# Best Batman Villian Results **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 27, 2000, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian-results/13157 "2000-01-27T12:55:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2000, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian-results/13157/1 "2000-01-27T12:55:00Z")
Thanks all for letting me know that the Dark Knight is alive and well. As one poster put it, Batman is so great because he has the best villians. So here then are the results of this very informal SD poll : #1 Joker (why am I not surprised ?) 8 votes #2 Catwoman (Julie Newmar recieving more votes than Eartha Kitt, but combined they were tough) 6 votes #3 4 way tie between : The Riddler (my fave), Black Widow (Tallulah Bankhead), Two-Face (see? Tommy Lee didn’t destroy the character), and Bane (this was a pleasant surprise) Close but no cigar : R’as Al Ghul, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze (perhaps Anuld DID destroy this character), Scarecrow and Poison Ivy (kiss me baby, I don’t care!) If anyone wishes to keep this thread going, cool. P.S. Jim Carrey WILL go to hell for his straight out awful portrayal of The Riddler. I also got no votes for “Batman Beyond” villians. Thought I would see at least one “Inque”. Thanks all ! * * * “Solos Dios basta” . . . but a little pizza won’t hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2000, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian-results/13157/2 "2000-01-27T14:05:00Z")
I must defend the Scarecrow’s honour after his pummelling. (This is prompted by the fact YTV aired one of my 2 favourite B:TAS episodes. The other, incidentally, features another Alsoran - Harley Quinn, who I frankly don’t consider a villain. I really don’t…but I digress…) The episode in question is in a quote thingie to avoid spoilers, if you watch the series… Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You > [@](#): > > Barbara Gordon (aka, Batgirl) has a Scarecrow induced nightmare about her being killed, and this causing a chasm to form between Batman and her father, who blames Bruce for her death. Spoilers done! Of course, the Scarecrow was a very minor character in the episode (shows up for a few minutes at the start), but he was the catalyst for a brilliant episode. Among the other villains, only the Joker has done that without being _the_ featured player. (The above mentioned episode featuring Harley. And he still had more airtime than ol’ Dr. Crane.) ::Grumblegrumble:: Beaten by _Bane_ for Heaven’s sake! * * * _Eschew Obfuscation_ ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2000, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian-results/13157/3 "2000-01-27T15:33:00Z")
For my money, on the old 60’s TV series, nobody was better than Frank Gorshin’s Riddler. Out of all of the villains, his manic Riddler acutally seemed dangerous, as if he might reach over and hit you at any moment for no reason whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2000, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian-results/13157/4 "2000-01-27T15:47:00Z")
Pardon my naivete, but isn’t Harley Quinn basically a henchman? The Joker’s squeeze? And when she’s not henching it up, she’s seen as a figure of fun (no pun intended). Wasn’t she trying to escape from the Arkham Asylum in one episode, and got caught in a laundry machine? Big yuks ensued. Also, without her evildoing makeup on, she’s a 'lil blue-eyed sprite with shirley temple curls, which make her look too much like a kewpie doll to inspire fear in the hearts of us honest citizens. I haven’t seen all that many episodes of the Animated Series, so I’m a little Harley-shy. I mean no disrespect, 'cause she IS as cute as a button, and is doing great things for keeping the grand old Brooklyn Dialects alive for a new generation. * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![TheNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2000, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian-results/13157/5 "2000-01-27T21:16:00Z")
I’ll vote for Inque. I’d dip my pen in her any day. And how the heck did the Clock King not get on the list? Sure, he’s only had the one episode as far as I know, but he’s just cool! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2000, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian-results/13157/6 "2000-01-28T04:36:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Ukulele Ike: > \*\*Pardon my naivete, but isn’t Harley Quinn basically a henchman? The Joker’s squeeze? > > And when she’s not henching it up, she’s seen as a figure of fun (no pun intended). > > … > > Also, without her evildoing makeup on, she’s a 'lil blue-eyed sprite with shirley temple curls, which make her look too much like a kewpie doll to inspire fear in the hearts of us honest citizens.\*\* Uke, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Harley’s not a villain. At worst she’s a henchgal. A cute Henchgal to boot. Her only flaw is her lousy taste in men. It’s difficult not to smile when she’s on screen, even when she’s doing bad things to the good guys to please her ‘Puddin’’. (Except for the bits when you just have to cry on her behalf.) No, she’s not a villain. Joker’s a villain, Two-Face is a villain, Scarecrow is a villain. Harley Quinn is just a woman who’s too devoted to an evil man. (Can you tell I rather like Harley?) * * * _Eschew Obfuscation_