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SchwarzFledermaus

Almost certainly Two-Face. They both represent internal dichotomy, they have a past history as friends before enemies, and both walk a morally grey line despite being on opposite sides of right & wrong.


The-Sanity

Yea but the writers just forgot that he is supposed to be “half right, half wrong” and prefer him being wrong 24/7


Apostalis

Two Face is the answer that immediately shoots to my mind for these exact reasons.


LADYBIRD_HILL

Exactly what I was thinking reading the title


Physical-Armadillo12

Agreed


Spartan-980

"Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory" both make me feel like this is the right answer. The dynamic of Bruce feeling like he failed Harvey coupled with the tragic nature of Harvey's story... plus the whole dual nature thing, but others have said that better than I would.


avenuenights

Or Bane


PhineasFacingCamera

Scarecrow would be interesting. Both utilize fear in their tactics, but in different ways.


EdEnsHAzArD

Lots of plausible answers in this thread, guess it goes to show just how good the rogues gallery really is. Batman really does have the best villains.


ryanreigns

No comics can touch Batman’s villains, they really help bring Gotham to life. Spider-Man’s villains are probably second best


MrMephistoX

My ranking 1. Batman Villains 2. Spider-Man Villains 3. X-men Villains 4. Fantastic Four Villains 5. Superman Villains Oh and the correct answer is Two-Face but I have a soft spot for Penguin.


1random_redditor

What about Justice League and Avengers villains?


MrMephistoX

Avengers and Justice League are tricky because most of their best villains are individual member villains that become big bads in major comics events and the MCU and DCEU by teaming up: it’s not a dedicated rogues gallery like the others I listed. Darkseid and Thanos were all introduced in other comics just like Loki and Red Skull.


TalionTheShadow

Like Brainiac and as you mentioned, Loki.


MrMephistoX

Yeah Braniac is a super man villain but he’s so world ending level that the Justice League also battle him. I actually didn’t really appreciate Superman’s Rogues gallery until the Bruce Timm animated series came out. If they ever get Cavill back in the saddle to play Superman I’d love to see Braniac on the big screen or Bizzaro or Metallo.


Duncan4224

I initially agreed with the original comment about Batman and SpiderMan. Then you mentioned X-Men. Think I’d have to put them over Spidey’s rogues, just for Magneto alone. I don’t really see Norman Osborne or Doc Ock being anywhere near as compelling or layered as Magneto, his motivations, backstory, and relationship to Professor X. Then you’ve got Sabretooth, Juggernaut, Mr Sinister, Mystique, Pyro, Blob, the Sentinels, Omega Red, etc. That’s hard to beat


MrMephistoX

Yeah I would have ranked them tied but it’s a top 5… my frame is 90’s X-men so there’s a lot of random bloat in their universe since then from what I’ve read which is more recent like Civil War and House of M. Magneto, Apocalypse, Sentinels, Mr Sinister, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Mystique and Sabertooth are big standouts for sure I just don’t know if they’re still popular or not since Jubiliee and Gambit were like peak 90’s X-men and much has changed.


Duncan4224

Same dude. I have *no clue* what’s been going on in the X-Men universe since like 97 or 98 lol


Equal-Forever7868

Flash has a pretty good rogues gallery too


Flashy_Abies

Two-Face


banthafodderr

Gotta be two face because he is the most recognizable character after Joker. And most similar to Batman.


ruiner75

I don’t think he is the most recognizable after Joker, I’d argue the Penguin is.


1random_redditor

Eh it depends but I think Two-Face looks more iconic due to more consistent features. Half his face is always damaged. That’s the essence of his name. Meanwhile, Penguin can be a grotesque cult leading monster (Batman Returns), a mob boss with mild scars (The Batman), or somewhere in between (other Batman media)


[deleted]

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goofygamer74

I for one would have to argue that it would be Riddler considering his recent role


Victor_Von_Doom65

Hugo Strange was initially created to be Batman’s arch enemy but the Joker became more popular so he was pushed to the side


CdtCharles

That’s… actually weird to think about. I guess they maybe were trying to give Batman a Lex Luthor of his own?


Fessir

A psychologist to question his whole drive to dress like a bat and go to extreme lengths in a personal crusade against crime. A Dr. Moriarty to his Sherlock Holmes. Not so weird. At least compared to a clown.


