Top 10 Best Batman Villains

Batman has supplied us with some of the best comic book villains of all time, pick which one of them is your favorite.
The Top Ten
1 Joker The Joker is a fictional super villain created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson who first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book Batman (April 25, 1940) published by DC Comics. Credit for the Joker's creation is disputed; Kane and Robinson claimed responsibility for the Joker's design, while acknowledging Finger's writing contribution. Although the Joker was planned to be killed off during his initial appearance, he was spared by editorial intervention, allowing the character to endure as the archenemy of the superhero Batman. The Joker has also been included in many other platforms such as the Arkham game series, the DC animated universe, Young Justice, graphic novels, and ...read more.

The part played by Heath Ledger was great, sure, but I'd like to point out the voice that made the Joker: Mark Hamill. This man changed his voice drastically for the clown's appearances in Batman: The Animated Series. His voice has made him a comic book legend; I STILL read Batman comics in his demented "Joker Voice". If you haven't heard it, I suggest you play Batman: Arkham Asylum in order to feel the full effect. The Joker is a merciless, psychopathic maniac (who, according to the New 52, had his face cut off, before stealing it from the GCPD and hooking it back on) who will do anything for a laugh- and, more recently, who will do anything to get to the Bat. The Joker is the perfect Batman villain.

The Joker is incredibly perfect for Batman because he is in essence just like Batman. They are cut from the same cloth, born from tragedy. They are similar but in opposite extremes. The Joker is the only villain who Batman knows he will have to try to beat. Heath Ledgers incarnation is terrifying and yet funny, a perfect embodiment. Mark Hamil's voice is perhaps the perfect Joker voice, maniacal and full of Malice and menace, but playful at the same time. The perfect embodiment of the relationship between Batman and the Joker is in the graphic novel the Killing Joke.

The Joker is definitely one of the best characters in any piece of entertainment EVER. The best performance as Mr. J was, in my humble opinion, Mark Hammil, who had just the right balance of creepy, twisted, dark, and goofy. He is not only the most enjoyable, but also the most quotable performance. My personal favorite was: "Ahaha! Boy, have you got the wrong number! Leave your message at the sound of the shriek." And just the WAYS he tries to bump off Ol' Batsy is the epitome of awesome. He had smiling fish, people. SMILING. FISH. That's why, after Miles Edgeworth, he's my favorite character of all time.
PS. I acknowledge Heath Ledger's performance, I just didn't find it enjoyable.

The joker is many things, a wildcard, Satan himself and possibly the most feared villain in the dc universe however behind his misleading exterior, is it possible that he is simply an average guy crying out at the world., tormenting the dark knight and his comrades simply because he's the only one he can relate to. Behind his never ending smile, the clown prince of crime hides something whether it be a failed dream or a wife who died in a one in a million chance accident, that changes the way he sees the world forever

2 Bane Bane is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman.

Bane is the ultimate badass villain. He breaks all expectations of the audience and readers who are not expecting anything about his story. The first time I saw him on a comic book page, I swore he was just another big, generic, brainless guy whose main role would be that of a henchman of another bigger villain. So he just turns around, kicks Batman's ass like never seen before and breaks his spine, leaving him paraplegic. Then he takes over the entire city! I In 80 years, Bane has achieved what not even the Joker has: to destroy Batman to the point of leaving him in a wheelchair. Bane is a brute force machine, but not only that, he's also extremely smart and strategic, totally subverting the "big dumb guy" trope. Bane is basically the Joker's dream come true, a guy who slaughtered Batman and yet brought complete chaos to Gothan (ruling the city).

Bane is without a doubt the most dangerous Batman Villain. He is on the same level of intelligence as the Joker, maybe even higher. He is one of the rare people Batman has trouble fighting. He is venom-strong and a master martial artist. He is both brawn and brains. He is a master strategist and a great leader with loyal followers. He always has a plan. With his group, he could bring down any criminal organization, including organizations of the Joker, Two-face, Penguin, Black Mask with no problem.

