Updated 3/4/22
Most of us show up for the heroes but sometimes we just can't help being captivated by the bad guys. Here are the DC Extended Universe's best:
20. Harley Quinn
Unlike most popular comic book characters, Harley Quinn didn't actually originate in the pages of a comic. Instead, the Joker's biggest fan was created for Batman: The Animated Series. But Suicide Squad provides a glimpse of the fall of the lunatic formerly known as Dr. Harley Quinzel. After being seduced by one of her patients, the Joker, Quinzel throws her career away by helping him to escape Arkham Asylum. He, in turn, shows her that playing with fire often results in severe burns and throws her into a vat of chemicals that bleaches her skin and eats away at her psyche. But Mr. J's loudest cheerleader remains as devoted as ever. She even attacks the Dark Knight with him -- which earns her a fist in the face and a cell at Belle Reve.
Harley's updated outfit didn't lessen the impact of seeing her in live-action at all. Though you have to wonder why a chick armed with nothing a baseball bat was selected for a military operation.
19. Doomsday
Doomsday is less a name than it is a description given by Alexander Luthor that perfectly captures the threat this monster poses to Superman. Doomsday's comic book origin was slightly altered for its appearance in Batman v. Superman. No longer an immortal prehistoric killing-machine, it's explained as being a "Kryptonian Deformity", cloned by tech billionaire Alexander Luthor using the combined DNA of the deceased General Zod and Luthor himself. But it's still the mindless killing-machine that seemingly murders Superman. It's worth noting that issue #175 of the second volume of the Superman comic does feature Luthor reconstituting Doomsday using Superman's Kryptonian DNA.
After attracting the attention of Krypton's favorite son with its destructive rampage, the homicidal beast engages Supes in mortal combat until neither is left standing (Batman and Wonder Woman initially participate in the battle but neither poses a threat to Doomsday).
18. Deathstroke
Slade "Deathstroke" Wilson barely even moved during his extremely brief appearances in Justice League (he was only featured in a post-credits scene) and the Snyder Cut but they were perfect live-action incarnations of his comics counterpart. And better incarnations than all of his animated counterparts. A mercenary, assassin, master swordsman and inspiration for Deadpool, Slade ain't nothin' to %#@$ with.
17. Joker (Arthur Fleck)
15. The Riddler
14. Scarecrow
13. Two-Face
6. Nam-Ek
With Kal-El's same power set and a lifetime of military training under his belt, Nam-Ek's destructive battle with the last member of the House of El nearly lays waste to the town of Smallville.
3. Joker
1. Bane
23. Amanda Waller
With her casual manipulativeness, willingness to cross any ethical lines in order to achieve her objectives, utter lack of loyalty or empathy and amoral brand of passive-aggressive evil, Amanda Waller is the embodiment of toxic femininity. The ruthless director of A.R.G.U.S. (Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans) has no compunction about threatening or pressuring anyone, including both military heroes and super-powered criminals alike, to do her bidding. There's nothing scarier than sociopathy empowered by government authority and backed up by armed and highly trained federal agents. Though she organizes Task Force X, a team of convicted murderers, to go on black-ops missions in Suicide Squad, Waller is revealed to be the film's true villain. In follow-up, The Suicide Squad, she coerces assassin Robert DuBois into undertaking an impossible mission by threatening his 16-year-old daughter's life.
22. Ocean Master
Ever notice that Aquaman's entitled half-brother has the most contempt for people unlike himself? From his barely-contained disdain for Black Manta (his African-American ally) and his murder of Fisherman King Ricou (whatever he was) to his hatred of Aquaman (his half-Maori half-brother) himself, the self-proclaimed Ocean Master doesn't seem to be a big fan of diversity. Orm's not the most charismatic of antagonists but his unchecked white privilege and boundless lust for power are the stuff of villainous dreams.
21. The Joker
No one immediately succeeding The Dark Knight's gritty and Oscar-winning depiction of Gotham City's most insane resident was gonna receive a warm welcome but the Millennium Joker far exceeded any reasonable expectations for an heir to the psychotic throne. The Jester of Genocide's powers of persuasion are on full display as his seduction of his psychiatrist, Harley Quinn -- resulting in her complete and total devotion to him -- is depicted in a live-action movie for the very first time. With his face tattoos, gold grille and purple lambo, Suicide Squad's homicidal jester didn't leave us with any immortal lines but -- wow. How could he grace us with any memorable quotes? He barely got any screen time.
Harley's updated outfit didn't lessen the impact of seeing her in live-action at all. Though you have to wonder why a chick armed with nothing a baseball bat was selected for a military operation.
After attracting the attention of Krypton's favorite son with its destructive rampage, the homicidal beast engages Supes in mortal combat until neither is left standing (Batman and Wonder Woman initially participate in the battle but neither poses a threat to Doomsday).
18. Deathstroke
Slade "Deathstroke" Wilson barely even moved during his extremely brief appearances in Justice League (he was only featured in a post-credits scene) and the Snyder Cut but they were perfect live-action incarnations of his comics counterpart. And better incarnations than all of his animated counterparts. A mercenary, assassin, master swordsman and inspiration for Deadpool, Slade ain't nothin' to %#@$ with.
16. Penguin
Falsely accused of cooperating with law enforcement, this mobster looks to be the next in line to be Gotham's mafia boss after the murder of Carmine Falcone.
Serial killer Edward Nashton methodically murders Gotham City's power brokers, all while outsmarting Lieutenant James Gordon and the Batman every step of the way.
12. Faora-Ul
General Zod's most talkative and sadistic sub-commander is the greatest villainess to appear in any comic book movie. With her barely concealed sadism and bloodlust on full display, Faora was begging to be sucked back into the Phantom Zone by the time Man of Steel's credits rolled.
