It’s said that Batman has the greatest rogue’s gallery of villains from any comic book series ... certainly the most well-known. They’ve also had varying appearances over the course of twelve different theatrical Batman movies, and they've all left different impressions on me as a longtime fan.
Every One-Shot
Batman Villain Ranked – First I’m going to rank all 7 of the villains
who’ve only appeared in one single Batman film … not including cameo’s from “The
Lego Batman Movie”.
#7 Marion Cotillard as Talia Al Ghul from “The Dark Knight Rises”
#6 Christopher Walken as Max Shreck from “Batman Returns”
#5 Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy from “Batman & Robin”
#4 Cillian Murphy as The Scarecrow from “Batman Begins”
#3 Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze from “Batman & Robin”
#2 Liam Neeson’s Ra’s Al Ghul from “Batman Begins”
#1 Stacy Keach, Jr. (and Dana Delany) as The Phantasm from “Batman Mask of the Phantasm”
Every Theatrical version of The Penguin ranked…
#4 John Venzon as The Penguin from “The Lego Batman Movie”
One of the smallest appearances of the Penguin, as he’s barley more than a background cameo, with very few lines, and I think more hummer was put on his penguin helpers then the bad guy himself. Really nothing else to say beyond that, however there will be more to say about other characters from this animated film, and they won't all be as brief as The Penguin's appearance.
#3 Danny DeVito as The Penguin from “Batman Returns”
#2 Colin Farrell as The Penguin from “The Batman”
#1 Burgess Meredith as The Penguin from “Batman: The Movie”
Every
Theatrical Version of Bane Ranked …
#3 Jeep Swenson as Bane from “Batman & Robin”
#2 Doug Benson as Bane from “The Lego Batman Movie”
While 2008’s “The Dark Knight”
featured one of cinemas most iconic villains, Bane managed to escape the shadow
of his predecessor, and has become a generations favorite comic book villain.
In general, while Bane was known by comic book fans, he still wasn’t a very
popular villain from Batman’s rouges gallery. All that changed with this film,
because now Bane’s become a house hold name. Personally, as far as performances
are concerned, I think Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Bane is right up there with the
best, like Heath Ledger’s Joker and Danny Devito’s Penguin. He just has this larger-than-life
screen presence, and those burning eyes of his just convey so much. It’s a very
theatrical performance, and Tom Hardy just throws himself out there. There’s
something very entertaining about a villain that delivers lengthy evil
monologues, and subsequently has no shortage of quotable lines. 
Putting aside
the powerhouse presentation, I also like that Bane is Batman’s metaphorical
brother in this film. They both received the same training from the league of
shadows, yet it was Bruce who emerged as the best student, while Bane was
excommunicated. This gives our hero and villain more of a connection, and I
love that Bane is basically picking up from where Ra’s Al Ghul had perished in
the first movie as recompense for failing the league of shadows. 
This actually
book ends this trilogy, the same way the Nazi’s did in the Indiana Jones
trilogy. Another great detail about this trilogy is how every villain provides
a different challenge for our hero. In the first movie the villain was an
emotional challenge. Then in the second movie the villain was a psychological
challenge. Now here in the third film the villain is a physical challenge. You
really feel that Batman has met his match, and it was interesting to see our
hero frightened by a stronger and all-around superior adversary.
I have to be honest,
he’s the most useless of the four villains from this movie. Really, he’s just
there because he’s one of the popular Batman enemy's, but still it’s fun to
have him present with the other bad guys. All these villains are enjoyably over
the top, but I think Gorshin is trying too hard to overact everyone around him.
The real saving grace of the Riddler in this film are his loony riddles.
Seriously, it’s a real joy seeing Batman and Robin figure them out so quickly
without even taking a moment to think.
