DC Animated Universe / DCAU Watch Order
Use the chronology for story sequence, then switch to release order when you want the original viewing experience.
Enter the DC Animated Universe universe
DC Animated Universe in Chronological Watch Order
From Batman to Beyond. Keep the DCAU together.
Watch the DCAU from Batman: The Animated Series through Superman, Justice League, Batman Beyond and JLU’s Epilogue, with comic and game tie-ins clearly separated from the screen spine.
The DC Animated Universe begins with Batman: The Animated Series and expands through Superman, Static Shock, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited and Batman Beyond, with comics and games kept as clearly labelled tie-in branches.
Last editorial check
Universe orientation
Gotham grows into a shared animated future.
The quick answer
Start with Batman: The Animated Series. The clean screen route then moves through Mask of the Phantasm, SubZero, Superman, The New Batman Adventures, Static Shock, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited and Batman Beyond before ending with JLU’s Epilogue.
Switch to release order or use Starter Mode for a shorter route.Universe explored
The DC Animated Universe universe, story by story
The screen continuity is the spine. Animated tie-in comics and licensed games sit beside it as optional lanes, while unrelated DC animated universes stay outside this guide.
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Story chronology · Full mapped list
Justice League Unlimited’s “Epilogue” is the final chronological screen endpoint even though it was released before some later DCAU-adjacent productions.
Showing 51 of 51 released stories.
- Animated seriesCanon
Batman: The Animated Series
Placed within the DCAU route; tie-ins stay clearly labelled when screen canon is not binding.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
The Batman Adventures
Series-level tie-in. These comics are not automatically binding on screen canon.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
The Batman Adventures Annuals
Series-level tie-in. These comics are not automatically binding on screen canon.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
The Batman Adventures Holiday Special
Series-level tie-in. These comics are not automatically binding on screen canon.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
The Batman Adventures: Mad Love
Series-level tie-in. These comics are not automatically binding on screen canon.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
The Batman and Robin Adventures
Series-level tie-in. These comics are not automatically binding on screen canon.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
The Batman and Robin Adventures Annuals
Series-level tie-in. These comics are not automatically binding on screen canon.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
The Batman Adventures: The Lost Years
Series-level tie-in. These comics are not automatically binding on screen canon.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
Batman: Gotham Adventures
Series-level tie-in. These comics are not automatically binding on screen canon.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
The Batgirl Adventures
Series-level tie-in. These comics are not automatically binding on screen canon.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
Batman: Harley and Ivy
Series-level tie-in. These comics are not automatically binding on screen canon.
- Animated filmCanon unclear
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
WatchMovie↗Search JustWatch — title page not verified · Opens search resultsAdaptation continuityReadBook / comic↗Search Open Library — edition not verified · Opens search resultsCanon unclearA core animated film with a prose/comic adaptation version.
- Animated filmCanon
Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero
Placed within the DCAU route; tie-ins stay clearly labelled when screen canon is not binding.
- Animated seriesCanon
Superman: The Animated Series
Placed within the DCAU route; tie-ins stay clearly labelled when screen canon is not binding.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
Superman Adventures
Series-level tie-in; not automatically binding on screen canon.
- GameCanon unclear
Superman — Game Boy
A game based on the animated shows; not a required screen-canon event.
- GameCanon unclear
Superman — Nintendo 64
A game based on the animated shows; not a required screen-canon event.
- GameCanon unclear
Superman: Shadow of Apokolips
A game based on the animated shows; not a required screen-canon event.
- GameCanon unclear
Superman: Countdown to Apokolips
A game based on the animated shows; not a required screen-canon event.
- Animated seriesCanon
The New Batman Adventures
Placed within the DCAU route; tie-ins stay clearly labelled when screen canon is not binding.
- Animated shortCanon unclear
Chase Me
Animated short associated with the DCAU.
- Web seriesCanon
Gotham Girls
Web series following Gotham characters between the animated shows.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
Gotham Girls — comics
Tie-in comic branch.
- Web seriesCanon unclear
Lobo
Short-form animated spin-off associated with the era.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
Batman: The Adventures Continue — Season One
Modern continuation comic using the animated-series world; kept as a tie-in lane.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
Batman: The Adventures Continue — Season Two
Modern continuation comic using the animated-series world; kept as a tie-in lane.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
Batman: The Adventures Continue — Season Three
Modern continuation comic using the animated-series world; kept as a tie-in lane.
- GameCanon unclear
Batman: The Animated Series — game
Licensed game story based on the DCAU designs and world; screen-canon status is not assumed.
