7 The Joker

LEGO Batman

It’s a sin that there aren’t more Batman games that make Joker a playable character. Sure, we get a section in Batman: Arkham Knight where we control joker, and the Injustice games have Joker as a playable character, but there he is mostly sidelined when it comes to making him playable. Thankfully, LEGO Batman took the charge and made Joker fully playable in villain-centric levels, bringing his twisted and manic energy into the mix.

His arsenal consists of a joy-buzzer, pistol and laughing gas that he uses to cause cause. While his personality, animation and movement style is distinctly “Joker”, he’s made kid-friendly to keep the ESRB 10+ rating for the game.

6 Red Hood (Jason Todd)

Batman: Arkham Knight – Red Hood Story Pack

Jason Todd was the second Robin, who was brutally tortured by the Joker and left to die. The specifics of Jason Todd’s story differ in the comics, animated movies and the Arkham games, but in Arkham Knight, after escaping from Joker, Jason Todd becomes hell-bent on revenge. Not against Joker, the one who tortured him, but against Batman himself, who Jason thinks abandoned him.

In the Red Hood story pack DLC for the game, players step into the shoes of this anti-hero and accompany him as he takes on the Black Mask. Red Hood uses lethal firearms, a grappling hook and makes use of lethal takedowns, which is a stark contrast to Batman’s non-lethal combat style.

5 Harley Quinn

Batman: Arkham Knight – Harley Quinn Story Pack

Harley Quinn is the name Dr. Harleen Quinzel takes on after falling in love with Joker and completely embracing madness and the Joker’s twisted ideologies. The Harley Quin story pack makes her the main character in a game where she had been an antagonist for the entire main story.

Players finally get to take control of Harley as she breaks into the Bludhaven Police department to rescue Poison Ivy. Her combat style is unhinged, just like she is, and she uses a baseball bat coupled with acrobatics to fight her enemies.

4 Batgirl (Barbara Gordon)

Batman: Arkham Knight – A Matter of Family

Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Commissioner Gordon, was the Batgirl before becoming the Oracle after getting paralyzed by a gunfire by the Joker. A Matter of Family is a prequel set right before she got injured, where players get the full Batgirl experience while she was in her prime.

While her playstyle is mostly similar to Batman’s, with the same gadgets and hacking abilities coming into play, its the story that adds real emotional depth. Joker has captured her father and she must team up with Robin to save him from an abandoned amusement park before its too late.

3 Nightwing (Dick Grayson)

Batman: Arkham Knight

Nightwing was the original Robin, before he left the protective shade of Batman’s cape and became his own hero in Bludhaven. In Arkham Knight, he appears alongside Batman in Dual Play missions where the duo teams up to take down Penguin and his thugs.

Unlike Batman, Nightwing’s fighting style is much faster and flashier, thanks to the electrified escrima sticks he uses and his acrobatic flair. On top of that, where Bruce is much more brooding and silent, Nightwing is more confident and charismatic. His frequently uses witty quips that keep his personality on the lighter side.

2 Robin (Tim Drake)

Batman: Arkham City – Harley Quinn’s Revenge

Tim Drake is the third Robin, entering the picture after Jason Todd’s disappearance. Among all of Batman’s sidekicks, Tim is arguably the smartest one, known for his detective skills and disciplined fighting style, not unlike the Bat himself.

In Batman: Arkham City, he faces a vengeful Harley Quinn while searching for Batman. His fighting style employs a colapsible bo staff, smoke bombs and a unique zip-kick ability. Just like Batman, his gameplay emphasizes stealth and smart gadget use to take enemies out in a non-lethal way.

1 Catwoman

Batman: Arkham City

Selina Kyle, or the Catwoman, plays a pretty major role in Batman: Arkham City, especially during the Riddler’s side missions. Everytime Batman returns to the Riddler’s lair, players get to control both characters to fight off robotic enemies in a series of Dual Play missions.

Rocksteady also released a separate DLC that is focused entirely around the Catwoman, where she is fully playable in the open-world of Arkham City with her own story missions. Her fighting style is completely unique; she uses whip attacks and claw-based combat that makes her very agile.