# Best Batman Villian **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 24, 2000, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian/13114 "2000-01-24T21:43:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian/13114/41 "2001-06-21T19:43:57Z")
This looks like it will fit the IMHO forum … now that we have one. Away it goes, _ **SPLAT!! POWIE!! BLAM!!** _ ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian/13114/42 "2001-06-21T21:40:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > \*\*I want to see The Scarecrow on the big screen. \*\* I agree. Imagine the opportunities for a good filmmaker to create Batman’s nightmares and hallucinations. The Animated Series was pretty good at that. It would be like Batman meets Freddy Krueger. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2001, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian/13114/43 "2001-06-22T05:03:00Z")
Hands down, it’s the _Batman: The Animated Series_ version of **Mr. Freeze**. Anyone who disagrees is welcome to sit down for a half-hour with the Emmy-award-winning episode “Heart of Ice” and be convinced. Close second and third to the _B:TAS_ versions of **The Joker** and **Harley Quinn**. And as a quick mention, I’m sure I’m not the only one who prefers the _B:TAS_ versions of the villians over the live-action ones? Especially after how the recent bat-movies have completely fsck’d them up… ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2001, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian/13114/44 "2001-06-22T07:41:45Z")
My this is an old thread… I want to see Patrick Stewart play the Scarecrow in the next Batman movie. \ My favorite villan? The Riddler, [and not just because of this](http://hometown.aol.com/bluefairy/scifi/scifi.html). 😉 Esprix ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2001, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian/13114/45 "2001-06-22T18:51:57Z")
Did you know that they considered Patrick Stewart to play Mr. Freeze? But instead of going for a good actor willing to work for less than $25 million, they went with a well-known, but inferior, box-office draw. I don’t think I need to point out how THAT strategy backfired. The movie just might have worked with Stewart. You could have believed Freeze’s torment was genuine. Ah-nuld always looked like he was faking it. ---
**Author:** ![PolishSausage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@PolishSausage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PolishSausage)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2001, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian/13114/46 "2001-06-22T20:30:41Z")
For the animated series, the top two for me are Clayface then Mr. Freeze. I love the animation and the character of Clayface. does he appear in the comics? Joker is the best in comics. For sure. ~t ---
**Author:** ![Freakunique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Freakunique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freakunique)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian/13114/47 "2001-06-23T00:18:45Z")
Without a shadow of a doubt: Joker. That SMILE! That maniacal laugh… the HAIR! He’s just so darn TWISTED. As for his past, I can’t remember if it was an Elseworld but I remember a story in which the Joker was a regular, happy man with wife and kid and in financial deficit. Tangles with the underworld ensues for ‘easy’ money thus resulting in the unfortunate loss of his dear family and insanity. The freakiest rendition of said villian? Hats off to Dave McKean in Grant Morrison’s “Arkham Asylum”. Highly recommended, has a handful of Joker’s buddies too. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian/13114/48 "2001-06-23T01:24:46Z")
Animated: Hearts of Ice is a fantastic Episode. I shivered watching that one. Arnie didn’t do a _bad_ job as Freeze, but yeah, Stewart would have been cool. Arnie does one liners better tho. Otherwise, you have to give credit to Mark Hamill for having **way** too much fun as the Joker. Comicwise, I haven’t paid attention, due to the fact that all of DC’s core hero’s are getting to the “godlike” stage again. But there, I much prefer the Riddler. Though I liked the Batman/Punisher crossover Miller did, with the Joker and Jigsaw. Almost a perfect pair. ---
**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:** [June 23, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian/13114/49 "2001-06-23T03:18:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > \*\*I’ve always thought **The Scarecrow** was a great (and underutilized) villain. Think about it: he turns Batman’s own weapon (fear) against him. (The whole point of the Batman outfit was to “strike fear in the hearts of criminals,” who, as we all know, “are a cowardly and superstitious lot.”) Scarecrow gives Batman a little of his own medicine. > > I want to see The Scarecrow on the big screen. \*\* I agree. (See my post from the original incarnation of this thread.) My favourite episode (well, one of 2, tied) is a scarecrow episode. He gasses Barbera Gordon/Batgirl, who then has a hallucination that she falls to her death, starting a feud between her father and Batman. Alfred, Nightwing, Robin - all end up in jail, though Batman manages to avoid capture, so Gordon releases Bane to track him down (O\_O). Bats and Jim reconcile, but Gordon, of course, has no control of Bane - who knocks the BOTH of them off the roof of the building they were on, just as Barbera wakes up. She decides she has to tell her father about her night job. It appears, from his ‘In this case, I CAN’T know’ line, that he knows (And really, how could he NOT), but as it is, he has to pretend he doesn’t. That was a GORGEOUS episode. (The other favourite was the Creeper’s origin.) ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian/13114/50 "2001-06-23T04:36:56Z")
Hmm, so many to choose from, and I have to mention some of the lesser-knows: • John Astin as the Riddler, although it’s hard to top Frank Gorshin; • Shelly Winters as Ma Parker, • Uncle Miltie as Louie the Lilac; • Victor Buono as King Tut; • Vincent Price as Egghead; And, yes, my favorite villian, • Liberace as Chandel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-batman-villian/13114.md?page=2)