Who is THE BEST Riddler? [Batman] 

*Fun Fact:* The Riddler from 2004's The Batman cartoon was voiced by Robert Englund. The same man who played Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street.

I like Gotham's riddler because he was like the perfect actor to play him carrying the mannerisms and general weirdness but was actually really nice when the show first came out.

Gotham's take on Riddler was pretty great, it really played up his need to show he was superior, but didn't make him some kind of bumbling idiot, he was genuinely smart and cunning, and the outfit was pretty great once they introduced it.

Arkham City actually has a great part where Batman cheats Riddler's games: during the cup-swapping game with a hostage, you actually have to turn on Detective Vision so you can see the Riddler is cheating and moving the hostage behind the scenes. He actually freaks out if you guess correctly because you're not supposed to win. My favorite comic issue with Riddler was Batman: Black & White #5, written by Kieron Gillen. It's a choose-your-own adventure comic where every option seems to lead to Batman's death... until you realize you have to read AROUND the CYOA panels to see where the story is actually going, rather than following the normal rules of CYOA. It's a great twist and meta-narrative about how Batman beats Riddler every time.

You mentioned the brief moment how the Flash went against The Riddler and you thought it would be fun to see more mismatch hero/villain meetups, I think that would be a great video. Which villains from the same world would you want to go against which heroes?

I just recently finished Gotham. Riddler's origin was great in my personal opinion. Probably my favorite version of the character. His friendship/rivalry with Penguin was great.

My favorite part about Riddler in the Arkham series is that in Knight once Batman's identity is revealed he absolutely refuses to believe that he's actually Bruce Wayne because it's seemingly so obvious that someone as smart as him totally would have figured it out by then

I actually REALLY like 2004's The Batman version, because I actually learned some things from him, like how "boring", also means drilling. Also, I like that he looked Marylin Manson, but if he was voiced by freaking Robert Englund. DCAU Riddler gets marks for being voiced by John Glover, Lionel Luthor himself. Wirh Arkham's Riddler, who starts out well dressed and clean in Origins and Asylum, but by City he's starts losing his flair. In Knight, he's lost it, and looks like a ratty David Tennant in some angles lol

Gotham’s riddler was amazing. Honestly, Gotham did Batman’s villains better than most live action adaptations.

Honestly they shoudl've had the Riddler Reformed arc last far longer than it did. Nygma being a freelance detective is a genuinely great angle for the guy.

Frank Gorshin's portrayal has always been my favorite. He rides the line of serious and campy at the same time and has so much charisma. Honestly, he made the Riddler my favorite Batman villain and I wish you would have mentioned him more.

Goth Riddler from The Batman (2004) cartoon is underrated

My favorite Riddler is by far the Riddler from Harley Quinn. The way that Jim Rash voices him is SO GOOD and I just love the way that he's represented on s2. Can't wait to see more of him and Clock King (Not to be confused with Cock King) on s3

Batman: The Animated Series and Arkham Riddler ate still my favorites. Justice League Action has a really good comedic Riddler, though.

I personally think that Paul Dano is probably going to become more like the actual Riddler over time. I'm pretty sure Matt Reeves stated that his movies are more orgins stories for the villains than Batman.

Personally, one of my favorite Riddler incarnations is from The Enemy Within. He captures the sadism and menace of his Earth-One counterpart without losing his clever puzzle making and over-the-top flashiness. 'Tis a shame he died in the first episode.

In my headcanon Riddler needs to talk like Ned Flanders. "Riddledi diddle di diddle me this, Batman?"

Call me campy, I adored the penguin/nigma in Gotham. I felt like it was a great platform to go wild from. I think those two characters got served a fantastic plate to play from if it even continued. Definitely worth building off of, and I liked the grounded yet soap opera approach between the two

I liked the Gotham interpretation despite barely wearing the green

I love the Riddler in Gotham.

I absolutely adored Hasan Minhaj's portrayal of the Riddler in Batman Unburied! Of course, being a podcast, we're missing some the over the top camp that can come from costumes, but he was so much fun even without that. But still definitely managed to get in my top favorites for the character.

I love the riddler as a villain and would've loved to see your opinion on The BATMAN's 2004 version of the character who's heavily inspired by Marilyn Manson, carrying the whole goth atheistic of the musician with a darker depiction of his classic skin-tight suit (he also uses a staff as a controller for his traps/games and as a weapon for fighting). I also think BATMAN 2004's Riddler has one of the best episodes of the series involving the character's saddest backstory, which is a must-watch if you're a riddler fan.

