Batman: Every Live-Action Riddler Ranked Worst To Best

[TMC]

https://whatculture.com/film/batman-...st?rf=homepage

Riddle me this, riddle me that, who fought best against the big bad bat?!

BY MICHAEL JOHN-DAY
UPDATED: NOVEMBER 29TH, 2022

It's no secret that Bruce Wayne's rogues gallery is one of the most iconic collections of baddies in fiction. If you were to make a list of the best comic-book villains of all time, then the Caped Crusader's biggest enemies would be all over it like crime to Gotham City. Still, fans tend to see a lot of the same when it comes to live-action.

Despite his ever expansive collection of baddies, there isn't much variety in Batman's live-action endeavours. Viewers have gotten used to seeing the likes of Joker or Catwoman again and again, with other compelling antagonists being left on the bench.

However, Edward Nygma himself, otherwise known as The Riddler, sits between overdone and underdone. This Gothamite is best summed up as an unstable genius, as he's always three steps ahead of Batman, thanks to his incredible intellect. Adding even more fuel to this fire is his obsession with puzzles and - you guessed it - riddles.

There have been five live-action Riddlers (thus far), and they certainly vary in degrees of quality. Of course, they all have a charm to them, but some are certainly better than others.

5. John Astin - Batman (1967)

This entry should start by stating that John Astin is an excellent actor, famed for being the first person to play Gomez Adams in The Adams Family. The man is a legend, but his time in Gotham City is far less iconic than his turn as the head of that Gothic household; in fact, many people forget it even happened.

During the original Batman TV series, Astin was brought in for two episodes to replace Frank Gorshin (a name you'll need to remember). Accounts differ as to why this happened in the first place, with the most popular theory stating that there was a dispute after Gorshin requested a pay rise.

Regardless of why it happened, it's easy to see this version of The Riddler as the weakest. The iteration lasted only two episodes, and while Astin brought a suitable wackiness to the role, it was hard to shake off the legacy of Gorshin. Overall, it seemed like Astin was delivering on a lacklustre impression, leading to the character falling flat.

It was a tough job, and sadly, Astin didn't quite solve this riddle.

3. Frank Gorshin - Batman/Batman: The Movie (1966)

First impressions count, and while the original Batman series (and the subsequent movie) might not hold up well by today's dark Batman standard, it still shined a massive spotlight on good old Edward Nygma.

As the first person to take on this role, Gorshin deserves plenty of credit. He played into the part with the theatrical campiness that you would expect from the Adam West series. Still, he had a creepiness to his facial expressions, manic mannerisms and unblinking eyes, which gave this Riddler a more sinister edge.

Overall, Gorshin's Riddler is a two-pronged attack. He's got the typical goofy fun of the early Batman series but an uncanniness that makes him believable as a terrifying villain. This helped to bring The Riddler's popularity right up and even saw him painted as one of Batman's arc-villains.

Gorshin even managed to score an Emmy nomination for the episode "Hi Diddle Riddle", proving that while this version played into campiness, it still got the job done. This performance truly set the benchmark for all future Riddlers.

[Zoneboy]

Frank Gorshin not being #1 is just what I would expect from What Crapture.

[forn]

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

Frank Gorshin not being #1 is just what I would expect from What Crapture.

I'm not that familiar with What Culture. For one thing, I refuse to read web pages that make you click on page after page to sort through their list of whatever they're presenting. It's my pet peeve.

But I agree with your sentiment. Frank Gorshin is far and away the best Riddler. Paul Dano's version is a bizarre distortion of the character and is barely recognizable. The Riddler probably wouldn't even be considered a major Batman villain if it weren't for Gorshin's portrayal.

I guess the main thing at play here is most people today don't remember the Batman 66 series.