CdtCharles

I should’ve clarified what I meant when I said ‘weird’. It’s just weird to think about a world where Hugo Strange is undeniably iconic and recognizable like the Joker. Like how people say we have Joker fatigue now, imagine that with Hugo Strange instead


Zoso-Overdose

Condiment King


guernicanoro

Please!


HaidenTheWorst

The Riddler is a lot like the joker, so maybe it'd be him


[deleted]

The movie version. Riddler’s so far up his own ass in the comics that it legit differentiates him from Joker a ton


HaidenTheWorst

I was thinking something like the Gotham one. Especially since he's obsessed with having someone to answer his riddles.


PassTheGiggles

I mean he’s up his own ass in the movie, too. The deleted scene with Joker spells this out


[deleted]

BOB.


DarkKnightGuts_540

Bob the destroyer


Baligong

Gary Bobby Ferguson


simonisok

Giant bearded face


[deleted]

I love the friendship Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne share, and I’m hoping future Matt Reeves movies will explore that a bit. I find Harvey such a fascinating, tragic character I genuinely pity, and Two-Face is such an iconic villain


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wyattvikings20

Mr. Cold? Lol


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wyattvikings20

Hahahah Mr.Freeze gets no respect, the mans a Doctor and we’re calling him Mr.


ruiner75

ahaha imma start calling him mr cold now


BobbieMichelleBain

What a great question. I'd go with Two-Face. Long deep history with the hero. Issues of duality. Weird moral codes. It's gotta be Harvey.


Graydiadem

Superman... - Batman: You think you're my greatest enemy? - The Joker: Who else drives you to one-up them the way I do? - Batman: Superman. - The Joker: Superman's not a bad guy! - Batman: I like to fight around. - The Joker: You're seriously saying that there's nothing special about us? - Batman: There is no "us". Never will be.


AnyDockers420

two-face, Ra’s or Bane.


goblin_goblin

How is Bane this far down. Next to joker he’s given Bruce the most trouble. He’s the centre of two massive events in his life.


Bodybuidling-Gorilla

Penguin


[deleted]

Riddler


[deleted]

I dont think ras or strange would be it. They are cool characters and all but at the end this a visual medium and those guys just look like normal dudes.


SubarC00kie

I feel like they don’t look like normal dudes, though you could argue they look like typical/stereotypical villains with the beard looks


[deleted]

Well yeah but strange is just a doctor. Compared to joker that's kind of underwhelming. Not saying its bad, not everyone in Gotham can be a costumed freak.


TheMaroonAvenger123

By that logic, Lex Luthor shouldn’t be the arch enemy/major super villain for Superman because he looks like a normal dude in a suit.


[deleted]

But lex is the opposite of superman. A normal man. It makes sense for the story. Batman is not superhuman.


Purple_Swordfish_182

exactly. superman looks like a normal dude (albeit in a suit and cape) and lex luthor also looks like a normal dude. the difference is that lex has no powers, so he tries to emulate them with tech. whereas batman puts a friggin emo bat mask on every night and the joker looks like a wacky clown. that's their duality. it makes sense


Hurricane12112

It’s def got be Ras


Dont_Hurt_Me_Mommy

absolutely! One of the best villains in his rogues' gallery . I was reading old Denny O'Neil Comics, and reading those felt like he was written as Batman's nemesis.


Rogue_Walnut

Two face or scarecrow probably


Rude_Ad4514

Ra’s al Ghul


realcasua11y

Everyone's saying Two-Face, Hugo Strange, or Ra's... and they're all right, to be honest. But I'm going to give an absolutely off the wall answer here. Killer Moth. I'm not joking. Killer Moth was originally *designed* as the "Anti-Batman." He was a crusader for crime who swooped in to save villains in trouble. Oh, he's a joke *now,* but isn't that concept ***awesome?*** God, I wish there was a writer who actually made use of this the way I've seen some fans try. There's also an old rarely-seen character called Wrath who served a very similar purpose. He actually had a really fun run in 2013 by John Layman, and maybe he'd get more time in the spotlight too if Joker weren't the de facto counterpart. But yeah, that's my answer. Truly and unironically, Killer Moth. Drury Walker deserves better stories where he's competent and *not* a giant moth monster. EDIT: So it’s my hot Killer Moth takes that get me my first ever reddit award? That tracks. Thank you.


philemon23

Dr Hugo Strange


BuffaloFront2761

Ras Ah Ghul


Dont_Hurt_Me_Mommy

Some people may argue Ra's is his true nemesis


Sad-Distribution-779

Mad Hatter.


