Batman is one of the oldest and most beloved superheroes of all time so it will hardly surprise anyone that he has a rich collection of villains he fought repeatedly over the years. Some of them remained in the comics but many of them also found their way onto the TV screen as well as into live-action and animated films.
Batman has a strange relationship with some of his villains, perhaps forming closer bonds than superheroes and villains usually have. And since his villains are so great, fans like to cosplay them and they tend to do an amazing job. Let's check out 10 Batman villain cosplays that are devilishly good.
10 Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn is a constant thorn in Batman's foot since she is almost as crazy and unpredictable as the Joker. She and the caped crusader fought against each other multiple times but their overall relationship is better than the one between Batman and the Joker since Harley has also teamed up with Batman in the past.
It does not hurt that she has a crush both on Batman and Bruce Wayne but does not know that they are the same person. Later in the comics, the two even had a brief relationship. Harley is a wild card and the cosplayer Florencia Sofen did a great job of capturing this side of Harley's character.
9 Jason Todd
Jason Todd may have started out as a superhero when he became Batman's Robin but after the trauma he suffered at the hands of the Joker and after coming back from the dead, thanks to Ra's al Ghul, it is no wonder that Jason turned to the dark side and became a villain and later anti-hero known as the Red Hood.
Jason's transformation is one of the most fascinating ones in the comics and it was also the focus of the animated film, Batman: Under the Red Hood, where Batman had to fight his former protege. DashingTonyDrake is convincing both as Jason and as Red Hood and it is obvious that this Red Hood would have no mercy for his enemies.
8 Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy is not as evil as some other iconic Gotham villains but that does not mean she is not dangerous and should be underestimated. Her powers give her the strength to kill people very easily should she choose to and while her live-action portrayal in the 1997 film Batman and Robin left a lot to be desired, in the comics and animated TV series Poison Ivy is a force to be reckoned with, even more so when she joins the side of her best friend Harley Quinn.
The cosplayer photographed by Manuel Moggio looks both powerful and fearsome in this nature-themed photo and is as close to Ivy as they come.
7 The Riddler
Gotham is the home of many eccentric costumed villains and while the Joker might be the most popular one, he is not the only one, not by a long shot. The Riddler is just as important and notable as an enemy of Batman as other names on this list.
Forget the cartoonish portrayal of this villain in the 1995 film Batman Forever and focus your attention on the portrayals of the Riddler in the comics and animated series where the villain properly shows why he is such a threat. This cosplay done by Elite Cosplay is spot on and it also gets bonus points for the Batman silhouette in the background.
6 The Joker
Many DC and Batman fans like to cosplay the Joker since he is one of the most popular comic book villains ever. But not everyone does as a great of a job as the cosplayer Anthony Misiano. There are, of course, multiple versions of the Joker one can decide to cosplay, but generally, the cosplays can be divided into two main categories.
The first one is hyper dark, realistic cosplays, in the likes of Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. And the other one is a more colorful, comic book-like version of the Joker, reminding everyone of his early days. Misiano chose the second version and he pulls it off brilliantly.
5 Scarecrow
Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow may not be the first name majority of people think about when someone says "an iconic Batman villain" but he should not be underestimated since he is very dangerous and can attack right where it hurts the most: in the human mind.
Fear is a powerful enemy and Scarecrow brings a lot of fear to those who cross his path, as Batman himself learned by a painful experience. Scarecrow's appearance, as well as his fear toxin, both make him, well, scary, and probably no one would want to meet the cosplayer Joey Macdonald while he is cosplaying this character in a dark Gotham alley after midnight.
4 Harley Quinn Strikes Again
Let's give a bit more attention to everyone's favorite Clown Princess of Crime because this cosplay by EnjiNight is too perfect to miss out on. Just like her boyfriend, the Joker, Harley herself has a richer variety of costumes and looks that cosplayers can take their pick from, despite the fact that she has only been around since 1992 and is, therefore, much younger than a lot of other DC villains.
This version of Harley dons her older costume and combines it with the now already iconic pigtails that Harley wears in her live-action movies and in the comics. And yes, she sure looks innocent enough, but people should be clever enough to stay out of her way.
3 Mr. Freeze
Allow us to break the ice and welcome another iconic Batman villain onto this list. The world would soon freeze all over before Mr. Freeze would be left out. Alright, enough with the ice puns. Mr. Freeze is somewhat of a tragic figure, especially if one considers that he turned to the life of crime primarily to find a cure for his wife Nora.
But even good intentions can lead to bad things if people are not careful enough. This Mr. Freeze cosplay by Josh M looks like a good choice for a warm summer day or for a comic book convention filled with thousands of fans.
2 Huntress
Technically, Helena Bertinelli, also known as Huntress, is more of an anti-hero, but since she and Batman have clashed on more than one occasion, she deserves a place on this list as well. Helena's life wasn't easy; she lost her whole close family as a child and spent years training to be able to avenge their deaths.
When she came back to Gotham, she started killing people that had anything to do with her family's death. Batman does not trust Huntress; he considers her too violent and unpredictable but it is still easy to see where she is coming from and Kamiko-Zero looks very much like her comic book counterpart in this cosplay.
1 Catwoman
Any list of Batman's most iconic villains would not be complete without the love of his life, Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman. Selina usually has short hair in the comics but she also appeared with longer hair in the films, for example, like when Anne Hathaway portrayed her, so both versions are perfectly plausible.
Catwoman likes to do what she wants. She is independent and free-spirited but she also has teamed up with the superheroes on more than one occasion. She is also agile and athletic which makes her a formidable opponent and as every cat, she has nine lives. KyraKitsune did a great job of capturing Catwoman's spirit in this photo.