Mr. Freeze
He could care less about riches or power, despite all outward appearances, he isn’t a cold-blooded killer at heart but is instead one of the most tragic Batman villains. All Mr. Freeze cares about is saving his sick wife, Nora. After the gifted scientist Victor Fries’s wife contracts a rare terminal illness, he puts her into cryostasis. Interference from the company’s corrupt owner leads to Fries being transformed by his own technology.
Now Fries cannot live outside of sub-zero temperatures or the special suit he develops. The willingness to commit terrible crimes has earned Freeze the title as one of the top Batman villains; not because he is evil but precisely the opposite. He’s just a desperate man trying to get his wife back by any means, even if that means fighting Batman.
Hugo Strange
One of Batman’s earliest adversaries, Hugo Strange made his debut in 1940’s Detective Comics #36. As far as backstories go, Strange’s is a mystery. He pretty much just appeared on the scene and started creating problems from day one. Since then, he’s become an iconic foe for his appearances in the comics, games, and even TV shows.He’s definitely insane, but he’s also incredibly smart, being one of the few to surmise Batman’s secret identity. If that’s not enough, Batman himself has called this villain the most dangerous man in the world. This is terrifying coming from a man who was once called the same by Superman.
Bane
The pinnacle of physical and mental criminality, he is literally the Bane of Batman’s existence. The by-product of a hard life spent growing up in a corrupt prison, he spends his youth killing people using a knife concealed in a teddy bear. After nearly dying from an experimental super-soldier program that hooks him on Venom and lets him escape his confinements, Bane sets his sights on Gotham.
Not only is Bane a titan of a metahuman but he is a strategic and tactical genius. This is how he was able to infamously defeat Batman and break his back. Bane has since evolved into one of the deadliest Batman villains made in recent years due to his relentlessness.
The Riddler
The Riddler seems to be in a class of villains all his own. He’s not exactly scary or brutal – at least most of the time – but rather a playful addition to the otherwise dark, gritty world of Batman. At his best, this enigmatic evildoer is a riddling madman hellbent on pitting his wits against the world’s greatest detective.At worst, his intelligence and obsession to take down Batman allows him to keep up with the Gotham Guardian. His manipulations throughout Batman: Hush and his disastrous reign in Batman: Zero Year are proof positive that the Riddler can be terrifyingly deadly.
