All 8 Hero And Villain Suits In The Dark Knight Trilogy, Ranked

Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy is a relatively grounded take on Batman and his associated characters, but it still delivers a handful of superheroes and villains dressed up in notable attire. The DC trilogy reinvented Batman for the big screen in more than one way, establishing the more realistic and dark tone that most subsequent interpretations have followed and re-tooling the Batsuit into something slightly more practical and functional. Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises don’t quite go as full-on vibrant as the characters in previous Batman movies, but the costume team succeeded in keeping each hero and villain visually iconic.

However, that task seems a bit more difficult for the many villains of The Dark Knight trilogy. While Bruce Wayne can explain away his near-future gadgets with his near-bottomless resources and wealth, the villains need a practical reason to look as they do in a world more resembling real life. Not every look is equally successful, but overall, the trilogy delivers many suits and costumes that remain synonymous with their wearers today.

8 Ra’s Al Ghul’s Outfit Is Practical If Not A Bit Dull

Batman Begins (2005)

R’as al Ghul was a bold choice as one of two central antagonists in Batman Begins. The movie presents a grounded take on the origin of Batman, and R’as, who’s most known in the comics for a mystical pit that grants him immortality, is anything but realistic. However, by making his immortality more metaphorical and centered on ideas and symbols, the character remains a terrifying foe for The Dark Knight.

However, while R’as al Ghul’s look makes sense as a grounded take on antiquated ninja-style armor, it lacks visual pop. In DC comics, R’as most commonly wears green robes with an elaborate green and gold cape. While those would seem out of place in Batman Begins, trading the character’s pure black armor and dark brown robes for some darker greens and goldenrods would have been a welcome homage.

7 Two-Face Is A Good Take On Simple Source Material

The Dark Knight (2008)

Of all the villains in The Dark Knight trilogy, Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face, gets the most gruesome redesign. Not simply content to give Dent some facial scarring, Two-Face spends the movie’s last act with half his face burned down to the bone. While his visage is wonderfully done, his actual suit isn’t anything particularly exciting. However, it’s hard to blame Nolan or the costuming team when a simple suit is what Two-Face is best known for wearing.

While some interpretations of the character in comics and animation and Tommy Lee Jones’ version in Batman Forever try something more elaborate and colorful, the subtle fire damage to half of Dent’s suit works well enough. That isn’t to say that a bit more couldn’t be done to accentuate the two halves of his look. However, it’s a fine line between an interesting visual divide and something too cheesy or “face,” so it may be best that the look stays restrained.

6 The Batman Begins Suit Is A Stepping Stone To Better Things

Batman Begins (2005)

After Batman (1989) presented a now-iconic Batsuit for modern audiences, the series progressively regressed Batman’s look until it completely jumped the shark in Batman & Robin. Batman Begins returned to a more grounded take on Batman’s costume, though it has flaws. The lack of any color accents outside the best works from a practical perspective, but it does make the suit difficult to read on-screen. The material also looks more “rubbery” than later versions, and Bale can’t turn his head freely. That being said, it still works, and the cape, particularly, is striking.

5 Catwoman Gets Creative With Her Iconography

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

It’s difficult to get too creative with Catwoman’s suit because, in essence, it’s such a simple design. However, The Dark Knight Rises still finds a way to add some unique flourishes to Selina Kyle’s ensemble. The black bodysuit is expectedly plain, which makes sense for a thief. However, the “cat ears” are cleverly done. Instead of simply decorative flair, the ear shape is formed when Selina flips up her goggles off her face. It’s not the most practical way to store eyewear, but it’s fittingly grounded for Christopher Nolan’s Batman universe.

4 Bane Keeps An Outlandish Concept Simple

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Similar to other villains in The Dark Knight trilogy, the design team had the difficult task of reworking what is inherently an outlandish character for a more grounded world. In DC Comics, Bane traditionally was a Luchador-style mask and is adorned with green tubes that deliver Venom – a liquid that grants him incredible strength – from canisters at his waist. Tom Hardy’s version of the character loses the Venom altogether and instead dons a menacing face mask that’s said to feed him painkillers constantly. The mask could have been explained more clearly in the movie, but it and his large winter coat have become iconic in their own right.

3 Scarecrow Keeps Things Frighteningly Simple

Batman Begins (2005)

Cillian Murphey is the only villain to appear in all three of Nolan’s Batman films, but he’s only a real focal point in Batman Begins. Scarecrow’s designs in the pages of DC Comics run the gamut from simple masks to elaborate and terrifying scarecrow costumes, and the Batman Begins design finds a way to make a simple burlap mask horrifying. Scarecrow’s fear toxin allows the movie to play around with some VFX to make it even scarier, and the suit remains a perfect example of less sometimes being more.

2 Joker Makes Classic Visual Motifs Feel Fresh

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Joker is one of the most iconic comic book villains of all time, so creating a new look for the Clown Prince of Crime can be risky. That being the case, his look in The Dark Knight is an absolutely perfect mix of comic book inspiration and a bold new vision. Keeping the white face, clown make-up, and purple/green color scheme the character is known for, Ledger’s Joker feels gritty and grounded in the best way. More unhinged than cartoonish, Joker looks terrifying, and it’s in large part because of his wardrobe.

1 The Dark Knight/The Dark Knight Returns Suit Still Hasn’t Been Topped

The Dark Knight (2008) & The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

It’s fitting that the central hero of The Dark Knight trilogy also has its best suit. This version improves on its Batman Begins predecessor in every way, delivering a superhero suit that looks at once practical and straight from a comic book. The suit looks much more like stylized Kevlar armor than rubber, and each piece and groove visually pops despite being almost entirely black. The biggest thing the suit has going for it is the cowl, which finally lets Batman turn his head independently of his body, making every movement look more natural.