Many actors have tried their hand at playing The Riddler over the years, but which one of Batman’s mind-bending villains was the best?
The Riddler is easily one of Batman’s most popular villains. Initially introduced in DC Comics all the way back in 1948, the puzzling menace has taken great pleasure in confounding and confusing Gotham City with his incredibly high level of intellect and his penchant for rambunctious riddles.
He recently returned to the big screen in Matt Reeves’ The Batman – which was easily one of the biggest and best films of 2022. A Batman reboot for the ages, it starred Robert Pattinson as The Dark Knight himself, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. A star-studded line-up no doubt, but perhaps its most intriguing addition was Paul Dano – who, of course, played the primary villain, Edward Nashton/The Riddler.
It’s safe to say that the eyes of the world were eager to see how Dano’s version of the character turned out. The esteemed actor is no stranger to challenging roles and pulled off one heck of a performance, delivering a truly frightful take on the character.
But Dano wasn’t the first to bring The Riddler to our screens. With that in mind, as we continue to celebrate the beauty of Batman Day, this writer asks you to cast your mind back through the archives as we prepare to look at the most famous Riddlers of all time.
Riddle Me This: Who was the best Riddler of them all? Let’s find out…
Note: While there were multiple other actors to voice The Riddler on TV and in video games, this list will take a look at the eight most famous (and best) to do so on the big-screen or small-screen.
9. John Astin
When Frank Gorshin’s request for a pay rise following the successful first season of the 1966 TV series Batman was denied, he didn’t immediately return for the second and, as a result, he was temporarily replaced by John Astin.
Astin had a lot to live up to when he took on the role. After all, Gorshin’s Riddler was Batman‘s very first villain, and he made more appearances in the first season than any of the Caped Crusader’s other rogues. That didn’t, however, stop him from delivering an enigmatic performance.
What made his different from Gorshin’s (aside from the noticeable mustache) was the way in which he portrayed the character. While his predecessor relied on his larger-than-life comedic performance, he used the larger-than-life dialogue to give viewers a more unhinged iteration of The Riddler, belting out his lines while using his arms to add extra emphasis. And then, of course, he was able to terrify his henchmen with a single glare.
Astin’s Riddler may not be quite as memorable as the original, but that’s only because Gorshin’s performance was so show-stealing. However, he wasn’t afraid to make the role his own – giving us a new, unique interpretation of the legendary character.
8. Jim Rash
One of the most recent of The Riddlers on this list, Jim Rash voices the maniacal villain in DC Universe/Max animated series Harley Quinn. If you’re familiar with the show, you’ll know it’s renowned for its more eccentric take on the Batman mythos. The Riddler is no exception to that rule.
The character’s design early on is mostly inspired by other iconic interpretations as he boasts the iconic green suit covered in question marks and the infamous cane. However, he also takes his cues from the one seen in The New Batman Adventures as he has a shaved head with a large question mark tattooed onto it.
This is very different Riddler, and there is nobody better to bring him to life than Jim Rash. The actor and comedian has appeared in countless TV shows over the years, but he doesn’t get enough credit for his work here, as he highlights the eccentric nature of the character beautifully, opting for a more high-pitched, loud, boisterous tone. And it matches The Riddler well, particularly as he stops to tell everyone about his muscular physique that he adopts over the course of Harley Quinn‘s run.
We’d love to see Rash’s Riddler play even more of a role in future seasons, because something tells us he’d move his way up this list if he did. Nevertheless, we have loved watching him develop (along with his relationship with the Clock King) and he never fails to make us laugh.
7. Wally Wingert
Wally Wingert is in a rare class of actors to voice a comic book character in multiple different properties outside of the same continuity. The most famous of his performances as The Riddler is undoubtedly in the Batman: Arkham game series.
If you have played Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Knight, then you’ll know that The Riddler is a regular presence in those video games. He’s also incredibly annoying, as the villain challenges the Dark Knight on his comms throughout his investigations, insulting him and attempting to get him to solve his riddles.
Wingert voices the role remarkably well. You can hear the arrogance, the self-assuredness in The Riddler’s voice, and that makes you more determined to defeat him. It’s one of the strongest performances in the whole Arkham series and Wingert really doesn’t get enough credit for that.
He also voiced The Riddler in animated movies Batman: Caped Crusader and Batman vs. Two-Face. This version of the character was understandably quite different from the Arkham iteration as Wingert essentially had to channel Frank Gorshin’s legendary portrayal from the iconic 1966 Batman TV series. He did that very well, while also adding his own unique charm to the role.
6. Robert Englund
It’s rather fitting that horror legend Robert Englund provided the voice for The Batman‘s unique reinvention of The Riddler, and he delivered a performance that absolutely lived up to his reputation.
With a thin frame and long black hair, this Riddler was portrayed as a more sinister version than his predecessors, as he certainly looked like he could have been involved in some of the more chilling Batman projects. Of course, being an animated show for kids, there were limits to what the writers could actually do, but one thing the show was able to do was ensure that he sounded chilling – and that’s where Englund came in.
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With a slow echo-like tone, Englund was capable of making this Riddler sound unnervingly smart with a single sentence. He seductively spoke in riddles while drawing out every word as long as possible, making the character all the more illusive and yet unsettling.
Like most of The Batman‘s original interpretations, its Riddler was incredibly underrated and, quite frankly, both he and Englund should be mentioned more often. It was impossible to do anything but pay attention whenever he was speaking – and that is a sign of just how enticing a character he was.
5. John Glover
Acting veteran John Glover is no stranger to the superhero world. He may be best known for portraying the unforgettable Lionel Luthor on Smallville or the unfortunate power-hungry Dr. Jason Woodrue in Batman & Robin but he also provided the voice of The Riddler in both the legendary Batman: The Animated Series and its spin-off sequel The New Batman Adventures.