Undeniably a unique take on The
Riddler … and one that I’ve got some mixed feelings with. On the one hand, I
love that this portrayal of the Riddler works in the shadows, is very
mysterious, and his presence is felt most when leaving cryptic clues and
messages for Batman. Paul Dana is also a great choice for the role, but I find
his performance to be hit and miss. I personally found his screaming to be too
over the top, but his quieter moments are effectively chilling, and really
capture the essence of the character. However, I wasn’t overly fond of his
costume design, as I felt he could have passed as an original villain as
opposed to a different take on an established Batman foe. In fact, I really
wish this was the comic villain called Hush as opposed to the Riddler, as he
would have fit the narrative just as well.
Back in the 90’s, Jim Carry was
the king of comedy, and one of my all-time favorite actors. While Tommy Lee
Jones is what drew me to this film as a kid, it was my introduction to Jim
Carry that mad the biggest impact. After this, I absolutely fell in love with
his comedies like “The Mask”, “Liar, Liar”, and especially “Ace
Ventura: Pet Detective”. So that’s two nostalgic ties this movie has going
for it, my introduction to the Batman franchise, and my introduction to one of
my all-time favorite comedians. His portrayal of The Riddler again is very over
the top, but I’ll give this one a pass, as it’s Jim Carry, and that’s just what
he does best. 
Looking back, I do wish he put a little more restraint into the
performance, and that skin-tight costume of his just looks ridiculous. The
biggest misstep with this character is that the movie gives us his detailed
backstory from the ground up, when there should have been a lot more mystery to
the character. Throughout the film, the Riddler sends Bruce Wayne a collection
of clues that ultimately build up to our hero discovering his true identity.
Again, this could have been very exciting, but it’s all spoiled because we the
audience see exactly how he becomes the Riddler from the start, which spoils
any surprises. I’ll give the Riddler this much credit, he at least accomplishes
more than most other Batman villains. As a kid, seeing him inter the Bat cave,
and destroy it from within was actually kind of intimidating, although the
scene would have held up much better if it turned down the comedy.
Back when I was a little kid,
the first thing that drew my attention to this film was actually Tommy Lee
Jones in the role of Two-Face. After growing up with so many of his movies in
the 90’s like “Men in Black”, “Volcano” and even “Small
Soldiers”, he became one of the first actors that I knew by name, and
decided to be a fan of. Naturally, back then he was one of my favorite things
about the film, but looking back as an adult, he actually represents what is
ultimately the biggest issue with the movie. It seems that half the people
involved are trying to make a serious Batman movie, while the other half are
paying homage to the campy 60’s show. In fact, Two-Faces loony, over the top
performance, along with his colorful design can easily fit right alongside
Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin or any of those goofy talents from the Adam West
days. I suppose in that regard, he can actually be kind of amusing to watch. 
Then again, it’s also kind of depressing, because I could see a post Oscar
winning Tommy Lee Jones killing it as a serious portrayal of one of my favorite
Batman villains. He’s definitely chewing the scenery in this film, and
honestly, he makes Jack Nicolson’s portrayal of the Joker look subdued by
comparison. Never the less, Tommy lee Jones is still kind of fun to watch on
some level, but he can’t hold a candle to most other villains from the Batman
films.
Two-Face played masterfully
by Aaron Eckhart is personally my favorite villain from any of the theatrical
Batman movies. In general, as a long time Batman fan, I’ve always liked
Two-Face a little more than the Joker, mostly because I prefer villains that
are born from tragedy. Two-Face is perhaps the most tragic of Batman’s enemies,
as well as a dark reminder of Batman’s failures. The first thing this film got
right is that we don't even see him as Two-Face until the last half hour of the
movie. 
This gave us the chance to know his better half, the District Attorney
Harvey Dent, and how he pushed himself to create a better Gotham. This was a
man that symbolized hope and lighting a city’s darkest hour. Then without
warning, tragedy struck and he became a vengeful monster who was convinced that
the only morality in the world is chance. It’s such a frightening concept, to
think that any great world leader with noble intentions can fall without
warning. The digital makeup-design is outstanding, in fact it’s downright
uncanny how good it looks. 
It also makes him a perfect fusion of what both
Batman and the Joker stand for, one side righteous and the other side unjust.
