The 9 Smartest Batman Villains

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Batman is one of the most recognizable heroes in comic books, with an extensive history spanning over seventy years. Over the decades, The Dark Knight has branched over into multiple other forms of media, such as animation, live-action films, and video games. Some consider the Batman mythos to be some of the greatest in fiction, and it’s hard to argue with a franchise that has had so much success.

However, it is the villains that make Batman who he is, the dark and twisted minds of Gotham City that Batman must fight against in order to keep the ones he loves safe. The villains of Gotham City are not ordinary thugs or simple-minded ne’er-do-wells; they are extraordinarily bright and near genius-level individuals who all suffered from one bad day. Here are some of the smartest Batman villains.

9

Harley Quinn

A Former Psychiatrist

First Appearance: Batman The Animated Series

Harley Quinn was a victim of the Joker’s influence and pushed into a life of crime after becoming his partner and henchman. However, before the Joker, Harley was a psychiatrist who had earned herself a prominent position at Arkham Asylum.

Harley’s demeanor makes her come off as simple-minded; however, she is precisely the opposite, with a PHD and genius-level intelligence and comprehension skills. Since Harley’s break from the Crown Prince of Crime, she has regained her independence, and during her time as a part of the Suicide Squad, she displayed just how tactical she can be when allowed freedom from Joker’s cruelty.

8

Scarecrow

A Talented Psychiatrist And Chemist

First Appearance: World’s Finest Comics #3

Scarecrow was another brilliant mind that was driven mad inside the walls of Arkham Asylum. Johnathan Crane obtained an adequate education and became a teaching professor in the psychiatric and pharmaceutical fields. Obsessed with the study of fear, Crane was fired after experimenting on his students, and turned to a life of crime as a result.

This pushed him to become the Scarecrow and try to force fear on Gotham City, primarily through the use of his own “fear toxin,” a nerve agent that causes its victims to hallucinate their worst fears. While very knowledgeable in a number of medical fields, Crane’s instability often places him on the wrong side of the law.

7

Bane

A Monstrous Behemoth With The Mind Of A General

First Appearance: Batman: Vengeance Of Bane #1

Bane is perhaps one of Batman’s greatest adversaries, one who can match his skill in combat and his wit in strategy. As the first villain to “Break the Bat,” Bane is often thought of as a brute who relies on performance-enhancing drugs to get the upper hand on the world’s greatest detective.

However, Bane has a soldier’s mind and possesses a high-level IQ that makes him a brilliant strategist. On several occasions, Bane has orchestrated coups against Batman and his entire family and overwhelmed the entirety of Gotham City. Although his use of the Venom compound to enhance his strength makes him a formidable physical adversary, there is much more to Bane than raw strength.

6

Hush

The Mind Of A Madman And A Surgeon

First Appearance: Batman: Hush

Hush first appeared in Batman: Hushas the main villain, one who manipulated Batman from the shadows. In reality, Hush is Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend, Thomas Elliot, who returned to Gotham City to get revenge on the Wayne family for robbing him of his family’s fortune.

While severely unhinged, Hush still received a five-star upbringing, attending the same schools and universities as Bruce and becoming a famous surgeon as a result. In addition, Hush is a master planner who orchestrates a way to take down Batman by crashing the world around him.

5

Joker

A Method To The Madness

First Appearance: Batman #1

The Joker is not just Batman’s greatest foe, but one of the most sinister villains in all of DC Comics. With a history as long as the Dark Knight’s, the Joker is the picture-perfect example of insanity, having tormented the streets of Gotham with chaotic scenes that seem to have no true end goal.

However, the complicated plots, the underhanded manipulation, and the ability to stay just out of arm’s reach of Batman until the final moment scream of Joker’s intellect. While fueled by chaos and psychopathy, the Joker remains one of Batman’s most illusive and cunning villains.

4

Ra’s Al Ghul

Centuries Of Wisdom And Knowledge

First Appearance: Batman #232

Ra’s Al Ghul is the founder and leader of the League of Assassins. He spearheads the League to wipe out the corruption that poisons the world. Unfortunately, over Al Ghul’s long career, he has grown increasingly ruthless, with his definition of corruption endangering the lives of millions.

Ra’s Al Ghul’s cold and callous nature is paired with a brilliant mind that has lived for over six hundred years thanks to the effects of the Lazarus Pit. With a level of experience and knowledge that can not be matched, he has outsmarted and outmaneuvered Batman on more than one occasion.

3

Poison Ivy

Genious Level Scientist

First Appearance: Batman #181

Poison Ivy has been one of Batman’s greatest and most powerful foes since her introduction. However, she started as Pamela Isely, an up-and-coming scientist and botanist. Her professor manipulated and experimented on her, and nearly killed her. However, fate had other plans.

The chemicals used on her altered her biology and gave her control over plants, but they also drove her insane. Even in the depths of her criminal career, Pamela remains a brilliant mind with a versatile comprehension of chemistry, biology, geology, and engineering.

2

Mr. Freeze

The Greatest Cryogenics Mind In The World

First Appearance: Batman #121

Mr. Freeze is a tragic villain in Batman’s rogues gallery. After a freak accident confined him to a specialized suit to regulate his core temperature, Dr. Victor Fries turned to a life of crime in order to facilitate his research, with the goal of restoring his wife Nora’s health.

Before becoming a supervillain, Fries was a prominent doctor and the greatest mind in his field. With a deep understanding of cryogenics and human biology, Mr. Freeze is arguably the most intelligent Batman villain in the comics, and unlike his villainous peers, he is driven by both love and grief, not psychopathy.

1

The Riddler

The Master Of Riddles

First Appearance: Detective Comis #140

The Riddler was not infected by falling into a pit of chemicals, nor was he pushed to the edge, forcing him resort to a life of crime. The Riddler thought himself smarter than every other man in Gotham and became a criminal simple because he could.

Edward Nigma has one of the highest IQs in Gotham City and always brings it up without being asked. With an obsession and compulsion to speak in riddles, the Riddler is constantly at odds with Batman, desperate to prove that he is smarter and seeing Batman as his greatest rival. The Riddler always comes up short when in a battle of wits against Batman, aside from the instance when he discovered his secret identity, but that doesn’t stop him from flexing his intellectual might at every opportunity.

“}]] Many of Batman’s weaker villains try to best him through strength alone, but his greatest villains are able to match his intelligence.  Read More