Batman: All 9 Riddler actors ranked from worst to best

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.