In short, I was beyond pleased with this films portrayal of the character, and
it’s the kind of villain I’d like to see more of. He isn't an evil mastermind
that's after the city, instead he's a broken human who has been transformed by
the loss of a loved one, and I always find that more engaging. In all honesty,
while this is still an all-around excellent film, it probably wouldn’t be my
personal favorite Batman movie if it wasn’t for Two-Face and his story.
While the Penguin is
the one leading the united alliance of evil, the movies primary antagonist is
actually Cat-Woman. There's a sub-plot in which Cat-woman has a relationship
with Bruce Wane, but it's only leverage, and in the end, it becomes her most
powerful weapon against our hero. Cat-Woman’s also the only player to have a
cast change from the TV show. Originally, she was played by Julie Newmar in the
TV series, but she was too busy at the time, so she was replaced with Lee
Meriwether. 
I must confess, in my opinion, she is the sexiest actress to play
Cat-Woman. No-one movies around in that skintight outfit while purring as well
as her. On that note, her purring can get a little irritating at times, as it
honestly sounds like a siren you'd hear on an ambulance. While her performance
is equally hammy like everyone else, Cat-Woman can at least be genuinely
menacing at times. Half the time, you get the impression that she’s the only
villain who actually poses a threat.
#3 Zoe
Kravitz as Cat-Woman from “The Batman” and “The Lego Batman Movie”
Zoe Kravitz first voiced Cat-Woman in the 2017 picture “The Lego Batman Movie”, but it was the 2022 picture “The Batman”, in which she really shined in the role. This is the first time Cat-Woman is depicted as a full-on protagonist, and
it’s great to see how she works with Batman. While they don’t always see eye to
eye, she never once dose anything against our hero, and it just feels like a
welcome change-up. We actually see far more of Selina Kyle
then we do Cat-Woman, yet thanks to Zoe Kravitz sharp performance, she still
feels like Cat-Woman all throughout.
In fact, this is a rare case in which I
found myself preferring Selina Kyle on screen over Cat-Woman, as her cheap
ski-mask is probably the weakest Cat-Woman costume design I’ve ever seen on
film. Still, that’s small potatoes, as Zoe Kravitz is dynamite in the role,
looks great using her feminine whiles to her advantage, also has long sharp
fingernails, and even her relation with Batman is great. While it’s not the
best written romance between the two, I find it one of the best acted, as well
as one of the best staged ... especially with the two on a rooftop, silhouetted
against a beautiful sun-rise backdrop.
Of the films three
villains, it’s Michelle Pfeiffer as Cat-Woman who stands out as the most
awesome thing the film has to offer. Michelle Pfeiffer is just on fire in the
role, her costume is great, her screen presence is captivating, and even though
her back story is different from the source material, this is easily the
presentation that made Cat-Woman a fan favorite for a new generation of viewers.
She begins as this really pathetic woman but then goes through quiet the
transformation after she’s murdered by the sinister Max Shreck. Now it’s never
clearly explained, but through the power of cats crawling all over her dead
body and chewing on her fingers, she suddenly comes back to life as a
supernatural Cat-person who’s actually blessed with the gift of nine additional
lives. 
Again, there’s no real context as to how this actually came to be, but
I’ve always liked the idea of her being a literal Cat-person, and this is just
that kind of world where anything can happen. What I don’t like are her
motivations, as for no real reason at all, she suddenly has a vendetta against
Batman, and forgets all about taking vengeance on Max Shreck until the tail end
of the film. Her only consistent character trait is that she’s crazy, and that
for me doesn’t make for a very compelling character. In the plus column, she’s
one of the few villains to actually engage our hero in battle, and she proves
to be quiet the bad ass with a whip. Seriously, the fights between Batman and
Cat-Woman are some of the best the series has to offer, especially their first
fight on the rooftop.
