DC Youngverse/Tropes

Tropes for the franchise

 * All-Star Cast: The franchise contains celebrities such as Racheal Zegler, Elizabeth Olsen, and Anna Akana, as well as well-known voice actors such as Kimberly Brooks and Clancy Brown.
 * Art Shift: Several movies in the franchise use different visual styles and even different animation styles and techniques.
 * Author's Saving Throw:
 * Following the criticism received by early DC Extended Universe films for focusing too much on setting up next installments nwd attempting crossovers too soon, the DCATU takes a more Marvel Cinematic Universe-esque approach by introducing characters before making crossovers and keeping all set-ups at bay
 * While mostly well-received, the 2019 version of DC Superhero Girls did saw some criticism for the less comptent potrayal of the male superheroes, with some even feeling it hampered its message of female empowerement. This franchise, which drew inspiration mainly from DCSHG, avoided those criticism by potraying both male and female superheroes as being equally competent, and even featuring heroes such as Brainiac-5 in standalone stories.
 * Adaptational Badass: In this version, Harley Quinn is shown to be somewhat more athletic than mpst versions, being team captain at all of her school's sports team.
 * Adaptational Intelligence: While still pretty much The Ditz, Harley is smarter than most versions, mainly due to her failing in love with the Joker due to suspicions of some sort of troubled childhood based on his modus operandi, as she has a terribly big soft spot for people who got it rough, instead of believing bullcrap from him, and being able to see the monster he is far sooner than most versions.
 * Adaptational Job Change: Played with. This version of Harley is too young to be a psychiatrist and psychologist, and with her parents dead, she instead works as an intern in Ace Chemicals to pay the bills. That being said, she is studying psychiatry and psychology, and she's a prodigy in that area.
 * Adaptational Nice Guy: While Harley Quinn still has a crush on the Joker, she ultimately chooses her friendship with Barbara Gordon over him, to the point of helping her defeat the Joker and becoming her crime-fighting partner afterwards.
 * Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: While in recent comics Harley is seen as part of the Bat-Family, this version is implicity adopted by Bruce Wayne, who gives her a room in Wayne Manor and allows her to live with him.
 * Character Development: Harley slowly recovers througth the films from the trauma brought by the Joker's manipulations in Batgirl.
 * Composite Character:
 * This version of Batgirl is level-headed like lost of her potrayals, but occasionally shows a Genki Girl actitudes closer to her 2019 DC Superhero Girls self.
 * This version of Harley Quinn has her usual Ditz/Genki Girl aspects, is best friends with Batgirl like her 2019 DCSHG self, and is a more heroic person much like her New 52 and 2015 DCSHG self. That being said, she's still plagued by the same mental issues most of her other selves are. She was also adopted by Bruce Wayne as his ward, much like most Robins.


 * Recurring Gag: Zatanna mistaking someone with an enemy at the start of the DC Superhero Girls films.
 * Role Reprise: Corey Burton reprises his role from the DCAU as Brainiac.
 * Stepford Smiler: Harley at first seems like a quirky and friendly vigilante, but it soon becomes clear than, as brief as her time the Joker manipulating her was, she was left with as much psychological and emotional scars as most other versions, ranging from guilt, to struggles with mental disorders, to implicit trauma.
 * Unexpected Characters:
 * More like unexpected team, but, since the DC Superhero Girls franchise was devised more as a toyline snd only appeared in the comics outside of tie-ins, the fact that the team from the 2019 version was the focus of the franchise's first crossover caught many by surprise.
 * Let's be honest, who actually expected Brainiac-5 to lead his own film?!
 * The franchise may have taken a few cues from both versions of DCSHG. Yet, that dosen't mean fans from the 2015 version were expecting to see Kryptomites in the franchise!

