Batman has the best villains of any comics hero, so I want to rank Batman's large gallery of villains. Batman has far too many villains for anybody to rank, so this ranking is only going to focus on Batman's major rogues.
Villains that have only made a few appearances will be left out of the ranking. This means that I'll have to leave out several great villains. Some of my favorite Batman villains that left a big impact with a small number of appearances include Egghead, King Tut, Bookworm, Professor Bubbles, Farmer Brown, Rag Doll and the Weeper.
50. Clayface
Clayface is a villain that ranks in last place for the simple fact that I was terrified of him as a kid. The idea of a guy turning into a clay monster freaked me out.
49. Hush
Hush is a villain with an uninteresting, unsympathetic. motivation. Although most of the artwork in the Batman: Hush storyline looks incredible, Hush has a rather bland design.
48. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum
The Batman franchise has a lot of Alice in Wonderland themed villains. Unfortunately, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum haven't left much of an impact or impression.
47. Solomon Grundy
As a mindless villain that relies on brute strength, Solomon Grundy feels out of place in the Batman universe. He works much better in Super Friends and Justice League.
46. Deadshot
Deadshot actually is a cool character, but I believe that he works much better as the leader of the Suicide Squad than he does as a Batman villain.
45. Court of Owls
The Court of Owls can pose an interesting threat. The only thing that holds them back is that they're a group of characters that aren't very distinguishable from each other.
44. Joe Chill and Tony Zucco
These two guys aren't incredibly interesting characters, but their contributions make them notable. Joe Chill was the one responsible for the death of Bruce Wayne's parents, while Tony Zucco was responsible for the death of Dick Grayson's parents.
43. Ratcatcher
Ratcatcher's ability to control rats makes him a powerful, scary threat for the city of Gotham.
42. Polka-Dot Man
Polka-Dot Man is one of the sillier villains from the lighthearted era of Batman. He was a fun villain for the time, but the less said about his cynical role in The Suicide Squad, the better.
41. Lew Moxon
Although Joe Chill was the one that shot Bruce Wayne's parents, Lew Moxon is the one that hired him. If it wasn't for Moxon's rivalry with Thomas Wayne, Batman's greatest tragedy wouldn't have happened.
40. Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn certainly has her fun moments. However, her dark storyline tends to bring out the worst in the Joker. I prefer a Joker that's more wacky than scary, so the abusive relationship between Joker and Harley isn't exactly something that I enjoy.
39. Killer Croc
Killer Croc challenges Batman on a physical level rather than a mental level. I tend to think that intellectual villains are better fits for Batman, so even though Croc is a decent villain, I don't think that he's one of the best Batman villains.
38. Catman
Catman is likely to forever remain in Catwoman's shadow despite being a decent villain in his own right.
37. Victor Zsasz
Zsasz is a super violent character, so he's not exactly up my alley. However, I did really enjoy the version of him from the Gotham TV series.
36. Professor Pyg
Professor Pyg is a wild villain that can be really entertaining. However, his violent, disturbing actions keep me from liking him as much as I want to.
35. Lady Shiva
Lady Shiva may not be that prominent of a villain, but when she does appear, she has a cool, intimidating presence.
34. Red Hood
Red Hood used to be the Joker, but the second Robin, Jason Todd, went on to become the new Red Hood. Having a former Robin become an antagonist was a fascinating change.
33. Crazy Quilt
Crazy Quilt isn't exactly a threatening, scary menace, but at least he's good for a few laughs. Having a gimmick as random as quilts is one of the main things that make the Batman villains so memorable and fun.
32. Talia al Ghul
Talia started off as a very interesting character who was torn between her loyalty to her villainous father, Ra's al Ghul and her attraction to Batman. The less said about what Talia's done in recent years, the better.
31. Spellbinder
Spellbinder's hypnotism powers give him a cool, menacing presence. He has been well used in cartoons like Batman Beyond and The Batman.
30. Anarky
As a villain that is obsessed with chaos, Anarky poses a very interesting, compelling threat to Batman. He really got to shine in Beware the Batman.
29. Rupert Thorne
Rupert Thorne is a mob boss that pulls a lot of strings and causes a lot of intriguing actions in the city of Gotham, especially in Batman: The Animated Series and the comics from the 80s.
28. Cluemaster
Cluemaster is known for being a less interesting version of the Riddler. While that is true, he's still an enjoyable enough villain with a fun gimmick. Also, him being the father of Stephanie Brown gives him something distinct.
27. Maxie Zeus
It's believed that Maxie Zeus was created, because the comics at the time weren't allowed to use King Tut. Maxie Zeus may not be as entertaining and funny as King Tut, but he's a solid rogue that has some fun moments of his own.
26. Killer Moth
Killer Moth has the unfortunate reputation of being known as a joke of a villain. However, his unique design and fun actions make him a solid rogue. Also, he's notable for being Batgirl's first enemy.
25. Kite Man
Kite Man was one of the campier villains who disappeared for a long time. However, he's made a big comeback as a comedy relief. Ironically, he's become more popular in recent years than he ever used to be. His silly gimmick and personality make him a very entertaining villain.
24. Man-Bat
As a man that turns into a bat creature, Man-Bat serves as a dark counterpart to Batman and a cool villain for him to engage in battle with.
23. Commissioner Loeb
Loeb was Commissioner Gordon's original boss who corrupted Gotham's police system. Loeb serves as a great enemy for Gordon, particularly in Year One and the Gotham TV series.
22. Magpie
Magpie used to be a minor villain, but she was given a chance to really shine in Beware the Batman. The character was given a lot of sympathetic traits, as well as a lot of unhinged elements that made her a great fit for the Batman universe.
21. Floronic Man
Floronic Man might sound like he's just a male version of Poison Ivy. However, Floronic Man stands out for being even more unhinged and insane when it comes to his plant-themed schemes.
20. Calendar Man
Calendar Man is one of many Bill Finger's creations that has a very interesting, fun gimmick. He doesn't show up as often as he deserves, but he had a memorable role in Batman: The Long Halloween.
19. Ventriloquist and Scarface
As a meek man who believes that his puppet is alive, the Ventriloquist may not be super threatening, but he is a sympathetic, interesting villain.
18. Catwoman
Catwoman might work better as an anti-hero than a villain, but she's certainly had her moments to shine as a villain. She benefits from having been played by so many great actresses.
17. Bane
As a villain who's both super smart and strong, Bane's a very good threat for Batman. Also, Tom Hardy's take on Bane in The Dark Knight Rises is incredibly memorable.
16. Sal Maroni
Maroni used to just be a mobster that caused Harvey Dent to become Two-Face. However, he has gone on to become a significant mobster that serves as Carmine Falcone's biggest rival.
15. Firefly
Firefly might have a fire gimmick, but that doesn't stop him from being a really cool character who has a neat personality and gimmick.
14. Poison Ivy
As someone who wants to protect the lives of plants, Poison Ivy is somewhat sympathetic despite being one of Batman's deadliest enemies. Uma Thurman's performance as Poison Ivy is a very underappreciated performance that deserves more love.
13. Black Mask
Black Mask is a twisted villain who has a brilliant origin story that serves a dark parallel to Batman's origin story. He's one of the most dangerous, intimidating mob bosses that Batman's ever fought.
12. Clock King
Clock King has an incredibly fun gimmick. He's consistently interesting, unique and entertaining. He's supposed to be a Green Arrow villain, but the Batman franchise has helped Clock King truly shine.
11. Deathstroke
Deathstroke started off as the arch-enemy of the Teen Titans, but he was such a great villain that he became a villain for several other heroes. Deathstroke's best stories might come from Teen Titans, but that doesn't stop him from being an awesome Batman villain.
10. Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a very sophisticated, clever villain. His high level of intelligence, immortality and army of assassins make Ra's al Ghul a very special threat for Batman.
9. Carmine Falcone
Carmine Falcone is one of the greatest mob bosses of all time. It helps that he was based off of Vito Corleone from The Godfather. He even looks like Marlon Brando. Falcone's greatest moments come from Batman: The Long Halloween.
8. Scarecrow
Scarecrow may have been born without a brain, but that doesn't stop him from being one of the most intimidating villains that Batman's ever dealt with. As someone who deals with anxiety, seeing Batman overcome the Scarecrow's fear toxin is inspirational to me when it comes to fighting off my own fears.
7. Mr. Freeze
The one thing that needs to be said about Mr. Freeze is that he's really cool. You don't get much cooler villains than Mr. Freeze. His chilling crimes give Batman the cold shoulder. It's not easy to defrost this frozen villain.
