Joker and Scarecrow. Those two have been the centre point for, like, half the events since the New 52 started. Maybe more.
I'm not saying Cataclysm was great, it wasn't, but the writers used a little imagination and its big bad was a bait-and-switch using obscure villain Quakemaster, who actually turned out to be the Ventriloquist & Scarface trying to pull a massive scam.
A little creativity can give a lower tier villain a boost and provide a fun surprise for readers. It can do much more for a top-tier villain like Bane.