The fourth season of Gotham is all set to premiere this week on Fox, and fans are excited to pick up where the show left off. Not only have recent trailers hinted that Bruce will inch closer to his destiny as Batman, but they’ve also promised the arrival of one of his more popular classic villains – The Scarecrow.
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The one thing that Gotham has always had going for it is the revolving door of Batman’s vast rogue’s gallery with which to play, many of the characters making appearances long before they even choose a life of crime. With the debut of Scarecrow happening so soon, we here at ComicBook.com thought it would be fun to pick out the 10 Best Gotham Villains!
Who’s your favorite villain to appear on Gotham so far? Make sure you watch the video at the top of the article, or scroll through our slideshow and see if he or she made the list!
#10. Basil Karlo
Starting off our list at No. 10 is Basil Karlo, Gotham‘s adaptation of the classic version of Clayface. While Basil’s stint on Gotham thus far has been short lived, mostly as an incriminating Jim Gordon imposter, have you seen that face stretch thing he does? Creepy. Basil’s powers, like several on this list, are the result of being subjected to the horrific Hugo Strange experiments at Indian Hill. The last time fans saw Clayface was near the end of the third season, when he was impersonating Elijah van Dahl, known better as the dead father of Oswald Cobblepot, in an effort to ruin the Penguin’s mayoral efforts. There’s a good chance this shape-shifting villain will pop at some point in the very near future.
#9. Victor Fries
Cool gun? Check. Horrible wig? Check. Although the future Mr. Freeze began his villainous tenure with the noblest intentions – trying to discover a cure for his beloved wife, Nora’s terminal illness, Victor Fries proved after his transformation that he has a heart of ice. At one point, he freezes Karen Jennings using his ice gun, and subsequently shatters her into a million pieces.
#8. Butch Gilzean
This one-handed lackey is about to be born on a Monday. No doubt, the series is looking like Butch is all but destined to become the unkillable zombie supervillain, Solomon Grundy. Poor Butch. He’s been around since the beginning, first as a henchman for Fish Mooney, and for the Penguin, before finally teaming up with Barbs, Tabitha, and Riddler. He’s had a couple instances of almost being a good guy but constantly surrounds himself with bad people and just can’t seem to catch a break.
#7. Nathaniel Barnes
The former police captain turned strongman psycho. It’s always disappointing when you’re a good guy, but then go and get some Tetch virus-infected blood in your eye and go crazy. The former Gotham police captain had an interesting turn as fans speculated over which supervillain he’d eventually transform into, with many assuming Barnes would be a new version of Bane. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be and it turns out his alter-ego would be that of “The Executioner.”
#6. Theo Galavan
This guy was pretty rotten before he died, nevermind once he was resurrected and turned into the nearly indestructible Azrael. Emphasis on the word “nearly” since Butch blew him to smithereens with a rocket launcher. Still, what a villainous run! For a while, with the help of his sister Tabitha (no slouch in the bad guy department herself), Theo managed to maneuver himself into having the public image of a hero after he “heroically” stabbed Jerome Valeska in the neck, even though he secretly masterminded the entire ordeal.
#5. Hugo Strange
The man responsible for most of Gotham City’s monstrosities. It turns out the former director of Arkham Asylum was a very busy mad man, what with his secret experiments at Indian Hill leading to many of the worst people in Gotham being resurrected. Serving as the main antagonist for the entire Wrath of the Villains story arc, B.D. Wong’s performance on the show was met with critical praise being the first live action incarnation of the character.
#4. Barbara Kean
Is she actually going to turn out to be Harley Quinn?? Only time will tell for sure but that’s what many fans of the show are speculating. There’s something tragically fascinating about the story of Jim Gordon’s former fiance, who started the show off quite innocent, but has since been replaced by a calculating villainess. Although it looks like she died in the finale of season three, actress Erin Richards has strongly hinted that we haven’t seen the last of Miss Kean.
#3. Edward Nygma
Easily one of the best characters in television. It didn’t take Edward long before his brilliant neurosis slowly crumbled into madness once he killed his long love, Miss Kringle. Soon afterwards, his personality split with “Evil Ed” slowly taking over leading towards his transformation into the Riddler. One of the best aspects of Edward Nygma recently has been his love/hate relationship with Oswald Cobblepot. Speaking of ol’ Ozzy —
#2. Oswald Cobblepot
Skinnier than his comic book counterpart, Oswald Cobblepot has also been on Gotham since the first episode and fans have praised the performance of Robin Lord Taylor from the very beginning. Oswald has since come to embrace his nickname “The Penguin” despite the fact that it mockingly stems from his awkward waddle, and thus far, he’s managed not only survive attacks from some of Gotham City’s most dangerous crime bosses, but also seek revenge on all those who oppose him. Taking a nod from the Penguin’s storyline in Batman Returns, he even successfully overcame his public image as a criminal to campaign as the mayor of Gotham City.
#1. Jerome Valeska
Who else? This guy steals every scene he’s in. Played with feverish glee by Cameron Monaghan, Jerome has managed to become a fan favorite villain and the arch nemesis of young Bruce Wayne. While there’s been no official confirmation that Jerome is the de facto “Clown Prince of Crime,” it’s hard to argue the striking similarities, especially after the face removal incident that was clearly modeled after the famous Joker story, “Death of the Family.” Last we saw, Jerome got his face punched off by Jim Gordon but fans are eagerly hoping for, not only an appearance in the upcoming fourth season, but official word that Jerome is, in fact, the Joker.