Tropes for Batgirl

 * Adaptational Badass: This version has the Joker taking the Man-Bat serum, making him a far more physically imponent fighter.
 * An Aesop:
 * If you wanna change the world, do it in a way that both is morally right and you feel comfortable with.
 * Don't be afraid to be who you are.
 * When it comes to choose between someone you have a crush on and friends who truly love you, choose wisely.
 * Applicalibity: Barbara being told to "toughen up" and become a darker person in Gotham can be seen as a parallel to how some want superhero films to have a dark and serious tone instead of something more lighthearted and upbeat, with the film ultimately saying that, in the end, therre's nothing wrong with being funny and lighthearted. Word of God is that this was unintentional but "ultimately embraced by the time".
 * Author's Saving Throw:
 * Similar to The Lego Batman Movie, the film avoided criticisms towards the Bruce/Barbara ship by explicity showing them in a mentor/mentee relationship that obky involves into a quasi-father/daughter, to not to mention the age gap between both being too big for even supporters to agree with it here.
 * While Darker and Edgier than films such as The Lego Batman Movie and Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, the film is still noticeably Lighter and Softer than most films centered on the Batman mythos, further addressing criticisms that the Batman and Batman-related movies have been excesively dark at the cost of a sense of fun.
 * Awesome Moments:
 * The film's potrayal of Harley Quinn can be seen as one from a meta perspective. The film potrays her as a Nice Girl who becomes Batgirl's crime-fighting partner and even fights against her pudin, The Joker. Yet the entire creative team and Genesis Rodriguez neverthless kept everything audiences love about the character, from her wacky actitude to even her crush to Mister J. That's good writing.
 * Unlike previous incarnations, when the Joker deliberately throws her off to some chemicals to enrage Batman and Batgirl, Harley does not justify it in any way. Thus was the moment that showed her the Joker is a sociopath, and she accepts the truth. She even gets to give a "fuck you" to the Clown Prince of Crime by still being a good person, showing that "one bad day" may drive someone insane, but dosen't necessarily turns them into someone like him.
 * Then there's her fighting the Joker, which is so one-sided it finally puts onscreen something Harley fans knew all along: If there's someone the Joker is scared of, is her.
 * Thiscis even better dusplayed at the end. The Joker, inside of a tall building ajd back to his human form, tries take Batgirl hostage and run. But Harley intervenes in the nick of time and effortessly throws the Joker into the ground. Upon noticing Harley with her maze in her hands and fury in her hands, the Joker practically shits himself, knowing she's gonna kick his ass worse than Batman. As Harkry approaches him, he trues to talk his way out, but Harley ain't buying his crap twice. Helpless the Jomer tries in vain to call Batman for help. Harley then gives Mr. J a taste of his Mad Love medicine by punching him with her hammer out of a window and straight to the street, where he lands straight in the trash, which, as Harley states, is where he belongs.


 * Catharsis Factor: Given how horrible the Joker treats Harley in most media, seeing her actually beating the crap outta him can be very satisfying from a meta perspective. The fact that she ends up turning the tables on him in a Mad Love recreation is the cherry on top.