Less of a villain,
and more of a wild card, my favorite character from this movie is Cat-Woman
played by Anne Hathaway. Speaking personally, this is my absolute favorite
portrayal of the character by a mile. This Cat-Woman just gets everything
right, as she’s not a villain, nor is she a hero, she’s just a wild card who
does whatever is in her interest. Sometimes that means aiding either the hero’s
or villains, and that’s how I’ve always felt Cat-Woman should be. I also like
that she’s just a small-town cat burglar who just wants to make a new life for
herself. Her music theme also gives her more of a presence then previous
version. 
She and Batman also have perfect chemistry. I’ll admit, their romantic
side is just “ok”, but as two vigilantes working together … they’re just a
dynamite pair. Whenever there on screen fighting together, infiltrating a bad
guy base, or just plain walking together, it’s an absolute thrill. On a side
note, I really love how subtle the costume is, as she’s incredibly beautiful to
look at without ever coming off as slutty, unlike her two theatrical
predecessors. It’s also a nice little touch that her goggles come up above her
head and become her cat ears. Lastly, I came from a generation that grew up
with Anne Hathaway in Disney movies like “The Princess Diaries” and “Ella
Enchanted”, so I couldn’t even imagine her pulling off a great Cat-Woman,
but she really did. Every inflection she
gives as this character is spot on, she has a lot of energy, and is clearly
having a blast with this role. So, while obviously not on Oscar standards, this
is still a shining performance in the actress’s carrier.
Being honest, I really didn’t
need a last-minute cameo from the Joker, as I feel he’s been over played in the
movies already. While I can see actor Barry Keoghan delivering a solid Joker
performance in another film, I just don’t want yet another Joker portrayal this
soon. Time will tell if he’ll deliver a solid performance in his own right, but
hopefully it’s later down the line.
While Jared Leto is generally a good pick for the role, I never
felt that his performance did anything that made him stand out. Honestly,
despite his best efforts, he just felt like “a joker performance”, as opposed
to something uniquely memorable. It also doesn’t help that he’s constantly
outshined by Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, who by contrast did make something
distinct and memorable about her character. While his cameo in Zack Snyder’s “Justice
League” was a little stronger, it still wasn’t enough to make this one of
my favorite Joker portrayals.
Objectively
speaking, Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar winning performance from the Oscar nominated,
2019 “Joker” movie probably deserves to be ranked higher … but this list
isn’t about ranking objective quality, it’s about my feelings toured individual
performance … and I just happen to have more feelings for five other Joker
portrayals. Still, credit where it’s due, Joaquin Phoenix brought something
original to the table with this long-overplayed character, which is an element
of mental loss and personal tragedy. While I generally like villains who are
portrayed as victims of their own story, I still prefer the Joker as an
unstoppable threat without any redeeming qualities. Regardless, this was still
an original take on the character, admirably executed, and is well deserving of
the praise … even though there are still other Jokers that I have more of a
liking to.
Perhaps the most celebrated villain of all in this movie is The
Joker played by Cesar Romero. Of course, the Joker was already established as the
biggest, most recurring villain in the live action 60’s show, and this movie
made for an effective extension of his spot-light on film. In many respects,
this is the classic villain performance that started it all, and paved the way
for one of cinemas iconic villains. There’s nothing dark or menacing about this
Joker, he’s just an over-the-top goofball, but he is still a lot of fun to
watch. He may not seem like much when compared to other portrayals of the
character, but this really was one of the break-out villain performances of the
1960’s. 
According to Adam West, Romero was also starring in another show, where
he needed his prized mustache. Thus, he refused to shave it off, and as a
result, you can clearly see it under all his makeup, which is hilarious. Now,
you’d think that Batman’s most famous foe, would get a big part in this film,
but he’s constantly upstaged by the other villains. He doesn’t even fight
Batman, instead he’s stuck fighting Robin … what’s up with that?