I really liked the portrayal of Nigma in the Gotham series...he was JUST the right amount of crazy and calculating

The riddler from the batman is largely the same as other versions. He is still the bombastic showoff, he straight up live streams himself murdering. It's shown by the end that he's more concerned with the game of it all over his "ideals". You can't get more bombastic than blowing up a sea wall and watching everyone die in one place as batman tries to solve everything. The only thing missing is him showing up in a green suit and bowler hat. Which he really can't do due to his plan and need for secrecy. But he definitely showed the capability to do something like that. He's still the same "I'm smarter than you" guy who completely broke down when he lost. All the pieces are there, just assembled a bit different. And now that he doesn't have to hide anymore, he can be as stylish as he pleases.

My fav version is from _The Batman._ He's not exactly the traditional Riddler, but he was just by far the most intriguing and compelling version that I've experienced (not that I've seen a ton of The Ridder, sadly). I want to say the Arkham Riddler comes after... but idk. As fun as a lot of his riddles were, there were just _so many_ of them, and so many irritating ones, that I tend to get tired of them. I've only finished the Riddler mission in Arkham City once, and no other game, even when I set a goal to do so. As you said, doing them as a side thing between missions can be fun, but when it's all you have left to do... it gets old to me. _Plus he literally locked himself under the floor in Arkham Knight after helping Catwoman escape. Tell the GCPD where he is, and he's done for. Why should Batman waste his time?_ Also I haven't read _Batman: Hush,_ so it makes it hard for me to declare, but that Riddler would also probably be in my top 3. I love that reveal, and I'm glad the review of that comic I watched kept it until the end and made it dramatic.

My favorite is Frank Gorshan's from the '66 show. He may not be the best Riddler, but he is the best villain in the entire show. Every other villain fails because they just slip up or are plain outwitted, the Riddler always fails because he has to show off with his riddles. He is always so shocked and demoralized whenever Batman figures out that he tried to pull a two solution riddle only to be caught anyway. He also just has so much fun with what he's doing, flipping back and forth from bouncing like a toddler to giving a Shakespearian monolog.

I was a big fan of detective Riddler. That was such a great use of the character, and his interactions not just with Batman, but with the rest of the rogues gallery were always interesting. And of course there was always the "reformed or not?" hanging over all of the proceedings.

Riddlers origin from 2004 The Batman cartoon is my favorite, when Batman said “when is a villain not THE villain” and then that tear streaming in the shape of a question mark. So good!

I really love how grounded the Riddler in The Batman was, the choice to make him a cryptic, sinister serial killer was a new take and was genuinely terrifying. The incel influences made sense for his attention seeking behaviour and because it was something that people are unfortunately familiar with. It made him even more scary, like this guy could be anyone. He wasn’t traditional comic Riddler but it was a new fresh take which felt relevant, impactful and memorable. If he returns in the later movies, I hope they go the campier route as we saw a bit of that in the prison scene especially, and inch a wee bit more towards the traditional comic Riddler. Paul Dano defiantly has the acting and comedy skills to pull it off! Would also love to hear your thoughts on Riddler Year One when that comes out! The sneak peaks we saw at SDCC looked sick as hell and Paul Dano seems really excited about the project. Can’t wait for October!

I was once paid to dress up as the hamburglar for a McDonald’s themed event to “steal” some prop burgers. Someone thought I was actually stealing food from kids and tackled me. 😅

Probably my favorite hero version of Riddler is his one appearance in Justice League Action, where Joker actually uses his need to solve riddles against him, and the fact that he stayed good at the end was nice. Also want to mention my favorite knockoff of the Riddler, Ms. Question from WordGirl, who doesn't use riddles but can incapacitate people by literally causing them to question everything.

I think an aspect not touched enough upon with the Riddler is the tragedy of it all. Ed is genuinely really intelligent, and he absolutely *could* outsmart Bruce if he decided not to leave clues. Or if he just decided to be a good guy. But his compulsion drives him to continually fall back into his worst tendencies, even when he makes progress. I'd love a story where somebody, be it Bruce, Dick, or even someone unexpected like Booster Gold, realize just how lonely Ed is and make an effort to be his friend, only for Ed to believe it's some sort of sabotage and ruin it.

The Riddler is really the most interesting villain for Batman. Most of his other villains target Batmans weaknesses or try to work around Batman to target Gotham. Edward Nigma directly challenges Batmans strong point, his intelligence. It's like a more sublte version of Daredevil vs Bullseye or Hal Jordan vs Sinestro.