In knightfall he destroyed not just Batman he also destroyed killer croc one of the most powerful and most resilient villains in the batman universe. He is only beat by The Joker, and The Riddler in intelligence. And he isn't just some brute without followers he is a crime boss in batman so he isn't alone like clay face and killer croc. He also doesn't have to rely on his followers to do the fighting for him like the Joker, Riddler, and The Penguin.

Bane was not only extremely strong; he was also very intelligent. He freed all of Batman's villains from prison to cause chaos and, when Batman finished chasing them all down, Bane waited until Batman was at his breaking point to finish him. He broke into the Batcave and became the 1st villain to defeat Batman.

3 Riddler The Riddler is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman.

Riddler should definitely be in top 3 (no, number 4 is not good enough hehe). He's a cool villain that takes it slowly and doesn't rush in like a fool. Riddling is an original idea which Riddler handles very well, and I just think he's a well made likable character.

If you would take all the stereotypes of a mad villain and blend them with a handful good ideas, you would get Joker (my opinion). Riddler just isn't as blank and even though he is quite a cheesy character, that's what makes him so fun.

The T.V.-series Gotham also gave the Riddler a better image, so you should really check out that show.

How is he not #1?! He is hilarious and has superior intelligence. He still manages to remain not that violent, which I like. He also has a cool presence throughout the book/game - I.E. , question marks written all over the walls on every house in the Arkham City game. He was ruined in Batman Forever; I wish Nolan stuck to using Leo di Caprio as the Riddler in TDKR. Riddler is the most clever and entertaining and he is the best. I hope he gets more recognition and surpasses Joker, Bane, and Scarecrow in the next 10-20 years. He deserves it!

The riddler is a far more interesting and cooler character than Two-face he has the best costume better story arcs, more interesting personality, Two-face flips a coin and shoots at batman and doesn't even hit him. Riddler just tries to best batman. Joker tries and sometimes succeeds in besting batman and he's just the best villain that there is.

The Riddler is as (if not more) intelligent as batman. I see no reason why he should not be number one. And his costume is super cool, I mean suit covered in question marks and he has a question mark cane. I also agree with the other comment saying that he remains not to violent. He makes up the most amazing traps and riddles. He is also probably one of the most eccentric Batman villians.

4 Scarecrow The Scarecrow is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman.

His first appearance in World's Finest Comics #3 in 1941 included Jonathan Crane's backstory and how psychologically disturbed and ingenious he truly is. Crane continually shows throughout the comics that he has complete control over everyone, using his victims' worst fears against them. Humans natural fight-or-flight response is programmed in the amygdala and is something that no one can escape. Crippling fear would destroy the likes of Gotham city one person at a time.

548/5000
he's really really cool, insane, sadistic, the way he knows how to psychologically manipulate people. The origin of it is also very good, tragic, deep and explains well how he became such a villain, I think he is a batman villain deserving a special turn, arkham games did very well giving an important role to the ScareCrow, it would be incredible to see a batman movie with a good horror theme, with the ScareCrow as the main villain.
If you think that he's just a guy with a gas, he goes far beyond that.

Scarecrow is the 2 best Batman villain, behind the Joker. He completely humilated the dark knight in Arkham Knight, (SPOILER SPOILER), revealing his secret identity to everybody, and not to mention his best weapon : fear. Fear > brute force.

He is so badass using his fear toxin. He isn't strong, but he is very smart, and will for sure make you have a lot of nightmares. So, stoping voting for Two Face and Bane, and vote for this guy, because he is really badass.

If our world wasn't blessed with the creation of The Joker this creepy professor would be my absolute favorite. Think right now of your worst fear and then imagine it coming to life but x10. It's really difficult to put my love of this character into words but just note that if you haven't at least seen anything about the Arkham games check them out to see this character truly done justice.

5 Two-Face Two-Face/Harvey Dent is a fictional villain from DC Comics. Harvey Dent was one of Gotham's most trusted citizens until he had acid poured on his face making him go insane and become a criminal by the name Two-Face. In film, he has been portrayed by Billy Dee Williams in Batman, Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever and Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight.

