The Best Major Villains From Batman Movies, Ranked

The gallery of villains in the Batman universe is arguably the best of any film franchise, any TV show, or any comic book publisher. It is the second “franchise” to see two different actors win an Academy Award for portraying the same character, compliments of Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker. (Here’s some trivia for you: the first character portrayal to see two different actors win an Academy Award was Vito Corleone by both Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro in The Godfather trilogy.)

The film villains of Batman have many times overshadowed the titular character in their own way, stealing the spotlight and becoming iconic in and of themselves. But, the cinematic saga of Batman is longer than the James Bond franchise, if you include the initial serial productions of Batman (starting in 1943). We’re talking about several decades of cinematic history, which includes multiple animated movies, collaborative movies (Justice League), and cameo appearances. These are the top seven major cinematic Batman villains.

The following list may contain some bat-spoilers.

11

The Penguin — ‘Batman Returns’ (1992)

While you would think a short, stocky dude could not represent a threat to Batman, the Penguin proves otherwise. Also known as Oswald Cobblepot, and brought to the perspective of modern audiences by the recent HBO TV series, Penguin is actually one of Batman’s signature foes. Danny DeVito’s rendition of the character in Tim Burton’s underrated Batman Returns is, by far, the most memorable of the bunch.

He’s handy, has a huge posse of weird creatures to defend him, and Max Shreck, one of the other villains in the film, gives him enough of a push as a figure in Gotham City. However, it’s Burton’s idea of balance that makes his version of Penguin the most remarkable of all: he’s cartoonish, but he’s also an extremely horny, violent and misogynistic product of Gotham.

10

Harvey Dent — ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

We don’t give Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight enough credit. His character arc is properly developed in Christopher Nolan’s groundbreaking sequel, and in the final act he represents enough of a threat with his erratic behavior. Also, Aaron Eckhart’s performance is pretty effective in a film that’s mostly dominated by Heath Ledger’s version of Joker.

Nevertheless, Dent, who actually becomes Two Face at some point, is an opponent worth observing. Simply because he has two motives in the film: First, he blames Batman for saving him instead of Rachel Dawes, and eventually, he also brings hell to Gotham City, his home whose corruption never let him cure the city of any illness it had. The makeup effects that show his scar are very good, despite the fact that no one with that injury could have lived.

9

Joker — ‘Batman’ (1989)

Also known as Jack Napier, the Joker from Tim Burton’s pioneering superhero film, Batman, is one enemy that’s unforgettable, and an undeniable part of popular culture. It’s all because of Jack Nicholson’s unrestrained performance as Batman’s opponent, and that darn makeup that will forever stay in our heads as the perfect display of an eternal smile.

Batman “fails” to save a gangster named Jack Napier, and he falls into a huge vat of acid. He becomes a disfigured maniac whose only point in the agenda is to bring down Batman, Gotham City, and every bit of stability in the world. He does so with his own set of toys, a gang of disposable criminals, and the devilish smile enhanced by the fantastic performance of one of Hollywood’s Academy Award-winning legends.

8

Scarecrow — ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

If Ra’s al Ghul is the spark to create Batman, then Scarecrow is the introduction of the true evil roots of a classic Batman villain. Portrayed playfully by Cillian Murphy in Batman Begins, Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow relishes the villainy of his role within the Falcone crime organization, Arkham Asylum, and the blossoming relationship with Ra’s al Ghul, who provides a path to greater aspirations.

This version was so delightfully cartoonish in a grounded world, he would return in both sequels in minor roles to show his consistent presence as a rogue in the gallery of Gotham.

7

Joker — ‘The LEGO Batman Movie’ (2017)

On the surface, it seems easy to dismiss a LEGO version of the Joker, or frankly, any character. But, the team behind The LEGO Batman Movie not only understood what they were doing with the story, but how to use the roads paved before them to build (pun intended) a LEGO movie that was a culmination of the stories. Zach Galifianakis works as a mash-up of all previous Joker portrayals. One could make the argument that it is the most faithful to the playful nature of the comics’ character. It is equally zany as it is dastardly, in only one way the Joker could be.

