7 Best Anti-Batmen in DC History, Ranked

Batman is counted among the greatest heroes ever. The character inspired numerous copycats over the years; nearly every urban vigilante character you can think of uses some portion of him. However, copying the Dark Knight hasn’t been the only way he’s inspired new characters. There are also characters out there who were created to be “anti-Batman”. This class of character is kind of self-explanatory – they’re often literally the opposite of Batman in ways – but it gets more complicated than that sometimes. Some characters are given origins that are basically the opposite of the Caped Crusader, becoming evil versions of the hero.

These kinds of characters are often created to challenge Gotham’s greatest hero in some way, whether it be in battle or in philosophy. Heroes and villains both occupy this space, although it’s more common for them to be villains. These are the seven best anti-Batmen in DC history, characters meant to challenge the Dark Knight in various ways.

7) Superman

Superman is the greatest hero in DC history, and he and Batman are good friends. Clark Kent sees the good man underneath all the darkness and pain, and is the Caped Crusader’s best friend outside of the Bat-Family. While he definitely wasn’t created to be an anti-Batman, he basically just became one. He’s the opposite of the Dark Knight in basically every way, except heroism. He has superpowers, he’s friendly and he smiles, he believes in the goodness of people and the multiverse. Their friendship works so well because they’re so different, contrasting each other perfectly.

6) Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor is DC’s most unhinged genius, and is the one of the greatest villains ever created. Like the Man of Steel, he also wasn’t created to be an anti-Batman, it just ended up that way. In a lot of ways, Luthor and Bruce Wayne are very similar – genius industrialists who define their cities – but they’re opposites in every other way. Wayne helps Gotham City and the world, while Lex helps himself first and foremost. Wayne uses his wealth and intellect as a superhero and Lex uses his as a villain. They are two poles on the same magnet, and Bats should fight Metropolis’s shiniest villain more.

5) The Batman Who Laughs

The Batman Who Laughs has the same origin as Batman, because they are the same person from different Earths, but became an anti-Batman because of the Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime infected the Dark Knight with a specialized Joker virus that would make the Dark Knight darker than ever, taking away his sanity. He became what is easily the most dangerous evil Batman in the history of the DC Multiverse. He almost re-made the multiverse into his own twisted image, showing just how deadly Batman could be if he lost everything that made him a hero.

4) Owlman

Owlman is one of the most fun anti-Batmen out there. Thomas Wayne Jr. was the Batman of Earth-Three/3, depending on what version of the DC Multiverse we’re using. On his Earth, all of the heroes are actually villains and Owlman is the boss of Gotham City, its greatest criminal and the reason it’s such a terrible place to live. He does everything that the Dark Knight would do if his morality was inverted, and has appeared in numerous awesome stories. He’s something of a legend, one that has honestly gotten better post-Crisis, and hopefully he’ll be back soon.

3) Deathstroke

Deathstroke is another character who wasn’t created to be an anti-Batman, but ended up there anyway. His origin is completely different, but the role that he fills in the supervillain community is equivalent to the Dark Knight’s in the superhero side of the equation. He’s the smart guy and the best fighter, the one who makes the plans that work and has weapons and technology that will allow him to defeat the strongest enemies. He has a plan for everyone and everything. He even does it for profit instead of doing it to help Batman, pitting another check in the anti-Batman column.

2) Prometheus

Prometheus is one of the most underrated Justice League villains out there, and he was created specifically by Grant Morrison as the Batman of evil. He was raised by criminals, who went on an interstate crime spree and were killed by the police. He swore revenge on justice and used the fortune his parents squirreled away from their crimes to make himself into someone who could destroy any good guy out there. He is a supergenius, having created technology to make his battle against good easier, and can make plans that will defeat anyone. He’s a much better villain than he credit for, and one day hopefully a creator will dig into him.

1) Bane

Bane is one of Batman’s greatest villains and a flawless anti-Batman. He was put into prison to suffer for his father’s crimes, and had to learn how to survive. He molded himself into a near unbeatable fighter and became a master of strategy, defeating everyone in front of him. He’s set his sights on Batman many times over the years, enacting plans meant to outmaneuver the Dark Knight. He’s done more damage to the Caped Crusader than anyone, breaking his back, taking Gotham City from him for a time, and killing Alfred. He’s the best example of an anti-Batman out there, and is something of a modern legend.

Who’s your favorite anti-Batman? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!

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