Batman’s 15 Greatest Villains Ranked

Superman might be the most famous comic character, but Batman is the best. Part of what makes Gotham’s Dark Knight so intriguing is his roster of villains, the best in the industry. Below is a comprehensive ranking of those foes.

15. Waylon Jones – Killer Croc

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Killer Croc has a sad backstory. He was born hideously deformed and was regularly abused before finding himself in the circus. Not only is Croc incredibly strong and imposing he is also ruthless in his attempts to control the Gotham underworld.

14. Dr. Thomas Elliot – Hush

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Tommy Elliot, created by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee in 2003, is one of Batman’s more recent villains. Hush, part of a famous storyline from the same time period, was a friend of Bruce Waynes when he was younger and has faced similar tragedy. He has responded completely, differently though.

13. Victor Fries – Mr. Freeze

The character of Mr. Freeze owes a significant debt to Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for their fantastic episode about him in Batman the Animated Series. Their tragic backstory added depth to a character that seemed a bit one-note in the comics.

12. Pamela Isley – Poison Ivy

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At first glance, Poison Ivy’s ability to talk to plants isn’t all that terrifying. But in the hands of the right creative team, the eco-terrorist can be an incredibly fearsome foe. Her relationship with Harley Quinn has also added great depth to the character.

11. Jonathan Crane – The Scarecrow

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One of Batman’s greatest gifts against evil is his endless drive against all odds. The key is taking him off balance. By making him feel extreme fear and doubting himself, the Scarecrow poses one of the biggest threats to the bat everytime he comes around.

10. Joe Chilton – Joe Chill

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Had Bruce Wayne and his parents never encountered Joe Chill in a dark alley in Gotham City, our hero would have never existed at all. All it took was Joe Chilton, a minor crime boss to create the greatest character comics has ever seen.

9. Hugo Strange

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Hugo Strange, who first appeared in Detective Comics 36 in 1940, is a very simplistic but profoundly impactful Batman villain. An evil doctor with access to some of Gotham’s most brutal sociopaths, Strange is one of the oldest thorn’s in Batman’s side.

8. Basil Karlo – Clayface

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Clayface, another old Batman villain, was also helped by a very sympathetic portrayal on Batman: The Animated Series. At his core, Karlo shares one of the scariest traits that any supervillain could have; the ability to blend into any situation.

7. The Court of Owls

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Starting his run on Batman in 2011, Scott Snyder has left an indelible mark on the character and in one of his most impactful moments, he created the Court of Owls, a shadowy organization that is truly involved in all of city’s goings on.

6. Bane

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Bane came into the DC Universe with a goal of breaking the Betman and he also came into the Bat world with one of comics greatest origin stories of all-time. While his early appearances are the most prominent, he has remained one of the best antagonists in comics.

5. Edward Nygma – The Riddler

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The Riddler could have beaten Batman so many times, but Edward Nygma would never consider it a in unless he beats the hero with his wits. The character is hard to nail, but the best versions of hte character, like Cory Michael Smith’s in Gotham or Frank Gorshin’s in the original Batman show just what he’s capable of.

4. Selina Kyle – Catwoman

Selina Kyle is one of the more fascinating bat-villains in that she is not really a villain at all. Even at her worst, Catwoman was more of a thief than a danger to society and in recent years she has become much more of an ally to the Bat family.

3. Harvey Dent – Two-Face

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Harvey Dent is an intriguing character as he was once a close friend to Bruce Wayne before having acid thrown on his face. In addition to being a formidable foe for Batman, Dent has also emerged as a thorn in the side for each of Batman’s Robins.

2. The Joker

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Since Batman’s inception, the Joker has been his most prominent adversaries. While most of the other characters on the list have some kind of reason for their crimes, the Joker is psychotic and unpredictable. And he just never stops coming.

1. Ra’s Al Ghul

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There is no foe that challenges Batman more than Ra’s Al Ghul. In addition to essentially being immortal, having an army of ninjas and being unfathomably wealthy, Ra’s Al Ghul is more than a match for Bruce Wayne strategically, making him the Dark Knight’s most compelling villain.

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