Character musical themes

[The Laughing Fish]

One of my favourite things about this show was how nearly every character had a distinctive musical theme. Not only were they memorable, but they fit the characters perfectly too. Batman and Batgirl were adventurous and heroic, whereas each villain had this music that matched their personality.

As playful and cheeky the Joker theme is, I must admit that my favourite theme would have to be Two-Face. It's so creepy and unsettling. I'll never forget feeling scared by the opening scene of Two-Face Part I, where Harvey Dent is confronted by Big Bad Harv during a nightmare, and you hear this disturbing child-like voice crying out Harvey's name while his theme song is playing. Used to get frightened to watch this episode as a kid at night.

What are your favourites?

[Catwoman]

My answer is probably obvious. Check my name It's a sexy theme that straddles the line between good and bad. Purrrrrrfect.

Nightwing's is totally epic. If he had gotten his own cartoon and had that as the theme, awesomesauce would have been created.

Pammy's is beautifully and quietly deadly.

Man-Bat's really could have been a Danny Elfman piece from one of his film scores.

Mary Dahl/Baby Doll reminds me of me lol

Two Face is so ominous. Clayface is tragic. Jonah Hex is badass. Scarface is amusingly appropriate.

And Batman's is the best Bat theme. Ever.

Seriously, that theme and all the ways they used it was just amazing.

Lots of others were good but those were the ones that stood out to my ears. Thanks for posting these!

[The Laughing Fish]

Nightwing's is totally epic. If he had gotten his own cartoon and had that as the theme, awesomesauce would have been created.

On a totally separate point, it's disappointing that we got to see less of Dick Grayson in the DCAU, starting from TNBA and onwards. I know that Dick Grayson had a coming of age moment after he had a falling out with Batman and quit being Robin in the Old Wounds episode, but it was unfortunate that he seemingly mattered little for the remainder of the franchise's continuity. Even more unfortunate that he and Bruce never really made amends for their pettiness.

This isn't to condemn Tim Drake's involvement in the universe; after all, he certainly delivered rich narrative arcs from becoming the new Robin to being victimized by the Joker in Return of the Joker. But for me, his relationship with Bruce doesn't quite match the surrogate father-and-son dynamic between Dick and Bruce, particularly in Robin's Reckong Part I.

And Batman's is the best Bat theme. Ever.

It's definitely up there with Danny Elfman's theme. Without a doubt.

Thanks for posting these!

My pleasure.

[Catwoman]

I'll get stoned for saying this probably but I liked Elliot Goldenthal's Batman theme better than Danny's. 

[Edd Grayson]

I'll get stoned for saying this probably but I liked Elliot Goldenthal's Batman theme better than Danny's. 

I like the Elliot Goldenthal theme too, it's slightly different from Danny's but still epic in its own right. And certainly better than anything Hans Zimmer did in the later Batman films to me.

[Azrael]

These days Elfman's The Batman Theme isn't in my top-10 Batman tracks either, I mostly enjoy how the theme is incorporated in other cues from the scores (like Descent into Mystery or Cathedral Chase etc). Goldenthal's Fledermausmarschmusik is certainly fun, and I like how he transforms his Batman fanfare to everything, from epic bombast to dance music for the Ritz sequence. That CD had lots of playtime in winter 1995; loved LaLaLand's release.

Speaking of music for the recent, post-Arkham Knight movies, TDKR is a favourite, especially this track. This could be music from the Tech Noir club. Bleak, desperate, with an almost synthwave sound.

IMO this is more dramatic and intense than anything heard in Nolan's trilogy. Granted, it scores the ending of endings, it's supposed to sound like The finale, but it's also an example of a more interesting counterpart to Zimmer's one note motif for the Joker. Even if it's more than just "inspired by" the Chemical Brothers' Container Park (as one youtuber pointed out), it's a great track, and easily one of my all time favourite tracks from a Bat-score.

[The Laughing Fish]

I'll get stoned for saying this probably but I liked Elliot Goldenthal's Batman theme better than Danny's. 

To each their own. No stoning from me. 

Speaking of music for the recent, post-Arkham Knight movies, TDKR is a favourite, especially this track. This could be music from the Tech Noir club. Bleak, desperate, with an almost synthwave sound.

I believe that's from the scene where Batman tracks the Joker down in that carnival tunnel before they face each other off for one last time.

I thought the animated TDKR films captured this eerie eighties vibe perfectly in a lot of scenes. Another good example is where Batman takes the goons down at that abandoned building during Part I.

Christopher Drake also conducted the music for Under the Red Hood and Arkham Origins, didn't he? Makes me wish he scored a future live action solo Batman film.

[Azrael]

Yes, he did these too. Agreed, he should be given a chance in a future live action film.

[The Laughing Fish]

I found this clip of the late Shirley Walker explaining and demonstrating the composition of the animated Batman theme. It's such a dynamic piece of music.

[The Laughing Fish]

To honour what would've been Shirley Walker's 78th birthday a few days ago, here are these magazine scans sharing her experience working on The Flash, B89 and, of course, BTAS, This was taken from Cinefantastique Magazine #6. This was published in February 1994.