Best villain from the DC universe for his psychological torment and the great schizophrenic struggle endured by his own duality and the conundrum of his existence. By far the deepest and best designed villain as well due to the scarred visage playing a dynamic role in his elegant and handsome side being a clever camouflage to his grisly and deadly side. Also, a powerhouse of a character due to the epitome of the madman within, a white knight who turned to a wicked persona worse than those he locked up, and the pure definition of justice with the toss of a coin... Fair, and without a shred of emotion. Best hands down.

While the Joker may be Batman's complete opposite, Two-Face represents a darker version of Batman. They are both men truly, people of Justice. Batman is an ambassador of the law who spreads his message chaotically. Two-Face is an ambassador of chaos who spreads his message lawfully. He is the best character the world of fiction has ever offered to solve the oxymoron of 'perfect chaos.' Batman and Two-Face are [in my opinion,] the most perfectly written comparison of Hero and Villain DC has given us. There similarities and differences match up to each others' better than any other villain does with Batman. Two-Face is so much closer to Batman, ideologically, emotionally, historically, and in so many ways, that it's hard to say he's anything less than Batman's greatest adversary.

I love Two-Face and he is the best villain for Batman because he is somewhat reminiscent to the way Bruce Wayne lost his parents. Harvey Dent used to be a friend and ally to Batman but since that one uneventful day Batman's friend was lost forever only to haunt Batman as one of his greatest foes. No other villain has this much emotional impact on Batman.

Two-Face is fascinating to me. A man caught between two personalities, on the one hand: a defender of justice, and on the other: an enraged maniac. So rather than try to control one half of himself, he leaves everything up to chance... completely random. And fair. Chilling and relatable to anyone with anger issues.

6 Ra's Al Ghul Ra's al Ghul is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman.

Ra's al Ghul is my personal fave rather than the Joker because in Batman Begins, my favorite video from the Dark Knight Trilogy, he teaches Bruce Wayne how to defend himself but later reveals the League of Shadows' plan to destroy Gotham, which it regards as a decadent and corrupt city polluted with crime. At the same time, he tries to clean up the world like Bruce, but via means of sparing the lives of many people. He nearly loses his life near the middle of the video and is saved by Bruce. However he later betrays him when he discloses his involvement with the Scarecrow and Carmine Falcone to use a blue flower hallucinogen in order to vaporize Gotham's water supply. In the climax, Ra's has the best head-on-head battle with Bruce out of the three main villains from the Trilogy, and his death is the most gruesome when he is killed in a train crash that later bombs itself with the device used to vaporize the water supply.

Joker's my favorite, but Ra's al Ghul NEEDS to be higher on the list! Ra's wants to actually protect the world and make it better, which is a goal that Batman shares with him. However, "The Demon's Head's" methods involving wiping out much of humanity. Batman realizes he can accomplish a lot by joining Ra's' but he turns away that opportunity for the greater good. Plus, he's the equal of Batman in physical combat.

Despite what many people have said and stereotyped about him, the Joker is actually only the second deadliest Batman enemy. If you look at all the real comics and even the movies, you'll notice the strength, intelligence, and stealth of Ra's al Ghul are superior to any other Batman villain, and even matches Batman's own.

He's a really cool enemy to Batman especially in Batman Begins where he was played by Liam Neeson (one of the best actors ever! ).

7 Penguin The Penguin is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman.

Clearly the greatest of all Batman villains. He's got class, killer umbrellas, hot girlfriends (impressive when you look like that) and complete control over the Gotham City underworld. He's not insane, psychotic or anything - he's just a criminal, plain & simple. For
That, he deserves the number one spot. Burgess Meredith was great,
Nolan North in the Arkham games is absolutely brilliant (DeVito in
Batman Returns isn't great, but still) and all the T.V. series are
Really good as well. The Penguin, a clear winner.