 * Character Relaiment: A franchise-wide example. The film potrays the Batman mythos closer to their pulp science fiction potrayal from the comics, something only The Lego Batman Movie has shown in theatrical Batman films, and avoiding the Badass Normal potrayal shown ever since The Dark Knight Trilogy.
 * Darker and Edgier: The film noticeably skews the more cartoonish concepts and/or stories featured in previous Warner Animation Group films and instead focuses more on emotional stories and character development, all while focusing on issues such as self-steem and the consequences of overworking. The film's setting is also noticeable bleaker, being set in a lawless city full of corruption and crime. Additonally, the film os more viokent than previous WAG, featuring tons of onscreen Family-Unfriendly Deaths at the hands of an unsavory villain.
 * Fridge Brilliance:
 * The filmmakers admitted The Joker turning his henchmen into the Man-Bat Commandos was a deliberate Ass Pull. Which is something totally in-character for The Joker! After all, he does have a reputation for doing things in a whim!
 * Its already fitting that the song that plsys duribg the Joker's raid on S.T.A.R. Labs is "The Joker and the Thief". Its also fitting that the song playing right before is the song "Born to be Wild", performed by the band Steppenwolf.
 * The Joker's lair includes a makeshift throne. Well, he is known as the Clown Prince of Crime.
 * Funny Moments: Harley and Joker's fight. The fact that these two are really nuts and wacky as hell means that seen them both fighting equals a lot of Toon Physics, funny dialogues between boths, and even a few jokes that are straight out of Looney Tunes.
 * Harsher In Hindsight: In Harley Quinn (2019), Harley has a memory of her throwing herself into chemicals that she repressed to convince herself the Joker pushed her to the chemicals. In this film, the Joker actually threaterns to push Harley into chemicals. But he dosen't go througth it... he downright throws her!
 * Heartwarming Moments:
 * Barbara and Harley's friendship in general is this! Even througth the two are fans of arch-enemies and Harley is in love with the Creepy Clown, the two are with each other througth thick and thin, to the point that not only Barbara admits her secret to her right after becoming Batgirl and even taking her to the Batcave while working out of trust, but Harley is very supportive of her, delivers sweet and sound advice, and is generally geniunely happy for her friend.
 * And even througth she spents part of the film torn between her friendship with Barbara and her crush on the Joker, Harley ultimately chooses to actively help her friend by fighting the Joker.
 * The origin of Harleen Quinzel's codename "Harley Quinn" in this version? "Harley" is Barbara's Affectionate Nickname for her. It really gives her Catchphrase "Call me Harley" a lot of emotion behind it. Its almost as if she's asking people to be her friends.
 * The scene where Barbara discovers Bruce gave her one of his Batmobiles. And not just any Batmobile, Its the Tim Burton version! Which they both said was their favorite!
 * And then is Barbara's reaction. The same one any fan lf the Burton films would have if they were in her shoes.
 * A more subtle one: The shot revealing her new Batmobile is a direct homage to the opening shots of the Joel Schumacher films, down to Elliot Godmenthal's theme playing in the background. No Take That! No mocking. Pure awesomeness. It's a straight up homage. Considering how both of the Schumacher films are seen as the worst luve-action Batman films, and he never got a chance to redeem himself after his planned third, Darker and Edgier, film got axed, this feels like a great Throw the Dog a Bone moment towards a fellow Batman fan who never got the chance to make, in his words, "a true Batman film".
 * Bruce also left a message for Barbara in the Batmobile: "Do whatever you please with it. Just don't scratch it". Its his way of saying "Do your own thing, Barbara. Don't copy me if you don't want to". It shows how Bruce didn't actually cared if Barbara did things her own way or like he does. He just wanted her to be happy.
 * Also, remember this: Early in the film, Barbara was shunned by everyone but Harley for being herself. Now, her personal hero is showing that he loves her like a daughter because of who she is.
 * Bruce adopting Harley at the end. He finally loses the loneliness he realized he had at the beginning.
 * He Really Can Act:
 * While no one doubted Genesis Rodriguez would have the comedy chops required to voice Harley Quinn, she also manages to deliver some surprisingly heartwarming lines while still feeling pretty much in-character gor Harley.
 * Everybody agrees that Mark Hamill's vocal performance as the Joker is one hell of a Tough Act To Follow, but it is unanimously agreed that Willem Dafoe more than managed to live up to the task by providing a performance just as creepy and entertaining as Hamill while giving the character a level of eloquence that allows his interpretation to stand on his own. Everyone thougth he would be a great Joker, and he proved them right.
 * Hilarious In Hindsight: Loki's boast in his self-titled series' fourth episode of having lost track of how many times he died becomes a lot funnier now that his actor, Tom Hiddleston, appears in this film as the voice of The Joker, who has defied seemingly-impending dooms so many times he even had an entire trope about that named after him.
 * Lighter and Softer: In spite of being Darker and Edgier than previous WGA films, it is at the same time lighter in tone than most Batman films, featuring a more optimistic and upbeat vibe product of a lead character who is more joyfull and energetic than Wayne, as well as a greater amount of jokes and humour.
 * Nightmare Fuel: Not because is one of the Lighter and Softer versions of the Batman mythos dosen't mean its not terrifying. Its not the 60s, you know!
 * The Joker. He is as much of a Creepy Clown as he is in the comics. And Willem Dafoe's lines are both eloquent and truly wild, making up for a truly chilling performance.
 * His introduction is nothing short of terrifying, even througth we don't see his face yet. He throws knives at a tied bank security officer like in a circus act just to scare him for his own sick amusement, all while telling him he won't kill the officer. But when Batman shows up, the Joker chooses to go for the kill, simply telling the officer he changed his mind about not doing so, followed by a shot of the knive approaching the guard, who screams for his life, right before cutting to Batman and the police hearimg the scream. Tge way Dafoe so sincerely says both "I'm not gonna kill you" and "Oh, heah, then... i changed my mind" makes it even scarier, since it shows the Joker truly changed his mind on wbether kill or spare the security officer.
 * Also, how the Joker randomly changes targets during a fight, unless he's that close for the kill. One second he tries to shoot Batgirl or Batman, and the next he targets the first person he sees instead. And not only enemies, but he can change his mind and kill an innocent bystander for the hell of it in an instant. Indeed no one's truly safe when the Joker's around...
 * ...And that "no one" dosen't exclude even his lackeys. The Joker does randomly shoot the first of his allies he can kill, even througth they didn't even were near him.
 * The scene in which Batgirl and the police attack what appears to be the Man-Bat. The filmmakers admittedly drew inspiration from the equally terrifying bottle factory scene in The Incredible Hulk, and it really shows. The scene becomes even more terrifying when its revealed kt wasn't Langstorm who attacked, but The Joker himself, having taken the Man-Bat serum. And unlike him, he's perfectly aware of what he's doing and enjoyed it.
 * And right before leaving, he drops a captive Langstorm to his death cackling like hell. And after his henchmen congrakute him on killing him before he coukd provide the heroes with a cure to the serum, he asks: "Wait, do you really think he would've give them a cure?". The fact that his voice tone is completly sincere manages to mame the line even more chilling.
 * His plan this time? Combine the Man-Bat serum with his Joker Poison and unleash it on Gotham City. But he firsts tests it on a civilian. And tp the results are creepy would be an understatement. The victim starts to painfully turn into a mindless monster while laughing uncontrollaby, and all that's left is a dead giant werebat with an offputting smile. And he plans to do it to all of Gotham.
 * In order to gain easy access to Ace Chemicals and the chemicals that turned him into who he is now, the Joker fools Harley into giving him that access by lying that he wants to find out whether he can be cured of his state. Its already creepy how his lies and manipulations feel reminiscent of the Mad Love comic, but the fact that this Harley is a teenager while Joker is at his mid-40s makes it far, far, worse.
 * Right before his final clash with Batgirl, The Joker chooses out of nowhere to turn his henchmen into the Man-Bat Commandos with the remaining of the original serum. And the scene is predictably horrifying, with tons of Body Horror to spare. Even worse is that this is followed by the Joker unleashing them on Batgirl wkth a delivery of the line "Fly, my pretties. Fly. Fly" that would make the Wicked Witch of the West proud.
 * How does Batgirl finds the Batcave? Well, she was unknowingly resting her back in the cave's door, which then opens. Then, the Batmobile nearly rolls over Barbara, had she not put herself to the cave's wall in time, all while Batman is distracted due to thinking about the Joker's words on his loneliness. There's something so chilling on how mundane such scenario is compared to the rest of the movie, a little remainder on how not all risks in superhero worlds come from madmen and conquerors.
 * The film dosen't even try to sugarcoat how Gotham City is a lawless hellhole. Most of the city's design looks straight out of a zombie apocalylse movie. Also, police sirens, gun shots, and even screams can be heard in the background. Thank goodness Batgirl managed to correct that by the end of the film.
 * Meaningful Echo: Upon being given the mantle of Batgirl, Barbara exclaims "I'm Batgirl!". She later repeats these words after choosing to make the world a happier place and do things her way, when a poor man asks her who she is.
 * Mythology Gag:
 * Barbara's adress in the film is "Craig Street 1968", a nod to Yvotte Crakg, who played Gordon in the Adam West series, and Batgirl's debut in the year 1968. Similarly, Harley's adress is "Boulevard Timm 1992", a reference to her co-creator Bruce Timm and the year Batman: The Animated Series, where Harley first appeared, began airing
 * Before fighting the Joker, Harley Quinn says "Hey, Joker. You wanna get nuts? Come on! Let's get nuts!"
 * Harley's entrance at the climax causes the Joker to ask Batgirl "Is she with you?". The shot also resembkes the scene in which Catwoman met Batman and the Penguin in Batman Returns.
 * Shirley Walker's The New Batman Adventures theme appears througth the film.
 * At one point in the film, Batgirl says to Bruce that he should have tried with contacting Wonder Woman if he tried go fight Kryptonians due to their weakness to magic.
 * This version of Harley uses a javelin to fight as well as her maze, a nod to her being given one in The Suicide Squad.
 * A joke at the start of the film has Gotham City being referred as "the one place worse than Corto Maltese",
 * Barbara's school is called "Faust's School for Gifted Young Minds", a nod to 2019 DCSHG creator Lauren Faust. Additionañly, the school's baseball team is the "Gotham Hyenas", a reference to Harley's love for hyenas.
 * Barbara's room has posters with nods to Batman composers from Shirley Walker to Michael Giacchino.
 * Batman once again finds himself in the opposite side of a Stealth Hi/Bye, followed by a quip on the matter.
 * Two of the score's tracks are titled "Batgirl Begins" and "Batgirl Returns". Aside from referencing Batman Begins and Batmam Returns, they also are nods to the titles of episodes of the 2004 and 1992 animated series. This is also a practice inspired by the soundtrack for The Dark Knight Returns, which had a track titled "Batman Returns".
 * At one point, the film recreates the Joker's dance in the stairs from his solo film.
 * The scene near the end where Harley throws the Joker off Gotham Bay and into the ocean was meant to be a reversal of the scene in the comic Mad Love, where the Joker threw Harley off a window. Additionally, before throwing him, she calls him a "lousy scum-sucking creep", the same insult she used towards him in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Trial". Also, the Joker pleading for Batman's help is a nod to the TAS episode "Joker's Favor".
 * Oh Crap!: The Joker undergoes a massive one when he notices that Harley A.K.A. The one who had the upper hand against him as a Man-Bat, was the one who knocked him to the ground in human form. And the way he tries to avoid more problems with her is one that fans haven't seen since "Joker's Favor"!
 * Stealth Hi/Bye: Played for Laughs. Shortly after Barbara discocers Batman's identity, he vegins to talk to her on the natter, pnly for him to turn around and discover the girl is gone. He then comments "Wow. Soooooo.... That's what it feels like".


 * Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: The Joker faces three at the film's conclusion:
 * When fighting against multiple enemies, make sure to ambush one alone after checking in were the others are to prevent them from interfering in time to save the first one. The Joker learns this the hard way when he tries to take Batgirl hostage and escape, only for Harley Quinn, who happened to be close by, to save Batgirl by attacking Joker by surprise, resulting in her literally kicking the crap outta him and launching him onto the river.
 * Also, the Joker expects to be sent to Arkham Asylum due to him having put on an "insane" façade, but Harley, a gifted student on psychiatry, to reveal that she made a pdychological profile on him that shows to the authorities he is actually a perfectly-sane psychopath. Façades can only take you so far for so long, and you'll eventually get exposed no matter what, especially if the lie involves an area full of professional on the subject.
 * Due to his years of false insanity pleas, Joker ends up with an even bigger sentence than if he didn't get one. After all, he did lied to law enforcers on a subject where doing such thing is illegal.
 * Take That!:
 * After the Joker is done dancing on stairs, he starts dancing on the ground in a manner simikar to Emo Peter's mementically famous Spider-Man 3 dance... only that this clearly is meant to be intentionally ridiculous.
 * At the start of the film, while mocking Batman due to his age, Joker says he "kinda looks like Iron Man".
 * Tearjerker:
 * The opening scene is heartwrenching to its core. A shot even shows tombstones revealing that everyone Bruce was clode with, from Selina Kyle to Alfred, ended up dying eventually. The following shot is of Bruce sitting in solituded until the Batsignal appeared ála Batman Returns. However, whereas that was an awe-inspiring if solemn image of Batman waiting for duty to call, thus one is a downright depressing look of a man who's job is practically the one thing he has left.
 * Barbara giving up being Batgirl. While serious, she was still an upbeat young person who felt she was meant to be the new Batman, so seeing her giving up and falling into a Heroic BSoD just because she wasn't able to be like Bruce is truly gut-renching,
 * Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: While the film is relatively lighthearted, specially for a movie based on the Batman franchise, it neverthless dosen't sugarcoat how much of a monster the Joker is, being as every bit as terrifying as always.
 * Unexpected Character:
 * Man-Bat surprised auduences by actually showing up here. Ehile in the actual film his alter-ego dosen't habe a big role, at least the serum does.
 * On that note, nobody expected to see the more unknown Man-Bat Commandos making their theatrical debut here.

