Summary
When it comes to rogues' galleries,Batmanhas one of, if not the best around. While other superheroes have one or two iconic adversaries each, Batman has a slew of them. And thoughThe Joker is Batman’s most infamous foe, he isn’t the only household name on the roster, with characters like Two Face, Riddler, Penguin, and Poison Ivy all being incredibly well known in the pop-culture sphere.
With such a phenomenal rogues' gallery, it’s only natural, then, that they’re usually some of the biggest highlights of any Batman video game. Setting the standard for the entire superhero video game genre moving forward,Batman: Arkham Asylumwas heavily praised on launch, with one of the biggest points of praise being the game’s handful of iconic villains, all of whom were written well, voiced excellently, and felt authentic to their comic book counterparts. Of course, Mark Hamill’s Joker was the biggest standout ofBatman: Arkham, and though he’s going to be a tough act to follow, the next Batman game really needs to put the spotlight on some other villains.
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Villains That the Next Batman Game Should Focus On
The Joker is undeniably Batman’s greatest adversary, but it’s time to move on. Over the last few decades, fans have seen just about every incarnation of The Joker imaginable, from comic-accurate portrayals like Mark Hamill’s to grounded versions like Heath Ledger’s, to comically bad versions like Jared Leto’s. It’s time for DC to putthe Clown Prince of Crimeto bed for at least a little while, and show just why the rest of Batman’s rogues' gallery is considered the best in the industry.
While theBatman: Arkhamseries covered a good deal of the Caped Crusader’s rogues' gallery, it didn’t really dive too deep into most of them, instead keeping them as optional villains for side quests, or as secondary villains for the main story. Characters likePenguin, Two Face, and Baneall have the depth to lead their own Batman video game, either on their own or joined together as a fearsome team of adversaries.
Alternatively, and perhaps the more interesting route to go, the next Batman game could give fans a villain that they don’t usually see, either on the silver screen or through video games. Catwoman might actually be a great choice for this. Though she’s been a staple of just about every Batman story for decades, it’s been a long time since Catwoman was portrayed as an actual villain. The vast majority of the time,Catwoman’s recent depictionshave had her take on more of an anti-hero role, and more often than not, that turns into a fully-fledged hero role by the end of the story, with Catwoman working directly alongside Batman to stop a larger threat. Making Catwoman the main villain of the next Batman game might be a great way to flip the script, and hearken back to the series' roots.
But if the nextBatmangame really wants to stand out, it should dive head-first into the weirder depths of Batman’s rogues' gallery. The next Batman game should attempt to surprise fans, and the best way to do that is by including a number of the hero’s strangest D-list villains. Characters like Killer Moth, Firefly, Anarky, Cluemaster, and even Kite Man are all great examples of the lesser-known side ofBatman’s rogues' gallery, and including them would give the game’s developers far more creative freedom in forging their own unique takes on the characters.
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