6

Catwoman — ‘Batman Returns’ (1992)

Much like the Phantasm that would come just one year after Batman Returns, this version of Catwoman is more of a femme fatale than just a villain. Michelle Pfeiffer drips charisma as Selina Kyle, and her version of Catwoman is not only successful at what she does (cat burgling, kidnapping, and eventually, murder), but lives to tell another tale, unlike most villains in Batman films.

5

The Riddler — ‘The Batman’ (2022)

No doubt inspired by Heath Ledger’s remarkable performance in The Dark Knight, Paul Dano’s performance of the Riddler in 2022’s The Batman is equally terrifying as it is plausible. It is nearly impossible to differentiate between the authentic real world villainy and the approach, the plan, and the execution of the murderous Riddler.

He’s a broken person, deeply disturbed and motivated for his own revenge for a plot only he fully understands. Batman has to use his detective skills to solve the mysteries of the Riddler, only to capture him and entertain a glimpse into his madness. It is the most mentally disturbing Batman villain to grace the big screen.

4

Ra’s al Ghul — ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

Ra’s al Ghul in Batman Begins is Batman’s most “sober” villain. His motivation is somewhat vague, but this doesn’t make him any less of a threat to Bruce Wayne’s eventual transformation into a vigilante. He was the one who educated Batman and gave him a valuable set of skills, so you would think that the climax put them face to face for a grounded and controlled fight.

However, Ra’s al Ghul’s plans are much bigger in terms of scope. His only goal is to drive a train into the core of the city, killing as many lives as possible. Luckily, Batman stops him, in what’s his first triumph in the Nolan Trilogy. Nevertheless, Liam Neeson’s portrayal of the antagonist is simply unmatched.

3

Max Shreck — ‘Batman Returns’ (1992)

Enter the most controversial take on this list. Max Shreck is the architect behind the villains in Batman Returns. He manipulates the tangible turn on Danny DeVito’s Penguin into villainy (whose campy performance is delightful), and he’s responsible for creating Catwoman, when he attempts to murder Selina Kyle.

It’s impossible not to enjoy the ride that Christopher Walken takes the audience on, because he is the real villain of the movie. He isn’t psychotic; he’s just a villain with malicious intent. He’s a one-off comic storyline and villain of the week, but one whose actions far outlive his life, and for that, he earns a spot in the top three.

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2

Bane — ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)

There has been plenty of discourse over Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, particularly that of the voice, but that isn’t for debate here. What is up for discussion is how effectively bad Bane is.

Let’s do a quick recap. He and his team dramatically destroyed a CIA plane to capture a nuclear technician. They meticulously sabotage a city, spending an unknown amount of time to not only destabilize it metaphorically, but literally, much as he does to Batman himself. He lays siege to the city for five months; destroys infrastructure, the organization of the city and its leaders; readies a neutron bomb to destroy Gotham, and finally induces a riot that kills countless Gothamites, before finally being killed by Catwoman. That’s a successful villain.

1

Joker — ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

The quintessential and obvious choice for the best villain is Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight. This version of the Joker may play at him not having a plan, but he does. He is as intelligent as any villain Batman faces, carefully planning each phase of his plan even though he proclaims to operate as chaos. He’s not the dog chasing the car he says he is; he’s the man in the car, speeding dangerously down a street intentionally. He robs a bank, leaving all his accomplices dead. He infiltrates, eliminates, and overtakes the mob, leveraging the power it holds to further accomplish his agenda. He kills Rachel; he destroys Harvey Dent and creates Two-Face.

He sets up a classically overcomplicated plan that Batman foils, and lives to menace another day. His big scheme may have failed, but in a world where Batman and the Nolan version of Gotham exist, he would have persisted as a constant thorn in Batman’s side. He was and is the ultimate villain.