One I think deserved a spot here is Riddler from 2004's "The Batman" show. He's not the same campy Riddler that we usually see, but he arguably has the most style out of any Riddler. He's cold and calculating, and that was the first time I was ever actually scared of the Riddler. Hell, he's voiced by Freddy Krueger! So, yeah, 2004's Riddler deserved a spot here, simply because he's a fresh take on the character while still keeping true to the comic's integrity.

A bit disappointed 60's Riddler wasn't mentioned. Frank Gorshin's masterful performance was what skyrocketed Riddler from an obscure and almost forgotten villain to a mainstay. Also, that show is where the green suit first originated. Oh, and have you seen Justice League Action? If so, you might like their take on Riddler, since they actually took after his smug private detective version.

You have to remember that "The Batman" is set early into Batman's career as a vigilante so his villains are still developing into the over the top antagonists that are seen in traditional media set later in Batman's career.

Frank Gorshin deserved a spot on this list. He was the first Batman 66 villain and everyone else was modeled after him. He was actually pretty dark and crazy in the first episode. The show got more campy later when it became popular and mainstream.

Drake looks like the down on his luck Riddler from the long halloween

Riddler is kind of the opposite of the Joker in that while the clown will fail but still laugh since he got his point across, the Riddler will be extremely successful but ruin everything because he didn’t get exactly what he wanted.

I am surprised that "The Riddle" comic wasn't mentioned. It is probably one of his best outtings and it not only tests batman it makes the reader think as well. It uses the choose your own adventure style to perfection

No love for Riddler from The Batman (2004)? His debut episode was peak Riddler goodness! Even to the point where he can't help but seed clues into his monologues as to his real plans. Also, from that series and tangentially related, Cluemaster is a tragic take on what could have been a version of Riddler. A child quiz master cheated out of his streak by the producers and driven by revenge (while also being morbidly obese due to a lifetime supply of candy)

I really enjoyed The Batman animated show from 2004 where they gave him a goth style and i loved his voice.

I really like the Riddler's depiction in Batman: the Audio Adventures He's voiced by John Leguiziamo, and it's a really fun version of the character, and he has a great ending to his story

For me it's hands down the Batman '66 Riddler all day every day. He has a *musical number.* And the suit and bowler looks that much more glorious in live-action than even the comics can depict.

Good to see you back to making random vids that are a little less effort, and obviously coming from a more personal and opinionated place. It makes me feel like I’m watching you relax and passionate, not chasing the RU-vid analytics encouraging MCU relevant videos or other bs. Keeping making that paper, we’ll always be here, but like I said it’s good to see you doing a vid that’s more organic like this

I think The Riddler would have been amazing if they'd made him a more regular Green Arrow villain. He had a great story there and could have been a great recurring villain who wouldn't be so overshadowed by the Joker in the "let me toy with Batman" sense or the otherwise oversaturated mixture of the Batman exclusive rogues gallery.

You’re rocking that purple tie.

My favorite version is from the War of Jokes and Riddles. Sure, he doesn't actually appear that much in it, but he orchestrates THE ENTIRE thing, to an extent that is just ridicilous, and then completely loses it when discovering that after everything he still failed to find the answer to the riddle he was trying to solve. But, that might just be because that's the only Riddler story (aside from Hush, but that one's debatable) Comic pop has covered, and as someone that doesn't actually read western comics that is the only way I even get the full story of most of them; so I'm just like... Kite Man? HELL YEAH!

I remember hearing that the Riddler compulsively gives hints and I also remember seeing a panel of an emaciated, hunched-over riddler

Riddler also kind of appeared in The Dark Knight. Instead of being named Edward Nigma (enigma) he’s named Mr. Reese (mysteries).

The riddler and the joker are like two sides of a coin, their villains inherent to Batman as a detective hero. One which tests his abilities as such and another that subverts them. They would've been joke villains for anyone else

There are a few riddles in City that Riddler designs to be literally impossible to win at. And Batman “cheats” by using one of his gadgets to survive. Which I found funny

The choose your own adventure story in Batman Black and White absolutely blew my mind when I read it

Edward nygma did a great job acting as Jim Carrey 🙏

The conversation scene was the moment I thought Paul Dano’s take was accurate, the moment his thinking is proven wrong he freaks out as his fragile ego shatters.

