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FEATURE: The Ten Greatest DC Villains of All Time

The DC Universe is home to many of the greatest comic book villains in history. In fact, many fans believe that DC Comics’ gallery of antagonists is the best in the industry – and for good reason. DC’s comics, movies, television shows and video games all feature strong, complex villains to come face-to-face with our heroes.

Over the past week, we’ve been reflecting on some of these villains in preparation for Suicide Squad. Now, with the DC supervillain ensemble hitting theaters tomorrow, we decided to compile a list of our ten personal favorite villains in DC history.

#10 – Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage is an immortal adversary who plots the downfall of mankind over the span of thousands of years. His tactical skills, genius-level intellect and superman physicality make him a formidable foe for many heroes over time. He has fought the Justice League, the Justice Society of America, and more characters.
Savage’s immortality alone makes him a unique member of DC’s rogues gallery. He has also been a fierce opponent outside of the comics, such as DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, where he fights the likes of Hawkgirl and Rip Hunter, and various animated projects. Savage is a terrific villain who is an obvious option for this list.
#9 – Catwoman
Batman’s rogues gallery is the greatest in comic book history. You can make a list of DC’s best just from this part of the universe. However, Selina Kyle falls firmly in the gray area of hero vs. villain, which makes her a unique inclusion. Catwoman has been portrayed as an enemy of Batman’s, but she has also served as an ally and even love interest. So, she’s not a straight-up villain like others in Gotham City. She’s a character who pursues her own agenda, with or without Batman’s approval.
Catwoman is arguably one of the best female characters in comic book history. She is a frequent addition to Batman adaptations outside of comics, including the films and television shows. While many people praise Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance as Kyle in Batman Returns, my personal favorite on-screen portrayal is Anne Hathaway’s in The Dark Knight Rises. Catwoman is an iconic, distinct character in DC Comics’ history.
#8 – Sinestro
Thaal Sinestro is the arch nemesis of Green Lantern. A former member of the Green Lantern Corps, Sinestro eventually gave in to the power of fear and began his own group, the Sinestro Corps. He is a dictator-like figure, and he will stop at nothing to achieve order and control in the galaxy. He most frequently comes to blows with Hal Jordan.
Sinestro was played by Mark Strong in 2011’s Green Lantern film. While the movie was a massive disappointment, Sinestro was by far the best part of it. The character was also the highlight in an episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series. Sinestro is a fascinating and complex villain; fingers crossed we will see him return to the DC Extended Universe.
#7 – Ra’s al Ghul
Ra’s al Ghul is another highlight in Batman’s rogues gallery. The leader of the League of Assassins, Ra’s (also known as the Demon’s Head) is kept alive over centuries thanks to the Lazarus Pit. He is an international crime mastermind who is a master in hand-to-hand combat. He has even come to blows with the entire Justice League, bringing them down one by one in the “Tower of Babel” story arc.
Ra’s has also been adapted to media many times. He was brilliantly portrayed by Liam Neeson in Batman Begins. Outside of Batman, the Demon’s Head fought Oliver Queen on Arrow. Ra’s al Ghul is a brilliant, formidable villain who is easily one of the best DC has to offer.
#6 – Deathstroke
Slade Wilson is another villain who fills the role of an antihero from time to time. He is a powerful bounty hunter who has fought many DC heroes and villains, including Batman, Green Arrow and the Teen Titans. Deathstroke is a master of hand-to-hand combat, enhanced by superhuman strength. He is commonly portrayed with one eye after losing the other in battle.
Outside of the comics, Deathstroke is best known as the main antagonist of the Teen Titans animated series. (That was my introduction to the character as a kid.) He was also wonderfully played by Manu Bennet on Arrow, serving as arguably the show’s best character. Deathstroke is a badass mercenary who serves as not only one of DC’s greatest villains, but perhaps its greatest antihero.
#5 – Bane
Many of Batman’s enemies serve as either a mental (Joker, Riddler) or physical (Killer Croc, Solomon Grundy) challenge. Few serve as both to the Dark Knight. One of these characters is Bane, who not only outsmarts Batman, but straight-up breaks him – both in spirit and in body. Bane is powered by the drug known as Venom, giving him superhuman strength. He is also extremely intelligent.
Again, Bane has been adapted many times to media. Most famously, he was played by Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises, which depicted Bane’s best character traits. He was also great on Batman: The Animated Series. Bane is arguably one of the most underrated villains in Batman history, and his accomplishments truly make him stand out from the norm.
#4 – Brainiac
As the name suggests, Brainiac is an extremely intelligent villain. He collects data from planets all over the galaxy. He even collects entire cities in bottles, before destroying the planet and moving on to the next. Brainiac is one of Superman’s greatest villains, and he’s so powerful, he can hold his own against the entire Justice League.
Brainiac hasn’t been adapted as frequently as other villains on this list. However, he was a highlight in the DC Animated Universe, while he was great in Superman: Unbound. Brainiac is another awesome villain who is both a physical and mental opponent for our heroes. Fingers crossed we’ll see more of him in the future. (cough DC Extended Universe cough)
#3 – Darkseid
One of the most powerful enemies in the DC Universe is Darkseid, the ruler of Apokolips. He is another villain who serves as both a Superman enemy and a Justice League enemy. Darkseid is complex, brutal, and simply fascinating. He also plays a central role in the New Gods mythos, which are very interesting to say the least.
Darkseid was brilliantly portrayed in the DC Animated Universe, with Michael Ironside providing the voice. To me, Ironside is still the definitive Darkseid. Meanwhile, the Justice League movie is tackling Steppenwolf and Mother Boxes, so Darkseid’s entrance is pretty much inevitable. When he does appear, I hope they do him justice – no pun intended.
#2 – Lex Luthor
The arch nemesis of Superman, Lex Luthor is one of the most iconic villains in pop culture history. His hatred and jealousy of the Man of Steel is intriguing, while he is a very complex character. His intelligence allows him to go toe-to-toe with Superman and even the rest of the Justice League. It’s fascinating to see just how far Lex goes with his ego, paranoia and wealth.
Unsurprisingly, Luthor has been adapted countless times to media, from Gene Hackman’s turn in the original Superman films to Jesse Eisenberg in the DCEU. However, my favorite will always be Clancy Brown’s version from the DCAU. Lex Luthor is such a great villain, it would be a crime to not mention him in the top five of any DC villains list. 
#1 – The Joker
Was there ever any doubt? The Clown Prince of Crime is not only the greatest comic book villain of all time, but one of the greatest villains in history, period. While commonly depicted as campy, Joker has also been portrayed as brutal, vile and outright terrifying. He paralyzed Barbara Gordon, he killed Jason Todd, and he pushed Batman to the limit unlike any other antagonist.
From Jack Nicholson’s campier Joker or Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning portrayal, the character has been adapted countless times to media. Mark Hamill’s voice work in Batman: The Animated Series and beyond has made him the definitive Joker. I mean, we can go on all day about Joker’s dastardly accomplishments, so check out our list of the character’s ten finest moments. But he is clearly the only option for our #1 pick on this list.
Honorable Mentions: Black Adam, Two-Face, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Reverse-Flash

Who is your favorite DC Comics villain?

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of WOBAM! Entertainment.