Since his first comic book appearance in the 1940s, Batman has faced off against some of the most famous bad guys in history. But who made it into his own Rogue’s Gallery? Who made the list of the top 10 worst people he’s beaten?
1) The Riddler
Edward Nigma, The Riddler, is one of Batman’s oldest enemies and might be his smartest. The Riddler first appeared in December 1948 as one of Batman’s more unique bad guys. Since his first appearance, the Riddler has changed from a strange man who left clues at the scene of his crimes to a person with OCD who needs to leave those clues.
Threat: The Riddler can be a threat, but it depends on whether he is actively committing crimes or trying to live a good life. The Riddler could be one of Batman’s biggest enemies because he has already beaten Batman a few times and knows who Batman is.
How They Are Beaten: If you have to leave clues all the time, it’s hard to be optimistic when you’re up against a detective who might be the best in the world. By moving to Gotham, the Riddler has already made it easy for the Bat to beat him.
2) Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn has changed from a one-time sidekick to a popular villain who has made it to the big screen and had several runs of her comic series. She is one of my favorites.
Threat: At first glance, it may seem like Harley Quinn isn’t much of a threat, but she is a bigger foe than she even realizes. Harley has a high IQ, is very athletic, and is immune to most poisons (thanks to Poison Ivy). She has beaten bad guys on her own before and could probably do it again.
How They have Beaten: Harley’s biggest flaw is that she loves The Joker so much that she will do anything for him. Batman has repeatedly beaten Harley Quinn by taking advantage of this weakness. Even though there was one time when Harley beat Batman, Batman still got away while Harley was busy with The Joker.
3) Scarecrow
Jonas Crane, Also known as Scarecrow, is a bad guy who can make Batman scared. Crane is a crazy scientist obsessed with the idea of fear and how it can be used. Crane has used innocent people in Gotham as guinea pigs for his experiments more than once by giving them his fear gas.
Threat: Jonathan Crane is an expert in inciting fear and is skilled at doing it. With his genius-level intelligence and Fear-Toxin, Scarecrow could use a whole city as his crazy test subjects and drive them all crazy. Crane knows how to make people afraid even when he doesn’t have his fear toxin.
How They have Beaten: Batman has a whole lab in the Bat-cave that he can use to beat them. Batman can not only make masks that let the fear toxin pass through, but he can also make cures for the hallucinogenic drug. Crane has a lot going for him regarding his intelligence, but he is not as strong as other bad guys. Once Scarecrow’s fear toxin has been turned off, Batman can take him back to Arkham Asylum, where he belongs.
4) Mister Freeze
Possibly one of Batman’s most heartbreaking bad guys Victor Fries, also known as Mister Freeze, is a man with a goal: he wants to save his wife. Victor Fries is a bad guy, but he is fighting for a cause that is so sad that sometimes you can’t help but hope that he will win.
Threat: Mister Freeze possesses extraordinary intelligence in cryogenics and mechanical engineering, and his suit also grants him significant powers. Mister Freeze can use his cryogenic weapons in many ways because his suit gives him super strength and makes him very durable.
How They Are Beaten: Even though Mister Freeze has a lot of different weapons, he is often beaten by Batman’s ability to disable his suit. Even though Fries is smart, he is still just a man. Mister Freeze can be beaten, but it can be hard at times. Batman’s many tools and intelligence can help him do it.
5) Bane
Bane is the only villain on the list who can say they Broke the Bat. Bane has risen from nothing to become one of Batman’s most dangerous enemies. His past is just as troubled as that of Batman’s other villains.
Threat: Venom gave Bane superhuman strength, healing, reflexes, and stamina, which make him a very dangerous person. This, along with the fact that he was a genius and had great hand-to-hand fighting skills, helped Bane beat not only Batman but also break his back, making him paralyzed and breaking the Bat.
How They Are Beaten: There is only one way that works to beat Bane, and that is to cut him off from his venom. Bane’s body will shrink to normal size if he can’t get his constant supply of venom. Being cut off from his supply also has bad side effects for Bane.
6) Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy is both beautiful and dangerous. A beautiful, powerful woman who cares deeply about the environment. Poison Ivy has been a bad guy for a long time, and during that time, she has become one of the most dangerous eco-terrorists in the world.
Threat: Although Poison Ivy is attractive and has some handy immunity to poisons (such as Joker venom), her real threat comes from her mastery of flora and the lethal love potions she makes (potions so strong that even Superman has fallen to its effects). Poison Ivy is hard to beat because she can tie up anyone who gets in her way.
How They Are Beaten: As he does with many of his other bad guys, Batman uses his Batcave labs to make anti-venom. After Batman made the anti-venom serum, he used it to help people escape Poison Ivy’s thorny trap. Batman’s martial arts skills can take down Poison Ivy once her poison has been neutralized.
7) Two-Face
Two-Face could have been one of Batman’s best friends in his fight against crime in Gotham. Even though you could say that Two-Face has always had the traits of a bad guy, he was once Gotham’s best district attorney.
Threat: Harvey Dent is a guy who knows the scheme and how to use it. He knows where people can be hurt and is good at taking advantage of them. Two-Face is a dangerous threat because he is a good shot, has a criminal mind, is a good detective, and is good at fighting.
How They Are Beaten: Two-Face has a lot of skills, but Batman often defeats him because he is too dependent on the flip of a coin.
8) Catwoman
Some would say that Catwoman isn’t always Batman’s biggest enemy and that sometimes she’s his biggest weakness. Selina Kyle, AKA: Catwoman’s relationship with Batman, has been complicated. Catwoman hasn’t always been a bad guy, but she has gotten into Batman’s heart.
Threat: Catwoman’s largest danger to Batman is not her athletic ability, stealth, or whip skills. The most dangerous thing Catwoman can do to Batman makes him like her. At times, Catwoman and Batman’s relationship is strained, and all they do is flirt. However, even simple flirting is sometimes enough to throw the hardened Bat off his game.
How They have Beaten: Selina Kyle has a few advantages over Batman, but Bruce Wayne can beat Catwoman if he can harden his heart and push away any feelings he might have for the Cat.
9) Ra’s al Ghul
Ra’s al Ghul and Batman often want to bring order to chaos, so they should be easy allies. However, their methods often put them at odds with each other. Ra is willing to destroy most of the world to save it, but Batman doesn’t agree with his radical ideas.
Threat: With a great sense of strategy, crazy fighting skills, and as many resources as Bruce Wayne might have. Ra’s is almost as good as Batman in every way you can think of. Ra’s al Ghul is one of Batman’s best villains because he is smart, has been around for a long time, and has a place where he can heal himself.
How They Are Beaten: Although Ra’s al Ghul is one of the best martial artists, Batman is better. Hand-to-hand fights have been used to beat the Demon’s Head several times.
10) Joker
The Joker first showed up in Batman #1 in 1940. Some people say that you can’t have Batman without The Joker. The Joker has always been and always will be Batman’s worst enemy. He is chaos to Batman’s order.
Threat: The Joker is the most dangerous thing Batman can face. The Joker is unpredictable in every way, so Batman can never really come up with a plan for how to deal with him. Almost every time The Joker is shown, he is a mass killer who wants to destroy the world to make people laugh.
How They Are Beaten: Sometimes, it just happens by chance. Even though Batman is better at fighting, he has to try to guess what The Joker will do to beat him. Just because of that, The Joker is the worst person Batman has ever beaten.
