WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for The Batman, now in theaters.

It's no surprise that DC fans are once again debating who the best live-action Dark Knight is now that Matt Reeves' The Batman is in theaters. But while many argue for the likes of Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, Ben Affleck and even George Clooney, right now, the discussion is firmly wedged between Robert Pattison and Christian Bale -- both of whom delivered intriguing takes on the character. However, given the journey Nolan told with his films, Bale's Batman is still head and shoulders above the rest.

Now, that's not to say the others didn't do decent jobs. However, the Caped Crusaders from the '80s and '90s felt too campy, with the early movies failing to understand the nuances of the character. Ben Affleck's tried to achieve perfect them, but Zack Snyder went overboard, making him way too violent. That left Pattinson and Bale's depictions as the front-runners, and it was a pretty tight race. However, Pattinson's Dark Knight was far more brooding than his predecessors, sticking to the shadows far too much. That loner vibe isolated him from Alfred, the way he hid his Bruce Wayne persona away from society was strange.

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Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne in The Batman

Bale's Batman did the opposite to that, which is why he felt more human. Sure, he had three movies, but the final film, The Dark Knight Rises, was similar to Pattinson's take -- a vigilante who cut himself off from society, only to realize hope would save the day. But The Batman's take was more reactive than anything and didn't have that warm, superhero feel. Bale's first two attempts in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, however, nailed the job when it came to the light and dark to the Bat.

This duality was compounded by how he never wavered from his morals -- something Pattinson's Batman almost did to save Catwoman in a fit of rage after juicing up with a serum. He felt like he could break the line, but Bale's Bat constantly stayed on the right side, properly tempering his emotions and moral compass to something more heroic. And admittedly, a lot of that has to do with Bale's supporting cast. Michael Caine's Alfred, in particular, helped him become a better Bat, reminding him to honor the Waynes and showing him how to be a better man. On the flip side, Andy Serkis' new Alfred didn't really do much outside of insulting Bruce and helping solve some riddles.

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Christian Bale retires The Dark Knight Rises

And it wasn't until a badly-injured Alfred leaked the secret behind the Waynes protecting Martha's mental illness and how Thomas cut Carmine Falcone off that fans got to see a more compassionate Bruce. But regardless of when it happened, it still paled in comparison to Bale's Bat, who always worked to be a symbol to the public in the face of terrorism.

Bale's iteration also embraced his sentimental side via romances with Rachel, Talia and Selina, so it felt more organic when he realized he needed love to help save Gotham and himself. This was problematic for the other Dark Knights, with their romances feeling like superficial distractions rather than organic parts of their identities. Pattinson's Bat-Cat also even from it because both he and Selina Kyle ran from each other's true selves and focused on the masks they wore. But by embracing a sense of heart and soul, a well-balanced Bat emerged in Bale's movies, making him the quintessential take on the Dark Knight.

See how Pattinson's Bat falls short of Bale's in The Batman, now in theaters.

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