There is no dearth of villains in the Batman universe. From Joker to Harley Quinn to Scarecrow, the Batman comics, films, and TV shows have given us a huge pool of antagonists against whom the billionaire playboy and vigilante, Bruce Wayne aka Batman has to fight to keep the law and order maintained in Gotham.
However, among the psychologically complex and often downright psychopathic Batman villains, the Penguin has often emerged as one of the best, and a fan favorite.
The supervillain Penguin, created by Kane and Bill Finger, first appeared in December 1941, in Detective Comics #58. Since then, this character has been adapted in TV shows, movies, and video games.
With the character's rising popularity and the recent release of the HBO show The Penguin, let us now explore the reasons that make Penguin the best villain in the Batman universe.
This article is based on the author’s opinion.
1. Penguin has risen the ranks with his wit
What makes the character of Penguin so popular is because of how far he ascended based on his own wit and cunningness. Starting off as a small-time thief, Penguin moved up through the ranks of Gotham's underworld with the hope of becoming the ruler of the city’s criminal activities.
Given his intelligence and ability to manipulate and persuade people with his words, Penguin’s character has, over the years, become a favorite.
In the show The Penguin, we see him making deals with Salvatore Maroni only by using his persuasive skills. He tells the former crime boss how Gotham’s underworld is rightfully his and that it was stolen by the Falcone’s.
He even persuades Maroni that letting the Falcone family think that Salvatore orchestrated the killing of Alberto Falcone is a good idea because then they would know who the real boss is. Despite knowing Penguin killed Alberto, Sal agrees to the idea.
His persuasion skills even see him bond with Sofia Falcone, a previous criminal and resident of the Arkham asylum. She fails to understand that Penguin killed Alberto and starts believing him.
These qualities make the character of Penguin a layered and complex one, making him a fan favorite.
2. Penguin uses his hi-tech umbrella as a weapon
Another interesting aspect that makes Penguin the best villain in the Batman universe is his usage of hi-tech umbrellas as weapons.
He has been seen using his umbrellas as guns, swords, gas, a mini-helicopter and various other tools to attack his enemies and save himself. Such innovative usage of an umbrella is another reason that makes Penguin an interesting villain.
3. Penguin has a dual life
One of the most interesting aspects of Penguin’s character is that he has connections in both the high and low layers of society. While having a penchant for the high class etiquettes and lifestyle, Penguin also has a strong hold over the lower strata of the society because he knows that it will be them who will be actively helping him in rising the ranks.
For instance, in the show The Penguin, we see how he takes Vic under his wings, after catching him trying to rob his car. He realizes that this boy, coming from a lower-middle class Gotham family that has been wiped clean by the flood caused by the Riddler will come handy for him when it comes to doing some dirty deeds.
This dichotomy of character makes Penguin a worthy villain in the world of Batman.
4. Penguin is sure of what he wants
One of the best qualities of Penguin is that he knows what he wants and will go to any lengths to achieve that. Be it by exchanging information from people superior to him, to getting innocent people tangled in his dangerous operations, Penguin is ready to do whatever it takes to reach his goal.
However, despite being so sure of himself and what he wants, he does have a paradoxical quality of being upset by little things. For instance, in The Penguin, he kills Alberto Falcone in the very first episode despite not planning on it. The reason was both valid and simple, Alberto laughed at him.
These quirks of his character while simultaneously being sure of his goal is another reason behind Penguin being one of the best villains in Batman.
5. Penguin never lets anyone know his real feelings
One of the greatest characteristics any villain can have is not showing what they are thinking. Penguin is quite great when it comes to this quality.
Since one of his major strategies is double crossing people who are superior to him, it becomes of great importance that Penguin hides his true intentions and feelings. He does a great job when it comes to keeping people clueless about what he is actually thinking.
Penguin’s face and expressions give nothing away and it seems that he truly believes whatever he is communicating. His conviction in his own lies make them seem like the truth and the person hearing them eventually gets persuaded into believing his words.
In The Penguin, we see him conversing with Sal Maroni and the Falcone family back to back, but he never falters even once. At the topic of Alberto’s disappearance, Penguin’s face shows no change. There is no way one would guess his involvement in his murder.
This extreme control over his expressions and ability to hide his true intentions and feelings make Penguin one of the most feared villains of all time.
The new HBO show The Penguin follows Penguin’s character closely, depicting his rise in the underworld of Gotham, following the happenings of Matt Reeves' 2022 film, The Batman.
The Penguin can be streamed on HBO.
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