awww!
• The ending of “House & Garden” is quite tragic. Poison Ivy has to flee after Batman fouls her latest scheme of using her phycologist from Arkhams DNA to create half-plant/half-human hybrids to act as a husband and children for her. Batman even sounds sympathetic as she had said she was finally happy. She did genuinely want a family but only on her terms. While she flies away from justice on a commercial flight she looks over a photo album of her and her now destroyed creations. But it’s slightly heartwarming when you notice on the same page there’s also photos of Harley. This essentially means that Harley is the only flesh and blood human being with a will of her own that Poison Ivy is capable of caring about.

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