Naturally this
is the fifth theatrical Batman movie to feature The Joker, and this time he’s
voiced by Zach Galifianakis. Surprise, surprise, this is yet another great
portrayal of a classic character in this Lego universe, as it captures the
spirit of the Joker, while once again being very original in the process. It’s
a Joker that’s obviously unleashing his evil on the city, but his goal is so
much more personal as he simply want’s Batman to realize that they complete
each other’s lives. It's actually kind of a heartbreaking scene when Batman
flat out tells the Joker that he means nothing to him. 
I really love how
passionate this version of Joker gets to prove Batman wrong, and to see their
relationship progress over the course of the film is very amusing. It all
ultimately builds to an obvious, yet poignant statement that the Joker really
isn’t his greatest enemy after all … it’s really Batman himself who’s our
heroes worst enemy. Also, as a bone’s, it was great to finally see Harley Quinn
in a Batman movie. Even though it’s only animated, it’s still one of the most
appealing aspects of the Joker, to have his loony girl friend at his side.
Unlike his compatriot Michael
Keaton, Nicholson was a very obvious casting choice, but Jack is still great in
the role. He’s completely crazy, entertaining, unpredictable, funny, and has a
captivating screen presence of his own. Sense he’s the only villain in the film,
there’s a lot of room for a good hero and villain rivalry, which for me comes off
as a mixed bag. It’s a very standard setup with Batman learning Joker killed
his parents, while Joker in return is angry at the hero for ruining his plans
and former life. 
Personally, I find this kind of a cheat to make Joker the
killer of Batman’s parents, as that makes him our hero’s nemesis by default,
and not because of a built rivalry. Having said that, it all balances out by
having Batman unintentionally create the Joker, because now we have the duality
of the hero and villain forging their own greatest enemies. I find that very
intriguing indeed, and it leads to one of Batman's best lines ... "I made
you, but you made me first". In the end, Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the
Joker can still be regarded as iconic in its own right, and he definitely has
his shining moments ... along with some iconic lines.
While he ranks at number two,
I certainly don’t want to undermine the Joker, and his iconic, Oscar winning
portrayal by the late Heath Ledger. Without a doubt this is one of the
generations defining performances, and one of the most iconic villain
portrayals in film history. Also, it’s probably the first and only time an
actor will ever win an Oscar for playing a comic-book character, as that’s
something that never happens. While Heath Ledger had his share of fans over the
years, no-one would have expected him to not-only excel as the Joker, but also
be a legitimately terrifying screen presence. 
While other versions of the
character had their menacing highlights, they were never this frightening or
intimidating. Just the way he looks at someone while liking his lips was
intense. Aside from the performance, the Jokers motivations were equally
intense. His goal isn’t to destroy either the hero or the city, but to corrupt
them. He’s not after power or wealth, he just wants to prove a point, that
anyone, no matter how good they are can be just as crazy and evil as him. 
I
love that Alfred of all people is the first to understand this villain for what
he really is, and his eerie story in which he compares the Joker to a diamond
bandit adds so many frightening layers to the character. It’s a tail that
conveys something of a dark reality and it makes the Joker feel less like your
typical comic-book bad guy. He’s like an unstoppable force of nature that can’t
be reasoned with. He was also a smart mastermind who keeps a city in a state of
panic, he intimidates mobs, breaks himself out of prison and no matter how hard
the hero’s try to stop him, the Joker is always one step ahead. 
He also has a
dark sense of hummer that makes him consistently fun to watch, and his gallery
of quotable lines are easily some of the best ever spoken by the character. My
favorite aspect of the Joker is that his backstory changes every time he
interrogates someone. This made his mystique all the more frightening as we
just have no grasp on who this guy is. Was he born this way, did something
happen, dose the Joker himself even know his own origins? All this mystery just
adds to the dark and complex fascination of his character.
While this is very much a ranking of theatrical villains ... this animated joker, while still counting, is very much an extension of what I already loved from the character in the classic TV show. Who would ever
think that Luke Skywalker from “Star Wars” would pass for a great Joker,
but he’s so perfect in the role. His evil joker laugh is amazing, and his voice
fits the character seamlessly. This is just the icing on the cake, because
honestly, the movie is worth watching just for Mark Hamill’s incredible Joker
performance. He masters the dual nature of the character, coming off as both
funny and terrifying in equal measure. His vocal talents are also perfectly
matched with the energy in the animation, and I just can’t take my eyes off the
character when he’s on screen. Despite coming late into the film, he still
completely steals the show. 
