'The Batman' Villains Ranked: How Catwoman, the Riddler and Penguin Compare

Sure, The Batman may be named after the Dark Knight himself but what's a hero without his villains?

Matt Reeves' DC film explores that very notion by giving Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne several iconic villains to contend with, even if some of them are not quite at the stage in their lives that fans know them from.

From The Riddler (Paul Dano) to Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) and Penguin (Colin Farrell), to other famous faces from Batman's rogues' gallery, there are plenty of characters to choose from and compare.

Here is how Newsweek would rank them.

**Warning: This article contains spoilers for 'The Batman'**

5. Carmine Falcone

Carmine Falcone has a tough gig when it comes to being a Batman villain, mainly because, well, he's just a mob boss, and while that might have made him a formidable adversary under different circumstances, this is Batman.

That's not to say that John Turturro doesn't do a good job in the role of Falcone, in fact he works well as the kingpin, but there just isn't a lot for him to work with other than standing around and looking menacing.

At least Reeves gives Falcone a close connection to the Caped Crusader by questioning whether he was the man responsible for the death of his parents, and he also provides Falcone with an unexpected link to Selina Kyle.

It certainly makes him more interesting as a character, but even so he pales in comparison to the other, bigger personalities that feature in the film such as The Riddler or Catwoman.

4. The Joker

Now, under any other circumstance the Joker would probably rank higher, if not have top place, in a ranking of Batman's biggest adversaries.

But this can't be said when it comes to The Batman, simply because the Clown Prince of Crime is seen very briefly, and in fact is credited as an "unnamed Arkham Asylum prisoner" rather than by his iconic moniker.

The character appears in a scene with the Riddler in the aforementioned asylum, where he talks about clowns and reassures his fellow prisoner that he can have "a comeback" in the future.

If it wasn't for the character's reference to clowns or his distinctive, maniacal laugh it wouldn't have been so obvious who was in the cell in the first place. But clearly Barry Keoghan was told to tease what could be in a sequel, and we'd love to see him return.

3. The Riddler

Paul Dano is undoubtedly an incredible actor and he truly shines in the role of The Riddler, so it's a shame we don't see that much of him.

For someone who is supposed to be the main villain of the piece, Dano's Riddler doesn't get all that much screentime because he's mostly seen via video call and only meets Batman face-to-face the one time.

Truth be told The Batman could have benefitted from more of The Riddler because his scenes are some of the film's best and Dano is absolutely fantastic in the role, giving the character this raw energy that makes him unhinged and absolutely terrifying.

The one scene he shares with Pattinson also shows how strong they would have been had they been given more scenes together.

2. Catwoman

Of all the villains in The Batman the one who gets the most focus is Catwoman, which is understandable when you see how good Zoë Kravitz is in the role.

She gives Kyle a natural charm and shares a lot of chemistry with Pattinson, a factor that is important given Catwoman and Batman's romantic history in the DC comics.

Kravitz's character is also loyal and can hold her own easily in a fight, whether that's against Batman or any other assailant, and she's not afraid to take action when she sees fit to do so.

And, while she's never licked back to health by a plethora of cats like Michelle Pfeiffer before her, there's still plenty of adorable feline moments that makes her Kyle a great one.

1. Penguin

Colin Farrell's Penguin takes the top spot mostly because the actor is so funny in the role, and unexpectedly so in a film this dark in nature.

While the Penguin can be menacing one moment, he is a joker the next (forgive the unintentional pun), and that helps cement him as the best villain of the lot.

One scene sees Penguin be interrogated by Batman and James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) over one of The Riddler's riddles but when the pair realize he has nothing to do with the clue, they leave him with his hands and feet bound.

As they drive off Farrell is seen waddling towards them, criticizing them for leaving him tied up, and it's amusing moments like this that cements Penguin's dominance of this ranking.

The fact that the character is getting his own HBO Max show also proves the confidence that DC have in the Penguin's appeal.

The Batman is out in theaters now.