Superheroes have long enjoyed a huge popularity worldwide. But no other hero exerts quite as much fascination on the collective consciousness as Batman. The Caped Crusader has a long and distinguished history in films. He has appeared in not just blockbuster movies, but films that are genuinely seen as artistic accomplishments worthy of critical acclaim and awards.
A big reason for this prestige attached to the Batman movie franchise is due to the villains that populate the world of Gotham city. The Dark Knight regularly battles some of the most complex characters in the world of comic books, who are able to hold the audience’s attention with just their mannerisms and words. Let us take a look at some of the most famous dialogs from Batman movie villains over the years.
20 “You’re going to see the purr-fect crime, when I get Batman in my claws!”
Today Catwoman is famous for being a troubled anti-heroine who might do a few criminal things now and then, but will eventually team up with Batman to save the day against the real villain. But the character’s origins were much less “anti-heroine” and more straight-up villainous. When Catwoman appeared in the 1966 Batman movie, she was firmly on the side of the villains.
Lee Merriwether gives a star-making performance as Catwoman, who also secretly moonlights as the glamorous Soviet journalist Miss Kitka. Just like all the other Gotham villains, this version of Catwoman is obsessed with the Dark Knight, and she makes it clear when she declares, “You’re going to see the purr-fect crime, when I get Batman in my claws!” Merriwether’s style of speech as Catwoman with the elongated “purrs” became very popular at the time and was imitated often.
19 “Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?”
When Tim Burton set out to make 1989’s Batman movie, the studio was eager to show that this was a serious, grown up take on the character and the world of Gotham. One big way the makers of the movie managed to do this was by landing Jack Nicholson in the role of the Clown Prince of Crime. Fans were agog to see how Nicholson would portray the twisted jester, and the actor does not disappoint.
The movie serves as an origin story for Batman’s greatest villain, as Nicholson goes from being mentally unstable gangster Jack Napier to the truly unhinged Joker over the span of the film. The only thing connecting Joker to his past life as Jack is his catchphrase, “Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?” Even though Joker admits that the line does not actually mean anything, it became one of the most famous lines ever uttered in cinema following the giant success of the film
18 “My name is not Oswald! It’s Penguin. I am not a human being! I am an animal!”
After the riotous success of 1989’s Batman, filmmaker Tim Burton wanted to do something darker and more intimate. Thus he crafted a new version of Penguin for the sequel, Batman Returns. Played to chilling perfection by Danny DeVito, the new Oswald Cobblepot aka Penguin is a deformed orphan who was abandoned by his parents because they could not bear to deal with his birth defects.
All through the movie, the Penguin struggles to reconcile his human side with his base animalistic side. After one crushing experience too many, Oswald has finally had enough as he declares, “My name is not Oswald! It’s Penguin. I am not a human being! I am an animal!” The moment symbolizes the death of Oswald’s dream of fitting into regular society, and his descent into full on supervillainy as he lays his plot to kidnap all the firstborn sons of Gotham city.
17 “Meow.”
While the main hero and villain of Batman Returns are the Dark Knight and Penguin, the true breakout star is Catwoman, played to slinky perfection by Michelle Pfeiffer. This version of Catwoman is very different from the comics, and signals the start of the character’s ascent from supervillain to anti-heroine. In the movie, Selina Kyle is a mousy secretary who is constantly abused by the people in her life.
After a near death experience, Selina gets a second life as the powerful and diabolical Catwoman. Pfeiffer plays the character as a sexy siren in full control of her power and the power she has over men, while managing to retain an air of playfulness. All of this is summed up in the way Catwoman greets Batman and the Penguin for the first time with a “Meow.” The Dark Knight and his mortal enemy are immediately spellbound, as is the audience.
16 “If knowledge is power, then a God am I.”
By the time the third Batman movie was being planned, Tim Burton was no longer in the running to direct the film. The franchise was in need of fresh blood, and it got it in the form of filmmaker Joel Schumacher. The director had a new, more colorful and campy vision for the world of Gotham. Naturally, the perfect choice for such a movie was Jim Carrey, then at the height of his career as an A-list star.
