[[{“value”:”
Harvey Dent is now one of DC’s most widely adapted characters in movies and TV shows, though not all renditions rank the same. In typical Batman lore, Harvey Dent is Gotham’s District Attorney before an acid attack by Salvatore Maroni severely disfigures half of his face. This causes Dent to descend into a life of crime as Two-Face, one of Batman’s most iconic rogues’ gallery members obsessed with duality and leaving fateful decisions to the flip of a coin.
Dent doesn’t typically boast any superpowers and instead adds to the litany of Gotham’s gun-toting crime bosses. This doesn’t make the character any less compelling, however, as his striking visage is among the most recognizable when it comes to DC villains. His obsessive characterization, meanwhile, is another of his most compelling features, often making him a somewhat sympathetic DC villain. Throughout his numerous adaptations, some movies and TV shows hit the mark with Dent better than others.
13 Andy Daly In Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn’s Dent Doesn’t Embody Many Hallmarks
Unlike many Two-Face adaptations, the version that appears in the critically acclaimed Harley Quinn show plays a relatively central role. His involvement ramps up in season 2 when he becomes a primary antagonist to Harley Quinn and joins up with the Injustice League. Unfortunately for Daly’s Dent, the adult-themed and exaggerated comedy of Harley Quinn works against his characterization.
Harley Quinn‘s Harvey Dent is such an outright villain that he routinely betrays his fellow villains. This flies in the face of what makes Dent so compelling, as he is typically in conflict with his desire to do good when carrying out acts of evil. Instead, Harley Quinn takes the Two-Face moniker literally and ascribes the name to the personality, turning him into a caricature that – while hilarious – does not speak to Harvey Dent’s true character.
12 Yuri Lowenthal In Gotham By Gaslight
Victorian Era Harvey Dent Is Overtly Unlikable
Gotham By Gaslight explores the Batman mythos in a Victorian Elseworlds setting and centers around the crimes of Jack the Ripper. Dent appears as an old school friend of Bruce Wayne and acts as the movie’s secondary antagonist. Unfortunately, he never undergoes a Two-Face transformation and is portrayed as outwardly villainous nonetheless. While Yuri Lowenthal does a great job with the voice, it is not enough to excuse the departure from Two-Face’s origins.
Gotham by Gaslight is loosely based on the 1989 one-shot graphic of the same name.
This version of Dent shows very few redeeming features, as he is also willing to throw his old friend under the bus out of jealousy – again embodying a two-faced personality, but not Two-Face’s. He is shown to be a misogynist womanizer with no true desire to fight for justice. Both of these factors detract from both his core comic book origins and the version of Dent portrayed in the Gotham by Gaslight one-shot graphic novel.
11 Harry Lawtey In Joker: Folie Á Deux
Joker 2’s Harvey Dent Is Loose And Less Explored Interpretation Of The Character
Warning! This entry contains spoilers for Joker: Folie à DeuxHarvey Dent’s role in Joker: Folie à Deux is as the Assistant District Attorney before any attack or accident scars his face and turns him into Two-Face. His role is pivotal but minor as he is the one to doggedly pursue the death penalty for Arthur Fleck and lead the charge against him in his very public trial. He would ultimately fall foul of the car bomb that grants Fleck a moment of freedom, leading to one side of his face being lacerated by the blast – though this would be the last seen of Lawtey’s Dent.
Despite his pursuit of justice against Fleck, this version of Harvey Dent comes across as a particularly smarmy character – though it is hard to say how much of his characterization is part of Fleck’s delusion – seeking to further his own career. This works against his portrayal as the most compelling versions of Dent typically fall from grace as a likable and more overtly virtuous character. The fact that Lawtey’s Dent does not boast much screen time (and, therefore, character development) compounds this.
10 Nicholas D’Agosto In Gotham
Gotham’s Harvey Dent Is Frustratingly Never Turned Into Two-Face
Nicholas D’Agosto’s Harvey Dent plays an important role in Gotham in earlier seasons as the eponymous city’s Assistant District Attorney but once again never makes the full transformation into Two-Face. He makes only minor appearances later in the five-season show but is a close ally of Jim Gordon in earlier episodes. The two work together in their attempts to bring justice and peace to Gotham – ideals in which this version of Dent seems to truly believe.
Instead, Dent’s duality and dark side are merely hinted at in the form of outbursts and choice lighting throughout his appearances.
While D’Agosto’s portrayal of a more virtuous version of Harvey Dent before his Two-Face transformation is laudable, it is frustrating that this character was never fully transformed. Instead, Dent’s duality and dark side are merely hinted at in the form of outbursts and choice lighting throughout his appearances. Due to being underutilized in later seasons, this version of Dent feels like wasted potential.
