So! You’ve heard about this fantastic cartoon from the 90’s featuring some weird crime-fighting duck! Or maybe you watched Ducktales 2017 and have no clue why people are losing their minds over this ‘Darkwing Duck’ fellow. Whatever the case, you’re suddenly facing down 91 episodes filled to the brim with action, adventure, and a shocking amount of gun violence. Where do you start? Which episodes have the coolest villains? Which episode features that iconic drakepad kiss that everyone constantly posts on twitter?!

Villain Origin episodes

Not all supervillains get an origin episode, but there were a few instances where Darkwing encounters a particular supervillain for the first time and learns their backstory. I would recommend also watching these earlier, since several of these villains return later in the series.

   Beauty and The beet

This is Dr. Reginald Bushroot’s origin episode, although it is told as a flashback. It is also the second episode in the series if you follow airdate order.

   Dry Hard

Dry Hard is the origin story for The Liquidator, one of the members of the Fearsome Five. I would also argue it has one of the most gruesome character ‘deaths’ in the series. 

   Whiffle While you Work

This is the first episode Quackerjack appears in, although his actual origin story is not shown (but is mentioned through character exposition). 

   Battle of the Brainteasers

This is the first appearance of the mind-controlling alien hats. Honker Muddlefoot really shines in this episode. 

 

Fan-favourite episodes

While this list is somewhat debatable, there are definitely a number of episodes that gained more traction in fandom than others, for a variety of reasons. Usually because they introduce a popular character, establish canon concepts, or they’re just all-around fantastic episodes. 

   A Brush with Oblivion

Introduces the supervillain Splatter Phoenix, and it also well-liked due to the top-notch animation by Disney Australia. 

   Negaduck

Not to be confused with the Negaverse-edition Negaduck, this episode introduces the first original Negaduck, when Darkwing is split into two versions of himself: A Good half and an Evil half. Aside from being an overall fun episode, it has some very memorable moments throughout. 

   Just Us Justice Ducks (Part 1 and 2)

The only two-parter episode in the series (aside from Darkly Dawns), and marks the first appearance of the Negaverse Negaduck. This episode is also notable for introducing the Fearsome Five, a supervillain team comprising Negaduck, Bushroot, Liquidator, Megavolt, and Quackerjack. 

   Life, The Negaverse and Everything

This episode establishes the infamous ‘Negaverse’, home to Negaduck and several other-dimensional versions of the main cast including Gosalyn, LP, The Muddlefoots, and The Fearsome Four. 

   Dead Duck

What happens when Darkwing dies, escapes both Heaven and Hell, and spends an entire episode being chased by the grim reaper, voiced by none other than Tony Jay? This episode is well-liked not only for the grimdark concept, but for several key emotional moments, particularly between Drake and Gosalyn. 

   Twin Beaks

An utterly bizarre episode, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the source material it parodies. I think most fans remember it for Bushroot’s dried up husk of a corpse, which the other characters are totally unconcerned about. 

   Time And Punishment

Introduces a fan-favourite, Darkwarrior Duck. This episode has spawned a million fanfics in the ‘what if Gosalyn died’ genre. 

   The Triumphant Triumph of Darkwing Duck The Haunting of Mr. Banana Brain

A Quackerjack episode gone awry when his shenanigans accidently summon the demon Paddywhack, voiced by Phil Hartman. A reference to this episode later appears in Ducktales 2017 as well.

   The Quiverwing Quack

There are several episodes where Gosalyn invents her own superhero persona, and Quiverwing Quack is probably the one fans remember the most. Also well known for an incredibly memorable father-daughter scene between Gos and Drake. This episode later inspired the creation of Quiverwing Duck, an other-dimensional Darkwing who appears exclusively in the BOOM! Studios and Joe Books comics. 

Origin stories for Darkwing Duck

Darkwing Duck creator Tad Stones has stated time and time again that not only does the cartoon lack continuity, but he intentionally created several different origin stories for Darkwing, many of which contradict each other. 