6. Two-Face
As a hero who turned into a villain, Two-Face is an endlessly fascinating character that is often unsure of what to do in life. Batman: The Long Halloween is my favorite Batman comic from recent decades. The story primarily focuses on Two-Face and his conflicted morality. That brilliant story, as well as the Batman vs. Two-Face film, have helped me grow a stronger appreciation for the character.
5. Mad Hatter
The Mad Hatter is my favorite Alice in Wonderland character, so basing a Batman villain off of him was one of Bill Finger's many genius ideas. Batman's Mad Hatter is a great character in his own right. Batman has two versions of the Mad Hatter. One is a mustached man that is obsessed with hats, while the other one is a villainous Alice in Wonderland fanboy that is an expert with mind control.
4. Hugo Strange
Hugo Strange started off as a mad scientist. As time went on, he became an obsessive mastermind that wanted to learn everything about Batman. What makes Hugo Strange so fascinating is that he's motivated by his interest in learning more about Batman rather than a desire to take over the world or get rich. The fact that he was voiced by Frank Gorshin only makes this already awesome character even more awesome.
3. Penguin
As a brilliant, eccentric mastermind, the Penguin has gone on to become a villain with an endless amount of great stories. For a long time, he was considered to be Batman's second arch-enemy. Considering what an entertaining, compelling villain he is, I can certainly understand why he has become one of the most iconic Batman villains of all time.
2. Joker
The Joker is often considered to be the best arch-enemy of any superhero. He has one of the greatest villain designs in the history of comics, as well as an incredibly fun personality. He's had more good stories than anybody could count. It's almost universally agreed that he's the best Batman villain of all time, and he would have easily taken the top spot on my list if I didn't have a personal attachment to a certain actor that played the villain that I ranked in first place.
1. Riddler
Frank Gorshin is one of my favorite actors of all time, because of his performance as the Riddler. I consider Frank Gorshin's Riddler to be one of the most entertaining, memorable and enjoyable villains of all time. Frank Gorshin had a one-of-a-kind sort of scene-stealing charm that makes him one of my idols. Frank Gorshin was the first actor to ever play a villain from the Batman comics. I don't think that his version of the Riddler has or ever will be topped by anyone. Joker and Penguin would have taken the top two spots if it wasn't for my strong obsession with Frank Gorshin. Frank Gorshin was, is and forever will be the prince of puzzlers.
Villains that have only made a few appearances will be left out of the ranking. This means that I'll have to leave out several great villains. Some of my favorite Batman villains that left a big impact with a small number of appearances include Egghead, King Tut, Bookworm, Professor Bubbles, Farmer Brown, Rag Doll and the Weeper.
50. Clayface
Clayface is a villain that ranks in last place for the simple fact that I was terrified of him as a kid. The idea of a guy turning into a clay monster freaked me out.
49. Hush
Hush is a villain with an uninteresting, unsympathetic. motivation. Although most of the artwork in the Batman: Hush storyline looks incredible, Hush has a rather bland design.
48. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum
The Batman franchise has a lot of Alice in Wonderland themed villains. Unfortunately, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum haven't left much of an impact or impression.
47. Solomon Grundy
As a mindless villain that relies on brute strength, Solomon Grundy feels out of place in the Batman universe. He works much better in Super Friends and Justice League.
46. Deadshot
Deadshot actually is a cool character, but I believe that he works much better as the leader of the Suicide Squad than he does as a Batman villain.
45. Court of Owls
The Court of Owls can pose an interesting threat. The only thing that holds them back is that they're a group of characters that aren't very distinguishable from each other.
44. Joe Chill and Tony Zucco
These two guys aren't incredibly interesting characters, but their contributions make them notable. Joe Chill was the one responsible for the death of Bruce Wayne's parents, while Tony Zucco was responsible for the death of Dick Grayson's parents.
43. Ratcatcher
Ratcatcher's ability to control rats makes him a powerful, scary threat for the city of Gotham.
42. Polka-Dot Man
Polka-Dot Man is one of the sillier villains from the lighthearted era of Batman. He was a fun villain for the time, but the less said about his cynical role in The Suicide Squad, the better.
41. Lew Moxon
Although Joe Chill was the one that shot Bruce Wayne's parents, Lew Moxon is the one that hired him. If it wasn't for Moxon's rivalry with Thomas Wayne, Batman's greatest tragedy wouldn't have happened.
40. Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn certainly has her fun moments. However, her dark storyline tends to bring out the worst in the Joker. I prefer a Joker that's more wacky than scary, so the abusive relationship between Joker and Harley isn't exactly something that I enjoy.
39. Killer Croc
Killer Croc challenges Batman on a physical level rather than a mental level. I tend to think that intellectual villains are better fits for Batman, so even though Croc is a decent villain, I don't think that he's one of the best Batman villains.
38. Catman
Catman is likely to forever remain in Catwoman's shadow despite being a decent villain in his own right.
37. Victor Zsasz
Zsasz is a super violent character, so he's not exactly up my alley. However, I did really enjoy the version of him from the Gotham TV series.
36. Professor Pyg
Professor Pyg is a wild villain that can be really entertaining. However, his violent, disturbing actions keep me from liking him as much as I want to.
35. Lady Shiva
Lady Shiva may not be that prominent of a villain, but when she does appear, she has a cool, intimidating presence.
34. Red Hood
Red Hood used to be the Joker, but the second Robin, Jason Todd, went on to become the new Red Hood. Having a former Robin become an antagonist was a fascinating change.
33. Crazy Quilt
Crazy Quilt isn't exactly a threatening, scary menace, but at least he's good for a few laughs. Having a gimmick as random as quilts is one of the main things that make the Batman villains so memorable and fun.
32. Talia al Ghul
Talia started off as a very interesting character who was torn between her loyalty to her villainous father, Ra's al Ghul and her attraction to Batman. The less said about what Talia's done in recent years, the better.
31. Spellbinder
Spellbinder's hypnotism powers give him a cool, menacing presence. He has been well used in cartoons like Batman Beyond and The Batman.
30. Anarky
As a villain that is obsessed with chaos, Anarky poses a very interesting, compelling threat to Batman. He really got to shine in Beware the Batman.
29. Rupert Thorne
Rupert Thorne is a mob boss that pulls a lot of strings and causes a lot of intriguing actions in the city of Gotham, especially in Batman: The Animated Series and the comics from the 80s.
28. Cluemaster
Cluemaster is known for being a less interesting version of the Riddler. While that is true, he's still an enjoyable enough villain with a fun gimmick. Also, him being the father of Stephanie Brown gives him something distinct.
27. Maxie Zeus
It's believed that Maxie Zeus was created, because the comics at the time weren't allowed to use King Tut. Maxie Zeus may not be as entertaining and funny as King Tut, but he's a solid rogue that has some fun moments of his own.
26. Killer Moth
Killer Moth has the unfortunate reputation of being known as a joke of a villain. However, his unique design and fun actions make him a solid rogue. Also, he's notable for being Batgirl's first enemy.
25. Kite Man
Kite Man was one of the campier villains who disappeared for a long time. However, he's made a big comeback as a comedy relief. Ironically, he's become more popular in recent years than he ever used to be. His silly gimmick and personality make him a very entertaining villain.
24. Man-Bat
As a man that turns into a bat creature, Man-Bat serves as a dark counterpart to Batman and a cool villain for him to engage in battle with.
23. Commissioner Loeb
Loeb was Commissioner Gordon's original boss who corrupted Gotham's police system. Loeb serves as a great enemy for Gordon, particularly in Year One and the Gotham TV series.
22. Magpie
Magpie used to be a minor villain, but she was given a chance to really shine in Beware the Batman. The character was given a lot of sympathetic traits, as well as a lot of unhinged elements that made her a great fit for the Batman universe.
21. Floronic Man
Floronic Man might sound like he's just a male version of Poison Ivy. However, Floronic Man stands out for being even more unhinged and insane when it comes to his plant-themed schemes.
20. Calendar Man
Calendar Man is one of many Bill Finger's creations that has a very interesting, fun gimmick. He doesn't show up as often as he deserves, but he had a memorable role in Batman: The Long Halloween.
19. Ventriloquist and Scarface
As a meek man who believes that his puppet is alive, the Ventriloquist may not be super threatening, but he is a sympathetic, interesting villain.
18. Catwoman
Catwoman might work better as an anti-hero than a villain, but she's certainly had her moments to shine as a villain. She benefits from having been played by so many great actresses.
17. Bane
As a villain who's both super smart and strong, Bane's a very good threat for Batman. Also, Tom Hardy's take on Bane in The Dark Knight Rises is incredibly memorable.
