Gotham has some of the deadliest villains in all of comic books. The fact that some of them don’t have superhuman abilities makes it more impressive. However, for every dangerous one, there’s an annoying one.
I’m not talking about Condiment King or Kite Man (Hell yeah!). This writer refers to the obnoxious villains whose gimmicks frustrate Batman, the readers, and gamers who love the Arkham series. This article will discuss the seven most annoying villains in Gotham City from the least irritating to the, “For the love of Odin, leave me alone!” Let's start with someone who used to be a villain, but changed his ways.
7. Red Hood
This would’ve been a six-character list. Then I remembered how much Jason Todd annoyed Batman and the Bat Family.
Jason Todd returned as the Red Hood and did everything he could to replace Batman as the authority figure in Gotham City. When Batman died, he tried to become the Dark Knight. There’s trauma that goes into why he was so adamant about his mission, but it was still frustrating.
6. Catwoman
Catwoman isn’t so much a villain anymore (if she ever was one). She’s a bother for Batman and Bruce Wayne because she enjoys toying with him and loves the chase. In one story called Some of These Days, she left a mouse in the Batmobile, his house, and on his shoulder after a chase. Why? Because she thought it was entertaining and needed an excuse to see him.
The Dark Knight loves her and the chase, but I’m sure he’d prefer the direct approach instead of running. But what's the fun in that?
5. The Penguin
The Batman Who Laughs said Oswald Cobblepot is usually one of the last Batman villains remaining on the worlds he’s seen. It’s not shocking because he’s one of the few antagonists the Caped Crusader can’t defeat with just punches. Cobblepot will always find a way to stay rich and connected because the world sees him as a charitable philanthropist and the rich protect him. After all, he knows their secrets and is more than willing to expose them.
4. Harley Quinn
The annoying part about Harley is she’s completely unpredictable. During Kelly Thompson’s Birds of Prey, Cassandra Cain pointed out that even she couldn’t figure out what Harley would do next. It’s how she once beat Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman (Heroes in Crisis No. 2).
3. Scarecrow
Scarecrow’s genius puts him high on this list. He’s adjusted his fear toxin in the comics, Batman: The Animated Series, Arkham Knight. Batman is smart enough to find an antidote. However, whenever he does, Jonathan Crane adjusts the formula.
Having to deal with your fear after conquering it must be frustrating. And it isn’t always making things scarier. During Batman: The Animated Series he removed fear from people and made them reckless. For Batman, it was the only thing stopping him from becoming a killer.
2. Joker
The Clown Prince of Crime is the most persistent person on this list. The only villain more dedicated to tormenting someone is Sabretooth and even he’s not close. The lengths he's willing to go to ruin Batman's day are both comical and weird. The weird puts the cherry on top.
But what is the most annoying part about Joker? Absolutely everything. There isn’t a part of him that doesn’t make you want to slap him and we’re just the readers. Imagine how Bruce Wayne feels.
1. Riddler
There’s no way he’s not the most annoying villain on this list. Riddler is a smug, pretentious, vile, and evil person. To quote Bad Santa, his personality is dog poop.
Yes, Joker is a murdering psychopath, but at least he can be charming or charismatic. Edward Nygma is the person you envision behind a keyboard on social media trolling everyone behind an egg avatar. It's doubtful that anyone likes him.
Riddler’s only goal is to prove he’s smarter than everyone. Fun fact, it’s doubtful he’s in the top five in DC Comics. Yet, here he comes with his obnoxious riddles, schemes, and self-satisfied smiles that make you want to punch him.
Who else should be on this list? We want to hear from you. You can email us at entertainment@fansided.com.