"A good death is its own reward."
"A good death is its own reward."
11. Jesse Kane
As the villain's (David "Black Manta" Kane) father, Jesse is intended to be a darker version of Thomas Curry (the hero's father). The thing is, Jesse's 100 times more interesting than Thomas and every other dad, of which there are many, featured in Aquaman. Kane is fully aware that his own father was subjected to racism and discrimination during his service in the U.S. Navy throughout World War II. It was then that Kane's father was given the nickname "Manta" by his fellow sailors.
Interestingly enough, Michael Beach, who portrays Jesse Kane, voiced the character Devil Ray on the Justice League: Unlimited animated series. Devil Ray is actually Black Manta; the character's name was changed due to licensing issues.
10. Diablo
Chato "El Diablo" Santana is just barely eligible for this list given that he's the only member of the big-screen Suicide Squad who's actually reformed. Born with pyrokinetic abilities that have grown stronger with age, Santana used his powers to rise to the top of his LA gang, making him wealthy in the process. But after losing his temper, which causes his powers to flare-up, resulting in the unintended deaths of his wife and children, Santana quits the gang, renounces violence and agrees to spend the rest of his life in prison as penance. Despite being the most powerful member of Task Force X, he reluctantly joins, adamantly refusing to access his powers. In order to help his teammates prevent the Enchantress from enslaving the world, Santana eventually taps so deep into his abilities that he assumes them form of a giant Aztec deity in order to battle the former's brother, Incubus.
Ironically, the former gangbanger and accidental mass-murderer is one of the most realistic depictions of an ese to ever grace the screen.
9. Steppenwolf
Justice League is an absolute meth lab explosion of a movie -- except for the scenes involving Steppenwolf. Fortunately, Steppenwolf -- and everything else -- was upgraded in The Snyder Cut. Darkseid's uncle and leader of his armies, Steppenwolf is a conqueror of worlds, intent on adding the Earth to his resume. Thousands of years in the past, Steppenwolf led legions of parademons in an attempted conquest of Earth that's only thwarted by the combined armies of Atlantis, Themyscara, mankind, the Olympians and the Green Lantern Corps.
Upon Superman's death, the exiled Apokoliptian general makes his move again, searching for the three Mother Boxes that were seized by the Earthlings during his first invasion. And SW uses his battle-axe to snag the boxes guarded by the Amazons and Antlanteans with ease -- indeed, with a smile on his face -- before swiping the final piece of the power puzzle while Batman's assorted meta-humans are busy trying not to get killed by the revived last son of Kyrpton. Batman's team is no match for Steppenwolf either. But Superman is a different story.
"Child, my axe is still slick with the blood of your sisters."
8. Desaad
The ruler of Apokolips' right-hand man is almost as sinister as they come. This living nightmare's live-action debut in the Snyder Cut was pitch-perfect and he exudes a sense of cruelty that surpasses anything that the Joker could dream up.
7. Deadshot
Though Suicide Squad was intended to be an ensemble piece, Harley Quinn emerged as a star. But Floyd "Deadshot" Lawton stole the show. A crack shot with various firearms, Lawton made his living as a hitman-for-hire until he was apprehended by Batman himself. Facing decades in Belle Reve Special Security prison, he's offered a sentence reduction and supervised visits with his daughter in exchange for his participation in a black-ops mission for shady government bureaucrat Amanda Waller. No stranger to employers who can't be trusted, the devoted father pops off almost as many hilarious one-liners as bullets during the operation, all the while voicing his suspicions about Waller's true motives.
6. Nam-Ek
Man of Steel's Nam-Ek is the strong, silent type. More specifically, he's the astonishingly strong, seemingly mute type. Towering over his compatriots, Nam-Ek is one of Zod's loyal henchman who's convicted and sentenced to time in the Phantom Zone along with his general. But when he and his fellow Kryptonians reach Earth following their homeworld's destruction, they realize how empowering the planet's nearest star's solar radiation is to their alien DNA.
With Kal-El's same power set and a lifetime of military training under his belt, Nam-Ek's destructive battle with the last member of the House of El nearly lays waste to the town of Smallville.
5. Black Manta
Debuting in theaters just 10 months after the masterpiece that is Black Panther, Black Manta comes off like the DCEU's version of Killmonger. But Baltimore's most famous pirate is the absolute best thing about Aquaman. Kane uses his expertise in mechanical engineering to create an armored battle suit that far exceeds the capabilities of the Atlantean technology given to him by King Orm. Though toning down the comic book look of some characters for the sake of realism is a vast improvement for some ---- (Bane, Scarecrow, Helmut Zemo, Two-Face, Juggernaut), Manta's spot-on costume is a sight for sore eyes. Kane's battle suit combined with his considerable hand-to-hand fighting skills provide Arthur Curry with the most significant challenge he's ever faced from a mortal. I gotta tell ya, I'd rather see a Black Manta movie than an Aquaman sequel.
4. Bloodsport
Assassin Robert DuBois' marksmanship is at such a high degree that he once shot Superman out of the sky.
2. Darkseid
Thanos may have beat him to the screen but the DCEU's galactic warlord is no less a threat. With his immeasurable strength, legions of warriors, omega beams and search for the anti-life equation, which would grant him the power to take away free will, Darkseid's existence is a danger to everyone in the universe.
This strongman systematically picked Bruce Wayne's life apart (including draining his bank accounts) before breaking his back in The Dark Knight Rises. With a genius-level intellect and the strength of several men, Bane is the worst thing that Gotham -- and the Batman -- have ever faced.
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