   Paraducks

Darkwing and Gosalyn travel back in time to Drake’s childhood and encounter Young “Drakey” Mallard, who is being pushed around by a local criminal. Also leads to Darkwing playing an electric guitar solo and singing rock music. 

   The Secret Origins of Darkwing Duck

Not as secret as you might think, and 100% totally nonsensical. This episode is largely a parody of Superman, but is an enjoyable watch nonetheless.

   Clash Reunion

Probably the episode most fans consider truly canon because it does not involve time travel shenanigans or outright lies. Drake Mallard is invited to his high school reunion, only to realize one of his former classmates is none other than his arch-nemesis Megavolt! Both Darkwing and Megavolt’s origin stories are told in this episode. 

Alternate universe episodes

These episodes generally are not considered canon, or, at the very least, aren’t generally included in the main Darkwing Duck universe, for a variety of reasons. 

   Darkwing Doubloon

Takes place in a universe where everyone is pirates, and the most fearsome of all is the dreaded Darkwing Doubloon. This is also the only other episode featuring The Justice Ducks. The Fearsome Five also make a re-appearance and Negaduck forces everyone to sing about pirates. Good times.

   Twitching Channels

This episode starts out in the regular DWD universe, but then Darkwing and Megavolt are both accidentally zapped into ‘our’ universe, where Darkwing Duck is a cartoon. Things get real meta. We also learn that Darkwing is basically the size of a human child. 

   A Star is Scorned

We are introduced to an alternate universe where the cast of Darkwing Duck are just actors, and the creators have decided that it’s time to pick a new protagonist for the show. Features some incredibly funny moments with Bushroot and the Muddlefoots. 

Problematic Episodes

Darkwing Duck was written and created in the late 80’s – early 90’s and while the show still holds up for the most part, there are a few episodes that absolutely would not fly in the 21st century. In fact, Disney has added the following disclaimer to many of these episodes on Disney Plus:

I think it’s important to highlight these episodes, both to acknowledge their issues and to give a friendly forewarning to new viewers.

   Dances With Bigfoot

Drake is kidnapped by the Bigfoot Tribe of the Pacific Northwest who are planning to sacrifice him to their volcano God. It’s up to Gos and Honker to save him. From this premise alone you can see why this episode earned a disclaimer. Includes inaccurate depictions of Indigenous peoples and the whole ‘volcano sacrifice’ trope. 

   Kung Fooled

Darkwing, Launchpad, and Gos chase Moliarty through a hole that leads them all the way to China where they encounter Darkwing’s old Quack-Fu Master, Goose Lee. This episode was flagged for cultural inaccuracies, mainly due to the fact that several different asian cultures are blended together using outdated stereotypes. 

   Bad Luck Duck

Negaduck steals a magical amulet from a Witch doctor that allows him to wreak havoc on St. Canard. Again, features inaccurate depictions of Indigenous peoples and their cultural practices. 

   Comic Book Capers

For the most part, this episode is pretty great and is considered one of the classics. However it features some stereotypes in the form of a Native caricature known as “Little Running Gag”. 

Banned Episodes

Or rather, episode. Because it’s not really the 90’s if at least ONE episode isn’t banned due to Satanic Panic. 

   Hot Spells

This episode is likely banned for a few reasons, all of which are pretty cool in retrospect. Darkwing and Gosalyn pay a visit to Morgana’s Alma mater, The Eldritch Academy of Enchantment where Beelzebub (Satan) tricks Gosalyn into selling Darkwing’s soul in exchange for magical knowledge. Witchcraft, Satan, AND soul stealing? You know it’s gotta be a good episode.

Note: This episode is not available on Disney + (with the exception of some countries) but you can find it floating around the Internet in a few places. 

Episodes sorted by Character Appearance

Because I like to be thorough, I have also created a list of episodes sorted by the characters who make an appearance. It’s quite lengthy so I’ll be sticking it on a separate page:

Episodes Sorted by Character Appearance

Production Order

As mentioned at the beginning, Darkwing Duck is generally listed in production order and airdate order. I will start with production order, because it is the recommended order and the one I prefer. Special thanks to the Darkwing Duck wiki for providing this information. 