- GameCanon unclear
The Adventures of Batman & Robin
Licensed game story based on the DCAU designs and world; screen-canon status is not assumed.
- GameCanon unclear
Batman: Chaos in Gotham
Licensed game story based on the DCAU designs and world; screen-canon status is not assumed.
- GameCanon unclear
Batman: Gotham City Racer
Licensed game story based on the DCAU designs and world; screen-canon status is not assumed.
- GameCanon unclear
Batman: Vengeance
Licensed game story based on the DCAU designs and world; screen-canon status is not assumed.
- GameCanon unclear
Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu
Licensed game story based on the DCAU designs and world; screen-canon status is not assumed.
- Animated seriesCanon
Static Shock
Placed within the DCAU route; tie-ins stay clearly labelled when screen canon is not binding.
- Animated seriesCanon
Justice League
Placed within the DCAU route; tie-ins stay clearly labelled when screen canon is not binding.
- Animated filmCanon
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman
Core DCAU film placed around the Justice League era.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
Justice League Adventures
Tie-in comics based on the animated Justice League.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
Justice League Unlimited — comics
Tie-in comics; screen canon is not automatically assumed.
- GameCanon unclear
Justice League: Injustice for All
Licensed game story based on the animated continuity.
- GameCanon unclear
Justice League: Chronicles
Licensed game story based on the animated continuity.
- Animated seriesCanon
Justice League Unlimited
Placed within the DCAU route; tie-ins stay clearly labelled when screen canon is not binding.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
Justice League Infinity
A later comic continuation of the animated continuity.
- Animated filmCanon unclear
Batman and Harley Quinn
Later animated film generally presented as DCAU-connected; kept visibly disputed.
- Animated filmCanon unclear
Justice League vs. the Fatal Five
Later animated Justice League film connected to the DCAU style and continuity.
- Animated film segmentCanon
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker — flashback
A key flashback from Return of the Joker, shown here at its in-universe point.
- Animated seriesCanon
Batman Beyond
Placed within the DCAU route; tie-ins stay clearly labelled when screen canon is not binding.
- Animated seriesCanon
The Zeta Project
Placed within the DCAU route; tie-ins stay clearly labelled when screen canon is not binding.
- Comic seriesCanon unclear
Batman Beyond comics
Comic continuations and tie-ins are grouped as a publishing lane.
- Animated filmCanon
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
The main Return of the Joker story belongs after Batman Beyond is established.
- Animated shortCanon unclear
Batman Beyond — 75th Anniversary Short
Anniversary short kept as adjacent material rather than a required chronology event.
- EpisodeCanon
Justice League Unlimited — Epilogue
The DCAU chronology ends with the Justice League Unlimited episode “Epilogue,” set in the Batman Beyond future.
Find your route
DC Animated Universe order guide
Use one authoritative timeline, then choose the view that matches how you want to experience the universe.
DC Animated Universe / DCAU Games in Order
Game entries stay in the same researched timeline, with adaptations and side stories labelled so they do not distort the play sequence.
DC Animated Universe / DCAU Books in Order
Books, comics and other reading material are placed by story chronology while publication order remains available as a separate view.
DC Animated Universe / DCAU Release Order
Release order re-sorts the same mapped stories by first publication or release instead of creating a duplicate guide page.
What Order Should You Watch the DC Animated Universe?
Start with the guide’s recommended route if this is your first time. Use the full chronology when you want the complete cross-media timeline.
Suggested routes
Choose a way in.
Use the full chronology or follow a shorter route.
Batman → Superman → Justice League → Beyond
Use the Main path filter for the clean shared-screen chronology.
Tie-ins are optional
They expand the animated world but are not automatically binding on screen canon.
Finish with JLU: Epilogue
That episode sits at the far end of the DCAU chronology.
Story versions
Choose how to experience it.
Researched editions and adaptations stay together under one story.
See how stories are organisedSources
What anchors this order.
Official franchise, creator and publisher sources anchor the chronology. Conflicts and uncertain placements are labelled.
Explore more DC worlds
The DC timelines connect here, not inside one continuity.
Move between the wider DC map and its two major animated universes without mixing their timelines.
Wider DC universe guide
Explore the DCU, DCEU and the wider screen continuities tracked across Story Order.
Open this DC guideDC Animated Movie Universe
Watch the Flashpoint-to-Apokolips movie continuity in order. One optional expanded aftermath record is kept separately.
Open this DC guide
Missing something?
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