Carrey essays the role of Edward Nygma aka The Riddler. A scientist obsessed with gaining more knowledge than anyone else, Riddler’s desire to do a literal brain drain on all the citizens of Gotham naturally brings him into conflict with Batman. While discussing his evil plan with the Caped Crusader, Riddler declares, “If knowledge is power, then a God am I.” It’s the kind of line delivery that only Carrey could have pulled off, and for that reason is the most memorable thing in an otherwise rather forgettable Batman movie.
15 “Let’s kick some ice.”
After Batman Forever, filmmaker Joel Schumacher took the gloves off to create quite possibly the most infamous movie in the Batman franchise, 1997’s Batman & Robin. Schumacher fully embraced the camp of the Batman comics and did not take the world of Gotham very seriously, playing out a story about heroes and villains like a big-budget soap opera complete with bat nipples and cheesy puns.
Finding the cheesiest of all the puns in the movie can be a difficult task, but a strong contender would have to be Mr. Freeze’s immortal words to his henchmen, “Let’s kick some ice,” with reference to an impending battle. The line is made all the more memorable by the fact that it is delivered with full sincerity by the king of action movie one liners, Arnold Schwarzenegger himself.
14 “You Always Fear What You Don’t Understand.”
By the time the 2000s rolled around, Warner Bros. was all in on presenting Batman as a serious figure once again. And the man to deliver that version of the Dark Knight would be then-budding filmmaker Christopher Nolan. Knowing that he wanted to ground the world of Gotham in a realistic setting, Nolan made sure to populate his films with more regular criminals than fantastical super villains
One such memorable character is legendary mob boss Carmine Falcone, who has the whole of Gotham in his pocket. When a young and naive Bruce Wayne attempts to confront Falcone to his face, the mobster is having none of it. He bluntly calls out Bruce’s reckless behavior born out of ignorance. “This is a world you’ll never understand,” Falcone declares. “And you always fear what you don’t understand.” Despite suffering humiliation during the encounter, Falcone’s words strike a chord within Bruce and prompt his journey of self discovery towards becoming Batman.
13 “If you devote yourself to an ideal, they can’t stop you, then you become something else entirely: a legend.”
At the start of Batman Begins, after realizing that he does not have the tools to take on the criminals of Gotham on his own, Bruce Wayne sets out on a global journey to try to find a way to use his resources and his anger in a productive manner. It is during a low point of this journey that Bruce meets Ducard, the man who would change his life forever.
Ducard teachers Bruce to funnel his anger into training to become a living weapon. The lessons are harsh, and push Bruce past the limits of his endurance. All of this is a part of the plan, as Ducard explains to Bruce, “If you devote yourself to an ideal, they can’t stop you, then you become something else entirely: a legend.” This would become the catalyst for Bruce’s final transformation into Batman.
12 “You look like a guy who takes himself way too seriously.”
At the time Batman Begins was being made, Cillian Murphy was an up and coming actor whom Nolan wanted to work with. Murphy screen tested for the role of Batman, but it was not the right fit. However, the studio and Nolan were so impressed by the audition that they allowed Murphy to play the film’s supervillain Dr. Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow, making it the first time a non-famous actor got to play a live-action Batman movie villain.
Murphy rises to the occasion, offering a take on Dr. Crane that is charismatic yet unsettling. Scarecrow becomes one of the few Gotham villains who manages to overpower Batman when he douses the Caped Crusader in fear toxin and sets him on fire. While Batman writhes in pain, Scarecrow mockingly tells him, “You look like a guy who takes himself way too seriously.” Looking back in retrospect, the line almost feels like foreshadowing that his version of Batman is soon going to be visited by a certain clown who doesn’t take anything seriously.
11 “Why So Serious?”