Clearly the best villain here. He's worked his way up through the ranks of Gotham's underworld and now has absolute control over it. Falcone? Maroni? They're old news. The Penguin runs the whole show - hell, even the Batman has to make deals with Cobblepot occasionally. The Penguin, a clear winner.

Oh, and have you seen his women?

Never can forget Burgess Meredith's penguin, still the best portrayal and the best villain of the 1960's Batman. Also like the new Penguin in the Arkham games, with the British accent and as the ultimate crime boss.

Penguin's easily one of Batman's best villains. Batman once adimmited that the Penguin might be smarter than him in "Penguin Trimpuphant." The Penguin seems goofy which tricks people. He's secretly one of Batman's most brilliant and sneaky villains. He should be in the top 5.

8 Mr. Freeze Mr. Freeze, real name Victor Fries, is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman.

Mr Freeze is one of the most brilliant villains I've ever seen. I just wish he got to acheive his Well Intended goal. I always loved his quote, "Think of it, batman. To never again walk on a summer's day with the hot wind in your face and a warm hand to hold. Oh yes, I'd kill for that".

Favorite villain and much deeper than given credit. My favorites are freeze crow and joker. I don't know if I could pick a favorite but any of the 3. If I see killer croc and penguin ahead of either of the 3 again ill cry.

I read Mr. Freezes comics and I watched Batman and Robin with Mr. Freeze in it. I like the way Mr. Freeze looks and talks. I also liked the cartoon sub zero with Mr. Freeze.

Pretty cool, but if we are talking about the one in batman and robin then a naked man jumping into a pool of ice and talking in a cool voice would be better than him!

9 Catwoman Catwoman is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. ...read more.

She have many in common with the Joker. She loves Gotham. She loves to play with Batman. But she is not obsessed with him. She is the most independent villain of Batman's foes. The only time when she is not independent is when she must do good things because in her inner side she is a good perosn
And she is also the biggest Love interest for Batman (maybe that's arguable). So there are plenty of options to let her shine. But sadly it doesn't happen very often in the last time I think.

Catwoman deserves top 5 not 9th! She is a professional thief and is easily in need of love here! Yeah, she may be a sort of anti-hero but she is better known as one of he greatest Batman villains of all TIME!

Catwoman is my favorite villain. Technically, in the New 52 series she becomes good, but I still think she is an excellent villain. She is the only one who comes close to Batman's heart.

She is a villain, but she varies from good to evil and she appears to have some kind of relationship with the Dark Knight Batman. And she's great with a whip.

10 Harley Quinn Harley Quinn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as a sidekick of the Joker.

People think that Harley is a stupid villain and should not have existed BUT don't underestimate her. She came closer to killing Batman than Joker on her FIRST try! She is crazy and wild. She will kill you if you mess with her but she is also very kind. She is funny, wild, kind, crazy and will kill you. She is a complete mix of craziness and seriously how can one not love her? She should be #1

Harley Quinn has proved that you don't need a superpower to be really, scary intense awesome. She also proves that women can be really good in fight. She's more fearless than the Joker, and crazier too. She was the one who saved the whole world in the suicide squad movie. A buddy who doesn't like her is crazy.

Harley Quinn is the best villainous sidekick ever! She's a abused by the joker, pycopaithic, bubbly and silly clown who's madly in love with sombody who nobody could ever put up with... The joker! I've never seen a charter like Harley Quinn

The complicated one. Joker's girlfriend. Psychopath. Margaret Robbie. Overall, a good villain.

The Contenders
11 Poison Ivy Poison Ivy is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman.

Poison Ivy definitely deserves top 10. Apart from being sexy to most people, she is probably the most powerful batman villain, being one of so little batman villains actually possessing powers. She can make any man, including superman, love her and do whatever she wants them to. Also, if she kisses any man she will kill them. So all those people who want to have sex with her it is probably only a good idea if you want to die in love or if you are immune to poison. She controls plants but usually just wants to save all plants, the way she does this is by killing humans because we kill plants. Now do you really want to have sex with a woman who can do that?