In the original series, The Riddler was intentionally different from any of the others we had seen, as the writers attempted to distance him from the previous versions. With a green suit jacket, purple mask and gray pants, the-powers-that-be leaned into the more “evil genius” aspect of his character instead of the comically quizzical nature of his predecessors, and that more than anything made Glover perfect for the job.
With a theater-esque, powerful and seductive tone, Glover’s well-spoken voice lent itself nicely to the character as he ended up commanding the screen without ever appearing on it – and as a result, ended up ensuring that The Riddler sounded every bit as intellectual as he looked.
Though the character was drastically reinvented for the sequel series (he was bald and wore a green unitard incredibly similar to Frank Gorshin’s), Glover also provided the voice – making this revamped Riddler sound just as intelligent.
4. Paul Dano
Coming in in fourth place fresh off his spectacular performance in The Batman is Paul Dano.
A serial killer intent on rooting out the corrupt in Gotham City, The Batman‘s Riddler is the most chilling version of the character we have ever seen. Comparisons have been drawn to Heath Ledger’s Academy Award-winning performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight, and it’s easy to see why given that the two are more grounded interpretations of more whimsical comic book characters. Dano’s performance, particularly in the final act of the movie, is captivating and it’s absolutely impossible to look away from him whenever he’s on-screen.
The most unique interpretation of the character on this list, the version that appeared in the 2022 Matt Reeves film looks nothing like his comic book counterpart, or any of the previous iterations we saw in live-action or animation. That is something of a drawback as it makes it hard to judge Dano’s Riddler in respect to what we’re looking for from The Riddler because he is so different to what we know about the character, but that doesn’t take away from the award-worthy performance he turned in – because in all honesty, it might just be the best acting performance on this list.
We’d love to see him back in the role in the future, and it seems entirely possible. Riddle us this: Could he be back in The Batman: Part II?
3. Cory Michael Smith
Gotham‘s habit for making less comic-accurate versions of Batman’s most famous characters only extended to Edward Nygma in the beginning of the show’s run. That’s right, the harmless and submissive “Ed” was a forensic scientist for the GCPD and although he spoke of riddles with glee, he was actually quite friendly if you got to know him. The problem is that nobody really wanted to and, eventually, he turned into The Riddler.
Adopting more of a split personality narrative, the Batman prequel delved into how Ed was inherently good but the other half – The Riddler – was the monster that was ultimately making him do all those terrible things. In the end, however, the two ended up morphing into one as Ed became a slightly more humane version of his darker personality.
What is there to say about Cory Michael Smith’s performance, though? Well, the question we should be asking is: What isn’t there to say about it? In the span of five years, the talented performer made one of the most legendary comic book characters of all time his own, bringing every facet of Edward Nygma’s multiple personalities to life and standing out as one of the show’s brightest stars.
He was charismatic, hilarious and yes, even chilling, as the show introduced us to the most unsettling live-action version of The Riddler we’ve seen yet. Smith gave us a masterclass in acting over those five years that turned Ed into one of the show’s most beloved characters – and we love him for it.
2. Jim Carrey
It goes without saying that 1995’s Batman Forever is one of the more divisive of the Dark Knight’s adventures. It’s not as beloved as Tim Burton’s first two films in the franchise, but it’s also nowhere near as reviled as Joel Schumacher’s 1997 sequel Batman & Robin. Some people just love it, and some people just don’t. Having said all that, one thing that the vast majority of fans seem to agree on is Jim Carrey’s show-stealing performance as Edward Nygma.
Channeling all of the larger-than-life qualities that Frank Gorshin had done for the generation before him, Carrey was as loud and in-your-face as he’s ever been – giving life to a Riddler that was very much a product of its time, but also one that paid homage to the previous one.
As Edward Nygma he was subservient with a longing to be great, while as The Riddler he was a scene-stealing headliner. With his tightly-trimmed orange hair and skin-tight green bodysuit, he hammed up every inch of the role and quite clearly loved every minute of doing do.
Many critique Carrey for playing similar roles in his films, but that certainly wasn’t a problem here – for he was in his element the whole way throughout and, in the process, livened up a script that could have been a lot less fun without him.
This was essentially just a modern day version of Gorshin’s iteration, and that allowed Carrey to stand out from previous villains in the franchise, bringing him ever-so-close to equaling the power of the original.
1. Frank Gorshin
It’s hard to imagine what the legacy of The Riddler would like without Frank Gorshin.
The first to take on the role, he portrayed the character in both the ’60s Batman TV series and its 1966 big-screen counterpart Batman: The Movie and, in doing so, turned him into a pop-culture icon.
With his skintight green unitard, stylish green suit (with question marks on it) and his purple mask, Gorshin had absolutely no problem embodying the larger-than-life elements that a character such as this required, and when those cameras started rolling he, quite literally, became The Riddler.
His ability to deliver his lines in a quick, witty and effective manner certainly captured the character’s intelligence to perfection, but it was his livelier moments that truly stood out as he was nothing short of hyper the majority of the time – oozing charisma as he effortlessly unleashed that legendary cackle.
Though a comedic character, the show was able to weave in sinister undertones through some of his nefarious schemes (such as attempting to perform surgery on Robin or spin the Dynamic Duo into oblivion), but in his most unnerving moments, it was Gorshin who captured the sinisterness perfectly with his eyes – as the humor drained from his expression and everything suddenly became all about those deadly eyes on that unusually calm face.
Without a doubt the most important performance of The Riddler to ever grace our screens, Gorshin (like his-co-stars) defined his character for a generation and, in many ways, is still considered the definitive version – and it’s easy to see why.
Which version of The Riddler is your favorite? How did you celebrate Batman Day?