Forever's Riddler basically made Tiktok and used it to increase his already genius level intellect. Even though his mind was broken he kept his smarts. Besides the comics doing him the most justice the Gotham games and TAS are some of the best versions

I need to check Zero Year, i didn't read enough comics with Riddler for how much i like him. I really enjoyed his role in Hush story tho. From versions that werent mentioned in the video, i also really enjoyed Riddler from Justice League Action episode "E. Nigma, Consulting Detective", as title suggests, its have Edward in his private detective role, fun little story (as most Justice League Action episodes are)

I still love Jim Carrey’s Riddler.

Frank gorshin was my introduction to my character so and he still my favorite. Cory Michael Smith was also very good. But I also enjoyed the version on superfriends voiced my Michael Bell

The new riddler in The Batman was also pulling on Hush pretty hard, mainly his mask and coat, the hate for Bruce instead of The Batman, and the bait-and-switch where you think he knows his secret identity for a moment

Arkham games Riddler; no other incarnation quite embodies so well that feeling of oozing smug, arrogant superiority that makes you just want to punch him in the mouth a few words into interacting with him.

One of my favorite version of riddler And this’ll sound odd Is John Leguizamo’s version from Batman the audio adventure. He’s pitch perfect, he’s arrogant, smart and theatrical.

Gotham version of the penguin and The Riddler are my favorite I just love playing back the Riddler's descent into madness and I love watching the penguin go from this mole to the king of Gotham I'm only like at season 3 I believe no spoilers

Riddler's my favourite Batman villain too! I really love how he's getting shown more in shows and movies recently.

I always hated that Riddler was/is treated as a C-list villian. It's nice to know another fan of the character

I think the version of the Riddler from The Batman was a good version for his first out before his comeback that hopefully results in his obsession with being the smartest guy in the world, just like how Joker wasn't always about being the antithesis to Batman but at first just wanted to show how much of a joke society is before coming into contact with the Batman properly thus starting his obsession that makes him who he is today... Humble beginnings just feels more real & I love that Also though as much as I love The Batman's version of Riddler I can't help but think that the way Andrew Scott played Moriarty in the modern Sherlock series with is how the Riddler should be played, it's not Batman but Sherlock is great & that version of Moriarty is hands down the best character

I've always liked The Riddler. It's just a shame he gets mishandled so much. I think this often comes from the fact that many writers, while certainly skilled in many ways, will always have trouble laying down good riddles over the long term. Still, my hope is that DC will keep trying to improve how he is utilized. Also, I think it's fascinating how there's always been something of an counter dynamic with him and The Joker. Order and chaos. Meticulous and spontaneous. Plus both jokes and riddles can be either funny or dead serious. Also, I think it might be about time to have someone come out of left field and challenge The Riddler.

The "Riddler" in Batman Forever would have made a LOT more sense if he was The Mad Hatter/Jervis Tetch instead.

15:16 the reason Riddler isn’t a diva in The Batman is Joker’s line: “he’s a nobody who wants to be somebody.” He’s bad at his job. He enjoys setting up riddles and duct-taping corpses, but when he gets in front of the camera, he isn’t as intimidating as he thinks he is. He’s not supposed to be the true comics green suit camping trip because he just isn’t good at doing that. He’s just a sad lonely weirdo who lashes out because he wants to be special but he isn’t.

I liked the Riddler's single appearance in Justice League Action, just because of how unusual it was. It was based on his reformed phase from the comics, and he helped Wonder Woman and Green Arrow.

my favourite riddler story is from batman black and white titled the riddle. its such a smart story told by way of choose your own adventure. its a really fun gimmick with a great twist that makes so much sense once you get it.

Frank Gorshin will always be the best Riddler,the maniac energy he put into the character popularized a villain that was considered second rate for decades.

My personal favorite is the 2004 Riddler from The Batman. I mean his origin the suit and the flare he has is just 👌 I really like the Arkham Riddler but it gets pulled back from being my favorite just cuz the overwhelming amount of riddler trophies just drag out the games

Surprised you didn't mention the version from Batman: The Telltale Series.

7:50 I friggin' loved the reveal that it was Nygma in that storyline.

can't believe Mr. Question Mark tried to sell me cereal 😭 (also drake crushing cereal straight out of the box is the best thing I've seen all night)

I’m having a major batman fase last 2 years, watched all your batman vids, loved them and this 16 minute one is a lovely surprise, thank you.

something i love from the Riddler in Hush is the idea of Riddler outsourcing plans to other villains, Eddy is here to Challenge Bruce's brain let everyone else do the boring crime part. But also while he has an one up on knowing Bruce is Batman, but on the other hand Batman knows he stole a Lazarus Pit from Ras

Actually in City, Riddler isn't the one hiding the trophies, he hired inmates to do it for him

I like the Riddler from College Humor's Badman series of skits.

