On August 24th, 2023, Arleen Sorkin passed away. She left behind an influential career as an actress and writer, having worked on shows like Tiny Toon Aventures and Days of Our Lives. Her greatest contribution to popular culture was as the original voice for Harleen Quinzel, better known as Harley Quinn, on Batman: The Animated Series.
Quinn was created with Sorkin in mind, with many of her mannerisms and personality traits transferred to the character. As such, Sorkin's portrayal remains the strongest and saw the character become one of the most popular in all of DC.
10 "Holiday Knights"
Season 3, Episode 1, 1997
The week leading up to New Year's is a busy one for the bat family. On December 22nd, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy (Diane Pershing) decide to treat themselves to a shopping spree. Using Ivy's pheromone-laced lipstick, they charm Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) and have him pick up the bill.
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Harley and Ivy star in one segment of "Holiday Knights", and it's one of the most memorable. The girls' dynamic is pretty funny, especially their debate about getting a Christmas Tree. Their redesigns are among some of the better ones in the show's controversial third season.
9 "Girl's Night Out"
Season 3, Episode 20, 1998
Livewire (Lori Petty) escapes from transport to GothCorp and meets up with Harley and Ivy. The three supervillains team up and launch a crime spree, and neither Batman nor Superman are available. That duty falls to Batgirl (Tara Strong) and Supergirl (Nicolle Tom).
Harley ends up feeling outclassed by all the super-powered women surrounding her and doesn't appreciate Livewire stepping in on her best friend. This leads to some good comedic moments, such as her repeated attempts to solve all her problems with a mallet. The best comes during the climax, where she knocks herself out by firing a boxing glove at Supergirl.
8 "Beware the Creeper"
Season 3, Episode 23, 1999
Reporter Jack Ryder (Jeff Bennett) hosts a special on the Joker (Mark Hamill) at the factory where he turned into the clown prince of crime. Unfortunately, Joker arrives and gives Ryder a hands-on demonstration, first by hitting him with laughing gas and then tossing him into a chemical bath. Ryder survives and becomes a crazy superhuman called the Creeper.
Related: 'Batman: The Animated Series:' 10 Episodes That Delve Into Body Horror
This is a hilarious episode, full of slapstick comedy and references to The Three Stooges. Harley's role is mainly to get pursued by the Creeper, but she still gets a few good laughs here and there. She also has one of her most risqué moments where she celebrates her and Joker's anniversary by rising out of a giant pie.
7 "Joker's Favor"
Season 1, Episode 22, 1992
When Charlie Collins (Paul Dooey) gets angry at a car that passes him on the highway, he is terrified to learn that its driver is the Joker. In exchange for sparing his life, Joker decides to keep Charlie on standby in case he needs a favour. Two years later, Charlie has moved out of Gotham and changed his name, but Joker still calls him up.
This was Harley's first appearance on the show, and she was intended to just be a one-off character. However, Sorkin's voice work and how seamlessly she worked off of Joker and fit with his clown aesthetic made her a hit with audiences. Though she isn't the focus of the episode, she has plenty of memorable scenes, both in and out of her iconic costume.
6 "The Laughing Fish"
Season 1, Episode 34, 1993
The Joker's latest plan involves infecting fish with his Joker venom so that he can trademark them. He quickly learns that, since fish are a natural resource, this isn't feasible. The Joker isn't one to take no for an answer and begins to target bureaucrats until the law is changed.
This is one of Joker's best episodes, and Harley does her bit to contribute to its hilarity and terror. There are a lot of great jokes between the two of them, such as Joker forcing her to eat fish during one of his commercials, or dressing her in a fish head costume. She even sings his Joker Fish commercial jingle.
5 "Joker's Millions"
Season 1, Episode 7, 1998
Times are hard for the Joker, and he doesn't have enough money to afford proper gear. Fortunately, a rival of his named King Barlowe (Allan Rich) dies and leaves his fortune to Joker. Now rich, Joker has himself declared legally sane and goes on a shopping spree, delighted in his new immunity from the Bat Family.
Harley is the focus of this episode's B Plot: she is sent back to Arkham but awaits her puddin's rescue. Unfortunately, she learns that Joker instead uses his fortune to hire a new girl to fill Harley's shoes. This leads to some hilarious escape attempts before culminating in a climax that sees Harley get some payback for once.
4 "Harley's Holiday"
Season 2, Episode 16, 1994
Having been declared legally sane, Harley is released from Arkham and is ready to turn her life around. Unfortunately, a series of unfortunate misunderstandings while trying to buy a dress causes her to slip back into her old ways. She kidnaps socialite Veronica Vreeland (Marilu Henner), which leads to a screwball chase involving Batman, Detective Harvey Bullock (Robert Costanzo), gangsters, and Veronica's father.
Related: 10 Underrated Episodes of 'Batman: The Animated Series,' Ranked
"Harley's Holiday" is a fast-paced car chase that feels right out of the Blues Brothers. Amidst the action, it remembers to keep the focus on Harley and her empathetic situation. Even Batman feels sorry for her when it's all said and done, and ensures she gets her dress in the end.
3 "Harley and Ivy"
Season 1, Episode 56, 1993
After a failed heist, Joker kicks Harley out of his hideout. Frustrated, she decides to pull an independent heist of her own and bumps into Poison Ivy. Working together, they escape with their stolen goods and join forces to become a formidable criminal duo.
This episode kickstarted the longstanding friendship between Harley and Ivy, and its basic plot serves as the blueprint for 2019s Harley Quinn. Its tone is more lighthearted than most episodes, allowing for great moments of physical and visual comedy, and banter between Harley and Ivy. It also gives another show-original character, Renee Montoya (Ingrid Oliu), a chance to shine as a recurring foil to the girls.
2 "Harlequinade"
Season 2, Episode 7, 1994
The Joker has stolen an atomic bomb, and Gotham's mayor refuses to evacuate the city due to a lack of evidence. To find him, Batman makes a deal with Harley, offering her a full pardon for her cooperation. Harley agrees, but Batman finds this partnership to be more than he bargained for.
Sorkin's voice work is why this episode was made in the first place. After hearing her sing the song, "Say That We're Sweethearts Again," Paul Dini was so committed to using the song in the show that he bought the rights to it and had Harley sing it to distract some mob bosses. Her back-and-forth with Konroy is also hilarious and adds some levity to a very serious and deadly plot.
1 "Mad Love"
Season 3, Episode 21, 1999
After Batman thwarts his attempt to kill Commissioner Gordon (Bob Hastings), the Joker becomes fixated on creating the perfect plan to stop the caped crusader. When he tosses Harley out on the streets, she thinks back to how their relationship started when she was an intern at Arkham Asylum. Blaming Batman for their relationship's deterioration, she decides to finish him off as a present for Mr. J.
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"Mad Love" dives into the twisted origins of the Joker and Harley's love and doesn't hold back. It shows the dangers of falling into an abusive relationship and how difficult and painful it can be to break free. Sorkin delivers some of the best acting as Harley in this episode, especially when she's confronted with the truth about her and Joker's relationship.
