7 Darkest Versions of Batman, Ranked

Batman is the most popular superhero of them all, and it’s not even close. There are few superheroes out there who sell comics, movie tickets, and merchandise like he does. It’s gotten to the point that most of the bestselling comics are his, spurring DC to give readers numerous versions of the character. The Dark Knight isn’t exactly a smile all the time sort of hero; he protects one of the most dangerous cities in comics and has to deal with the deadliest psychopaths this side of Arkham Asylum. So, DC usually goes hard on making these Batmen darker than the main one, allowing readers to see more facets of the character.

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DC has lived by the mantra of “more Batman is better is than less Batman”, and has introduced numerous versions of the character over the decades. Some of these variants are so dark they make the main line version like Superman. These seven Batman variants are black as night, taking the mission of the Caped Crusader to some terrible places.

7) The Devil Batman

Grant Morrison’s run on Batman was sensational, and it introduced readers to one of the darkest Batmen ever. The Devil Batman was one of three police men who the Gotham City Police Department tried to make into their own Batmen. Michael Lang went completely insane, believing himself the living embodiment of the Christian devil. He went into hiding, and would rear his ugly head again in Batman #666, which took place in a future where Damian Wayne was Batman. He wanted to transform Gotham into Hell on Earth, and was the greatest monster that future Damian fought.

6) “The Gift” Batman

Dick Grayson made an amazing Batman, but there was one alternate universe where he became one of the darkest versions of the Caped Crusader. In “The Gift”, Booster Gold saved Bruce Wayne’s parents as a wedding gift to him, so he could meet them as an adult (of course, this means that Booster would have to go back and let them die; it’s better not to think too much about it). In this world, Dick Grayson became a more deadly version of the Dark Knight, carrying heavy ordinance in his war against a Gotham City that was even worse than ever because Bruce never became Batman. He was a straight up killer in this world, growing up without the guidance of his adopted father figure.

5) The Grim Knight

The Grim Knight came from the Dark Multiverse. On his world, after Joe Chill killed his parents, the mugger dropped his gun. Young Bruce picked it up and killed him, changing his life forever. He did much of the same things he’d do in the mainline universe, except he was a ruthless killer. He killed all of the major crime bosses within his first year as Batman, and Gotham plunged into chaos as the various factions all fought for dominance. Eventually, Lt. Jim Gordon was able to take him down, rallying the mayor’s office and law enforcement, but the Grim Knight was already gone. He was recruited by the Batman Who Laughs, and battled against Batman, Jim Gordon, and the police commissioner’s son. He would later join Perpetua’s Dark Knights, protecting Castle Bat from the heroes.

4) Vampire Batman

Batman and vampires are kind of like Reese’s Cups – two great tastes that taste better together. He’s battled vampires many times, and even became one in Batman: Red Rain. Dracula came to Gotham and the only way to defeat him was to become a vampire. Of course, he eventually went on a rampage and killed every villain he could get his teeth in. He ended up fighting against Jim Gordon, but eventually realized the monster he became. Gordon died destroying the Batcave and Bruce walked into the sun.

3) Omega

There are lots of evil Batmen, but few of them were as successful as Omega. On his world, the public turned against the heroes after Superman lost to Lex Luthor, surrounding the Hall of Justice. Bruce let them in, wanting them to choose sides. However, the people tore the members of the League apart, and Wayne was thought dead when the smoke settled. He was only in hiding healing though, and he decided to take over the world. He went after Darkseid first and began using his severed head as a weapon, creating an army from the world’s villains and battling the people of the Earth. He was eventually defeated by a younger clone of himself and the Joker, ending his reign of terror.

2) Flashpoint Batman

Flashpoint is one of DC’s most unexpectedly dark stories, and it introduced readers to a fan-favorite Caped Crusader. On this Earth, instead of Thomas and Martha Wayne dying, Bruce did. Thomas ended up becoming Batman, and Martha the Joker, but he was quite different. He used his money to open casinos, positioning himself close to the underworld, using what he learned to savagely attack the criminals of Gotham. Even in his late middle age, he was still one of the most feared people on the planet; criminals was petrified of him and the only thing the heroes trusted about him was that someone was going to get hurt when he was around. He teamed with Flash to bring back the old world and later helped Bane defeat Bruce, trying to get him to quit being the Dark Knight. Then, he returned to his world, saved it from destruction, redeemed his wife, got one of Harvey Dent’s kids to be his Robin, and lived happily ever after.

1) Batman Who Laughs

The Batman Who Laughs is one of the most dangerous beings in the history of the DC Multiverse. Hailing from the Dark Multiverse, on his world he was infected by a specialized Joker toxin by the Clown Prince of Crime. This virus completely his removed his morality, making him into the Joker in many ways. He almost immediately killed the Bat-Family and then went after the rest of his world, killing hero and villain alike. He left his universe a lifeless husk and was found by Barbatos. He became the leader of the Dark Knights, starting his war against the heroes and his ascendancy to becoming the Darkest Knight. He was a monster, one of the scariest Batmen ever.

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