Every Batman Movie Villain Ever Ranked From Worst To Best

What would any Batman movie be without its villains? In some cases the Caped Crusader's cinematic antagonists have even categorically stolen the spotlight away from the hero himself, in turn delivering iconic, even definitive interpretations of legendary comic book villains.

Across the many live-action Batman films we've seen a diverse selection of bad guys from the Dark Knight's rogues gallery, in films ranging from doggedly "realistic" to totally, shamelessly campy and outlandish (for better or worse).

And so, beyond the quality of the movies themselves, how do all of Batman's major cinematic villains stack up? Given that several of Batman's most revered adversaries have received multiple big-screen renditions, which ones come out on top?

Though the Batman movies have undeniably delivered some of the most unforgettable blockbuster villains of all time, it's also fair to say that certain filmmakers have also fumbled the ball and left fans massively disappointed, even infuriated, in the process.

Note that while this list contains the villains from Matt Reeves' recently released The Batman, it won't provide any major spoilers if you haven't seen it yet, so fear not as the countdown kicks off...

The de-facto worst entry on this list goes to Batman & Robin's Bane (Jeep Swenson), based on the simple fact that his portrayal in the campy, franchise-annihilating blockbuster is basically tantamount to character assassination.

Though wrestler Jeep Swenson certainly meets the hulking physical requirements of the role, Bane is relegated to goofy sidekick status throughout.

More frustratingly, the criminal mastermind Bane of the comics is nowhere to be seen - here he's a rail-thin criminal who gets unwillingly transformed into a clunking brute, who even ends up working as Poison Ivy's (Uma Thurman) chauffeur in one baffling sequence.

Batman & Robin's Bane is a product of an era where Hollywood had little consistent respect for comic books as a medium, though at least the character got a considerably better do-over in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises.