Every Batman Villain Movie & TV Show, Ranked

Batman has one of the greatest rogues' galleries in comic-book history, and it's hardly surprising that Hollywood has repeatedly looked beyond the Dark Knight himself to explore the colorful criminals, theatrical psychopaths, and deeply troubled individuals lurking in Gotham City. From the Joker's complicated psychology to Harley Quinn's chaotic adventures, these DC characters have proved more than capable of carrying their own movies and television shows. However, taking Batman out of the equation presents an interesting creative challenge. Some villains become considerably more compelling when given room to explore their histories, motivations, and relationships beyond their rivalry with the Caped Crusader. Others lose something without Gotham's greatest detective keeping them in check. The best projects understand that Batman's enemies aren't simply colorful obstacles for a superhero to overcome; many are fascinating characters in their own right. Of course, not every attempt has been successful. Some productions have delivered terrific performances and imaginative reinventions, while others have struggled with underdeveloped characters, muddled storytelling, or an unfortunate misunderstanding of what makes these villains so entertaining. 12 Catwoman (2004) Halle Berry deserved considerably better than the infamous live-action Catwoman. Berry plays Patience Phillips, a timid graphic designer who discovers a sinister conspiracy involving the cosmetics company employing her before being resurrected with feline abilities. Unfortunately, this version of Catwoman has little connection to Selina Kyle, Gotham City, or Batman's mythology. Instead, audiences get an increasingly ridiculous superhero origin story involving anti-aging cosmetics, magical Egyptian cats, and some truly questionable dialogue. Berry brings plenty of personality to the role, and Catwoman has an undeniable early-2000s camp appeal, but neither can compensate for its incoherent storytelling and confusing action scenes. 11 Suicide Squad (2016) Credit: MovieStillsDB David Ayer's Suicide Squad has an exciting premise: assemble some of DC's most dangerous criminals, give them a seemingly impossible mission, and watch the fireworks. Unfortunately, the 2016 blockbuster struggles to deliver on that promise. Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Will Smith's Deadshot are thoroughly entertaining, and Viola Davis makes Amanda Waller an appropriately terrifying presence. However, Suicide Squad's villains rarely get enough meaningful development, with characters such as Killer Croc and Captain Boomerang receiving precious little to do. It seemingly forgot that these characters should be entertainingly awful, not simply miserable criminals delivering interchangeable tough-guy dialogue. Jared Leto's Joker is another major disappointment. The choppy editing, excessive exposition, and underwhelming Enchantress storyline compound the problems. There are entertaining moments, but they are buried in some surprisingly boring chaos. 10 Joker: Folie À Deux (2024) Todd Phillips' follow-up to his Oscar-winning Joker, Joker: Folie À Deux, takes some fascinating creative risks, even if it is considerably less successful. Joaquin Phoenix returns as Arthur Fleck, now incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital and awaiting trial for his murders. Lady Gaga joins the story as Lee Quinzel, a fellow inmate whose fascination with Arthur's murderous alter ego is one of the movie’s strongest elements. Turning Joker: Folie À Deux into a musical courtroom drama is an interesting way to explore Arthur's relationship with the Joker persona, especially as the film questions whether audiences care about the damaged individual or simply the theatrical criminal. Unfortunately, the musical sequences rarely develop into particularly memorable numbers, and the choice to completely undo the original is particularly frustrating. 9 Kite Man: Hell Yeah! (2024–) Image via Max One of DC's most ridiculous villains finally gets his moment in the spotlight, and it’s considerably more entertaining than the premise suggests. Spinning out of the excellent Harley Quinn animated series, Kite Man: Hell Yeah! sees Charles Brown and Golden Glider attempt to establish a bar catering to Gotham's criminal underworld. Matt Oberg's wonderfully enthusiastic Kite Man is an inspired protagonist, and the supporting cast provides plenty of opportunities for absurd criminal escapades. The series also benefits from its willingness to poke fun at DC's wider mythology without treating its characters as disposable jokes. That said, Kite Man: Hell Yeah! occasionally struggles to maintain momentum, and its emotional storylines aren't always that compelling. 8 Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay (2018) The brutal animated Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay gives the team a much better showcase than the 2016 live-action movie. Amanda Waller assembles Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Bronze Tiger, Killer Frost, and Copperhead to retrieve a mysterious card capable of granting its owner a single pass into Heaven. It has an entertaining sense of urgency, with Waller's deteriorating health making the mission considerably more personal. Deadshot receives a particularly satisfying character arc, providing some welcome emotional substance amid the violence and backstabbing. Hell to Pay doesn't reinvent the Suicide Squad formula, but it feels much closer to the movie audiences were promised with the live-action Suicide Squad. 