Batman’s on-screen adventures have always been characterized as much by his villains as by the Dark Knight himself. From the campy bewilderment of the 1960s to the darker tone of earthier interpretations in recent years, Gotham’s villains have set the tone for each film and left their stamp. Sorting Batman’s most frightening movie villains from least to most frightening is an exercise that necessitates some ghoul-like consideration.
1. The Riddler 1966
Frank Gorshin’s Riddler is a giggle, not a goosebump. In a green suit with question marks all over it, he makes a big point of doing tricks and riddles rather than posing as anything real. The lightheartedness of the 1966 version makes him funny but certainly not frightening.
2. The Penguin (Batman: The Movie, 1966)
Burgess Meredith is a classic actor with an odd laugh and quirky gadgets. But as his co-villains in the film, this Penguin is funnier than frightening. He’s a classic, but not nightmare fuel so much.
3. Bane (Batman & Robin, 1997)
In this iteration, Bane is all brawn and no brain. Portrayed by Jeep Swenson, he’s essentially a snarling henchman with none of the brain or threat fans are used to in the comics. The showy nature of the film only makes him seem more cartoonish than menacing.
4. Catwoman (Batman: The Movie, 1966)
Lee Meriwether’s Catwoman brings a little toughness to the movie, employing charm and deception. Her deceptions are sly but never reach truly threatening levels. Nonetheless, she’s sneakier than most of her campy co-stars.
5. Max Shreck (Batman Returns, 1992)
Christopher Walken portrays Max Shreck as a cold-blooded businessman who has no use for anyone getting in his way. He’s ruthless and calculating, but in a movie full of cartoonlike villains, his realistic evil seems less impressive.
6. The Joker (Batman: The Movie, 1966)
Cesar Romero’s Joker is the first live-action interpretation of the Clown Prince of Crime. He’s boisterous, over-the-top, and maniacal all the time, but never actually scary. He’s iconic enough, just not frightening.
7. Two-Face (Batman Forever, 1995)
Tommy Lee Jones brings loads of energy, but minimal subtlety, to Harvey Dent. This Two-Face is not the tragic, dual-personality villain that fans had been waiting for, but rather indiscriminate disaster and loud fashion. He’s fun, but scary isn’t quite the right word.
8. Poison Ivy (Batman & Robin, 1997)
Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy is acted out with a stagey sense of camp, using seduction and poison in a bid to manipulate the characters around her. Despite her dark side, the film’s campy nature takes away from her ability to be menacing. She’s flashy, but not quite frightening.
9. The Riddler (Batman Forever, 1995)
Jim Carrey gives a manic performance full of wild costume changes. His Bruce Wayne fixation does produce some creepy moments—most notably when he breaks into the Batcave—but generally, his approach is more wacky than sinister.
10. Talia al Ghul (The Dark Knight Rises, 2012)
Marion Cotillard’s Talia resides in plain sight and gains Bruce Wayne’s confidence before making her identity known. Her treachery is deliberate, and though she is not given much screen time, it makes her actions resonate.
11. Bane (The Dark Knight Rises, 2012)
Tom Hardy’s Bane is a force to be reckoned with—both physically and mentally. He’s steady, focused, and merciless, breaking Batman both physically and spiritually. His systematic dismantling of Gotham makes him one of the most formidable villains Batman has ever encountered.
12. The Penguin (Batman Returns, 1992)
Danny DeVito makes the Penguin a grotesque, tragic villain. With flipper hands, black bile, and a hatred of Gotham, he’s as sad as he is disturbing. His plan to kidnap and kill children brings the villainy to an all-time low.
13. The Riddler (The Batman, 2022)
Paul Dano’s Riddler is of his caliber. This one is influenced by actual serial killers and makes the Riddler a very eerie character. His cryptic messages and violent crimes compel Batman to play a wild game of hide and seek.
14. The Joker (Batman, 1989)
Jack Nicholson infuses the Joker with disordered energy, mixing charm with danger. He’s melodramatic and frightening, ever prepared with a killing joke or macabre punchline. His volatility makes him one of Batman’s most feared foes.
15. The Joker (The Dark Knight, 2008)
Heath Ledger’s Joker is a lesson in villainy. He’s not only dangerous—he’s frighteningly unpredictable. Ledger’s performance is creepy, from his unsettling voice to his twisted sense of humor. This Joker doesn’t desire money or power—he wants to see the world go up in flames, and that’s what makes him Batman’s scariest adversary yet.