Batman: The Animated Series: 10 Most Disturbing Episodes

With its haunting visuals and suffocating plot, here we find the Dark Knight at his most vulnerable, with his very sanity at stake.

We start off with a serious case of role reversal as a manic Batman is admitted to Arkham Asylum, straight jacket and all. His pleas for release are ignored by the staff and we get some noir-style narration to catch us up to speed.

We learn that Batman has been poisoned by a substance that induces fear and hallucinations, so naturally he suspects the Scarecrow's involvement. However, on his way to Arkham to interrogate him, he has a hallucination, which causes him to crash the Batmobile. He's rescued by the asylum's staff, but the administrator takes it upon himself to check the ranting and incoherent vigilante into the facility.

Not only is it extremely distressing to see an erratic Batman being imprisoned and mistreated, but his vivid hallucinations become increasingly dark and disturbing. The most intense by far features warped versions of his rogues' gallery attacking him, while Alfred and Robin look on in amusement, before he's dropped into a void, hurtling towards the Scarecrow's giant, taunting face.

It's torture to watch our hero experience such intense psychological horror and we legitimately feel unsure as to how he'll pull through. This creates a genuine feeling of tension that runs throughout the entire episode, making it an absolute standout in a series that’s known for dark and disturbing storytelling.