Every comic fan knows Batman, the iconic vigilante who has become the most popular superhero. While there are many things to love about the character and franchise, one of the highlights is the villains. From the Joker to Bane, Batman has some of the greatest villains in comic history, with many more interesting evil-doers. They reflect perfectly on Batman and Gotham, representing the flaws of both with their psychological motives.
However, while comics are the primary source of characters, some fascinating villains originated from other material, including movies, TV shows, and video games. In fact, some of these characters are so well known that fans might not have realized they weren’t created way back when. For a character to make it on this list, they must have staying power, creativity, and influence, and overall, they must be well-written and unique villains.
10 Arkham Knight
Originated in ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ (2015)
While video games are absolutely massive, many comic fans haven’t played all of them. However, the Arkham franchise is one of the best superhero video games of all time, with Batman: Arkham Knight being the last entry. When Scarecrow causes a city-wide evacuation, the mysterious villain, Arkham Knight, rallies all the villains of Gotham to finally take down Batman, leading to an epic non-stop battle.
Some fans may be hesitant about an original villain from a video game, but the best depiction of Arkham Asylum comes from an early game in the franchise. The heavily armored, bat-suit weapon-wielding villain is a terrific foil to Batman with a burning hatred for the hero. However, the twist reveals him to be Jason Todd, essentially using the Red Hood storyline, which dampens the character a bit. Still, the Arkham Knight is a worthy addition to the franchise.
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9 Red Claw
Originated in ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ (1992)
Batman: The Animated Series is known for establishing some of the greatest villains in DC, from reinventing Mr. Freeze to giving fans a definitive version of the Joker. But the show also introduced a slew of original characters, including Red Claw. She hails from Eastern Europe, and not much is known about her, but she is tall, a great fighter able to match Batman in combat, and leads a terrorist organization.
Appearing in three episodes of the greatest animated superhero TV show, Red Claw used her influence to steal a plague with which she threatened to wipe out the world. Similarly, she later kidnaps Alfred to steal nuclear launch codes in an attempt to destroy London, England. While Red Claw’s character is nothing too in-depth, she poses an immense, large-scale threat whenever she appears, leading to high-stakes and tense stories.
- Release Date
- September 5, 1992
- Seasons
- 4
8 Prank
Originated in ‘The Batman’ (2004)
It can be confusing with so much Batman media with similar naming conventions, such as the 2004 TV series The Batman, which uses the same name as the 2022 movie. While this show wouldn’t be as popular as its predecessor, it is still a cult classic, following Batman, Robin, and Batgirl as they fight reimagined villains. Prank is one of the new characters, a classmate of Barbara Gordon and Joker’s sidekick.
The Batman is known for reimagining many villains, but the show also introduced many original characters with unique powers, designs, and origins. While Prank only made one appearance with no special powers, Joker’s jealousy of Batman and Robin and desire for a sidekick are pretty on brand. As a class clown who no one really likes, Prank was the perfect candidate, but ultimately, his aversion to violence also makes him more grounded.
- Release Date
- September 11, 2004
- Seasons
- 5
7 Music Meister
Originated in ‘Batman: The Brave and the Bold’ (2008)
Batman is never short of a TV show, with many adaptations constantly being put out. However, one of the more underrated shows is Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which is not to be confused with the upcoming Batman movie in James Gunn‘s DCU featuring the same name. The show features Batman teaming up with various other heroes to take down villains, including Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, and even Scooby-Doo.
One of the show’s best creations is the Music Meister, voiced by Emmy winner Neil Patrick Harris. While the character only serves as a villain in one episode, “Mayhem of the Music Meister,” his influence continued, appearing in comic series and other TV shows, including Supergirl. The rhythmic villain uses his gift of music to control the minds of others, forcing them into hilarious and elaborate musical numbers. These numbers are all entertaining and display genuine emotion, with Music Meister adding one of the best and most singular storylines in any Batman project.
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6 Shriek
Originated in ‘Batman Beyond’ (1999)
Set in the cyberpunk future of Gotham City, Batman Beyond follows the young and rebellious Terry McGinnis, who becomes the new Batman. As an original concept with new characters, this series also introduced many new villains for fans to fall in love with. One such addition is Shriek, a sound engineer who developed a suit capable of manipulating sound to various degrees.
Villains driven to madness because of work and lack of funds aren’t anything new, but the character genuinely started as someone believing in their product to be used for construction. However, Shriek soon became a puppet when someone powerful gave him money and time to complete the suit. As a significant villain in Batman Beyond, fans saw the best of Shriek, from his cool design and powers to the creativity of his schemes.