Tropes for Supergirl

 * Composite Character: While Supergirl's personality is mainly modeled after her DC Superhero Girls (2019), her character arc if copi g with the destruction of Krypton is partially based on her Superman/Batman: Apocalypsis incarnation.
 * Prequel: The film is set a few years before Batgirl.
 * Mythology Gag:
 * Supergirl overcoming Brainiac's manipulation was inspired by the clinatic scene from Zack Snyder's Justice League where Cyborg overcomes the Mother Boxes' influence.
 * John Williams' Superman theme appears througth the film.
 * Supergirl's first flight us inspired by her first flight in her 1984 film. Additionally, the scene where she reveals herself to the world is inspired by the boat scene from Superman II.


 * The Stinger:
 * In a mid-credits scene, Lex Luthor uses Brainiac's computer and discovers somethibg that sets him to got to Gotham City in order to recover something even if it meabs fighting the Joker. Anyone who's seen Batgirl knows he'll have it easy.
 * A post-credits scene shows Brainiac-5 in the middle of the ocean, as he glitches and his eyes turn blue instead of red.
 * Tainted by the Preview: While the trailer overrall received a positive reception, many fans protested over how the film seemed to potray Brainiac-5 as The Dragon to Brainiac, as they felt it was disrespectful to the character. Fans changed tune, however, when the film's post-credits scene indicated subsquent DCATU films would feature a more faithful potrayal of the character.

Tropes for Zatanna

 * Casting Gag: Elizabeth Olsen and Kathryn Hann once again play comic book magic users who are put against one another.
 * Leaning on the Fourth Wall: During the post-credits scene, when Wonder Woman shows up, she says "I suppose you know who i am", to which Zatanna nods in agreement.
 * Musical Nod: Wonder Woman's DCEU theme plays during her cameo in The Stinger.
 * The Stinger: Wonder Woman ask Zatanna for help.

Tropes for DC Superhero Girls

 * Central Theme: Friendship. The girls slowly become Fire-Forged Friends as they bond over the course of the story and learn to work together as a team, leading to their victory, while Lex Luthor slowly isolates himself, leading to his defeat.
 * Nightmare Fuel: The post-credits scene features a Kryptomite from the 2015 DC Superhero Girls series. There? Kryptonite with a face. Here? The unholy combination of Doomsday and a Gremlin! And its going to Metropolis. And its hungry...
 * Mythology Gag:
 * The heroes join after a villain tries to use a Mother Box to conquer the world, much is pretty much the plot for blth versions of Justice League. All films also include Wonder Woman as a main character.
 * The still poses the Superhero Girls make in the credits resemble those of the Justice League in the opening credits for their own animated series.
 * One of Wonder Woman's poses resembles one of her DCEU poses.
 * Batgirl is introduced fighting alongside Harley Quinn and Batman against Kex Luthor's mooks in a train, a nod to the climax of Batman Begins. The train even goes out of control and thry have to stop it, througth Zatanna manages to intervene with a portal before anybody gets hurt.
 * Shout-Out: At the climax, Wonder Woman takes a similar pose to Mulan's when fighting Shan-Yu.
 * The Stinger: In a post-credits scene, it is revealed that Lex's kryptonite was exposed to energy from the Mother Box, causing it to mutate into a Kryptomite that begins eating everything in its path towards Metropolis.