9 James Remar And Richard Moll In Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave And The Bold Features A Lighthearted And Simplified Two-Face
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is another lighthearted take on the Caped Crusader, with a rogues’ gallery that leans into the more theatrical side of their characterization. Two-Face is no different as he typically appears as part of an ensemble of Batman villains, but still displays his penchant for duality and his coin. His appearances throughout the show are relatively sporadic in this manner.
Remar and Moll’s takes on the character are simplified yet still comic-accurate and undeniably fun. Batman: The Brave and the Bold‘s tone does not quite match the inherently tragic character of Harvey Dent, yet Remar and Moll make it work nonetheless with an over-the-top depiction of the villain that still maintains his most iconic characteristics. This is also a memorable, green-skinned version of Two-Face that works well with the show’s distinctive art style.
8 Diedrich Bader In Batman: Caped Crusader
Batman: Caped Crusader Flips Harvey Dent’s Defining Features
Batman: The Caped Crusader is a joint venture by JJ Abrams, Matt Reeves, and Batman: The Animated Series head producer, Bruce Timm, that takes a more mature approach to animated Batman offerings. Set in the 1940s, it is reminiscent of Batman’s roots while delivering fresh but welcome new spins on his rogues’ gallery. Harvey Dent is a recurring character throughout the series as a smarmy, corrupt DA who becomes central to the series finale as a heroic figure.
Dent’s disfigured side is typically representative of his villainous side in DC Comics and beyond, whereas the opposite is true in Batman: Caped Crusader.
Diedrich Bader’s take on Harvey Dent is notably different from typical depictions insofar as his facial disfigurement makes him less villainous. Dent’s disfigured side is typically representative of his villainous side in DC Comics and beyond, whereas the opposite is true in Batman: Caped Crusader. Instead, Dent turns from a smarmy, corrupt politician in the lead-up to his acid attack to an antihero in season 1, episode 10. This contextualization is a breath of fresh air as it does not fundamentally warp the duality that Dent embodies.
7 Billy Dee Williams In Batman & The LEGO Batman Movie
Both Roles Were Minor But Memorable
Billy Dee Williams has portrayed Harvey Dent twice in DC media. His first and most significant was as Harvey Dent in 1989’s Batman starring Michael Keaton in the titular role. The City of Gotham’s District attorney plays a minor role as a straight-laced champion of justice against organized crime in Gotham. While he does not transform into Two-Face in Batman, Billy Dee Williams’ role in The LEGO Batman Movie pays off the role that could have been – though it is, again, very minor and decidedly more comedic.
Billy Dee Williams’ portrayal of Harvey Dent in Batman was well-received for his charm and confidence, though he would never be afforded the chance to flesh this out in a later installment. Despite his minor role, Williams perfectly conveyed a pre-transformation Dent as an idealistic and competent DA with virtuous goals, perfectly setting up his transformation down the line. There was a high demand for Billy Dee Williams to return to the role after his Batman Forever snub, which speaks volumes about what he brought to the role.
6 Tommy Lee Jones In Batman Forever
Tommy Lee Jones’ Frenetic Portrayal Of Harvey Dent Is Unforgettable
The lurid motifs of 1995’s Batman Forever were a stark departure from Tim Burton’s gothic take on the Batman mythos, which was encapsulated by the movie’s villainous double-act, Two-Face and The Riddler. The movie sees Two-Face fully embody his villainous persona from the jump, being introduced with a characteristic flip-of-the-coin. His exceptionally campy depiction of the character who is hellbent on murdering Batman for relatively superficial reasons, has yet to be equaled outside of animations.
While Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face is a somewhat controversial interpretation, he still displays many of his most important hallmarks.
While Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face is a somewhat controversial interpretation, he still displays many of his most important hallmarks. His obsession with duality and luck is still at the forefront of this flamboyant portrayal, which, when combined with his preoccupation with flipping his fateful coin, is at least somewhat comic-accurate. While this version of Two-Face may rub some fans the wrong way, there’s no denying that Jones’ portrayal is still incredibly memorable.
5 Misha Collins In Gotham Knights
Misha Collins’ Harvey Dent Was A Highlight Of The Show
Gotham Knights takes place in Gotham after Bruce Wayne’s death, leaving a group of young vigilantes to pick up the slack. Dent plays a central role in the series, which depicts his slow transformation into Two-Face across 13 episodes. While this transformation is finalized in the series finale, Misha Collins’ portrayal of Harvey Dent shows the slow but inevitable decline of his moral character before being disfigured by acid pushes him over the edge.
