Batman is one of the toughest heroes in comics. He really has to be; not only does he face down Gotham's most dangerous villains but he's also a member of the Justice League and pitted against the most deadly and intimidating villains in the DC Multiverse. For Batman, all of this is just another day in the life— and he often makes it look easy.
With his mixture of skill and billions of dollar of the best technology ever made, Batman has defeated foes that should have left him bleeding out in the streets. Even all powerful cosmic menaces have fallen to Batman, making him the comic equivalent of David slaying Goliath.
10 Ra's al Ghul Is Stronger Than Most People Realize
Ra's al Ghul is basically a quadruple threat. He's smart, skilled, strong, and has access to a worldwide network of assassins and equipment. The Lazarus Pits have enhanced him beyond any normal human, so he is uncannily strong and fast. He's one of the few villains out there who have been able to consistently defeat Batman in hand to hand combat, which is no easy feat.
Ra's al Ghul is a challenge to just about any hero he faces but especially Batman. Batman can't just overpower al Ghul, so he knows he has to be smarter and more often than not, this has been a winning strategy for him. It's also earned him al Ghul's respect, not something the immortal gives out lightly.
9 Man-Bat Is Ridiculously Strong & Savage
Man-Bat made a change in his life and began working with the Justice League Dark but that doesn't change the years he spent bedeviling Batman. Kirk Langstrom isn't an evil man but for a long time he couldn't really control himself as Man-Bat and this led to Batman having to fight him numerous times. The Man-Bat formula gave Langstrom amazing strength and speed, spurring Batman on to come up with alternate ways of beating him.
Man-Bat was always quite formidable because of his mixture of brute strength and animal savagery. While he had some exploitable weaknesses, he's still one of Batman's toughest foes.
8 Vandal Savage Has Been Killing For Millennia
Vandal Savage is probably the most dangerous immortal on Earth. The meteor that gave him his immortality also enhanced his strength, intelligence, and speed and he has plagued the Earth for a hundred thousand years. Vandal Savage is a tough foe because the sheer breadth of experience he brings to the table is so great.
Vandal Savage is a challenge for some of the most powerful heroes out there, even challenging the might of the Justice League. The fact that Batman can beat Savage on his own is quite impressive.
7 Mister Freeze's Armor Makes Him A Physical Powerhouse
Mister Freeze is one of Batman's most tragic villains but that doesn't change just how tough he is. The armor that keeps his body cool also gives him amazing strength and durability, allowing him to more than make up for Batman's greater skill. Add his freeze gun to the mix and Mister Freeze is easily one of Batman's most dangerous foes.
Freeze is smart, strong, and often desperate, as his crimes were usually committed because he was trying to help save his wife. This makes him exceedingly dangerous, as Batman and many others have found out over the years.
6 Bane Is An All-Around Threat
When people think of Bane, they usually think of Venom enhanced strength and while that's a big part of his threat, it's not even the most dangerous thing about him. Even without Venom, Bane is uncannily strong and on top of that an amazing fighter, someone who can outfight even the most skilled opponents. He's also frighteningly smart and a great tactician, an all around menace.
Bane is one of Batman's greatest foes because of just how dangerous all of his skills make him. He's strong, fast and skilled and he's handed Batman several rather grievous defeats over the years, something that few others have been able to do.
5 The Batman Who Laughs Challenged Batman Like Few Others
The Batman Who Laughs proved to be a savage foe during his time battling the heroes of the DC Universe. While he didn't have the superpowers of other villains, he made up for it with his twisted intelligence and skill, allowing him to challenge even the most powerful beings in existence. He and Batman clashed several times with Batman barely getting wins over his twisted doppelganger.
The combination of Batman's smarts with Joker's insanity made for an exceedingly tough villain, one who was a grave challenge to every hero he faced, including Batman. Batman learned what it was like to fight himself and Joker at the same time from the Batman Who Laughs.
4 Lex Luthor & Batman Have Battled More Often Than Most Know
Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne's rivalry is more heated than most suspect, as both men run rival corporations and compete over market share. They also have a rivalry in their other lives as well, as Batman and Lex Luthor have clashed often. Lex and Batman are quite alike, as both men are exceedingly intelligent and use that and their vast resources to defeat their foes.
Lex is another villain without powers who is among the strongest foes anyone can face. Even without his powerful armor, he's a potent threat as there are few out there who can outsmart him. The fact that Batman has been able to beat him when he gives even Superman and the entire Justice League trouble is quite impressive.
3 Solomon Grundy's Undead Muscle Is A Grave Challenge For Batman
Batman has been battling Solomon Grundy for as long as anyone, as Grundy's home turf of Slaughter Swamp is just outside of Gotham. Solomon Grundy is probably one of the strongest foes, strength-wise, that Batman has ever faced and it takes everything for the Caped Crusader to defeat him. While it helps that Grundy isn't exactly smart, it's always a close battle.
Batman has to use his speed and intelligence against Grundy. He knows that a single mistake will let Grundy do irreparable damage to him, so he keeps moving and uses everything he has to even up the odds against the undead titan.
2 Batman Was Able To Defeat Multiple Members Of The Hyperclan
The Hyperclan made quite a splash upon their debut. These White Martian marauders were able to pretty handily beat the entire Justice League but they made one mistake: they underestimated Batman. This came back to bite them as Batman had survived their attack on him and was able to figure out just who they were and how to beat them.
Even knowing their weakness to fire wasn't a guarantee that he could beat them but he pulled it out. He preyed on their both their weakness and their strength, as none of them could believe that a normal human would be that dangerous to them.
1 Batman Has Defeated Darkseid, As Improbable As It Seems
Darkseid is one of the greatest villains in the DC Multiverse. He's a challenge for Superman and even the entire Justice League has almost fallen to his incalculable might. He can bring to bear the resources of the planet Apokolips against his foes and his personal power is nearly unmatched. The fact that Batman has even survived any solo battles against him at all is quite impressive.
Darkseid is no joke and Batman knows that he has to be ready for anything when he faces him. While the amount of times that he's defeated the God of Evil solo can be counted on one hand, he's still done it, which is more than most heroes can say.