It's a shame her only film appearance was in Batman & Robin because she'd really make an incredible villain on the big screen. She's quite possibly Batman's most powerful enemy - plus she may be evil and kill, but her intentions are actually somewhat good? She values the life of plants and the environment and you can't judge her for that.

Poison Ivy would be pissed if she knew she was this low on the list. She'd be more highly regarded if she had been put in a better film. Maybe someday she'll return to the big screen (Please DC, bring Ivy back)

I think she's Batman's most powerful villain. She can defeat most heroes with her plant powers and can hypnotize people. Is there villain that's more threatening in Batman?

12 Deathstroke Deathstroke is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. He is a mercenary and assassin who first appeared in The New Teen Titans #2.

Yes, Deathstroke may not be a primary batman villain, but their is no way he is number 11. Yes, he may not be able to beat the bat like the joker can, but he's gotta be at least number 2. Deathstroke is the only one that has the same body build as him and can pretty much match him in anything.

Not really known for being a major batman villain but is stronger, faster and as intelligent as batman himself. Slade is the biggest physical threat to batman on this list without a doubt so should be higher in the list. And he's a BADASS

I know he's not exactly a Batman villain, but he has faced Bats before and kicked his ass a few times as well! Anyone who can kick the ass of the mighty Batman at least deserves an honorable mention.

No offense to everyone else, though Slade has come into conflict with Batman, he's more a villain for Dick Grayson/Nightwing and the Teen Titans than our favourite Dark Knight. Still a great villain though.

13 Killer Croc Killer Croc is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman.

Sure, he isn't the most popular villain, but Killer Croc is a savage and almost beat Bane! he has some of the coolest powers I ever seen and is very strong. He is funny in Suicide Squad. " No, I'm not ugly, I'm Beautiful." See the movie, you'll understand.

The reason why I like croc as much as Joker is because he is dominant. Tell me another Bats foe who can fight toe to toe with Bane, or even have regeneration.
By the time, he is now surely stronger than Bane.
But the real reason is for one simple line:
Batman: "Tens of thousands of life could be lost..."
Killer Croc: "And I'll shed a crocodile tear for each and everyone"

A sad childhood and powerful abilities, I think Killer Croc is still as good as the other villains in the Batman universe. He's also as strong as Bane and funny in the show.
"I threw A rock at him"

The monster croc. Should be in top ten in my opinion. Great story, been around for ages, just needs a film.

14 Red Hood The Red Hood is an alias used by multiple fictional characters and a criminal organization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

He's not an enemy nor an anti-hero of Batman. He even becomes part of the batfamily, after overcoming his revenge and bloodlust caused by the Lazarus pit. He was a villain for like 5 issues, but has one of the greatest story arcs in existence and my second favorite DC character after batman himself

If he does not make it to top ten, I will cry. 16?! People voted for the joker which I get but what about his creation, the misunderstood Jason Todd Back from the grave to ask batman if he loves him?

Everyone knows of Batman and his sidekick, Robin. But what happens when Robin Is murdered by the Joker, brought back to life and swears revenge? You get the villain / anti-hero Red Hood.

After getting killed by Joker, Jason Todd came back from the dead and become the Red Hood, looking for revenge. He's now also an enemy of Batman.

15 Clayface Clayface is an alias used by several fictional supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Clayface is BY FAR the most tragic character in Batman. Imagine being a giant pile of mud for your whole entire life? That would be far worse than Mr. Freeze because of the fact that Victor could still get someone to love him. Clayface, on the other hand, cannot.

Being cunning, shape-shifting, terrifying monster who has both wits and brutal strength, Clayface deserves to be among Batman's classic villains. Besides, he was based on the Phantom of the Opera, like the Joker was based on Gwynplaine and Two-Face on Jekyll/Hyde.

Clay face is cooler than everyone else and he could probably defeat doomsday.

Clayface should be way higher on the list.

