There are so many iconic villains in Batman ’s rogues ’ gallery – from the Joker to Catwoman to the Penguin to the Riddler , the list goes on – that the Dark Knight himself is rarely the most interesting character in Batman pic . It ’s become a kind of franchise tradition for a villain to slip the spotlight from the Caped Crusader .

As expectant as Michael Keaton ’s performance as Bruce Wayne was , he was upstaged by Michelle Pfeiffer ’s Catwoman . As great as Christian Bale ’s execution as Bruce Wayne was , he was upstaged by Heath Ledger ’s Joker .

Uma Thurman As Poison Ivy

The chief villain in Joel Schumacher ’s wildly controversialBatman & Robinis Arnold Schwarzenegger ’s Mr. Freeze , but he ’s relegated to delivering trash - base puns . Uma Thurman ’s Poison Ivy is well the film ’s most compelling villain .

Poison Ivy is let down by a debile script – she ’s scotch with a brace of rubber back talk – but the eccentric is redeemed by perfect cast . Fresh off of her star - making turn as Mia Wallace , Thurman give a classic femme fatale carrying out as Poison Ivy .

Danny DeVito As The Penguin

After injecting a healthy dose of darkness into Batman ’s on - screen adventure in his innovational 1989 film , Tim Burton went even drear and gloomierfor the sequel , Batman Returns . His horror - tinged vision of Gotham is complement by Danny DeVito ’s sinister act as the Penguin .

DeVito run into the cartoonish look of the character with an absurdly sadistic stripe and a patriotic army of penguin at his side . Keaton ’s Batman was enamour as always , but DeVito steal every scene he was in .

Jim Carrey As The Riddler

Schumacher ’s first Batman movie , Batman Forever , did a complete 180 from the flavor of the Burton movie , result the darkness behind and harken back to the campy musical note of the Adam West serial .

Jim Carrey ’s zany turn as the Riddler fit this flavour like a glove . Carrey dials up the eccentricity so much that he not only upstaged Val Kilmer ’s performance as Batman ; he upstaged Tommy Lee Jones ’ operation as the film ’s other villain , Two - side .

Zoë Kravitz As Catwoman

Zoë Kravitz reinvent the character reference of Selina Kyle in the Bat ’s most late big - screen outing . Matt Reeves’The Batmantakes cues from the neo - noir classicKlutein its portrayal of a romance between a socially awkward investigator and a central witness in his latest case .

Whereas Catwoman is usually depicted as a standard femme fatale , Kravitz portrayed her as astonishingly sympathetic . Like Batman , she ’s a vigilante with a tragical backstory , set to bring down Gotham ’s deplorable underworld .

Tom Hardy As Bane

Tom Hardy was go out with some preposterously oversized boots to make full when he was cast as the baddie inThe Dark Knight Risesand had to follow up Heath Ledger ’s Academy Award - win portrayal of the Joker .

His number as Bane is decidedly campier and more amusing than Ledger ’s disturbing performance , but he ’s still iconic ( and he still steal every scene from Batman ) .

Jack Nicholson As The Joker

In Burton ’s originalBatmanmovie , despite Batman being the title fibre , Jack Nicholson gets top billing over Michael Keaton . The classic 1989Batmanfilm is as much of a Joker movie as a Batman movie , detailing the Clown Prince of Crime ’s descent in even more item than the Caped Crusader ’s .

In the use of the Joker , Nicholson channels the same unnerving psychosis that made his performance as Jack Torrance so iconic : “ Have you ever dance with the Devil in the pallid moonshine ? ”

Liam Neeson As Ra’s Al Ghul

Liam Neeson ’s character inBatman Beginsis introduced as Henri Ducard , but he change by reversal out to be B - level Batman villain Ra ’s al Ghul . As the loss leader of the League of Shadows , Ducard wise man Bruce Wayne before he ’s unwrap to be the big bad .

As both the caring father figure he initially pretend to be and the minacious antagonist he really is , Neeson ’s   Ra ’s al Ghul is a riveting screen presence who take over the glare from Christian Bale .

Colin Farrell As The Penguin

WithThe Batman , Reeves set out to make a ground Batman film , and Colin Farrell gives one of the most anchor performances in the motion-picture show as Carmine Falcone ’s trusted right - hand man , Oswald Cobblepot . Farrell ’s turn as the Penguinis the polar antonym of DeVito ’s performance fromBatman Returns .

Farrell play the Penguin as a mid - plane gangster who would n’t be out of home in a Scorsese criminal offence motion-picture show . He also gets all the funniest moments in a mostly humorless movie with his dry , sardonic communication channel obstetrical delivery .

Michelle Pfeiffer As Catwoman

Danny DeVito ’s Penguin is n’t the only villain who dominate Michael Keaton ’s Dark Knight inBatman Returns . Michelle Pfeiffer give arguably an even more memorable performance as Catwoman . True to the comics , Pfeiffer play Catwoman as a quintessential femme fatale . But she also act as into the horror element of Burton ’s vision .

Pfeiffer ’s Catwoman is n’t just a straightforward villain ; she ’s an empowering human body who becomes a fearless vigilante after her vicious hirer tries to mutilate her .

Heath Ledger As The Joker

There have been wad of picture - steal villains inthe history of Batman movies , but by far the most memorable is Heath Ledger ’s Oscar - get ahead portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime . Famously inspired by Alex DeLarge and Sid Vicious , Ledger ’s Joker is a genuinely mesmerizing on - screen front .

Whenever he show up in a scene , audiences bury they ’re even ascertain a Batman movie as they ’re captivated by a soliloquy about scar or a pile of burning money or an exploding infirmary .

NEXT:10 Best Villain Performances In DC Movies

Comic book art: batman by arkham asylum

Comic book art: Batman faces the four Robins: Nightwing Dick Grayson, Red Hood Jason Todd, Red Robin Tim Drake, and Robin Damian Wayne.

A collage image of Luke Skywalker in A New Hope

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

Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy in Batman and Robin raising a small biting plant.

Warner Bros.

Danny Devito as the Penguin staring at the viewer in Batman Returns.

Warner Bros.

Jim Carrey as The Riddler in Batman Forever

Selina Kyle has coffee in The Batman

Bane looking down in The Dark Knight Rises

Jack Nicholson’s Joker laughing in Batman 1989

Ra’s Al Ghul (Liam Neeson) sparring with Bruce Wayne (Christina Bale) in Batman Begins

Colin Farrell as Penguin in The Batman

Catwoman lying on a bed in Batman Returns

Heath Ledger as The Joker sitting in a cell in The Dark Knight

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