The Riddler from Zero Year and the one from Catwoman Lonely City are my favourites right now.

was patiently waiting for you to talk about the riddler in gotham i freaking loved him and he kept me going on that show asweellll sooo gooodddd

what about The Riddler from the Harley Quinn show? where he was a principal, bodyguard & shown to be in a relationship with Clock King

Fun Fact: The Riddler is one of the few characters whose Golden-Age (Earth-2) depiction/characterization is virtually indistinguishable from his Silver-Age (Earth-1) counterpart. That was before the Crisis on Infinite Earths, of course.

Awesome video! I also love the Riddler! Loved the small segment on DC Deck Builder. 😁

Cory Michael Smith from Gotham is my personal favorite. Paul Dano from The Batman, Frank Gorshin from Batman 66, and John Glover from Batman: The Animated Series are all very good and I like parts of Jim Carrey from Batman Forever, but everything about Smith's performance and the writing for his character was just fantastic.

I’m flattered.

I think the best Riddler is the one who talks during this video. Seriously though, one of my favorite Official Riddlers right now is the one from Harley Quinn voiced by Jim Rash. I don't know what it is about Mr. Rash but whenever I see or hear him in something, he steals the scene. Whether it's The Dean in Community, Gyro Gearlose from Ducktales 2017, or, the Riddler from Harley Quinn, he knows how to steal a scene.

I really wish there was a Batman show where throughout the season while Batman is solving other crime, riddler butts in and throws in a tedious riddle for Batman to solve while he’s in the middle of something dire. It would be a reoccurring gag. Where towards the end Batman dispatches him once and for all.

I knew of you before but only recently started watching your channel and I'll have to say I'm really enjoying your content (and not just as background noise). It's like a steady cruise of comic book history, it reminds me of one of those Disney rides where you're drifting along peacefully sucking in every sight, or much like a guided tour. Edit: I completely agree with Gotham, I only watched it for the Penguin then stopped once it started getting cyclical and dumb.

Finally! Someone else who says The Riddler trophies are his favorite side mission in the Arkham games! I…..I love you man. So many people harp on the quantity in Knight and I’m (usually) the lone person going “give me more!” They are the most fun, and they’re filled to the brim with Easter eggs! I love getting to find all these eggs as part of the story and not just in my free time outside of it. I know the making the final, true ending something you have to complete them all to get is cumbersome but it’s often overlooked that it’s great motivation. It gives you something to keep you going! And the excess totally fits Nygma’s style! Best side mission ever! (All 3 games included!)

Loved this! Would love to see more videos on each Batman villains appearances

My favorite Riddler story is his appearance in the almost too on the nose The Question series. Like the Arkham games, the crux is Riddler getting frustrated at someone, if not smarter, then, more clever than he is. To stop the Riddler, The Question threw metaphysical questions at him that frustrated Riddler so much, The Question was able to just knock him out. I get that it may not make The Riddler come across as that great, but it does highlight his gimmick and his frustration at someone who shows him up. The confrontation even ends with The Question offering to let the Riddler go if he can answer one of The Question's riddles.

I appreciated the deck building side quest you went on

Not even a MENTION of the Riddler from “The Batman” cartoon.

The importance of The Riddler in the 1966 series is not to be understated, as you did here. Up until that point the character had only appeared in a couple of the comic books, and was considered a very minor player. If it hadn't been for Frank Gorshin's over-the-top performance there would not have been an interest, which then made DC sharpen their focus on him and suddenly there was a lot more Riddler in the comics. Gorshin also introduced the suit (his idea). And in the one episode that John Astin played him, the Riddler's staff was brought in for the very first time. The suit and staff are now forever associated with the character in every medium. While the '66 version may not be the "best" it's certainly one of them for these reasons alone.

So glad you mentioned Dark knight, Dark city. I've read that one so many times, and it's my favorite depiction of Riddler.

He got the whole riddler suit... Drip king 👑

Best comic channel on the internet. I love your precipitation, ive always wanted that sick ass suit

Arkham Knight Riddler for sure. Hearing him break down during the final race mission is so satisfying