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The 25 greatest Gotham villains of all-time

By Deanna Chapman

GOTHAM: L-R: Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin, Cory Michael Smith as Edward Nygma / The Riddler, Donal Logue as Detective Harvey Bullock, Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Chris Chalk as Lucius Fox, Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle / the future Catwoman, Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth and Erin Richards as Barbara Kean. Season 5 of GOTHAM premieres Thursday, Jan. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2018 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: JUSTIN STEPHENS / FOX
GOTHAM: L-R: Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin, Cory Michael Smith as Edward Nygma / The Riddler, Donal Logue as Detective Harvey Bullock, Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Chris Chalk as Lucius Fox, Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle / the future Catwoman, Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth and Erin Richards as Barbara Kean. Season 5 of GOTHAM premieres Thursday, Jan. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2018 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: JUSTIN STEPHENS / FOX /
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Gotham on FOX. ©2017 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Jeff Neumann/FOX. /

9. Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow)

Portrayed by: Charlie Tahan (Season 1 and 4) and David W. Thompson (Season 4)

First appearance: “The Fearsome Dr. Crane”

Scarecrow wins the award for the creepiest looking costume in Gotham. If you’re used to the version of the character from Batman: The Animated Series, that’s not what you’ll see here. We meet Jonathan Crane as a teenager (which is in line with Bruce also being a teenager, unlike most of the classic villains we see in the show).

Gerald Crane, Jonathan’s father, is the one at fault for his son becoming the way he did. Gerald was trying to get rid of fear when he used a serum on Jonathan that ended up enhancing his fear instead. This led him to create a boogeyman based on a scarecrow, which is how he took on the moniker. Being driven insane at that age landed him in Arkham. He was later released and was going to use his serum on Oswald Cobblepot.

The effects of the fear serum are on full display in Gotham and the show does a nice job of displaying the horror factor. The visuals that accompany the effects of the serum make it easy to see how it could drive someone crazy.

Crane ends up teaming up with Jervis Tetch and Jerome Valeska, and both of them are dangerous on their own. With them working together, they are able to break out of Arkham. He even becomes part of the Legion of Horribles for a bit, later teaming up with Jeremiah Valeska after Jerome’s death. In “No Man’s Land,” he does end up getting the iconic brown hat that he wears with his costume. His fear serum is powerful and the main reason he cracked the top 10.

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