16 Hush

Definitely needs to be higher on the list. A psychotic and tormented version of Bruce Wayne, tormented to hate his drunken abusive father and obsessed controlling mother who literally spent his entire life comparing him to her ideal image of Bruce. One of the reasons that I like Hush as a great Batman villain is the fact he is a master of psychology, attacking Batman and Bruce Wayne with his greatest failures and weaknesses (the Jason Tod trick and his supposed death at the hands of the joker being key examples) and his relentless drive to destroy Batman/Bruce's identity. His use of Psychological attacks to destroy Batman rather than pits of acid and bullets, and his precise knowledge of just how to use Bruce's psychology to hurt him is only eclipsed by the Joker. The icing on the cake is the twisted way in which he both hates Bruce and at the same time wants to be like him, at his core Hush is driven by this envy for the life Bruce Wayne had which makes him one of Batman's most ...more

This man is driven by revenge to takedown Bruce Wayne/Batman and will do any possible way to make his life miserable. A good marksman and high intelligence and could be Batman's equal, his darker version like Venom is to Spider-Man

Just a perfect character, could give The Joker a run for his money.

Best reason to hate Batman over anybody else.

17 Mad Hatter

The Mad Hatter is one of the few people who knows batman's secret identity. That has to count for something.

I agree with everyone here. Jervis was great. Did anyone know people are putting him and scarecrow together as a couple?

One of the most original villains to ever be created! Hella can't wait to see him appear in Gotham!

Jervis is the best. Really, he is. How about some tea? He's obsessed with rabbits. And tea. And wonderland. And Alice.

18 Hugo Strange Hugo Strange is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman.

Hugo Strange is a very underrated villain. While not a physical threat, he's one of the most compelling villains, when it comes to being a mental threat. Plus he was once voiced Frank "60s Riddler" Gorshin.

He should be in the top ten. Being the ultimate enemy who took on Batman's identity once.

Doesn't this guy know that Batman is Bruce Wayne?

He should at least be in the top 15, maybe the top 10.

19 Black Mask

Black Mask tortured Catwoman's brother in law to death with construction tools and forced pieces of him down the throat of Catwoman's sister. Even the Joker has never done something so incredibly sadistic.

Black mask at one time was better than joker had crippled Gotham and nearly killed Batman and robin he's earned a top ten spot if you ask me.

He's one of Batman's best villains. He should be the main villain of the nest Batman film.

He is one of Batman's first DEADLY villain, he also is a rich man that owns a business.

20 Deadshot Deadshot is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of Batman . He has traditionally been portrayed as a supervillain, but has more recently taken the role of an antihero .

I hope he becomes a full anti-hero. I'd love to see him be like a more serious deadpool. I like Deadshot as a villain but I'd to see him become more of a hero in the future.

Love Deadshot! He is highly under-appreciated. I mean who else is that AMAZING with any gun? I like how he is dressed in Arkham City (Video Game). Deadshot (Floyd Wilson is his real name by the way) is just plain cool!

Deadpool is the best assassin if you don't believe me then watch Deadpool vs Deathstroke.

Deadpool is the best assassin, if you don't believe me then search deadpan vs death stroke.

21 Man-Bat

Man-bat is like the opposite of batman and a great villain. He should be higher on the list. I can't wait for a movie.

Man-Bat is Batman, guard city Gotham, in beautiful black costum, big ear, and sign reflector bat-man. Werry good weapons, great fighter and super style.

He should be higher. I'm surprised why we haven't seen him yet.

And his girlfriend

22 Baby Doll

I'm glad she's high up on the list for a minor villain. I hope that she comes back.

How the hell is baby doll above me zsasz?!

The best villain from any film or show!

23 Ventriloquist The Ventriloquist is the name of several fictional characters who are enemies of Batman in the DC Comics Universe.

This villain doesn't get enough respect.

What it's scarface not the best that goes to my man joker but definitely in the top

24 Phantasm

For those of you who have seen Batman:Mask of the Phantasm, you know why I think this villain should be mentioned. Phantasm is just so cool.

25 Great White Shark
8Load More
PSearch List