#Batch	#Count	Production code	Title	#Main	Premiere
0	00	Unknown	” Darkly Dawns the Duck “	00: 1-00	September 06, 1991
1	01	4308-001	” Water Way to Go “	10: 1-10	September 18, 1991
	02	4308-002	” In Like Blunt “	50: 1-50	February 24, 1992
	03	4308-004	” Dirty Money “	07: 1-07	September 13, 1991
	04	4308-006	” A Duck by Any Other Name “	48: 1-48	February 18, 1992
	05	4308-007	” That Sinking Feeling “	66: 2-01	September 7, 1991
	06	4308-008	” Getting Antsy “	04: 1-04	September 10, 1991
	07	4308-009	” Battle of the Brainteasers “	74: 2-09	November 2, 1991
	08	4308-010	” Fungus Amongus “	69: 2-04	September 28, 1991
	09	4308-012	” Can’t Bayou Love “	16: 1-16	September 26, 1991
	10	4308-013	” You Sweat Your Life “	18: 1-18	September 30, 1991
	11	4308-014	” Trading Faces “	14: 1-14	September 24, 1991
	12	4308-015	” Hush, Hush Sweet Charlatan “	15: 1-15	September 25, 1991
	13	4308-016	” Apes of Wrath “	06: 1-06	September 12, 1991
2	14	4308-017	” Duck Blind “	08: 1-08	September 16, 1991
	15	4308-018	” Beauty and the Beet “	03: 1-03	September 9, 1991
	16	4308-019	” Double Darkwings “	22: 1-22	October 4, 1991
	17	4308-020	” Heavy Mental “	37: 1-37	November 21, 1991
	18	4308-021	” Aduckyphobia “	23: 1-23	October 7, 1991
	19	4308-022	” A Brush with Oblivion “	77: 2-12	November 23, 1991
	20	4308-023	” Whiffle While You Work “	29: 1-29	October 23, 1991
	21	4308-024	” Easy Come, Easy Grows “	12: 1-12	September 20, 1991
	22	4308-025	” Negaduck “	68: 2-03	September 21, 1991
	23	4308-026	” Dry Hard “	36: 1-36	November 20, 1991
	24	4308-027	” All’s Fahrenheit in Love and War “	28: 1-28	October 21, 1991
	25	4308-028	” Something Fishy “	71: 2-06	October 12, 1991
	26	4308-029	” Bearskin Thug “	17: 1-17	September 27, 1991
3	27	4308-030	” Calm a Chameleon “	73: 2-08	October 26, 1991
	28	4308-031	” Jurassic Jumble “	25: 1-25	October 10, 1991
	29	4308-032	” Tiff of the Titans “	72: 2-07	October 19, 1991
	30	4308-033	” Paraducks “	11: 1-11	September 19, 1991
	31	4308-034	” Film Flam “	67: 2-02	September 14, 1991
	32	4308-035	” The Merchant of Menace “	78: 2-13	November 30, 1991
	33	4308-036	” Comic Book Capers “	09: 1-09	September 17, 1991
	34	4308-037	” Slaves to Fashion “	70: 2-05	October 5, 1991
	35	4308-038	” Bad Tidings “	75: 2-10	November 9, 1991
	36	4308-039	” Cleanliness Is Next to Badliness “	26: 1-26	October 15, 1991
	37	4308-040	” Night of the Living Spud “	05: 1-05	September 11, 1991
	38	4308-041	” Ghoul of My Dreams “	30: 1-30	October 31, 1991
	39	4308-042	” Up, Up and Awry “	34: 1-34	November 14, 1991
4	40	4308-043	” Toys Czar Us “	32: 1-32	November 11, 1991
	41	4308-044	” Days of Blunder “	19: 1-19	October 1, 1991
	42	4308-045	” Smarter Than a Speeding Bullet “	27: 1-27	October 17, 1991
	43	4308-046	” Adopt-a-Con “	31: 1-31	November 7, 1991
	44	4308-047	” Just Us Justice Ducks, Part 1 “	20: 1-20	October 2, 1991
