Summary

Batmanmovies have afford some very memorable introductions to the villains of the Dark Knight ’s scallywag ’s heading . The villain roster of Batman is well - known as one of the most heroic , diverse , and beloved of any superhero , including such evildoers as the Joker , the Penguin , Two - Face , and many others . The Caped Crusader ’s villain have also often been half of the entreaty of Batman picture , withevery live - action iteration of Batmanshowing its own take on his rogue ’s gallery .

insert scoundrel in any superhero movie is always one of the most important scenes , andthe roll of Batman movieshave often been among the best at doing so . Whether introducing them ahead of time on or holding them back until subsequently in the film , Batman flick have inclose many of his villains in very memorable ways , that often stay just as iconic even year later .

Batman is rarely the most exciting character in Batman picture show . He was upstaged by villains like Heath Ledger ’s Joker and Michelle Pfeiffer ’s Catwoman .

Split image of Heath Ledger as the Joker and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman

10Max Shreck Meets The Penguin - Batman Returns

Oswald Knows How To Scare Another Villain

Cast

Tim Burton’sBatman Returnsgoes out of its way to keep the Penguin hidden until just the right moment , with the moving picture finally unveiling him after his kidnapping of dark businessman Max Shreck ( Christopher Walken ) . check from behind while flow his dear spate of penguin , Oswald Cobblepott finally turns around and snarls " Hi , " to the shocked Shreck , following up with " I believe the word you ’re looking for is AHHHHHHHH ! " With even the villainous Shreck offend byDanny DeVito ’s Penguin , Batman Returnssets the tone for a very different take on Oswald Cobblepott with his innovation in the pic .

9The Riddler Surprises Two-Face In His Lair - Batman Forever

Jim Carrey Brings His Manic Energy To The Riddler’s Reveal

Edward Nygma ’s vendetta with Bruce Wayne inBatman Foreverleads him to experiment with multiple possible supervillain identities before lastly conciliate on the Riddler , and he make his tremendous entrance in dead on target Jim Carrey fashion . Using his head - draining invention known as " the box " to settle the den of Two - Face ( Tommy Lee Jones ) , Nygma need the perturbed former District Attorney by surprisal , go forth from the shadows to reveal that he is " Just a protagonist , but you could call me … THE RIDDLER ! " Edward Nygma has always been one of the Dark Knight ’s more pretentious enemies , andBatman Forevertakes full reward of Jim Carrey ’s talents in stick in him into the floor .

8The Joker Meets The Riddler Behind Bars - The Batman

The Joker’s Laugh Is Instantly Recognizable

Matt Reeves’The Batmanmainly focuses upon the Riddler ( Paul Dano ) as its main baddie , but it deliver a very tantalizing cameo for the Clown Prince of Crime when Dano ’s Edward Nashton is apprehended and put behind bar . Despite his defeat , the Riddler mold a bond paper with a prisoner in his adjacent cell , his visibly burned face only see in silhouette . Nonetheless , the eerie laughter of Barry Keoghan ’s Jokerunmistakably reveal his identity element , setting him up to confront off with Robert Pattinson ’s Dark Knight asThe Batmanfranchise moves ahead .

In a deleted scene fromThe Batman , Robert Pattinson ’s Batman has a encounter in Arkham Asylum with Barry Keoghan ’s Joker , in which the Joker is much more distinctly prove .

7The Riddler Is Finally Caught In A Diner - The Batman

He’s Even Scarier Without The Mask

Matt Reeves for the most part keep Paul Dano ’s Edward Nashton a.k.a . the Riddler block out inThe Batman , with Nashton only eventually shown when the GCPD and Batman nab him at a Gotham City diner . Despite how shuddery Dano ’s performance as the Riddler is while he is masked , he ’s arguably even more sinister with the mask off , with Nashton devilishly grin ear - to - ear as he is arrested . Though the Riddler has been a mien throughoutThe Batman , his full unmasking is an outstandingly terrific reveal for a baddie who knows how to stay one footfall ahead of the Caped Crusader .

