Summary

• Joker's chilling question to victims leaves lasting impact, revealing Joker and Batman's shared past trauma.
• Bane's brutal takedown of Batman's identity triggers introspection, showcasing villain's tactical genius.
• Riddler's eerily familiar words to Batman prompt reflection, blurring lines between hero and foe.

The cinematic villains of Batman have offered some incredible quotes over the years, echoing through pop culture as some of the most significant lines of dialogue in any superhero story. Renowned for having the best-written villains of any comic book character, the antagonists of nearly every Batman movie have stood out for their personalities and ideals, as exemplified by their quotable dialogue. From Jack Nicholson's Joker to Paul Dano's Riddler, Batman has come across some eloquent speakers in his cinematic battles for justice.

Each famous quote from one of Batman's movie villains is significant for its own reasons. Sometimes, they're scathing criticisms of Batman, Bruce Wayne, or modern civilization itself, damning indictments of pre-established beliefs that genuinely engage viewers and cause them to question their own perceptions of a story. Other times, they're simply bombastic lines that can't help but echo in the mind long after leaving the context of the scenes they originate from.

12 "Have You Ever Danced With The Devil In The Pale Moonlight?"

Jack Nicholson as The Joker to Bruce Wayne in Batman (1989)

It's been a long time since the cavernous grin of Jack Nicholson's Joker spanned the width of theater screens, but his disturbing words have continued to linger, even to this day. At multiple points in the film, Joker asks a peculiar question of his victims - "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" Batman uses this line to realize that Joker and the man who murdered his parents in cold blood were one and the same.

The question seems deep, almost philosophical on a surface level, difficult to parse the true meaning of. However, Joker himself admits that the question is essentially nonsense, yet another gag in his repertoire of deadly jokes. That doesn't stop it from being a chilling line that sends shivers down the spine of anyone who recognizes it.

11 "You Think Darkness Is Your Ally? You Merely Adopted The Dark. I Was Born In It, Molded By It"

Tom Hardy as Bane fighting Batman in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Bane presented Christian Bale's well-equipped Batman with one of his toughest challenges yet, measuring his immense strength and tactical genius against Batman's own. The comparison between hero and villain hits a fever pitch during the two's climactic fist fight deep within the sewers of Gotham. Not only are physical blows exchanged in one of the most intense Batman movie fights, but Batman's very identity is put under the microscope of Bane's dissecting mind, laying bare Bruce Wayne's weaknesses both mentally and emotionally.

In his trademark wavering voice muffled by an intimidating gas mask, Bane describes how Batman "merely adopted the dark," in comparison to himself, who was "born in it, molded by it." Bane essentially calls Batman out for cosplaying a warrior of the night, suffering only a fraction of the trauma of Bane's childhood and tutelage beneath the League of Shadows. To punctuate his point, Bane breaks Batman's back over his knee, just as he did in the comics, dealing a crushing defeat to The Dark Knight with his words and fists.

10 "When The Chips Are Down, These 'Civilized' People? They'll Eat Each Other..."

Heath Ledger as Joker being interrogated in The Dark Knight (2008)

There are many reasons why Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight is considered one of the most iconic cinematic villains of all time, let alone among Batman movies. Endlessly quotable, the character was able to make a convincing argument for his condemnation of systems of power, championing rampant anarchy with unnerving eloquence. No scene better exemplifies this dangerously charismatic rhetoric than in the interrogation scene, in which Batman tries desperately to get information out of the imprisoned Clown Prince of Crime.

Identifying with Batman's inherent differences from the world around him, Joker lets the Caped Crusader in on his views regarding most of humanity. He posits that "When the chips are down, these 'civilized' people? They'll eat each other," going on to declare "I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve." Both Batman and the audience themselves are left desperate to prove the Joker wrong, making this pointed quote so decidedly thought-provoking.

9 "My Name Is Not Oswald! It's Penguin. I Am Not A Human Being! I Am An Animal!"

