The 1966 Batman television series is one of the most joyfully bizarre things ever put on American television. Adam West. Burt Ward. POW! ZAPP! KAPOW! A rogues' gallery of legendary character actors fully committed to theatrical absurdity. Real fans on SendMeYourList.com cast their votes — and here are the results.

Want to see the live rankings or build your own? Head to the Top 10 Batman TV Series ranking page and drag the characters into your definitive order.

TOP 10 RANKING

Batman
01
BatmanThe Caped Crusader, Gotham's legendary crime fighter.Played by: Adam West
Robin
02
RobinThe Boy Wonder, Batman's loyal sidekick.Played by: Burt Ward
The Joker
03
The JokerThe Clown Prince of Crime, Batman's arch-nemesis.Played by: Cesar Romero
The Riddler
04
The RiddlerCriminal mastermind who leaves puzzle clues at crime scenes.Played by: Frank Gorshin
The Penguin
05
The PenguinUmbrella-wielding criminal gentleman of Gotham's underworld.Played by: Burgess Meredith
Catwoman
06
CatwomanThe feline fatale with a complicated relationship with Batman.Played by: Julie Newmar (S1-2), Eartha Kitt (S3)
Batgirl
07
BatgirlBarbara Gordon, the crime-fighting daughter of Commissioner Gordon.Played by: Yvonne Craig
Alfred
08
AlfredThe Wayne family's loyal butler and Batman's trusted confidant.Played by: Alan Napier
Commissioner Gordon
09
Commissioner GordonGotham's police commissioner and Batman's ally.Played by: Neil Hamilton
King Tut
10
King TutProfessor turned Egyptian pharaoh-themed villain.Played by: Victor Buono

These rankings are built from real SendMeYourList.com activity.

What the Rankings Tell Us

Batman and Robin at the top might surprise fans who expected the villains to dominate — but it reflects something true about the show: without Adam West's deadpan sincerity and Burt Ward's boundless enthusiasm, none of the surrounding chaos would land. The heroes are the anchor.

The Joker, Riddler, and Penguin rounding out spots 3–5 confirms the consensus that Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin, and Burgess Meredith delivered the three greatest villain performances in the show's run. Catwoman at #6 — despite three different actresses across three seasons — shows how strong the character concept was regardless of casting.

Yvonne Craig's Batgirl at #7 is arguably too low. Her season-three arrival gave the show its best creative jolt and her independent crime-fighting style was quietly radical for 1966. Alfred and Commissioner Gordon rounding out the top 9 confirms the show's supporting cast was as strong as any in the era.

Do You Agree?

Think Robin is overrated? Convinced the Riddler deserves the top spot? Believe King Tut is criminally underranked?

Head to the Batman TV Series ranking page, drag the characters into your own order, and compare your list with the community. Holy Debate, Batman!

For more classic TV rankings, check out the Top 10 Seinfeld Characters and Top 10 Flintstones Characters — two more shows where the debate never ends.