- Release Date
- January 10, 1999
- Cast
- Will Friedle , Cree Summer , Kevin Conroy , Angie Harmon , Rachael Leigh Cook
- Seasons
- 3
5 Baby Doll
Originated in ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ (1992)
While Batman: The Animated Series had a lot of episodes, it also had many villains, resulting in several fascinating characters only getting a couple of episodes to shine. Baby Doll was an esteemed child actress known for her sitcom role. However, because of her condition, she never physically grew up, looking like a child even in her 30s. Despite her cult following, she only briefly appears in a few other comics and the recent success of Kite Man Hell Yeah!
While quite unassuming, Baby Doll is a terrifying villain driven to insanity because of the prejudice she receives due to her condition. This leads to her kidnapping the original cast of her show and forcing them to reenact it; with her physically being stuck as a child, her mind recoiled into one as well. Baby Doll is perhaps the most tragic original villain because of things she can’t control, just wanting to be normal, making her a unique and well-written villain.
4 Blight
Originated in ‘Batman Beyond’ (1999)
Like most Batman shows, Batman Beyond doesn’t have a main villain; instead, it rotates the rogues’ gallery with each episode. But if there ever were a main villain for the series, it would be Blight, a wealthy businessman who appears in many episodes. Merging his company with Wayne Enterprises to create the Wayne-Powers Conglomerate, Derek Powers would make radical changes, leading to his criminal origin.
While Blight’s extraordinary design and radioactive powers make him an imposing threat, his connection to Batman’s origins makes him special. Powers ordered the death of Terry’s father and the subsequent birth of the new Batman, and Terry, in turn, created Blight when throwing a canister at him. These two characters are intrinsically tied together, blaming each other for their respective traumas, leading to a bitter and compelling rivalry.
3 Inque
Originated in ‘Batman Beyond’ (1999)
While Blight has more of a connection to Batman, Inque is just too powerful and unique to overlook. Her origins aren’t entirely known, but she was born into extreme poverty, leading to her obsession with money and her turn to evil. Unlike most characters, Inque was introduced with her powers, which allow her to turn her body into a featureless black liquid, able to manipulate it at will, kind of serving as the Clayface of Batman Beyond.
Inque is the most frequent villain in
Batman Beyond
, and she provides some of the best episodes in the series.
Metamorphosis isn’t a new power for superheroes, but Inque uses it creatively, allowing for various abilities. From using it to sneak in or out of places to disguising as shadows to creating sharp objects from her body, Inque’s powers are incredibly versatile. Thus, she is the most powerful villain in Terry’s rogues gallery, with him always needing help to take her down. Inque is the most frequent villain in the show, and she provides some of the best episodes in Batman Beyond.
2 Phantasm
Originated in ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ (1993)
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a classic Batman story that takes place after the first season of Batman: The Animated Series and serves as the first movie in the DCAU. The story follows Bruce investigating a new threat in Gotham, taking out crime bosses one by one until he recognizes a pattern that may relate to his past. The main villain is Phantasm, who, in a twist, is revealed to be Andrea Beaumont, Bruce’s fiancé.
Many fans view Mask of the Phantasm as the best Batman movie, and it’s hard to argue with that, as it delves into both Batman and Bruce’s characters. While she hasn’t appeared in much other Batman media, Phantasm is a perfect villain for the movie, serving as a character foil to Batman, who, while similar, adopts a different form of justice/revenge. Phantasm’s character is deeply rooted in Bruce Wayne, with her being the one character who could have stopped him from becoming Batman. Overall, Phantasm is a threatening, relevant, and well-written villain who needs more adaptations.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
- Release Date
- December 25, 1993
- Director
- eric radomski , Bruce W. Timm
- Runtime
- 76 minutes
- Writers
- Alan Burnett , Paul Dini , Bob Kane , Martin Pasko , Michael Reaves , Jerry Robinson
1 Harley Quinn
Originated in ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ (1992)
Who else would top this list other than the Clown Princess of Crime and the newest member of the Bat-Family, Harley Quinn? Introduced as Joker’s sidekick in Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn’s popularity would ramp up and then explode to an all-time high in Suicide Squad. Since then, she has become one of the best Batman villains and one of the most popular characters in DC, earning multiple spin-off movies and TV shows.
While it would be funny to have included Condiment King, one of the most ridiculous yet strangely popular characters, Harley Quinn is easily the best villain introduced outside the comics. Her eccentric nature is perfect for creating exciting dynamics with other characters or being an individual star. With so many story possibilities, Harley Quinn is a diverse character and has quickly become one of the major faces in DC. Whether she is a villain to Batman, a partner in crime with Joker, a member of the suicide squad, or a solo anti-hero, Harley Quinn is one of the greatest characters introduced outside the comics.
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