The Penguin to his henchman after his disastrous speech in Batman Returns (1992)

Compared to the more well-spoken Batman villains, Danny DeVito's Penguin isn't the most impressive speaker, being more of a feral creature than a high-society mayoral candidate. This dichotomy between Oswald Cobblepot's monstrous true nature and his lofty ambitions to rule over the system that rejected him makes for a fascinating character arc, culminating in a dangerous line. After Batman ruins his speech with an incriminating recording, the Penguin returns to the zoo, furious, soon to make a decision on his identity once and for all.

Ultimately, Oswald Cobblepot decides to drop all pretenses and lean in to his identity as the Penguin. He tells one of his henchman as much. smacking them with an umbrella after they dared to congratulate his speech, screaming "My name is not Oswald! It's Penguin. I am not a human being! I am an animal!" Shedding any veneer of civility and leaning in to his bestial nature, Penguin officially lives up to his moniker, becoming all the more dangerous and deranged.

8 "You Get What You ****ing Deserve!"

Joaquin Phoenix as Joker on Murray's talk show in Joker (2019)

Though not strictly a Batman film, 2019's Joker focuses on his single most iconic villain, with Joaquin Phoenix winning an Oscar for his incredible performance as the eponymous character. Part of what made his performance so compelling was the sympathetic yet terrifying way he was able to deliver certain lines, summing up the callousness he had experienced firsthand. After being mocked by his hero, Joker appears before him with a joker, concealing a deadly punchline.

Joker rhetorically asks Murray "What do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash?", making the already unsettled talk show host nervous. Before security can drag him away, he simply replies "You get what you ****ing deserve!" and draws his pistol, killing Murray. This shocking scene is the absolute culmination of all the abuse Arthur Fleck had suffered in order to become the Joker, finally lashing out at the world around him.

7 "If Knowledge Is Power, Then A God Am I!"

Jim Carrey as Riddler explaining his plan to Batman in Batman Forever (1995)

Compared to the likes of The Dark Knight and Joker, the earlier Batman stint, Batman Forever might not be the most highbrow piece of superhero media. Still, the film had a surprisingly good understanding of the character of the Riddler, as Jim Carrey's outrageous performance was occasionally able to demonstrate. In the Tim Burton Batman sequel, Riddler plans to absorb the knowledge of thousands of Gotham residents at once with his incredible mind-reading device, bringing him face to face with the Caped Crusader.

Like any good megalomaniac villain, the Riddler takes the time to explain his scheme to his archenemy, demonstrating his insane levels of egotism. On stealing the brainpower of the entire city, the Riddler muses that "If knowledge is power, then a God am I!", proving beyond a shadow of a doubt his psychosis and vanity at once. For as goofy of a performance as Jim Carrey's Edward Nygma was, this line has a refreshingly solid grasp of the original comic villain's ideals.

6 "What Killed The Dinosaurs? The Ice Age!"

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze in the museum fight in Batman & Robin (1997)

Not every famous Batman movie villain quote gains an enduring status within the pop culture zeitgeist for being thought-provoking or demonstrating critical character development. Sometimes, a spectacularly cheesy line delivered with the right amount of gusto is enough to go down in the comic book movie hall of fame, if for the wrong reasons. Enter Mr. Freeze in the disastrously-received Batman & Robin, one of the absolute strangest Arnold Schwarzenegger roles ever conceived.

A bizarre take on the soft-spoken cyrogenic genius, Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze was instead a hulking steampunk refrigerator man with a healthy love of ice puns, as often demonstrated in Batman & Robin. One of his most egregious comes about in a hectic fight in the Gotham natural history museum, in which a display of dinosaurs is collateral damage in Freeze's icy blasts. Mr. Freeze is kind enough to give a brief history lesson in the form of a pun, reciting "What killed the dinosaurs? The ice age!" Even if his words aren't scientifically true, it's a boldly hilarious line.

5 "If You Devote Yourself To An Ideal, They Can't Stop You, Then You Become Something Else Entirely: A Legend"

Liam Neeson as Ducard training Bruce in Batman Begins (2005)

Usually, when Batman's villains get the chance to talk to him, they're attempting to threaten, intimidate, or get him to question his own deeply-held beliefs. Rarely, the words of a villain can compel or even inspire the Dark Knight into action, as what happens early in Bruce Wayne's vigilante career in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins. While searching the globe for a way to channel his angst and unmitigated thirst for vengeance, Bruce Wayne meets the man he would later come to know as R'as al Ghul, Ducard.

