Batman: All 6 Scarecrow actors ranked from worst to best

We’ve seen a lot of versions of the Scarecrow over the years, but which ones hold up the best?

Though he may not be the most physically imposing villain, he’s nevertheless considered one of the most iconic members of Batman’s rogues gallery on account that he relies on psychological torture to terrorize Gotham City through fear. He’s Dr. Jonathan Crane, otherwise known as the Scarecrow, who first hit DC Comics back in 1941.

Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the iconic villain only made a few appearances in the comics until 1967. After that, his character’s origins really started to take shape as a former professor of psychology who is obsessed with human responses to fear. This prompts him to begin a life of crime under the moniker of the Scarecrow to terrorize the citizens of Gotham, using them as test subjects in a fear toxin he has created.

What makes the Scarecrow even more terrifying is that he does not seem like a physical threat, especially when you compare him to other DC villains like Bane. However, both in the source material and subsequent adaptations, he proves himself to be a cunning adversary to Batman and, well, a master of fear.

The Scarecrow has appeared in numerous film and TV adaptations in recent years, both live action and animated. In some incarnations, he’s held his own as the story’s central villain, while other times, he’s joined forces with the bigger baddie. Vincent Kartheiser is the latest to hold the mantle, as he portrayed Dr. Jonathan Crane in the third season of HBO Max’s live action series Titans. However, with so many variations of the iconic villain to hit the screen, let’s break down the different iterations of DC Universe’s master of fear and see how they rank.

Note: While there were indeed other actors to voice the Scarecrow on TV and in video games, this list will spotlight the most famous (and best) to do so on film and TV.