Oswald Cobblepot, more famously known as the Penguin, is one of Batman’s most famous enemies to date. Although one of the saner and less outlandish of the Gotham villains, the Penguin has still been memorably depicted onscreen for generations, with the most recent being an unrecognizable Colin Farrell in The Batman.
Having been mostly absent from Batman movies, Farrell’s “Oz” Cobblepot has bought the Penguin back into the limelight. Before Farrell, there have been some brilliant and memorable versions of the Penguin in popular culture, each one with at least one notable quote to their name.
Paul Williams In Batman: The Animated Series (1992)
“Just Because You Mundane Miscreants Have No Drama In Your Souls! Anyway, There He Was In My Av… Uh, Big Birdhouse…”
Batman: The Animated Series remains one of the best and most beloved DC animated series of all time. This version of the Penguin (voiced by Paul Williams) retained some of the features of Danny DeVito’s Penguin while maintaining the etiquette and eloquence of the classic Penguin from the comics. He even is highlighted in an extremely sympathetic light in “Birds of a Feather.”
Penguin doesn’t appear in many episodes but one of his most notable is the classic episode “Almost Got ‘Im.” While telling his story, the Penguin is teased by the other villains for his dramatic speech, causing Penguin to begrudgingly call his “aviary of doom” a “big birdhouse” instead.
Nolan North In Batman: Arkham City (2011)
“Who Do You Think You’re Talking To? Oswald Cobblepot Doesn’t Hide From Anyone, Understand?”
The best-ever Batman video game on IMDb is Batman: Arkham City, the first in the Arkham series which is just as gritty as The Batman — maybe more so. Either way, this version of the Penguin particularly stands out due to his rougher look and gruffness of Nolan North’s distinct Cockney British accent.
North’s Penguin is brutal and ruthless, and it frequently shows in his dialogue throughout. The best example is his quote about refusing to hide, which truly highlights that the Penguin doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone.
Tom Kenny In The Batman (2004)
“Now That All Pretenses Are Off, Call Me Penguin. A Flightless Bird But One With Style.”
The Batman animated series from 2004 provided unique takes on a number of Batman villains, and one notable standout was the Penguin. Voiced by Tom Kenny, this version was brash, vulgar, and, more notably, the first version of the character to be put in Arkham.
While he ultimately became more comedy relief as the series progressed, the Penguin is still a formidable foe not to be messed with. The best example is his debut episode where he demonstrates the exceptional martial arts skills he picked up in his vast gothic aviary and formerly introduces himself as the Penguin.
Wayne Knight In Harley Quinn (2019)
“That’s Too Many People Saying Hello To Me. It Feels Disingenuous.”
Like many Batman villains, the Penguin appeared in the Harley Quinn animated series. However, he was only in two episodes before being brutally killed by Harley at the start of season 2. But because of the brilliant moments that he was onscreen and being voiced by the legendary Wayne Knight, Penguin was one Harley Quinn character that deserved more screen time.
Although he seemed very affable in the series, one hilarious instance that highlights Penguin’s status as a top villain in Gotham is that he casually shoots the Iceberg Lounge’s elevator bellhop just because it was one too many people saying hello to him and it felt “disingenuous.” What makes it worse is how the dying bellhop exclaims “I actually meant it!”
Nolan North In Assault On Arkham (2014)
“Nobody Steals From Me And Walks Away. It’s Bad Business, Love.”
Nolan North also portrayed the Penguin in the animated movie Assault on Arkham, only this version was more grotesque and ghoulish than the Arkham games. His debut of stuffing his face with a pile of fish verges on animalistic, which rather suits this more brutish version of the Penguin.
He and his goons do not hesitate to point their guns at Harley due to an incident involving her and Joker destroying one of Penguin’s trucks. His words show how ruthless he can be, and that he is every bit a businessman as he is a criminal kingpin. Regardless, Penguin doesn’t forget and will not let anyone get away with messing with him, regardless of when it happened.
David Ogden Stiers In Mystery Of The Batwoman (2003)
“Oh Yes. My More Rambunctious Days.”
Following the 1992 animated series, the Penguin was given a simpler makeover for The New Batman Adventures, and it is this version that appears in Mystery of the Batwoman. This time he was voiced by the late, great David Ogden Stiers instead of Paul Williams.
Stiers captures the snobby upper-class charm of the Penguin that Williams did in the original animated series. A moment that hilariously encapsulates this is the Penguin’s wistful response to Bruce Wayne commenting that the last time he saw the Penguin was when he stole plutonium and threatened to blow up the city.
Robin Lord Taylor In Gotham (2014)
“They All Underestimated Me. I Suggest You Not Make The Same Mistake.”
Arguably one of the best depictions of the Penguin, especially for modern audiences, is Robin Lord Taylor in the prequel series, Gotham. Starting as a seemingly sniveling underhand, the series shows a young Oswald Cobblepot’s rise to the top of the criminal underworld.
Over the series, Oswald proved himself to be a deadly adversary for others, which his quote perfectly demonstrates. Famously in the comics, Oswald was picked on in his youth but soon rose to the top as a ruthless criminal kingpin.
Danny DeVito In Batman Returns (1992)
“My Name Is Not Oswald! It’s Penguin. I Am Not A Human Being! I Am An Animal! Cold-Blooded!”
Until Farrell, the most famous and beloved live-action movie version of the Penguin was Danny DeVito in the gothic Batman Returns. Director Tim Burton gave the Penguin his signature treatment by reimagining the normally sophisticated villain as grotesque, bestial, and extremely tragic-comical.
As well as his evil plan, Penguin’s ambition is to seemingly find out his heritage and return to society as an accepted citizen. But with his initial corrupt scheme foiled and Max Shreck abandoning him, Penguin flees back to the sewers and angrily renounces his “human name.” It’s a moment that’s chilling, tragic, and truly emphasizes just how unique this version of the Penguin is.
Burgess Meredith In The Batman Series (1966)
“Politics Is Wonderful! I Can Use All Of My Lowest, Slurpiest Tricks, But Now They’re Legal! I Should Have Been A Politician Years Ago!”
The first actor to play the Penguin is Burgess Meredith in the 1960s Batman series. The most recurring villain in the entire series, Meredith remains one of the greatest and most beloved portrayals of the Penguin today. Fans can still hear his distinct and iconic squawking laugh.
In one plot that ultimately provided inspiration for Batman Returns, Penguin runs for mayor of Gotham and nearly succeeds due to his charisma and showmanship in his campaigns. His words on the matter are not only brilliantly funny but have (unfortunately) aged extremely well in satire.
Colin Farrell In The Batman (2022)
“What’s The Matter? No Hablas Espanol?!”
Although a supporting role in The Batman, Colin Farrell’s depiction of the yet-to-be crime lord has taken fans by storm, so much so that a spin-off series is now in the works.
Despite his smaller role and his comedic moments, Cobblepot is much smarter than expected. The moment that perfectly encapsulates this is when he solved one of the Riddler’s riddles that Batman was struggling with, purely because he could speak Spanish. Without Cobblepot, Batman perhaps wouldn’t have caught the Riddler.