Tim Burton ’s Batman movies both have outstanding costume figure - we rank the eight hero and villain suits in both of Tim Burton ’s Batman films .

6Henri Ducard Reveals His True Identity - Batman Begins

Ra’s Al Ghul Finally Steps Into The Light

When Bruce Wayne ( Christian Bale ) breaks rank from the League of Shadows inBatman Begins , he think his wise man Henri Ducard ( Liam Neeson ) and the League ’s loss leader Ra ’s Al Ghul have both croak , only for Bruce to get a expectant surprise when Ducard returns to Wayne Manor in the third turn . The even braggy surprisal is that Ducard reveals himself to really be the real Ra ’s al Ghul . With Ra ’s Al Ghul being one of Batman ’s superlative enemy , Batman Beginsdoes him justice both with his extreme view of ethics and by hiding his launching behind the mask of a wise man until just before the finish .

Liam Neeson returns in a abbreviated cameo as Ra ’s Al Ghul in 2012’sThe Dark Knight Rises , in which Bruce Wayne has a imagination of Ra ’s while adjudge captive in Bane ’s prison recognise as the Pit .

5Bane Is Revealed As A Fearsome Villain - The Dark Knight Rises

Nolan Hides Bane Until Just The Right Moment

Bane is infamous among DC villains as " the human beings who develop the Bat " in theKnightfallcomics story , andThe Dark Knight Risesgrants him a fittingly chilling introduction when he is unmasked aboard a plane by CIA officers render to getting intel on Bane himself . As one agent pulls the firing placed on Tom Hardy ’s Bane ’s head off , Bane intones " No one cared who I was till I put on the mask . " WhileThe Dark Knight Risestweaks elements of Bane ’s story , including the function of his mask , his intro reveals him bit by bit as a beast waiting to be unleashed upon his enemies .

Tom Hardy Comic Book Movie Appearances

use

Michael Keaton’s Batman emerges from the Batcave in Batman Returns

DC or Marvel

Release Year

The Dark Knight Rises

Split image of Jack Nicholson in Batman and John Lithgow in Footloose

scourge

DC

2012

The Joker shows his card in The Dark Knight

Venom

Eddie Brock / Venom

Marvel

Danny DeVito as the Penguin with a bucket about to feed a group of penguins in Batman Returns

2018

Venom : countenance There Be Carnage

2021

Headshot Of Michael Keaton In The Los Angeles Special Screening Of ‘Knox Goes Away’

Spider - Man : No Way Home

Venom 3

2023

Headshot of Danny DeVito

4Harvey Dent Finally Shows His Facial Burn - The Dark Knight

Harvey’s Disfigurement Is Horrifying

The tragical precipitation of Harvey Dent ( Aaron Eckhart ) inThe Dark Knightleaves him with both mental and physical scars after his snatch by the Joker ( Heath Ledger ) and the death of his girlfriend Rachel Dawes ( Maggie Gylenhaal ) . As Harvey ponders how much he has lost , he demands that Commissioner James Gordon ( Gary Oldman ) reveal the nickname Harvey was given at Internal Affairs , with Gordon reluctantly say " Two - expression . Harvey Two - Face . " The fearsome burns to the left side of Harvey ’s face are kept hidden until the very end , with Harvey finally turn to the camera to reveal he has become Two - Face on a literal grade in an unforgettable Batman scoundrel reveal .

3The Joker Steps Out Of The Darkness - Batman

The Joker’s Evil Smile Is Chilling

Tim Burton’sBatmangives The Clown Prince of Crime a backstory as Gotham City gangster Jack Napier ( Jack Nicholson ) , and shows his full villainous origin with Napier falling into a tub of back breaker at Axis Chemicals . Returning to his villainous lair to wreak payback upon crime boss Carl Grissom ( Jack Palance ) , who ordered the assay hit on Napier ’s life , the transformed scoundrel steps out of the shadows and reveals " you may call me Joker , and as you may see , I ’m a passel happier , " before kill Grissom . With Jack Nicholson ’s manic yack and animated zip , the Joker ’s reveal inBatmanis one of Mr. J ’s most memorable big - screen bit .

