Over the last month, I have been obsessing over Batman Arkham City. It’s just so much fun, and it’s similar to the fun I got from the first Batman: Arkham Asylum game. As I mentioned in my review, I think Batman has had more success than any other superhero, especially in the video game department.
And no doubt, he’s had a lot of evil-doers put a bulls eye on him, and let’s face it, compare it to most other super heroes, none of them have more quantifiable and memorable bad guys as our caped crusader. So let’s get to the list of my personal favourite villains. Now remember, you may disagree with my list, but this is my personal favourites. Make sure you comment at the bottom as to which is your favourite. I’m curious.
Although Batman is the quintessential good guy, I have to make one thing clear about this list. Most of my perceptions are based on the cartoons, movies and video games I have played, and the rare comics I did read. I am not an avid comic book reader. That being said I have read some of the most popular publications about our man in black, including the Killing Joke.
So, without further ado, let’s get this list started.
10. Ra’s Al Ghul
A Centuries old terrorist, knows exactly who Batman is, and was played by the ultimate kick-ass actor, Liam Neeson. How could I not put him on this list. He’s just so cool. His goal in life is destruction, and purification, and you would think that after 600 years, there would be some headway towards that goal. And come on, he plans on repopulating the world with the help of his smoking hot daughter, Talia Al Ghul, and even she can kick some ass.
9. Harley Quinn
The only female representative on this list, mainly because the other female antagonists are irritating by comparison. And with Quinn, that’s saying a lot. Right hand man, er, woman to the infamous “Mr. J”, she also did her own thing, and made a name for herself. A former psychologist who suffers from some kind of Stockholm syndrome to Joker, she dons the sexy unitard and become a new bad girl that almost trumps her love interest. And come on, anyone that can wield a rocket launcher like that, is all right in my books.
8. Mad Hatter
The sleeper on the list, he’s just a walking, talking gimmick, ripped off from a popular children’s book. But when you add the fact that he’s using technology-based hats for mind control, he’s actually a pretty clever idea. He doesn’t get enough credit.
7. Bane
Brute strength and intelligence. Although horribly portrayed in the movie that had George Clooney playing the lead (shudders), he’s really just a great beat-em-up character. Sometimes, it’s the simple characters that make the better stories. Plus, he’s in the next movie, so he has to get recognized.
6. Mr. Freeze
A scientist whose geared with unbeatable Armour, yet is so vulnerable, needs to be in the cold to survive. A man with a heart of ice, but doing his evil to protect and cure his cryogenically frozen wife. There’s something about the many conflicts that makes this man so intriguing.
5. Joker
It would be a sin not to include this man in the top 5. But he is far and away from being my favourite bad guy. But I can’t ignore the contributions this villain has added to the lore. If it wasn’t for Joker, Batman wouldn’t be the hero he is today. It would be the same argument about Superman and Lex Luthor, Spiderman and Venom and Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper. Joker has become so important to the folklore of Gotham City, that he’s proven that Batman would not exist without Joker. He essentially became a philosophical argument, and that’s why he’s so important.
4. Penguin
Here’s a villain that gets the shaft in discussions about Batman villains. He’s not very popular among the hardcore Batman fans. But screw that, he’s awesome. He’s gone through such a transformation over the many years, that he’s evolved with the times more than any other character on this list. He now represents a black market weapons dealer, which makes him more “real world” compared to other bad guys on this list. I was taken aback a bit with the weird Cockney accent in Arkham City, but it fits the new persona very well.
3. Scarecrow
I love the idea of using fear as a weapon on someone that uses fear as a weapon. He bring psychological warfare to the battles and makes them very interesting. His contributions in Batman: Arkham Asylum were memorable and made the game so much more fun. He really needs to be used more. Oh, and using Cillian Murphy in the movies? Nice touch.
2. Riddler
Everything about this guy is right in the definition of evil. Cocky attitude, massive ego, constantly taunting his crimes by making it challenging, leaving clues to each crime scene. He brings a different level to the game of good guy-bad guy, by making his battles intellectual instead of physical. His attire is a testament to his obsession to puzzles and riddles, by being covered in question marks, whether it’s the suit and bowler hat, or the leotard from before. He’s a bad guy looking for a challenge, and willing to kill to prove that he’s intellectually smarter.
1. Two-Face
Really. No fooling. He’s my all time favourite. The idea of a man obsessed with Duality, and the idea that everything can be so simple choices can be made with a 50-50 chance, intrigues me. Plus, he’s a true symbol of the fallacy the Batman brings. He was once a well-respected district at attorney, who couldn’t be protected by the Dark Knight, and the scars he carries with him mentally transform him into the monster he becomes, and serves as a constant reminder to Batman of his failures.