The Batman Arkham franchise is widely considered to be the greatest in superhero video game history. Starting with Arkham Asylum all the way up to Arkham Knight, the games were often met with critical acclaim for nearly every aspect. As good as the graphics, gameplay, and story were, the highlight may have been the rogues' gallery.
Batman has a slew of iconic villains and many believe it is the best collection of bad guys that any comic book hero faces off against. The games featured the iconic ones and told their stories in an interesting fashion. Some of these villains stood out above the rest.
Updated on April 12, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: The Batman Arkham series is full to the brim with amazing gameplay, brilliant stories, and a wealth of memorable characters that fans absolutely adore. The various villains that Batman needs to fight in the series are pretty iconic, with their boss fights being pretty memorable as well. Here are some of the best villains of the Arkham series, ranked on the basis of how impactful their presence really was.
15 Firefly
Firefly is a pretty unique villain whose flaming attacks can be a pain to deal with. He appears in both Arkham Origins and Arkham Knight, making him a pretty fearsome foe indeed.
However, aside from his penchant to set things ablaze, there are not really too many memorable things about this character. Perhaps it's easy to see why he bags a lower spot on the list.
14 Azrael
Azrael's backstory was pretty epic, although the lack of a boss fight was pretty disappointing. However, that didn't take away from the sheer awesomeness of controlling this character at certain times in the story.
In fact, players could be in control of this character during the final decision, where he can either redeem himself or try and kill the Batman. The latter obviously doesn't go down well, with the character being knocked out and sent packing to Gotham PD.
13 Man-Bat
Man-Bat's first appearance in the Arkham games sent shivers down the spine of any player, especially since it's so unexpected. Being jump scared by this anomaly is a shock that sets up a pretty intriguing sidequest.
While these encounters are few and far between, they still serve as some of the highlights of this delightful game. Finally figuring out the mystery of this beast is a great way to cap off a memorable piece of side content.
12 Victor Zsasz
Victor Zsasz is a sick and twisted individual whose indiscriminate killing needed to be halted by Batman. Gotham was already plagued by many horrors as is, and a serial killer on the loose is the last thing anyone wants to deal with.
It helps that Victor Zsasz is a pretty chilling character, and listing to him speak becomes somewhat of a hypnotic experience at times. He might not be the more riveting antagonist around but makes the most of his limited screen time.
11 Ra's Al Ghul
Ra's Al Ghul is a powerful adversary that many fans of Batman are already familiar with. This immortal being wastes no time in letting players know that he doesn't really like Batman all that much, with his boss fight being a memorable affair indeed.
The fact that some people consider Ra's Al Ghul to be the best boss fight in the game proves just how memorable this foe really is. Unfortunately, he doesn't stick around for too long and is discarded in favor of more important plot threads.
10 Mr. Freeze
There were a lot of possibilities for this final spot. Ra's al Ghul, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, The Mad Hatter, and Hush could all fit here. That's how tremendous the antagonists in these games were. It might surprise some that Mr. Freeze gets the nod since he's actually kind of likable.
His tragic backstory makes you feel for him. That being said, he's still a villain and one who is engaging throughout his appearances. The thing that really puts him over the top is the boss fight from Arkham City. Many consider it the best in the series.
9 Harley Quinn
The popularity of Harley Quinn has risen drastically over the past few years. Margot Robbie's portrayal in the DCEU and the well-received animated series on the DC Universe streaming platform helped. However, a lot of folks might point to these games for when it started.
The look given to Harley Quinn in this series is one many have come to associate with her. It even appeared in 2018's Ready Player One. While Harley doesn't get a major focus or a memorable boss battle, she's a consistent presence who always brings unpredictability and fun to the adventure.
8 Deathstroke
Deathstroke is one of DC's best villains. Just watch his run in CW's Arrow to grasp how incredible Slade Wilson can be. He missed out on the first two installments of this series but made his debut during Arkham Origins. That game was the worst-reviewed in the franchise, but he was a highlight.
There was no master plan or anything like that for Deathstroke. He was simply one of the assassins with a goal of taking out Batman. That led to a tremendous boss encounter where the two engaged in a one on one battle with no frills or shenanigans. Just a fight to see who was the better man.
7 Bane
If this list was made after only Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, Bane wouldn't be anywhere near it. He was kind of just a big, dumb brute in those. When Arkham Origins rolled around though, Bane finally got the shine he deserved in a video game.
The character is highly intelligent and discovers Batman's true identity before anyone else. He proved to be a match for Batman even without TN-1. Once he took the formula, the fight with him felt like something out of a survival horror game. Bane lost the knowledge of Batman's identity, but fans will never forget him in Arkham Origins.
6 The Penguin
Oswald Cobblepot is one of the characters with the best designs throughout the series. Everything about him feels true to the comics while being just unique enough. There's something welcome about a bad guy who is a straight-up mobster in a world of supervillains.
It's interesting to see his development over the series. He goes from a gangster in Gotham's high society to a villain with a hideout to someone who is desperate to beat Batman. By the time Arkham Knight rolls around, he's willing to team with others out of his disdain for the Bat.
5 Hugo Strange
In terms of being physically imposing, Professor Hugo Strange is far behind the likes of Bane. However, there was something about him that let you know he wasn't someone to mess with. As soon as Arkham City opened, gamers understood that he was a threat.
His calm demeanor is so different from everyone else that Batman does battle with. Throughout Arkham City, he doesn't appear often but is always heard through announcements. He figured out Batman's identity and manipulated everyone with his intellect.
4 The Riddler
Fans who have only paid attention to the versions of The Riddler they saw in things like Batman Forever were probably surprised with the Arkham series. Edward Nygma is one of the most consistent presences in the franchise. Players must collect a ton of Riddler trophies throughout the games.
While that can get tedious, the payoff is worth it. The face to face with The Riddler is outstanding. Many have compared this version of the character to Jigsaw from the Saw film franchise. That's appropriate since his games and traps were often deadly.
3 Arkham Knight
As the storyline to Arkham Knight progressed, you got the sense that the titular villain was a worthy foe. He seemed to always be a step ahead of Batman, knew everything about him, and could go toe-to-toe with him in combat. But what put him over the top was his backstory.
The way the scene plays out where gamers discover his identity is some of the best work in the series. The reveal that he is Jason Todd, gone mad after brutal torture at the hands of The Joker, was masterful. The only thing keeping him from ranking higher is that he was kind of the #2 villain in his game and he ultimately saved Batman in the end.
2 Scarecrow
Throughout Arkham Asylum, Scarecrow delivered some of the game's most unique, creepy, and entertaining moments. It reached a point where fans were clamoring for his return in a later game. They got what they wanted in Arkham Knight.
Though the game is named after another character, Scarecrow was really the main villain. It was his fear toxin that was threatening the city, and he's the final fight for Batman. In fact, he came closer to defeating Batman than any other villain in the franchise.
1 The Joker
Batman's greatest adversary in the comics and films also tops the list for video games. The Joker was the main antagonist in Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. Getting Mark Hamill to voice him made everything better. In Arkham Asylum, you could tell that Joker relished the chance to play games with Batman.
In Arkham City, his plan is even better, and the twist is top-notch. His death was a legitimate shock. Come Arkham Knight, he still played a huge factor, taking up residence in Batman's head. Even after death, Joker was Batman's rival. Add in what he did to Jason Todd, and it's clear that he was the best villain.