Batman’s 10 Newest Villains, Ranked by Potential

Batman’s villains are some of the most iconic in all of comics. His rogues’ gallery is touted as the gold standard for villainy, and it’s easy to see why. Batman regularly goes up against iconic characters like the Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, and however many more villains who are practically household names in their own right. Most of the Dark Knight’s greatest villains have been around for decades at this point, but a few have debuted in the last couple of years. The most iconic villain introduced since the New 52 is definitely the Court of Owls, but even then, that was fifteen years ago.

That’s not to say that Batman only battles the same villains on repeat. The Caped Crusader is constantly encountering new threats, but most of them never make more than a handful of appearances before fading into obscurity. Still, a ton of these new villains have the potential to be the next Riddler, or at least the next Ventriloquist. Today, we’re taking a look at the ten newest villains who have debuted fighting the Dark Knight. We’re going to rank them based on how much potential they have to become recurring, iconic masterminds. Without further ado, let’s brainstorm about Batman’s bad guys.

10) Silence

Silence debuted in the infamous “H2SH” storyline, and that’s where he’s likely to stay. He was Hush’s number one soldier, with the power to enforce his will through his voice. Anything he ordered would resonate and explode in people’s ears until they obeyed. His power is actually pretty unique and cool, but it’s very unlikely we’ll be seeing any more of him, given that he was killed in Batman (2016) #163. Given that this story is already hated, and we didn’t know anything about Silence beyond what he could do when he bit the dust, it’s almost certain that no other writer will bring him back. He’ll just fade into history without fanfare.

9) Armori

Armori is another “H2SH” debuter. She was one of Hush’s soldiers. She infiltrated Wayne Enterprises as a secretary and could form her limbs into any shape or size, like they were liquid metal. We didn’t see anything beyond that, and I don’t think we ever will. Her power is cool, but it’s not exactly unique, and given that I don’t think “H2SH 2” will ever actually release, we’ll never learn more about her. Armori seems like a bog-standard henchwoman, and while she could be cool, I highly doubt someone would bring her in instead of just bringing in a better-known character or making their own. But at least she’s not dead.

8) LXR

LXR, also called Elixir, is a shadowy organization that was dedicated to attaining the secret of eternal life. Their cabal used a deal with Ra’s al Ghul to trick the populace into thinking they’d already achieved it and flooding them with money. LXR’s various branches all pursued different angles and designs, but while its premise is pretty unique for a Batman villain, I don’t see it coming back anytime soon. Its main leadership was dismantled, with its leader locking himself in an impenetrable bunker for several years. The idea of this group is cool, but the truth about its higher-ups took a little wind out of its sails, and the sheer lack of sauce those villains have might pull down the whole group.

7) Prion

As revealed in the ongoing “Flight” arc in Detective Comics (2016), Prion is the name given to the child soldier trained by a mysterious crime family. Batman, Green Arrow, and Black Canary all trained with the previous Prion before he died, and the new one is a threat in the present. The idea of a family training child soldiers who can keep up with Batman is definitely entertaining, and plays into his desire to save everyone, especially children, from trauma. The fact that Green Arrow and Black Canary are involved only raises the chances that Prion will become a recurring character. Still, given that we don’t know much about her or the family, I can’t rank this new villain too high. We’ll just have to wait and see.

6) The Orghams

The Orghams were an ancient, powerful family introduced during the new classic that is “Gotham Nocturne.” They have roots that trace all the way back to Ra’s al Ghul’s origins, and have just as many resources and elite warriors as him. They employ an elite team of very fun villains, all of whom draw their powers from myths and perception. Their ultimate goal was to usurp Gotham and turn it into a cookie-cutter, shadowless city that ignores its own darkness. The Orghams truly felt like a threat on the same level of power and prestige as the al Ghuls, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they came back, but the sheer length and weight of “Gotham Nocturne” might hold them back for some time.

5) Asema

Evelyn Scott was in an abusive relationship with Joe Chill, which Martha Wayne helped her escape. She became convinced that criminals all deserved death, and murdered children who broke the law to fuel her deaging elixir. She discovered Batman’s identity, and tried to convince him that some people didn’t deserve mercy, feeling like she owes him because of his mother. Her methodology and design are both killer, pun intended, and the way she connects to Batman’s past is a great challenge without upsetting the Waynes’ legacy. The only reason I think she might have trouble reappearing is that she directly challenges Batman’s refusal to kill, and fans are really burnt out on stories like that. In the future, however, I can definitely see her making a comeback.

4) Failsafe

Failsafe was the robot created by Zur-En-Arrh to bring Batman down if he ever crossed the line. He’s the embodiment of Batman’s paranoia and prep time, with the ability to outthink and out-fight Batman at every turn, being guided by his own mind, without emotions. Fans definitely didn’t like how long Failsafe’s introductory storyline went on for, but the idea of a robot created in Batman’s nightmarish image is really cool. I can definitely see Failsafe coming back, but more as an event villain than a villain of the week. He’s a major presence that demands fear and respect, and that’s the kind of villain that earns more than one fight with the Dark Knight.

3) Minotaur

We don’t know much about the Minotaur right yet, but what we have seen is very interesting. He’s a scheming mastermind who has taken over Gotham’s underworld, running it like a business. He’s so efficient and careful that even Batman didn’t notice until he knew to look for it. The Minotaur’s design is striking, with his killer mask and his seven fingers on each hand. He has all the makings of a classic, low-to-the-ground gangster villain, and those are always the best bad guys for Batman to fight. It’s been years since the last time a memorable villain in that vein has debuted, and the Minotaur has the chops to be the next Black Mask, if he plays his cards right.

2) The Ojo

The Ojo is a world-class assassin, to the point where Damian Wayne studied her while with the League of Assassins. Her design is immediately striking, with a wide-brim hat, dark robes highlighted with yellow, and two glowing white blades. She appears and disappears in murders of crows, which only adds to her mystery and presence. These types of high-charisma, high-skill killers are exactly the type that constantly reappear in Batman’s stories. The Ojo could be hired by just about any villain or wannabe murderer with enough cash, and that gives her an extreme amount of flexibility, able to appear as both the main threat and a pawn for another villain. The Ojo is screaming for a chance to become a mainstay, and I say we give her the chance.

1) The Lion

The Lion is Batman’s newest villain with the most potential because he does what all great Batman villains do: he challenges Bruce in a truly unique way. As a boy, Batman arrested his dad, which traumatized him, but Bruce Wayne inspired him to dedicate his genius to the betterment of mankind. The Lion infects people with courage, stripping them of their fear and inhibitions. Batman relies on fear, both his own and his enemies’, to fight and solve crimes, so removing that cripples him. 

No other Batman villain uses courage as their weapon, or connects to Batman in this specific way. He has all the makings of a truly fantastic villain, and I would love for him to make many more returns. Most importantly of all, the way his introductory story ended left enough motive and method open for him to return in the future. All too often, promising villains are written only for their first story, to the point where bringing them back would invalidate it or feel lazy. The Lion is ready and willing for more, meaning that he is here for all kinds of fun comics in the future.

Which of Batman’s newest villains is your favorite? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

All of Absolute Batman’s Villains, Ranked by Terror