Tropes for Harley & Ivy

 * Actor Allusion: Poison Ivy is shown to be friends with a carnivore plant voiced by Brenda Song, referencing Anna Akana and Song's respective roles as Sasha and Anne in Disney's Amphibia, albeit with a far healthier relationship than Anne and Sasha's. Song's character is even named Anne, which Word of God confirmed was very deliberate. Additionally, Frank is voiced by Keith David, who also starred in Amphibia.
 * Adaptational Intellegence: Comic!Ivy's motivation was pretty much a case of Evil Is Petty, since it was mostly her wanting payback towards all of humanity for her neglected childhood and heartbreak with a college professor, this version acts more in defense of the only family she ever had, making her more emotionslly intelligent in comparation.
 * Adaptational Nice Guy: Whereas Comic!Ivy pretty much forces her will in nature to make plants grow unnaturally, DCATU!Ivy does this only with plants willing to let her do it. Additionally, her motivation is changed so, in addition her lashing out against humanity due to their damage to nature, she also commits her acts of eco-terrorism to prptect the only thing that ever treated her kindly.
 * Age Lift: Renee Montoya is noticeably younger than most versions, with her voice acyress even voucing her with a more mature version of heruz Noceda voice. Word of God is that she was made younger to reflect her beginning to grow into a more comic-accurate personality at the end of the film.
 * Author's Saving Throw:
 * This film can be seen as one towards films based on comic book superheroes, as it skews most of the cliches seen in the genre in favor of a road buddy movie plot, making it somewhat different and unique within the superhero genre.
 * In Batman: The Animated Series, Bolton's brutally came off as an Informed Attribute due to limitations on children-oriented program, and he himself was, before attempting to kill people such as reporters and Commisioner Gordon himself, more sympathetic than intended to some due to initially centering his brutality on Arkham's inmates, such as Scarecrow and Harley Quinn. The film managed to correct that by showing his brutality onscreen, thanks to lesser limitations on content for films, and by showing his Knight Templar mentality has gotten to the point of geniuenly refusing to believe a criminal can pull off a Heel-Face Turn, which Poison Ivy does at the end of the film, even when presented with testimonies and evidence, as well as by showing his willingness and goal to kill even for the lowest crimes. as well as anybody who stands on his way, effectively making him less likeable towards audiences. Also, his reasonable arguments about Arkham are nowhere to be found, while other films apply is not the Cardboard Prision is usually depicted as.
 * Awesome Moments:
 * The fact that a film focused on Harley Quinn centered on morality and provided commentary on how to deal with criminals is awesome in and of itself.
 * When Lyle Bolton has Harlet at gunshot, dies she cower in fear? No. She remains her usual self, content that at least her friends are safe, and even taunting that to his face. Defiant to the End indeed.
 * Even mote awesome when you keep in mind that, in Bolton's debut back in 1992, DCAU!Harley was among those who feared his wrath. Here, this Harley knows what he's capable of, and yet she still has enough force of will to fight and mock him even when he's about to kill her. Talk about an Adaptational Badass.
 * Just as awesome is Ivy's Big Damn Heroes moment. She manages to have her plants stop Bolton's shot from killing Harley mere seconds before she can get killed. And the two then work together to kick his ass.
 * At the end of the movie, Renee Montoya is shown to personally escort a Hannibal Lecter-style tied Bolton to his own personal cell in Blackguard, all while telling him, "enjoy your home", not-so-subtly comparing him to those he was targeting.
 * Catharsis Factor: We get one when Harley ambushes and beats up Lyle Bolton, a madman whose brutality and lack of morality more than earned him that beat up. And seeimg Renee Montoya arrext him and lock him in Arlham ála Hannibal Lecter is the cherry on top.
 * Also one from a meta perspective. In Bolton's debut, Harley was among the victims terrified of his abusive treatment of Arkham's inmates, msking it far more satisfying when she gets to beat him up.
 * Central Theme: How not all people who do bad things have bad intentions, and can actually be reasoned with and become good if given the chance.
 * Foreshadowing: Poison Ivy's introduction, while having her practicing her definetly-not-evil-speech, potrays her as an otherwise sympathetic figure, showing her close and relatable friendship with Frank and Anne and already indicating her tragic backstory. Meanwhile, Bolton's introduction plays him as a more intimidating figure, delivering a speech about criminals that sounds just like an Evil Speech. Thus foreshadows their respective Heel-Face and Face-Heel Turns.
 * Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Ivy is convinced that she has every right to attack humanity bevause of people treated her and treat nature. However, Harley poibts out to her that she can't try to kill all of humanity because of how some treated her, and that there are other ways to protect nature. The two realize, in the end, that she is just a traumatized misanthrope who fears getting close to humans. Notably, this is delivered by Harley in a kind tone, not to call Ivy out for her actions, but to make her realize what she did was wrong and that she needs help.
 * Fridge Brilliance: As noted brlow, the film essentially follows many plot points from Harley's backstory in Mad Love, so why did Film!Harley succeded where the rest failed? Simple, she is doing it to Poison Ivy instead of the Joker, and it is well-known that Ivy truly cares for Harley to the point of doing good for her sake. This is pretty much an extension of that.
 * Harsher in Hindsight: At first, Poison Ivy's powers being nullified with a collar seems funny. After learning it means she can't communicate woth plants, the only thing that was nice to her...
 * Heartwarming Moments:
 * When a captive Harley concedes that Ivy has a point in how humanity treats nature, Ivy seems geniunely touched by that. As her backstory would later reveal, this would be the very first moment a human being was nice towards her.
 * In the climax, Harley not only manages to reconcile with Ivy, but also shows her that there are good people in the world. This in turn inspires Ivy to try to stop her own plans of releasing deadly plants througth the world by way of a Heroic Sacrifice ála Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2. Luckily, Harley saves her in time.
 * Later, both Harley and Batgirl go to Ivy's defense when Harvey Bullock wants to kill her, in spite of Ivy stopping her own plan nearly at the cost of her life.
 * Just the fact that, upon learming of her and Ivy's friendship, Batgirl never shows jealousy nor does she thinks she's gone bad. If she likes Ivy, there has to be a good reason.
 * Heartwarming in Hindsight: Thanks to the Friendly Fandom and camaderie between the creators of Amphibia and The Owl House, seeing leads from both series starring in the same film and Sarah-Nicole Robles' characger even trying to save the life of Anna Akana's character will probably be something fans of both series wl treasure.
 * I Want You to Meet An Old Friend of Mine: The film reunites Anna Akana, Brenda Song, and Keith David, after working together in Disney's Amphibia.
 * Narm Charm: The fact that, in order to rid Gotham of crime, Bolton aims to kill even bootleg sellers sounds rather ridiculous and funny. But, since the scene is meant to show how deep he fell into a Knight Templar All Crimes Are Equal mentality, it instead is very scary, as the fact that he wants to kill people for even such minor crimes really helps to sell the idea.
