7 Greatest Batman Villain Costumes, Ranked

There’re a lot of elements that go into making a good villain, but a big one is their costume. Sure, a bad guy can do seriously bad things, but when they do it in style? That takes things to a whole new level and that’s especially true for Batman’s villains. Batman has a long list of rogues he faces off with on a regular basis on the streets and in the shadows of Gotham City and while you’d think a villain would want to blend in, that’s not the case here. Batman’s villains stand out, with many of them having looks that are almost as iconic as those of the Dark Knight himself.

With almost 90 years of villains all sporting unique and creative costumes, there are bound to be some that are truly great. Here are the seven greatest Batman villain costumes. These villains might cause trouble for Batman and the people of Gotham, but they look great (and sometimes terrifying) doing it.

7) Two-Face, Tim Sale Redesign

The late Tim Sale was one of the all-time great Batman artists. With both Batman: The Long Halloween, and Dark Victory, Sale redefined many of the Bat’s classic foes. At the core of both stories was Two-Face and Sale gave fans a perfect costume for his new origin. As the core villain of this trilogy, the split pinstripe suit was and still is as iconic as ever. Complete with his burns and disfigurement, it’s a look that holds up to this day.

Two-Face has always dawned a split suit look but the pinstripes really made it pop more than previous iterations. The black and white look is also perfect for a modern take on the character but retained some of the style and charm of the more brightly colored versions. Those will always be another favorite but something about the pinstripes harken back to an earlier time, giving things a more neo-vintage feel. This look will always remain a classic for every reason and it’s easy to see why.

6) Mr. Freeze, Mike Mignola Redesign

Mike Mignola as an artist has one of the best pencil and ink styles in all of comics. Tasking the man who created Dark Horse’s Hellboy with bringing back a longlost Batman villain for Batman: the Animated Series was the best plan possible. This now-classic suit is what we all think of when Mr. Freeze comes up. The dark blues along with the shadowy goggles and eyes are a staple to Victor and his story.

Instead of a goofy ice villain, this look gave us the tragic figure that turned to crime for sympathetic purposes. Many designs have come and gone since this one for Mr. Freeze but they almost always pay tribute to Mike Mignola in some way or another. The goggles have remained and we wouldn’t want a look without them anymore. They’ve become definitive to the character.

5) Harley Quinn, Paul Dini/Bruce Timm Design

Despite having numerous iterations over the years, Harley’s original comic origin is also the best look the character has ever had. The “Mad Love” story became the origin for Harley along with how she ended up in the classic jester costume. While her costumes have changed a great deal since and gotten more revealing over time, there’s something almost innocent and tragic about the colors and the costume that tell you everything you need to know about Harley.

For a lot of people this will be their first This costume has also influenced many looks after it. The red and black color scheme in her hair in some versions, as well as the diamonds around her arms are elements that frequently appear. The original is a major part of her identity, it’s that simple.

4) The Joker, Greg Capullo Redesign

While maybe not the most colorful costume on our list thus far, Greg Capullo’s design for the Joker in “Batman: Endgame” is genuinely great. Serving as the Joker’s costume for the back half of the New 52, taking all the bright colors away from Joker and giving him a simple tuxedo was a bold move for the clown we’re all terrified of. It marked the shift that he was back in the status quo as the “classic” Joker but also signaled a darker twist as well as called back to his original silent film grandfather of Conrad Veidt in the film The Man Who Laughs.

While it only lasted for around two years, this costume didn’t try to reinvent the wheel for something new. While some of Joker’s newer designs are really good, I wouldn’t mind if this look came back. It’s iconic and terrifying in its own way.

3) Scarecrow, Jorge Jiménez Redesign

Jorge Jiménez took all the aspects of every good Scarecrow and cooked up this beauty. With the dual gloves from the Arkham games, along with the gas mask and elements of the Scarecrow look from The New Batman Adventures, we have what might be the villain’s best overall look ever. Batman: Fear State has become a fan favorite story and it’s helps this costume was at the forefront. And with it confirmed that Dr. Crane exists in the Absolute Universe, here’s to hoping that some variation of this design makes its way there, too.

2) Bane, Graham Nolan Design

Sometimes you just can’t beat the original. Debuting with this look in his first story, it’s no wonder why Bane took off. The man showed up dressed in luchador attire and took Batman off the board for months and while Bane’s power is impressive, there’s something to be said for the simplicity of this look as well.

The simple luchador mask that strikes fear into Bane’s enemies hearts and the venom tubes going up his body are just chilling. The best part about this costume is that it has hardly changed in the decades since the character’s introduction that’s another reason why Bane is one of the best villains to ever do it.

1) Catwoman, Jim Balent Redesign

As excited as we are for Absolute Catwoman, the purple catsuit is single-handedly our favorite costume of hers. She’s had plenty of great designs, but the purple was one of her most defining looks ever. The purple jumpsuit and cowl were the best they could have used for her. It calls back to the purple dress thing she wore in the past but made it more functional. The long black arm and leg tights were a nice addition as well. While elements of this look have come back here and there Jim Balent did it perfectly during his time with Catwoman and we’ll always love it. It is simply a truly great, classic look.

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