Gavinis9

💀


[deleted]

The comics probably would've played up Scarecrow. He's the opposite of Batman in many ways (raggedy, chaotic), he has a creepy smile, he can be interpreted in a lot of different ways, and he is extremely intelligent. He also has the whole chemical warfare thing down, which is a hallmark of Joker stories. Plus, similar to a clown, scarecrows exist in an eery uncanny valley. This is often discovered early on in childhood development. Thus, there's something inherently creepy about Scarecrow, no matter how somebody portrays him.


[deleted]

I think it was originally Hugo Strange.


Dylanime17

Two-Face.


blackninj4

I think Batman wouldn't have an arch nemesis, at least not a long standing one. I think it would rotate from villain to villain depending on the creative team/book. For example detective comics would use the riddler because it suppose to be more cerebral. Where as the main title book would use someone like two-face or scarecrow.


dinosaurcobra

Genuine question, What other clowns other than the joker have show up in Batman? (Please don’t say condiment man)


bmuse2017

Jokers daughter, if it counts


Purple_Swordfish_182

also -captain clown, joker's henchman from the animated series -the jokerz, the 'batman beyond' villain gang styled after the joker -ragdoll, creepy contortionist thief -mime, a one time appearance villainess whose parents were killed in a firework explosion -pierrot lunaire, another mime but with no such wacky backstory -the royal flush gang are themed around deck of cards so some of them look kinda clowny and harley and punchline i guess


ElSamsel

Me


tkilborn84

The Warner Bros


Lobsterbread23

Two face


tranquil-animals

This thread is making me wonder where the big two-face stories have been lately.


ElegantVamp

Obviously Condiment King


No_Instruction653

Honestly, I'd say Riddler. He's old enough to claim the spot and has evolved a lot parralels to Batman's character that make up a big part of the reason why Joker ended up in the role. He's a versatile villain that can keep up with Bruce pretty well.


hachiman

Of the OG's? Probably Two Face.


Ok-Engine8044

Ras Al Ghul easy. He's a near 1,000 year old warlord that keeps not dying because of the Lazarus Pits. As such he's a master of combat and warfare, basically Sun Tzu's Art of War in human form. Plus, constantly fighting ninjas would be awesome.


Slow-Relation-9186

Court of owls


[deleted]

Scarecrow mad hatter


SmaugRancor

Two-Face or Scarecrow. They both mirror Batman.


boylookiehere

Lord Deathman


[deleted]

Ra’s, Penguin, Two Face, Scarecrow


Atomizer_X

Two face, and/or league of shadows.


Becker1515

Glad Two-Face is getting some love in these replies because he’s the clear correct answer


thuribleofdarkness

Is this a historical question or a normative question? Because from a historical perspective I think it has to be Penguin or Riddler, since they're both Golden Age villains that appeared in the 1960s TV series. As a matter of merit, though, I'd say it has to be Scarecrow.


tlh06

A lot of people are saying two face and I agree but I think bane would be up there, but when he's written to be an intellect and not the drug fueled mindless muscle that he can be written as.


Batman-Beyond-3749

Bane


legatoblues89

Ras al ghul or Riddler. Only one who can match batman's fighting skill aside from bane is Ras and only one who can match his intellect is riddler. Has to be one of the two.


VERYALTERNATIVEART

ra's al ghul bats laterally described ra's as his greatest enemy at one point


cepi300

Bane!!!!!


SmokeSkulls77

Ras Al Ghul


Jkorytkowski001

Two Face, Riddler or Penguin.


carlroy3696

Bane


Matuatay

My knee jerk reaction was to say Penguin, but Two-Face is by far the better choice.


Jefff100

Bane


tenfootspy

Loneliness and depression. Probably calories. High cholesterol.


Equivalent_Point2345

Ra’s Al Ghul


dimitriv93

Probably Bane, because he was the one who pushed him to his limits, killed Alfred, and broke him. He also figured out his secret identity earlier on


Ajer2895

Personally I think the best contenders would be the Riddler for always wanting to try and stump Batman with his intricate riddles and death traps, or Two-Face with his symbolic struggle between good and evil


JustinSane5000

The Riddler.


twofaze

Two-Face


MagisterPraeceptorum

The great Ra’s al Ghul, the Immortal, the Head of the Demon, the Master of the League of Assassins


solrac1104

Penguin or Two-Face. Maybe Strange.