During his elite combat training, Ducard tells Bruce some precient advice he winds up following later as Batman. Pushing him to the limits of his physical resilience with his harsh regiment, Ducard remarks "If you devote yourself to an ideal, they can't stop you, then you become something else entirely: a legend." This line helps Bruce Wayne understand what his legacy would be as The Dark Knight, informing his superhero career for the rest of The Dark Knight trilogy.

4 "Why So Serious?"

Heath Ledger as Joker threatening Gambol in The Dark Knight (2008)

Throughout The Dark Knight, the Joker relentlessly sells his ideals of moral nihilism, laughing in the face of ethics and treating matters of life and death like lighthearted jokers. This chilling personal philospohy is summed up best by the three simple words he repeats at multiple points throughout the film, "Why so serious?" This phrase has gone on to become a pop culture mainstay, not to mention being a driving force behind the advertisement for the film back in the 2008 promotional materials.

The most famous use of the line is when Joker threatens Gambol at knife point, telling yet another likely-fabricated version of how he got his scars, using the line to quote his supposed father. What's interesting to note is that Joker tailors what version of the story to tell based on the person he's threatening. He creates a story involving his father for Gambol, who appears to have a strong reaction when his family is mentioned, but tells Rachel a more romance-oriented version of the tale after noticing her and Harvey's relationship.

3 "You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain"

Aaron Eckhart as Harey Dent at a dinner with Rachel and Bruce in The Dark Knight (2008)

Perhaps one of the few lines in The Dark Knight to give "Why so serious?" a run for its money, Harvey Dent's warning to Batman is still quoted in comic book movie circles to this day. Despite only appearing as Two-Face incredibly briefly, Harvey Dent is nearly as much of a protagonist in The Dark Knight as Batman is, with him almost every step of the way in attempting to curtail the Joker's rampant killing spree. Before becoming Two-Face, Dent has a line that chillingly predicts his fate.

Sensing the bubbling resentment towards Batman and the danger his reputation is in among the general populace of Gotham, Dent muses on the fickle nature of public adoration, being all too familiar with it himself as a defense attorney. Summing up the events of the film perfectly, Dent states "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." This infamous line applies to Dent himself upon his total transformation into the murderous Two-Face by the end of the movie, having clearly fallen into the latter category.

2 "You're A Part Of This, Too"

Paul Dano as The Riddler being arrested in The Batman (2022)

Matt Reeves' The Batman understood how to play villains off of Batman himself, particularly in the earlier stages of his crime-fighting career. Part of what makes Paul Dano's Riddler so compelling as a villain is that his goals are not altogether that different from Batman's own, even thinking himself to be on the same side as the Caped Crusader for the majority of the film. He reveals as much early on upon being arrested, telling Batman "You're a part of this, too."

Regardless of how inaccurate the Riddler's words were in regard to Batman's allegiance to him, his words were still chilling, but important for Robert Pattinson's young Bruce Wayne to hear. The fact that a serial killer like the Riddler could ever identify with Batman's actions leads to some introspection on Bruce Wayne's part, questioning how he had been conducting himself as a fearmongering vigilante. This single piece of dialogue from the villain helps Batman evolve into the symbol of hope he aspires to be by the end of the film.

1 "I Used To Think My Life Was A Tragedy. But Now I Realize, It's A ****ing Comedy"

Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck before killing his mother in Joker (2019)

Part of what makes Arthur Fleck's journey in Joker so compelling is how far he's willing to go to resist becoming a villain. Initially, Fleck goes out of his way to turn the other cheek and see the good in other people, despite nearly every interaction with another person throughout the events of the film teaching him the opposite lesson. The failed comedian sums up his findings in his final conversation with his mother, shortly before smothering her to death.

Having faced nothing but strife his entire life, Fleck describes that "I used to think that my life was a tragedy. But now I realize, it's a ****ing comedy." This just goes to show how far into nihilism his worldview has sank, finding only humor in the strife and suffering of himself and others. Punctuating the statement with a dead-eyed look before killing the closest person in the world to him, becoming the Joker in earnest, this haunting line is by far one of the most effective lines of dialogue from any Batman villain in a film.