Batman villains like the Joker and Catwoman have been played perfectly by Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer – but they were n’t the first choice .

2Deathstroke Is Batman’s Friend & His Foe - Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Batman’s Vengeful Adversary Is Hired To Kill Him (Then Joins Forces With Him In The Knightmare)

Zack Snyder ’s Justice Leagueconcludes with Deathstroke ( Joe Manganiello ) encounter with Lex Luthor ( Jesse Eisenberg ) to set a " personal " vendetta with Ben Affleck ’s Batman , Lex reveals his identity of Bruce Wayne and setting up Ben Affleck ’s intended Batman solo movie . The very next scene completely turns the tables on that , however , with Batman and Deathstroke teaming up in the Knightmare future tense in Holy Order to undo Darkseid ’s conquering of Earth . While Deathstroke ’s role inZack Snyder ’s Justice Leagueis a cameo , it is still a grand reveal , and a tantalizing tease forBen Affleck ’s Batman movieand Snyder’sJustice Leaguesequels , even with both stomach as unmade motion-picture show .

Per Joe Mangniello , Batgirl was going to contribute Batman a mitt to vote out Deathstroke in Ben Affleck ’s solo Batman movie .

1The Joker Unmasks After Robbing A Bank - The Dark Knight

The Joker’s Reveal Is Built Up Perfectly

The Dark Knightbrings Christian Bale ’s Batman up against the murderous and completely unpredictable Joker ( Heath Ledger ) , and film director Christopher Nolan grants the latter a marvelous intro in the movie ’s opening bank heist . The Joker ’s unamsking minute is an all - time stupendous villain reveal , with the villain removing his clown mask and intoning to the cant manager ( and by prolongation , the viewer ) " I believe whatever does n’t toss off you plainly makes you … stranger . " Combined with the harrowing makeover give to the Joker ’s make - up , The Dark Knight ’s introduction for Heath Ledger ’s iconic DC resister is the greatest Batman baddie reveal there has ever been .

Headshot Of Michelle Pfeiffer In The 33rd Annual EMA Awards Gala

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Headshot Of Jim Carrey In The North America Rights

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Barry Keoghan cameo as the Joker in The Batman

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Bruce Wayne fights Ra’s Al Ghul in Batman Begins

Headshot Of Christian Bale In The <code>The Pale Blue Eye</code> LA Premiere

Shot Of Michael Caine In The World premiere of &lsquo;The Great Escaper&rsquo; at BFI Southbank

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Headshot Of Gary Oldman In The 77th Cannes Film Festival

Headshot Of Tom Hardy In The Premiere Of The Bikeriders

Headshot Of Joseph Gordon-Levitt In The Hollywood Critics Association&rsquo;s 2023 HCA Film Awards

The reveal of Harvey Dent as Two-Face in The Dark Knight.

Headshot Of Heath Ledger In The 2006 Oscars Nominees Luncheon

Headshot of Aaron Eckhart

The Joker reveals himself in Tim Burton&rsquo;s Batman

Headshot Of Jack Nicholson In The 2007 MTV Movie Awards

Headshot Of Kim Basinger In The premiere of &lsquo;The Nice Guys&rsquo;

Headshot Of Billy Dee Williams In The Premiere Of Disney&rsquo;s Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker

Deathstroke meeting with Lex Luthor in Zack Snyder&rsquo;s Justice League

Headshot Of Ben Affleck

Headshot Of Henry Cavill In The World premiere of &lsquo;Argylle&rsquo;

Headshot Of Gal Gadot

headshot of Ray Fisher In The Premiere of &lsquo;Rebel Moon, Part One, A Child of Fire&rsquo;

The Joker reveals himself for the first time in The Dark Knight

Batman

DC Extended Universe