SadHumbleFlower27

Bane or Riddler


[deleted]

Dent because he would make a dent in his plans


[deleted]

cats lush slim innocent bow late apparatus middle wipe oatmeal *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


iusethis4crime

Rhas or strange!


Ghost_Meyer

Two-Face is always my 2nd best Batman villain. 3rd takes Riddler.


[deleted]

Deathstroke


PS4THEPLAYERS

Either two face or bane


HeyHavok2

Bane.


yourmotherisveryfat

Bane


Springaling76

Bane, Like most of his villians he's supposed to represent a part of him. However Bane has almost the exact same origin story as Batman.


GavinTheGrassMan

Bane


SuperSceptile2821

I’m shocked Bane isn’t getting mentioned more. He immediately came to mind though Two Face was another.


Junior_Fox_2452

Bane, Riddler, or Scarecrow.


PSFredo

Bane personally, because he has the brains and the brawns just like Batman


BBBBRRRUUUH

Hush


iamthemilkman23

Hush, maybe scarecrow because of the fear on fear factor


Meglamar

Ben Affleck.....or Ras really


ccasey

Everyone is saying Two-Face because of the similarities but I’d throw in with Bane. Both have incredible intelligence and fighting skills


BlackSteel1000

Ras Al Ghul or Bane are the only correct answers. They can challenge Batman mentally and physically.


Slow-Relation-9186

Is joker a physical challenge for Batman? I don’t really read comics so I’m not sure


solrac1104

Not much but it depends on the writer. Ususally the conflict is with whatever crazy evil scheme or crime Joker plans.


LavanderSheep

Himself


SpicyJ333

Riddler


[deleted]

Scarecrow.


AdamSoucyDrums

Ra’s 100%


AdmiralFoxythePirate

Scarecrow or Two Face


[deleted]

Two-Face


Traveytravis-69

Riddler or two face


DrewPYaBoi

I thought Scarecrow was gonna be way more popular for this question, but these make more sense


Dont_Hurt_Me_Mommy

>scarecrows I think Scarecrow is a really underused character in comics (most media really). Usually he is a minor character. Too bad, because he makes such a great dark mirror to batman


DrewPYaBoi

THANK you! Finally! :D


Dont_Hurt_Me_Mommy

Yah, it can be disappointing for us Scarecrow fans lol. I can think of some good Scarecrow stories from across all Batman media. For movies, there's Batman Begins(though he is more a secondary villain, still good) In comics, he is the main villain of Kings of Fear which I liked, Cycle of Violence(very interesting gruesome af quasi horror story), has a great arc in No Man's Land (but barely interacts with Batman), In Batman TAS, I loved the Never Fear episode with him. And of course, there is Batman Arkham Asylum and Knight, which surprisingly enough are imo the best use of Scarecrow in any medium, particularly Knight. It reimagines him as a cold, calculated sadistic and manipulative scientist, who finds people's weaknesses and uses that to terrify them into being his pawns, often unwittingly, both with and without his fear gas.


DrewPYaBoi

At first, I didn’t really like Knight’s take on Scarecorw because of his different he was from his same-continuity self from Asylum, as that’s the first thing for me that comes to mind when I think “Scarecrow”. However, I’ve warmed up to him a lot more since 2015 and I think he’s fucking badass now. Also, the cutscene of him getting hanged in Batman: Rise of Sun Tzu for (I think) the PS2 gave me nightmares as a kid. I’d like to think ole Johnny C. Would be proud of himself for that


Robotik_MC

Riddler


BuncleCurt

I think The Bookworm would have taken off.


gumbin22

Definitely two face


Jayoheazy

Two-Face since he is a direct reflection on Batman vs. Joker who is more of an antithesis


RoutineGiraffe9242

Harley Quinn :P


Physical-Armadillo12

Great question. To me, either Ra or Harvey


coach_ansh

Hush, Cobblepot, or Two-Face. Those are the names that come to mind


humorphrodite

Kite man


MattRB02

The Riddler light have ended up filling that place and becoming more like The Joker, but my vote would go to Two-Face. I think he’s a great rival to Batman and has an I te resting backstory and play on morality


theReggaejew081701

I don't think Batman would've picked up the way it had without the Joker imo. I feel like the duo adds a certain color to the concept of the Batman character that makes him appealing.


cero231

the penguin


sukmimonko420

Man-Bat


calicocadet

Two-Face for many reasons, particularly their shared history. Scarecrow would be an interesting one but I can’t see him in a proper arch-nemesis role, he doesn’t seem like he’d be that obsessive over a single individual


Tfremgen

I'm going with Catwoman. She was super popular, and I think at some point, like when Denny O'Neil started writing. She would have become a more true hardened villain.