	45	4308-048	” Just Us Justice Ducks, Part 2 “	21: 1-21	October 3, 1991
	46	4308-049	” Life, the Negaverse and Everything “	35: 1-35	November 18, 1991
	47	4308-050	” A Revolution in Home Appliances “	13: 1-13	September 23, 1991
	48	4308-051	” Darkwing Doubloon “	40: 1-40	December 16, 1991
	49	4308-052	” Darkly Dawns the Duck, Part 1 “	01: 1-01	Unknown
	50	4308-053	” Darkly Dawns the Duck, Part 2 “	02: 1-02	Unknown
	51	4308-055	” The Secret Origins of Darkwing Duck “	33: 1-33	November 13, 1991
	52	4308-056	” When Aliens Collide “	24: 1-24	October 8, 1991
5	53	4308-057	” Going Nowhere Fast “	76: 2-11	November 16, 1991
	54	4308-058	” Dead Duck “	47: 1-47	February 17, 1992
	55	4308-059	” Quack of Ages “	51: 1-51	February 26, 1992
	56	4308-060	” It’s a Wonderful Leaf “	41: 1-41	December 23, 1991
	57	4308-061	” Planet of the Capes “	39: 1-39	November 27, 1991
	58	4308-062	” The Incredible Bulk “	45: 1-45	February 12, 1992
	59	4308-063	” Disguise the Limit “	38: 1-38	November 26, 1991
	60	4308-064	” Let’s Get Respectable “	49: 1-49	February 20, 1992
	61	4308-065	” Twitching Channels “	42: 1-42	February 5, 1992
	62	4308-066	” Stressed to Kill “	53: 1-53	March 3, 1992
	63	4308-067	” Twin Beaks “	44: 1-44	February 10, 1992
	64	4308-068	” My Valentine Ghoul “	46: 1-46	February 14, 1992
	65	4308-069	” Dances with Bigfoot “	43: 1-43	February 6, 1992
6	66	4308-070	” Time and Punishment “	52: 1-52	February 27, 1992
	67	4308-071	” The Darkwing Squad “	54: 1-54	April 1992
	68	4308-072	” Inside Binkie’s Brain “	55: 1-55	April 1992
	69	4308-073	” The Haunting of Mr. Banana Brain “	56: 1-56	April 29, 1992
	70	4308-074	” Slime Okay, You’re Okay “	57: 1-57	May 1992
	71	4308-075	” Kung Fooled “	64: 1-64	May 1992
	72	4308-076	” U.F. Foe “	59: 1-59	May 1992
	73	4308-077	” Whirled History “	58: 1-58	May 1992
	74	4308-078	” The Quiverwing Quack “	61: 1-61	May 1992
	75	4308-079	” Bad Luck Duck “	65: 1-65	May 20, 1992
	76	4308-080	” Jail Bird “	62: 1-62	May 1992
	77	4308-081	” A Star Is Scorned “	60: 1-60	May 1992
	78	4308-082	” Dirtysomething “	63: 1-63	May 1992
7	79	4308-083	” The Revenge of the Return of the Brainteasers, Too! “	81: 3-03	September 26, 1992
	80	4308-084	” Inherit the Wimp “	80: 3-02	September 19, 1992
	81	4308-085	” Monsters R Us “	79: 3-01	September 12, 1992
	82	4308-086	” Star Crossed Circuits “	82: 3-04	October 3, 1992
	83	4308-089	” Steerminator “	83: 3-05	October 10, 1992
	84	4308-090	” Paint Misbehavin’ “	85: 3-07	October 24, 1992
	85	4308-091	” The Frequency Fiends “	84: 3-06	October 17, 1992
	86	4308-092	” Hot Spells “	86: 3-08	October 31, 1992
	87	4308-093	” Mutantcy on the Bouncy “	89: 3-11	November 21, 1992
	88	4308-094	” Clash Reunion “	88: 3-10	November 14, 1992
	89	4308-095	” Fraudcast News “	87: 3-09	November 7, 1992
	90	4308-096	” Extinct Possibility “	91: 3-13	December 12, 1992
	91	4308-097	” Malice’s Restaurant “	90: 3-12	December 5, 1992