 * Nightmare Fuel:
 * At the climax, Ivy, believing Harley betrayed her and that humanity is indeed worthless, proves herself to be a threatening force of nature. Not only she displays ruthlessness in her attacks, but the second she sees Harley, she goes for the kill. She even almost chokes Harley to death. And her Death Glare will makes you wonder whether she will listen to reason now.
 * The scene where Harley is hanging over a river full of cocodriles. Their realistic design and ferocity, plus the fact that the rope she is hanging on is beginning to fall, will make you fear for her life.
 * Lyle Bolton starts off as a Jerkass but seemingly better than his original version... until he begins Jumping Off the Slippery Slope in his attempts to find Ivy, believing her death be more importsnt than anything, and, by the end of the film, is reduced to a Holier Than Thou Knight Templar who tries to kill not only Ivy, who at this point has redeemed herself, but also Harley and Batgirl for helping her, convinced that criminals can't change. He spents most of the film's third act trying to shoot all three of them. In the end, he was just as horrible, if not more, than hus original self. And then there's the fact that he's voiced by Vincent D'Onofrio.
 * The scene where he beats up a suspect is terrifyingly brutal. He starts somewhat descent by simply asking a few questions, but when he gets no abswer that can lead him to Ivy, he begins to beat him ála Christian Bale's Batman, pmly that this victim isn't The Joker, but a terrified guy begging for his life to a madman. To not to mention the way he beats the guy is more reminiscent of D'Onofrio's Kingpin. Add to that what seems to be a Gory Discretion Shot, and you'd be forgiven for thinking the guy was killed.
 * The fact that the guy was not only heavily hospitalized, but that he begins making the best suggestions on where Ivy could be that he can come up with (which are rather vague) the second he sees Bolton makes clear how brutal his beat up was.
 * The entire scene where Renee Mobtoya finds out about Bolton's plans to kill all sorts of criminals in Gotham. Not only could easily be mistaken for a horror film's scene, but it shows Bolton's Knight Templar tendencies made him took All Crimes Are Equal to horrifying levels, deeming pickpockets and even bootleg sellers as deserving of death. Meaning that those who commited even the smallest crimes within that city are on his hit list.
 * One of the shots during his attempt to shoot Ivy to death is chillingly reminiscent of Jack Nicholson's Joker when he killed Batman's parents.
 * While Bolton may have deserved it after attempting to kill a now-harmless Ivy for the first time and not listening to Harley, seeing a silent Death Glare played straight coming out of Harley Quinn is something so out-of-character for her that is just terrifying.
 * Mythology Gag:
 * Among Harley's suits at the start of the film are the ones she wore in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Enmancipation of One Harley Quinn), The Batman (2004), and Injustice 2. Both Birds of Prey and Harley and Ivy were directed by Cathy Yan.
 * Harley has a dart game with a drawing of the Joker on it, just like in Birds of Prey.
 * Harley is shown to have in her room a William Shakespeare bust with a button revealing a pole that leads to the Batcave, much like Adam West's Batman. She is also shown to have a hidden revolving door in her bedroom, much like Yvonne Craig's Batgirl.
 * Among the things on Harley's bucket list in the credits are "Finding things that are lost", "being a dog walker", and "being a life coach", which are somd of things she listed in her buisness card in Birds of Prey.
 * The scene where Harley and Ivy try to get rid of a flaming bottle is reminiscent of when Adam West's Batman just couldn't get rid of a bomb.
 * When Ivy tries to steal a truck, Harley insread pays it with her "Harley Credit Card". Safe to say, it makes more sense for her to have something like that than Batman.
 * When Ivy points out to Harley that humanity has done nothing but damage nature, Harley responds by saying "Good point. I mean, we do have some idiots running the show".
 * Ivy and Harley share their backgrounds while on a bus, much like Ratcatcher 2 and Bloodsport did in The Suicide Squad.
 * The scene where Bolton beats up a criminal was written as a dark parallel to the Joker's interrogation scene in The Dark Knight.
 * At the end of the film, Ivy says a variation of the "men are still good" monologue Bruce Wayne said at the end of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
 * As the film closes, Harley suggests several potential names for their newfound female trio once Ivy feels ready to join her and Batgirl, among them "Birds of Prey", "Gotham City Sirens", and "The Terrific Trio".
 * During the credits, a photo shows Harley and Ivy using a vine to climb a building, similar to how Batman and Robin used to do it in the Adam West series.
 * Tearjerker:
 * Ivy's backstory. As a child, she was an outcast much like Harley once was. Following a lab accident that gave her the power to communicate with and control plants, they treated her with far better kindness than any human bring at that point, making Ivy extremely protective of nature as a result.
 * Shortly after revealing her backstory, Ivy asks why Harley is the way she is. After Harley reveals what the Joker did, Ivy asks her how she can deal with the chemicals' psychological side-effects, as well as the psychologival issues it only aggravated. Harley then responds, with a tone of melancholy in her voice, "Well, some stuff you... just learn to live above, througth it still pops up. And the rest? That's what you gotta learn to live with". This will ring true to anybody who has dealt with a mental illness.
 * Upon finally arriving to a plant-filled area, Harley realizes a trap was set up, so she tells Ivy to wait and she tries to convince Batgirl and Bullock to stand down, but Bullock refuses and shoots Ivy in an attempt to kill her. While she avoids the bullet, she assumes Harley secretly set the trap up and cuts off their newfound friendship, believing she only lied and manipulated her, while also making her belive once more that Humanity Is Evil. As Ivy escapes, Hatoey is left crying at the ooss of her new second best friend.
 * Spiritual Antitesis: The film centers on Harley trying to convince a member of Batman's rogue gallery to abandon their evil ways, eventually coming to sympwthize with them for their backstory and Harley ends up personally liking them. This is pretty much what happened to her in her backstory as depicted in the comic Mad Love. However, whereas the Joker manipulated her into liking him by coming up with a bullshit backstory and ebds up making her his henchwoman, Ivy is truly sincere in her words, the two form a mutual friendship, and she pulls a Heel-Face Turn.
 * The Stinger: Poison Ivy unknowingly gives some hallucinogen pollen to the Scarecrow.
 * Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: The film is a lightherated-if-emotional buddy movie centered on Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy on a road trip. But Lyle Bolton is a truly threatening antagonist, being nothing but a sadistic and brutal Knight Templar cop who is more than happy to beat into a pulp and even outright kill anybody who even talked to a criminal and darkens the film's tone with his presence.
 * Villain Has a Point: Deconstructed. Througth her interactions with the kind and optimistic Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy realizes that being right about nature needing protection does not give her any right to take human lives.
 * Wham Line: At the end of The Stinger, Ivy asks "What are you gonna do with the pollen, Crane?", tipping off fans on who is she talking to.