7 Catwoman: Hunted (2022) The stylish animated movie Catwoman: Hunted depicts the feline thief as she attempts to steal a priceless emerald, attracting the attention of Interpol, Batwoman, and the criminal organization Leviathan. Elizabeth Gillies provides an appropriately mischievous voice performance, while Stephanie Beatriz's Batwoman is an ideal foil for Selina's self-serving instincts. Catwoman: Hunted's anime-inspired animation gives its action sequences a distinctive visual identity, and it boasts plenty of elaborate heists and extravagant confrontations. Importantly, Selina is a morally complicated protagonist rather than suddenly becoming a conventional superhero. While certainly fun, Catwoman: Hunted occasionally favors style over substance, but it’s a sleek and dynamic look at characters so often overshadowed. 6 The Suicide Squad (2021) Image via Everett Collection James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad assembles another expendable collection of supervillains for a mission to destroy a secret research facility on Corto Maltese. Idris Elba's Bloodsport, Daniela Melchior's Ratcatcher 2, David Dastmalchian's Polka-Dot Man, and Sylvester Stallone's King Shark form an excellent ensemble, and Margot Robbie gets another opportunity to demonstrate why she is such a thrilling Harley Quinn. Gunn's outrageous humour and spectacularly inventive violence forge a distinctive personality, but there's genuine emotional substance underneath the carnage. Ratcatcher 2's relationship with her father is particularly affecting, while Polka-Dot Man's trauma gives an otherwise absurd character unexpected tragedy. The Suicide Squad's sprawling ensemble occasionally limits individual development, but this is an enormously entertaining showcase for DC's misfits. 5 Clayface (2026) © Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection The DCU’s Clayface explores the transformation of a promising Hollywood actor into a grotesque, shape-shifting monster. Actor Matt Hagen undergoes an experimental treatment intended to restore his appearance, only to discover that its consequences are considerably more horrifying than anticipated. There's an obvious connection to Batman: The Animated Series' celebrated treatment of the character, particularly its emphasis on the human tragedy underneath the monstrous exterior. Tom Rhys Harries is very compelling, and the body-horror sequences make Hagen's transformation appropriately disturbing. However, its emotional storytelling doesn't always reach the heights of the animated series, and it sometimes seems emotionally inconsistent. Clayface is an ambitious, frequently effective reinvention, even if it doesn't quite achieve its full potential. 4 Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) (2020) Credit: Claudette Barius / © Warner Bros. / courtesy Everett Collection Birds of Prey is a gloriously chaotic superhero adventure that gives Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn room to become something considerably more interesting than the Joker's girlfriend. Following her breakup with the Clown Prince of Crime, Harley finds herself targeted by Gotham's criminal underworld, particularly Roman Sionis, AKA Black Mask. Her increasingly complicated journey brings her into contact with Huntress, Black Canary, and Detective Renee Montoya, eventually establishing an unlikely alliance between the four women. The feminist perspective is refreshingly direct without feeling tokenistic or heavy-handed. It boasts an anarchic sense of humor, colourful cinematography and bombastic action sequences, crafting its own distinctive identity. Ewan McGregor is particularly entertaining as the flamboyantly vicious Sionis, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead makes Huntress an unexpectedly hilarious addition. The storytelling in Birds of Prey occasionally feels thin when juggling its numerous characters, but the infectious energy more than compensates. 3 Joker (2019) Todd Phillips' Joker demonstrated that a comic-book villain could headline a genuinely ambitious piece of cinema without relying on conventional superhero spectacle. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Arthur Fleck, a struggling comedian whose increasingly desperate circumstances push him towards a violent transformation. Drawing heavily on the psychological urban dramas of Martin Scorsese, particularly Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, Joker approaches Gotham as a decaying society. Phoenix's extraordinary central performance gives Arthur's deterioration an unsettling vulnerability, while the cinematography and Hildur Guðnadóttir's haunting score establish an oppressive atmosphere. Its bleak worldview and treatment of violence proved divisive, and the grounded approach stripped the character of his theatricality. Nevertheless, Joker's artistic ambition and cultural impact are difficult to dispute.