My favorite parts with the Joker are when he’s just
talking out loud to himself in his hide out. It’s almost like an improve game,
just see how many random and entertaining things he can do. Now it goes without
saying, but every actor that’s played the Joker has always shined and brought
something iconic to the role. However, for my money, Mark Hamill is the most
classic. He’s always the first talent that comes to mind whenever I think of
the Joker. Again, that’s not to put down any of the other talents, as they’ve
all been great. It’s just that Mark Hamill’s performance has always stuck with
me the most, and he’s easily one of the all-time greatest animated villains.
This movies version of Bane looks just like the comics, but with a voice and personality that’s clearly based off Tom Hardy’s portrayal from “The Dark Knight Rises” ... as it seems to be the new iconic status of the character. For better and worse, that's his public perception. For as short as his animated appearance was ... it's still better than his first live-action appearance.
#1 Tom Hardy as Bane from “The Dark Knight Rises”
Every Theatrical version of The Riddler Ranked …
#4 Conan O’ Brian as The Riddler from “The Lego Batman Movie”
The Riddler in this movie is voiced by famed show-host Conan O’Brien, but the relevance of this is questionable as he barely has more than two lines. Still, he gets spotlighted a little more than some of his pears, and I like the design overall.
#3 Frank Gorshin as The Riddler from “Batman: The Movie”
#2 Paul Dana as The Riddler from “The Batman”
#1 Jim Carry as The Riddler from “Batman Forever”
Every Theatrical Version of Two-Face ranked …
#3 Billy Dee Williams as Two-Face from “Batman” and “The Lego Batman Movie”
Fresh off his success in “Star Wars”, Billy Dee Williams portrayed district Attorney Harvey Dent in Tim Burton’s 1989 classic “Batman” … although he unfortunately never got the chance to shine as the villain Two-Face ... at least not in live-action.
In the 2017 picture “The Lego Batman Movie”, he at least got to make a vocal cameo as Two-Face … which I suppose is better than nothing at all. His design is similar to the live action "Batman Forever" appearance, suggesting what things could have been like if he was in that movie.
#2 Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face from “Batman Forever”
#1 Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face from “The Dark Knight”
Every Theatrical version of Cat-Woman ranked …
#5 Halle Berry as Cat-Woman from “Catwoman”
The 2004 comic-Book movie simply titled “Catwoman”
is often cited as one of the worst of the whole comic-book genera, and for good reason …
it’s awful. Beyond the obvious faults, it's Catwoman in name only, with no real connection to the one from Gotham City, which makes the film feel all the pointless. It's also a shame that all of Halle Berry’s best efforts get dragged down with
the rest of the film. In a better movie, I can see the actress playing a good
Cat-Woman, but there’s just no saving a bad script with nothing to work off.
#4 Lee Meriwether as Cat-Woman from “Batman: The Movie”
#2 Michelle Pfeiffer as Cat-Woman from “Batman Returns”
#1 Anne Hathaway as Cat-Woman from “The Dark Knight Rises”
Every
Theatrical version of The Joker ranked …
#7 Barry Keoghan as The Joker from “The Batman”
#8 Jared Leto as The Joker from “Suicide Squad” and Zack Snyder’s “Justice League”
#6 Joaquin Phoenix as The Joker from “Joker”
#5 Cesar Romero as The Joker from “Batman: The Movie”
#4 Zach Galifianakis as The Joker from “The Lego Batman Movie”
#3 Jack Nicholson as The Joker from “Batman”
#2 Heath Ledger as The Joker from “The Dark Knight”
#1 Mark Hamill as The Joker from “Batman Mask of the Phantasm”
Thanks for
reading my countdown … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!
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