After the success of Batman Begins, audiences were ready to feel the hype for whatever new version of Joker Christopher Nolan was going to introduce in the sequel. But no one could have anticipated what they actually got. Heath Ledger shines in one of the most memorable performances in the history of cinema, playing a gritty version of Joker in The Dark Knight.
Despite only being on screen for 32 of the film’s 152 minutes run time, the Joker always leaves audiences wanting more with his demented mannerisms and charismatic proclamations. The mad clown’s most famous line from the movie is “Why so serious?” which became a central part of the film’s marketing at the time of release, and is still quoted endlessly even outside of comic book movie circles.
10 “Hit Me!”
The Joker has always been a reckless guy. Part of the reason he is such an effective Batman villain is that he has little to no concern for his personal safety, which the Caped Crusader has a difficult time dealing with considering his chief MO is to have the criminals of Gotham fear him by beating them to within an inch of their lives.
The Dark Knight understands that Joker’s lack of self-preservation is his most chilling quality, and it is on full display in one of the film’s most iconic scenes. After a tense chase, Joker and Batman finally meet on the streets of Gotham. Batman is riding his bike straight at Joker, but the clown doesn’t care. Instead, he encourages Batman to crash into him, repeatedly shouting “Hit me!” in an increasingly demented manner, and appearing almost disappointed when Batman chooses to swerve and avoid him instead.
9 “I’m not a monster. I’m just ahead of the curve.”
Most Batman movies tend to focus on loud explosions and snappy combat scenes. The Dark Knight bucks the trend by having the best parts be the personal interactions and dialogs between characters. Easily the best among such scenes, and one of the best interrogation scenes in all of cinema, is when Gotham PD finally captures Joker and Batman is brought in to question him.
From the start, the Joker makes it clear that he is the one in charge of the room, despite being trapped in an enclosed space with a furious Batman. While the Caped Crusader tries to get information out of Joker, the latter is only interested in waxing philosophical about his personal beliefs and why the two have more in common than you might think. In a chilling statement that sums up his view of mankind being inherently evil, Joker declares, “You see, I’m not a monster. I’m just ahead of the curve.”
8 “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
The Joker gets most of the best lines in The Dark Knight. But the most iconic one from the movie that still gets endlessly quoted today belongs to Harvey Dent aka Two-Face. Near the start of the movie, Dent is an overly zealous district attorney who thinks that Batman is doing good for the city by taking out criminals that the police won’t touch.
Musing about the nature of Batman’s one-man war against Gotham’s criminal underbelly, Dent makes an ominous statement. “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” The meaning of the line applies to the end of the film, when Harvey turns into the villainous Two-Face, but upon his death Batman and Commissioner James Gordon agree to keep his true nature a secret so the public continues to remember Harvey Dent as a hero.
7 “We will destroy Gotham and then, when it is done and Gotham is ashes, then you have my permission to die.”
After the humongous success of The Dark Knight, fans wondered how the sequel would possibly be able to top the combined might of Joker and Two-Face. The answer arrives in the hulking, larger-than-life form of Bane, the main villain of The Dark Knight Rises. This time, Batman faces a foe who is not only stronger than him physically, but also cleverer and more strategic.
All of this is made clear when Bane’s plan for Gotham and Bruce Wayne are revealed. After defeating Batman, Bane arranges to have him moved to a remote location from where Bruce will be forced to watch Bane destroy his beloved Gotham city before dying. This is to be Bruce’s punishment for daring to go against the plans of the League of Shadow, as Bane tells him, “We will destroy Gotham and then, when it is done and Gotham is ashes, then you have my permission to die.”
6 “you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it.”
Whatever shortcomings Batman might have, you can always count on him to fight his way out of a situation, even at the cost of lives on occasion. But what happens when Batman meets someone whom he is simply incapable of defeating? That is what audiences get to see in The Dark Knight Rises. Just like in the comics, the villain Bane is revealed to be Batman’s superior physically, mentally, and in terms of fighting skills.