The relatively poor reception to Gotham Knights puts Misha Collins’ Harvey Dent in a precarious position, but his portrayal remains a series highlight. While he does not embody the role of a Batman villain specifically, the characterization of Harvey Dent as a genuinely well-meaning District Attorney struggling with a dark side that steadily takes over as the series progresses is worthy of note. Unfortunately, Collins was unable to properly deliver a take on Two-Face before the show’s cancelation.
4 Willaim Shatner In Batman Vs. Two-Face
William Shatner Delivers Some Brilliant Voice Acting
Batman Vs. Two-Face is a continuation of the Batman show of the 1960s with Adam West in the starring role. The straight-to-video animated movie depicts a particularly troubled version of Harvey Dent who is at odds with his Two-Face persona, culminating in a battle for control between the two. Despite featuring a tortured version of Dent, it maintains the campy tone of the 1960s Batman franchise, featuring such set pieces as the “Evil Extractor,” which extracts liquid evil, and a climactic final bout involving a bi-plane.
Batman Vs. Two-Facewas Adam West’s final appearance as Batman and was released posthumously.
Despite the over-the-top and whimsical content in this appearance, Shatner delivers a surprisingly touching take on Harvey Dent in Batman Vs. Two-Face. The movie actually delves refreshingly deep into the character and Harvey Dent’s struggle to wrest control from an evil personality in Two-Face. Shatner’s performance is especially praiseworthy, helping to hammer home the duality of Dent’s dual personalities with a strong vocal performance that makes both sides distinct.
3 Josh Duhamel In Batman: The Long Halloween
The Long Halloween Adapts One Of The Best Harvey Dent Origin Stories
Batman: The Long Halloween is a two-part adaptation of the comic run of the same name. It remains one of the definitive stories surrounding Harvey Dent, who plays a central role as his origin story plays out in a typical fashion. After being at the forefront of the effort to solve the holiday-based murders occurring in Gotham, Dent’s doubts about the justice system and its inefficiencies play out as a slow descent into villainy before Sal Maroni cements his transformation into the villainous Two-Face.
Josh Duhamel’s Harvey Dent and Two-Face is a celebrated depiction that is similar to William Shatner’s in his expert ability to convey two distinct sides to Harvey Dent’s personality. This version is also one of the most sympathetic and definitive in its portrayal of Harvey Dent’s character development. It also garnered widespread praise for how faithful it was to the comics on which it is based, perfectly capturing the essence of Harvey Dent and his conflicted persona.
2 Richard Moll In Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: TAS Delivers The Best Animated Version Of Harvey Dent
Batman: The Animated Series easily offers one of the most fleshed-out renditions of Harvey Dent to date thanks to his role extending over 11 appearances. This version of Harvey Dent has a particularly close bond with Bruce Wayne, which makes his transformation into Two-Face via a chemical explosion all the more tragic as Bruce laments his inability to save him and his suspicions about how the accident would affect his psyche. To the bitter end, Bruce does not give up on his friend and repeatedly holds out hope that his better side will eventually shine through.
This happens sporadically throughout Batman: The Animated Series as the battle between Dent’s two personalities pervades his story. Richard Moll – who also voiced the character in Batman: The Brave and the Bold – expertly conveys these two personalities with a gravelly tone for Two-Face that exacerbates his monstrous appearance. To date, Moll’s rendition of Two-Face remains one of the most definitive and iconic – an accolade that can also be claimed by a litany of characters in Batman: The Animated Series.
1 Aaron Eckhart In The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight’s Harvey Dent Is The Most Sympathetic Rendition
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight was responsible for delivering two of the most iconic Batman villains in live-action with Joker taking center stage and Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent becoming the secondary villain. The Dark Knight remains true to Harvey Dent’s comic book origins with a few creative liberties, such as his transformation into Two-Face through Joker’s direct involvement. His dual personality is exacerbated by the death of Rachel, however, as he pivots quite abruptly from being the upstanding District Attorney to submitting to the will of a coin flip, even if it means murdering a child.
This live-action depiction of Two-Face embodies everything required of the character in the space of a single movie. The details surrounding his origin and Eckhart’s portrayal make this the single most sympathetic version of the character that has been adapted. The way in which The Dark Knight weaved Harvey Dent so tightly into the overall narrative also cannot be overlooked, with his transformation into a villain helping to highlight Joker’s own villainy while making Two-Face‘s death one of the franchise’s most significant.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
“}]] Harvey Dent is now one of DC’s most widely adapted characters in movies and TV shows, though not all renditions rank the same. In typical Batman lore, Harvey Dent is Gotham’s District Attorney before an acid attack by Salvatore Maroni severely disfigures half of his face. This causes Dent to descend into a life of Read More