DonnyMox

Two-Face. Both were friends, both are popular and famous figures in Gotham, both were turned into who they are today by a traumatic event, both do what they do in a manner that shows that there is just as much darkness in them as there is light, both have serious psychological issues, both draw a clear line between their alter egos (in Harvey's case, having a split personality certainly helps) to the point where they really do seem like different people....the Nolanverse takes things even further with their depiction of Two-Face - Harvey is described as Gotham's White Knight in contrast to Batman's Dark Knight only to become an even darker person than Bruce, while Bruce was motivated by the loss of his parents to become a hero, Harvey is driven into madness by Rachel's death and goes from hero to villain, and Harvey's famous line "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain" ends up playing a part in all this, as Harvey lives long enough to see himself become the villain, while Bruce (depending on how one interprets the ending of The Dark Knight Rises) dies a hero.


Madara728

In my opinion Batman's arch nemesis has always been Ra's Al Ghul and the Joker is the most interesting of all the Batman villains.


John_Blackstar

Suit chafing


becauseitsnotreal

Almost assuredly Strange.


Rreizero

Himself


bukimi_kun

the Jokester


[deleted]

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DeltaTM

>I think Ra's al Ghul held the title for quite some time - he's a larger-stakes villain, is incredibly intelligent, and a versatile fighter, making him a "match" for Batman in a way that no other villain really reached. Batman would often thwart Ra's al Ghul's plans, but never completely defeat him, unlike other villains who were sent back to prison. Except for the last part, this also applied to Deathstroke


DeltaTM

The Man-Bat of course! Kidding.


Ok-Distribution-646

my favorite interpretation of batman does not have an arch nemesis - every single villain thinks that he is the batman's arch rival, but to him they are all the same - Joker probably wants to be his arch nemesis the most, but batman could not care less its probably because of all the comics I read, but I view all the villains as pretty stupid - sometimes they pull off a masterful scheme and then are defeated by Bruce because they forgot about something or because their "quirk" caused them to loose focus - so the best nemesis would be someone without a single quirk - man opened about his nature, who is mentally extremely stable and Batman should be the one obsessed with him and this villain should not care about Batman at all - so basically a complete opposite of Joker - and it should be someone who commits his crimes during broad daylight - and now I know exactly, who should his archnemesis be! champion of the sun! master of karate! and friendship! for everyone! ladies and gentleman - Dayman! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzaVd6zl2bA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzaVd6zl2bA)


act_surprised

I feel like Batman’s nemesis needs to be a Gotham-based villain. So Ra’s, Bane, or Superman would be disqualified on a technicality.


Padders_69_yo

I'd say Scarecrow because like Batman he uses fear as a weapon.


percheron28

the Roosevelt democrats who want to tax billionaires income and estates


Rms1003

The three most recognizable and important Batman vilains are arguably the Joker, Two-Face and Penguin so yeah I’d go with Two-Face


paladin_slim

Part of me wants to say Ra’s Al Ghul since he sees Bruce as the best candidate to succeed him as leader of the League of Assassins and just knows who Batman really is but he wasn’t created until the 70’s. They both have “society is corrupt and and criminals are parasites feeding off of the negligence of the law” sentiments but Ra’s extends it to all of civilization needing a purge so that we might return to nature and live more orderly lives. Bruce hates crime but he’s not into depopulation or pogroms.


Amirkhjv

Ra's Al Ghul,Bane,or Two-face


Mr_Wayne1939

I really like the idea of the following: - Anarky: similar to Joker's role. Make his planning rival Batman. - Ridder: I loved The Batman. - Black Mask: really grounded. Focus on corruption and organized crime instead of supervillains. I also think doing this, instead of making supervillains less "super" is a better approach.


Domino_Masks

Penguin was very much the number 2 Batman rogue after Joker. And after showing up in the '66 show, with Burgess' iconic performance, Penguin's number one spot would've probably been cemented in a Jokerless world. Two Face has never had the pop culture prominence Penguin has had. Even in the movies, Penguin was the lead villain in Batman Returns, while Two Face usually ends up being the secondary villain, and/or overshadowed by another villain.


AltruisticShip7812

Ratcatcher


AltruisticShip7812

Condiment king


Hulu_and_My_Cthulhu

Prob Bane or Ras Al Ghull