All of this is made amply clear when Batman faces off against Bane for the first time. It is painfully obvious that Bane is merely toying with the Caped Crusader, monologuing in grandiloquent terms in between beating the snot out of him. When Batman is left with no option but trying to disappear into the darkness, Bane calls out to him mockingly, “Ah, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it.”
5 “God versus man; day versus night; Son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham!”
After Christopher Nolan had his say with The Dark Knight trilogy, it was time for Batman to join the larger DCEU with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Part of the change was that Batman could now fight villains from the larger DC Comics universe instead of sticking to Gotham rogues. First on the list was none other than Superman’s arch-enemy Lex Luthor.
With the arrival of Superman in Man of Steel, Luthor finds a new target for his hate. A sentiment that the DCEU version of Batman shares at the start of his journey in the franchise. Luthor gets to work enacting a laborious plan to have Batman and Superman grow increasingly distrustful of each other. His goal? “The greatest gladiator match in the history of the world,” Luthor declares. “God versus man; day versus night; Son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham!”
4 “Whoa! This guy’s crazy!”
Batman is a superhero who generally works better when he is off in his own world hunting street criminals rather than fighting alien armies or magical beings. Matt Reeves understood the assignment when he came on board to make a new series of solo movies about the Caped Crusader, starting with the second year of Bruce Wayne’s life as a vigilante in The Batman.
The movie takes great pains to show just how ridiculous but also terrifying the idea of a grown man hunting criminals while dressed as a bat would be for the people of Gotham, whether they are ordinary citizens or hardcore criminals. This sentiment is perfectly summed up by Oswald Cobblepot aka Penguin when he sees Batman chasing his car and exclaims, “Whoa! This guy’s crazy!”
3 “You’re a part of this, too.”
The Batman goes even further than The Dark Knight trilogy in grounding the mythos of the Caped Crusader in the real world. So when Riddler shows up in the movie, he is a far cry from the over-the-top quizmaster played by Jim Carrey decades ago. This version of Riddler is a beaten down youth who wants to bring justice to Gotham through a series of gory murders.
In his own twisted way, Riddler thinks he and Batman are on the same side. To that end, he cryptically tells the Dark Knight, “You’re a part of this, too.” Batman does not appreciate the sentiment. But it does force him to take a long hard look at his own methods and the kind of impact his actions have had on Gotham as a whole.
2 “I used to think that my life was a tragedy, but now I realize, it’s a f**king comedy.”
Out of the many, many Batman movies that have been made so far, the most unusual is 2019’s Joker. This is due to the complete absence of Batman from the movie. The story instead puts full focus on failed stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck, and a twisted journey towards becoming the Clown Prince of Crime through a series of depressing personal detours in his life. All through the film, Arthur struggles to find meaning in his existence.
He finds his salvation in the most gruesome of places, through murder and mayhem. All of this leads Arthur to his own epiphany as he muses, “I used to think that my life was a tragedy, but now I realize, it’s a f**king comedy.” With that declaration, Arthur is finally free to fulfill his destiny as Gotham’s greatest villain, even if this version of Joker looks too frail to battle mall security, let alone Gotham PD or Batman.
1 “You know what? For once, Batman, you’re right. I’m not your greatest enemy. Your greatest enemy… is you!”
Who would have thought, after decades of serious Batman movies, that the most insightful remark by a Gotham villain would be found in an animated comedy instead? The LEGO Batman Movie puts a humorous spin on the Dark Knight’s ultra-serious vendetta against the criminals of Gotham. Chief among them, naturally, is the Joker, who believes he and Batman have a special bond as arch-enemies.
After Batman dismisses their connection with great contempt, Joker becomes obsessed with proving their bond is real. Following a bunch of antics that have no effect, Joker finally realizes the truth, as he states, “You know what? For once, Batman, you’re right. I’m not your greatest enemy. Your greatest enemy… is you!” The remark perfectly sums up Batman’s tortured existence. It’s not the villains of Gotham who won’t let him be happy, but Batman’s own overwhelming instinct for self-isolation and habit of pushing away anyone who tries to get close to him.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
