You saw the title. No, I do not think Heath Ledger’s Joker was the best villain in the Dark Knight trilogy.
Now, don’t get it twisted. When it comes to ranking the live-action Batman movies, I would put The Dark Knight squarely at number one. I don’t think that’s even a question. In fact, I’m not even really that big of a fan of The Dark Knight Rises. I find it to be the weakest in the trilogy.
Be that as it may, I do think it had the greatest antagonist of the three movies with Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Bane. In fact, I think Bane is quite possibly my favorite villain in any Batman movie (even more so than Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of The Joker, which I adore). Here’s why.
He’s The Only Antagonist In The Trilogy To Break Batman Both Mentally And Physically
Let’s set the record straight. There aren’t many antagonists in the live-action Batman movies who have really posed much of a threat to the Caped Crusader – physically at least. In Tim Burton’s two Batman movies (I’m skipping right over the campy Adam West flick), the hero primarily fought against The Joker, and Penguin. Not really the toughest adversaries, at least when it comes to one-on-one confrontations.
In the Joel Schumacher films, you would THINK Arnold Scwarzenneger would pose a threat as Mr. Freeze in Batman & Robin (Which also had a version of Bane, by the way. A silly one.), but he spent most of the movie spouting off ice puns (Which, don’t get me wrong, I love).
Sure, The Riddler was intimidating in Matt Reeves’ The Batman movie, but again, at a cerebral level. In that way, there has never been a Batman movie where the Dark Knight was challenged both mentally, and physically.
Except for one, and that’s The Dark Knight Rises, with Bane. Pulling elements from the famous 1993-1994 comic arc, Batman: Knightfall, Rises is the only Batman movie where the film’s main antagonist violently whupped his ass like that one Wesley Willis song.
I mean, Bane whupped him so badly, he forced him back into early retirement, only for Batman to “rise” again and get his mojo back. That said, unlike the growling Bane in Batman & Robin, this Bane was no dummy. Much like his comic counterpart, he’s a cerebral powerhouse, and the perfect villain to go up against Bats at the end of a storied trilogy. Brains, and brawn? You gotta love it.
He Is Connected To Batman's Backstory
Batman Begins is a masterclass in how to set up a new franchise with a character who pretty much everybody is already familiar with. Instead of just throwing him in a movie against Superman (tsk, tsk, tsk, Snyderverse), we instead get a whole different look at the character’s journey to being a hero.
In this version, Bruce joined the League of Shadows, and only left it because he didn’t want to be used as a force for evil. But, do you know who didn’t particularly mind being a force for evil? Bane. And, it’s cool that he has a direct connection with Batman, unlike Scarecrow or The Joker, in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, respectively.
In this film, we find Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter, Talia al Ghul, and that Bane is working with her. I really like how this makes Bane intimately close to Batman as a villain, as he’s somebody who knows how he fights, and can fight even better than him.
He also knows how to get inside his head on a much deeper level, and I love how that’s portrayed in the film. It might just be the only thing I actually really love about Rises.
As I said earlier, I find the rest of the movie to be kind of mid, and one of the worst Christopher Nolan movies if I’m being completely honest.
He Also Revealed That He Has A Soft Side
The Dark Knight Rises is a great example of strong ideas, but poor execution. I don’t know how else to explain the cheesy moment when we learn that Bane was once Talia al Ghul’s “protector” and helped save her, only for him to be excommunicated from The League of Shadows for being considered “a monster” by Ra’s al Ghul.
That said, I still love the idea of the villain having a soft side. We don’t really get that angle out of Scarecrow, and definitely not from The Joker, who is just a pure jolt of nihilism in a purple suit.
Everything Bane does, though – for him at least – is to serve a bigger purpose, and I like that. The fire rises, yes, but not just because he’s a man who wants to watch the world burn.
He Arguably Made Batman Stronger Than He'd Ever Been In The Entire Trilogy
Throughout the Nolan trilogy, Batman was pushed to the brink, but mostly psychologically. Scarecrow pushed him to realize that he could become something greater for the sake of the city, and Joker made him consider whether some men just aren’t worth saving (they are, by the way).
Bane, however, pushed him to be a stronger man because he had to be just to beat him. After Bane brutalized him, Batman had to build himself back up again, and by the end of the movie, Batman was a beast.
This was a whole different Caped Crusader. He was somebody who had seen the darkest side of himself, and overcame it. The final fight wasn’t everything I hoped it would be (especially with the Talia al Ghul reveal, which I’ve already mentioned), but I love the journey that Bane put our lead through.
I don’t know if this is a controversial statement or not, but I always found Christian Bale’s Batman to be one of the weaker versions of the character (I’ve always been more of a Batfleck man, myself). That said, I really think Bane made him the best version of Batman in the series, as he truly did make him rise to the occasion.
I Also Just Love Imitating His Voice And Mannerisms, Even Today
Last but not least, I just love imitating Bane. It’s the voice. It’s just absolutely perfect.
When I first heard it, I was in love, as it’s such a strange choice, and only something I could see Tom Hardy pulling off. Scarecrow was really cool as a character, and I loved all of the fear effects, but you can’t really imitate that.
Heath Ledger is, by many accounts (not mine, but many others), the best version of The Joker, but it’s really hard to imitate that performance. Yes, you can dress the dress, but can you talk the talk?
Bane, however, is entirely possible to mimic, and it’s instantly recognizable. A lot of times, I’ll clutch the collar of my shirt, and then say something in the Bane voice, and it will usually get a laugh. And, it’s not like Hardy made the character all jokey or anything like that. He played it completely straight, which is just another reason why it works so well.
So, yes, if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Hardy should be extremely flattered.
Do you also believe that Bane was Batman’s best villain in the Dark Knight trilogy? If not, then just don’t say it to my face. It would be extremely painful…for you.