16. Sal Maroni
Maroni used to just be a mobster that caused Harvey Dent to become Two-Face. However, he has gone on to become a significant mobster that serves as Carmine Falcone's biggest rival.
15. Firefly
Firefly might have a fire gimmick, but that doesn't stop him from being a really cool character who has a neat personality and gimmick.
14. Poison Ivy
As someone who wants to protect the lives of plants, Poison Ivy is somewhat sympathetic despite being one of Batman's deadliest enemies. Uma Thurman's performance as Poison Ivy is a very underappreciated performance that deserves more love.
13. Black Mask
Black Mask is a twisted villain who has a brilliant origin story that serves a dark parallel to Batman's origin story. He's one of the most dangerous, intimidating mob bosses that Batman's ever fought.
12. Clock King
Clock King has an incredibly fun gimmick. He's consistently interesting, unique and entertaining. He's supposed to be a Green Arrow villain, but the Batman franchise has helped Clock King truly shine.
11. Deathstroke
Deathstroke started off as the arch-enemy of the Teen Titans, but he was such a great villain that he became a villain for several other heroes. Deathstroke's best stories might come from Teen Titans, but that doesn't stop him from being an awesome Batman villain.
10. Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a very sophisticated, clever villain. His high level of intelligence, immortality and army of assassins make Ra's al Ghul a very special threat for Batman.
9. Carmine Falcone
Carmine Falcone is one of the greatest mob bosses of all time. It helps that he was based off of Vito Corleone from The Godfather. He even looks like Marlon Brando. Falcone's greatest moments come from Batman: The Long Halloween.
8. Scarecrow
Scarecrow may have been born without a brain, but that doesn't stop him from being one of the most intimidating villains that Batman's ever dealt with. As someone who deals with anxiety, seeing Batman overcome the Scarecrow's fear toxin is inspirational to me when it comes to fighting off my own fears.
7. Mr. Freeze
The one thing that needs to be said about Mr. Freeze is that he's really cool. You don't get much cooler villains than Mr. Freeze. His chilling crimes give Batman the cold shoulder. It's not easy to defrost this frozen villain.
6. Two-Face
As a hero who turned into a villain, Two-Face is an endlessly fascinating character that is often unsure of what to do in life. Batman: The Long Halloween is my favorite Batman comic from recent decades. The story primarily focuses on Two-Face and his conflicted morality. That brilliant story, as well as the Batman vs. Two-Face film, have helped me grow a stronger appreciation for the character.
5. Mad Hatter
The Mad Hatter is my favorite Alice in Wonderland character, so basing a Batman villain off of him was one of Bill Finger's many genius ideas. Batman's Mad Hatter is a great character in his own right. Batman has two versions of the Mad Hatter. One is a mustached man that is obsessed with hats, while the other one is a villainous Alice in Wonderland fanboy that is an expert with mind control.
4. Hugo Strange
Hugo Strange started off as a mad scientist. As time went on, he became an obsessive mastermind that wanted to learn everything about Batman. What makes Hugo Strange so fascinating is that he's motivated by his interest in learning more about Batman rather than a desire to take over the world or get rich. The fact that he was voiced by Frank Gorshin only makes this already awesome character even more awesome.
3. Penguin
As a brilliant, eccentric mastermind, the Penguin has gone on to become a villain with an endless amount of great stories. For a long time, he was considered to be Batman's second arch-enemy. Considering what an entertaining, compelling villain he is, I can certainly understand why he has become one of the most iconic Batman villains of all time.
2. Joker
The Joker is often considered to be the best arch-enemy of any superhero. He has one of the greatest villain designs in the history of comics, as well as an incredibly fun personality. He's had more good stories than anybody could count. It's almost universally agreed that he's the best Batman villain of all time, and he would have easily taken the top spot on my list if I didn't have a personal attachment to a certain actor that played the villain that I ranked in first place.
1. Riddler
Frank Gorshin is one of my favorite actors of all time, because of his performance as the Riddler. I consider Frank Gorshin's Riddler to be one of the most entertaining, memorable and enjoyable villains of all time. Frank Gorshin had a one-of-a-kind sort of scene-stealing charm that makes him one of my idols. Frank Gorshin was the first actor to ever play a villain from the Batman comics. I don't think that his version of the Riddler has or ever will be topped by anyone. Joker and Penguin would have taken the top two spots if it wasn't for my strong obsession with Frank Gorshin. Frank Gorshin was, is and forever will be the prince of puzzlers.