Tropes for DC Superhero Girls: Fear State

 * Adaptational Badass: The worst Scarecrow ever got before was a national threat in the Batman: Arkham games. This Scarecrow is a worldwide terrorist able to use his wit, agility, and fear gas to fight off a demigodess.
 * An Aesop:
 * You can't get rid of fear, but you can resist it.
 * To cope with your fears, you must first open up to your friends.
 * Central Theme: How to cope with fear.
 * Darker and Edgier: Whereas the film was a lighthearted story about teamwork, this film focuses on overcoming fear, has psychological horror-esque imagery, and includes a villain who carries literal Nightmare Fuel to use as his weapon of choice.
 * Disney Villain Death: Subverted. Scarecrow nearly falls to his doom after exhailing his own fear gas and hallucinating, but Supergirl manages to catch him in time.
 * Heartwarming Moments:
 * Througth the film, it is shown that all the Superhero Girls, annoyed as they are of her antics, geniunely care for Harley as much as Batgirl does and do see her as a teammate and a friend. A far cry from her status as an outcast alongside Barbara back in Batgirl. Conversely, Harley also shows that she truly cares for the girls.
 * It is shown that not only has Poison Ivy remained good friends with Harley, but she even formed a friendship with Batgirl, and the three are now their own best friend squadron.
 * Similarly, upon hearing how Ovy reformed and became a good person, as well as her backstory, the rest of the team slowly but surely welcomes her with open arms.
 * Hoisted by His Own Petard: Scarecrow ends up being defeated when his mask breaks and ends up exposed to his fear gas.
 * Mythology Gag:
 * The subtitle is a nod to the Batman: Fear State story arc.
 * The way Supergirl prevents Scarecrow from falling to hus doom is an homage to Superman saving Lois Lane in Superman (1978).
 * Tearjerker: Supergirl's fear is losing the Superhero Girls, who are the few friends she had ever since arriving to Earth.