Top 5 favorite Batman villains

[Beamish]

Two-Face
Poison Ivy
Penguin
Mad Hatter
Catwoman - villain mode, not anti-hero mode

[MidTierHero]

Man, trying to do this really makes one appreciate how Batman really has the best, deepest list of foes in comics. I literally can't narrow it down to a top five, so many of them are so good.

[Steven Ely]

Catwoman (sultry jewel thief villainess as well as Batman's most enduring and most twisted love/lust interest)
Man-Bat (when he goes berserk from too much serum and the primal instincts of a bat, he is what Batman pretends to be, an eerie weird man-sized bat)
Joker (vain arrogant serial killer chemist, leaves his victims with a ghoulish grin from his deadly chemical which contracts the muscles of the face as it kills)
Dr. Death (Not Jack Kevorkian, he is chemist Karl Hellfern, he has devised a means of causing death by pollen extract, his face has been virtually destroyed by a fire Batman caused, leaving him with no lips and almost no nose)
The Monk (both a vampire and a werewolf)

[Dr. Cheesesteak]

I love lists and i love Batman villains!

1. The Joker - seems cliche, but I think he's quite misunderstood (or maybe I'm just overestimating my own analysis). I think he's quite sane. I just think he's the epitome of a sadist. And finds humor in a lot of, what most ppl would consider sick, things. Besides that, I don't think he's insane or psychotic or anything like that. I find a person like this quite fascinating. Of course, it all depends on who is writing him... (disclaimer: all rankings are based on the characters at a general conceptual level - how they are generally portrayed in most media and in the best hands).

2. Poison Ivy - Not sure why I always preferred her sex appeal over Catwoman's. But I just have, even since i was 8 years old watching TAS. I think part of what makes me like her is how transparent she is. You know exactly her intentions, her thoughts, etc. And hey, I can appreciate someone caring about the Earth...

3. Bane - Before TDKR, Bane would maybe make Top 5. Probably closer to the bottom end of the Top 10. But I got two words for ya - Tom Hardy. Sure it kinda contradicts my earlier disclaimer, but I've grown to like the character quite a bit the more I've read of him and seen him in other media (Arkham series).

4. Harley Quinn - Pretty much here on concept alone. I actually find her personality annoying at times, more so when she's written to be a little too over-the-top in the insane category. But I do acknowledge she is quite insane. I think sex appeal adds to it as well.

5. The Riddler - I love riddles. What can I say? If I didn't love riddles, then Ra's al Ghul or Mr. Freeze would be here...

[signalman112]

1) Mr. Freeze. I like winter. Snow is fun to play in and with.

2) Two-Face. Nice visual, especially for me the golden-silver age look.

3) Signalman. Love his appearances in Detective Comics #466 and #526, plus his the way he took out Batman in Justice League of America #196 or #197.

4) Riddler. Smart. A bit crazy. Plus its fun to try to solve the riddles.

5) Hugo Strange. 1st recurring villain. Mad scienceist with a deep psychosis for Batman. Including dressing up as Batmna to fuel his obession.

[riddler123]

1) Mr. Freeze. I like winter. Snow is fun to play in and with.

2) Two-Face. Nice visual, especially for me the golden-silver age look.

3) Signalman. Love his appearances in Detective Comics #466 and #526, plus his the way he took out Batman in Justice League of America #196 or #197.

4) Riddler. Smart. A bit crazy. Plus its fun to try to solve the riddles.

5) Hugo Strange. 1st recurring villain. Mad scienceist with a deep psychosis for Batman. Including dressing up as Batmna to fuel his obession.

Good to see Mr Freeze appearing on many lists here. I always thought he was not that popular, as he wasn't used much in the comics compared to say Joker, Penguin and catwoman

[po-boy]

Batman has by far my favorite rogue's gallery. So many cool and creepy characters.

1. Two-Face: He has a great history starting out as an ally and becoming a tragic figure. I have always found him the most interesting of Batman's villains. Plus he has a a really fun gimmick and a great look.

2. Ra's al Ghul: A true match for the World's Greatest Detective. As someone else said, he can compete w/ Batman on pretty much all levels: intellect, resources, physical prowess, etc.

3. Poison Ivy: I like her motivation, and to me characters are always better if you can get where they are coming from.

4. Scarecrow: He can make for some very interesting stories since he uses characters worst fears against them.

5. Riddler: I never liked the old-school silly Riddler in his unitard, but I find the updated version very compelling. His high IQ and obsessive compulsive disorder make him stand out.

It shows just how deep Batman's rogues gallery is when classic characters like Catwoman and Joker don't even make my top five.

[ngroove]

Batman has by far my favorite rogue's gallery. So many cool and creepy characters.

1. Two-Face: He has a great history starting out as an ally and becoming a tragic figure. I have always found him the most interesting of Batman's villains. Plus he has a a really fun gimmick and a great look.

2. Ra's al Ghul: A true match for the World's Greatest Detective. As someone else said, he can compete w/ Batman on pretty much all levels: intellect, resources, physical prowess, etc.

3. Poison Ivy: I like her motivation, and to me characters are always better if you can get where they are coming from.

4. Scarecrow: He can make for some very interesting stories since he uses characters worst fears against them.

5. Riddler: I never liked the old-school silly Riddler in his unitard, but I find the updated version very compelling. His high IQ and obsessive compulsive disorder make him stand out.

It shows just how deep Batman's rogues gallery is when classic characters like Catwoman and Joker don't even make my top five.

"Deep" as in "digging deep" would be someone so obscure, even below Doctor Double X level - but certainly not other members of the top ten of Bat-Opposition, many of them with HUNDREDS of uses / appearances, even DOZENS since New 52 alone, such as Poison Ivy and Scarecrow showing up in some title (Batman, Detective Comics, Harley Quinn, Justice League United, Batman & Robin Eternal, ect) just about every month.

[Tony]

Catwoman
Riddler
Joker
Penguin
Clayface

[Starchild]

Killer Croc, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow & Bane