The 9 Best (or Worst) Riddler Moments In “The Batman”

Paul Dano gave an extremely unnerving performance as the criminal mastermind, one that will stick in your heads long after the credits roll. His character is no doubt one of the highlights of Matt Reeves’ superhero blockbuster, so here are the best (or worst, really) Riddler moments in The Batman.

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

In a scene straight out of Saw or Seven, we see Riddler has kidnapped Commissioner Savage and that he has hooked up to a rat trap with rodents ready to feast on his flesh. Riddler really amps up the fright factor with this video, taking sheer delight in watching this poor man suffer. Even though Savage was a crooked cop, he still doesn’t deserve something like that.

As Riddler wallows in failure in Arkham Asylum, he has a conversation with the neighboring inmate, who turns out to be the Clown Prince of Crime himself. This finally confirmed fans’ suspicions that actor Barry Keoghan would be the next Joker. And based on how both villains laugh together, the Joker could be teaming up with the Riddler in the future, making for a truly destructive duo.

This moment rocked Bruce’s entire world. In another one of his livestreams, Riddler reveals that Bruce’s mother, Martha, had spent much of her life in Arkham Asylum after her parents died. Not only that, he reveals that his father, Thomas, tried to get Falcone to stop a reporter from exposing Martha, which led to the reporter’s death. The fact that Bruce’s father had gotten a man murdered alone nearly broke the Bat, showing how much the Riddler could really hurt him.

After Batman and the police capture Falcone, you’d think the ruthless mobster will finally face justice. But just as the Penguin is about to shoot Falcone, we see the bullet was actually fired by the Riddler right next door. Though I wish Falcone didn’t take the easy way out, it’s still satisfying to see Riddler take out such an evil man.

After the Riddler assassinates Falcone, he is finally cornered by the cops at a diner as he’s enjoying a cup of coffee. After a slow and suspenseful reveal, we’re all surprised to see the Riddler has the face of a cherub, which is quite fitting given his past as a choirboy. To think that an innocent-looking man turned out to be such a sadistic killer. And it’s a shame he never got his slice of pumpkin pie.

The film opens like the beginning of a horror movie, with Riddler spying on Gotham’s Mayor, Don Mitchell Jr., waiting to swoop down and strike him dead. It all plays out like a Hitchcockian thriller, with the Riddler standing right behind Mitchell as he’s on the phone in a moment of aching suspense. The scene is a ticking time bomb that blows when Riddler finally bludgeons him to death and tapes him up.

After Batman confronts the Riddler at Arkham, the latter reveals his true, destructive power by blowing up Gotham’s sea wall and flooding the city with water. The killer watches with childish glee as his bombs go off, unleashing chaos throughout Gotham and certainly taking countless lives. It’s an apocalyptic scene made more frightening by the fact that it was all caused by one man.

After kidnapping Gotham’s DA, Gil Colson, Riddler has him literally crash Mitchell’s funeral with a bomb strapped to his neck. Batman later appears to answer Riddler’s phone call, and the killer gives Colson the chance to save himself by answering three riddles that unravel the film’s mystery. This scene is burning with frightening tension, and Paul Dano adds fuel to the fire with his terrifying performance up until the bomb goes off.

After Batman is requested by the Riddler in Arkham Asylum, the Caped Crusader meets the incarcerated killer, who reveals he knows Bruce’s secret identity. Harkening back to Joker’s interrogation in The Dark Knight, Riddler calls out multiple social problems as an orphan who was wronged and ignored by society. Seeing how the city stole from his orphanage’s Renewal Fund and had to live his entire life in lonely poverty, it’s no wonder he became a villain. 

Riddler also gets in Batman’s head as he calls himself a vigilante like him as he tries to bring down Gotham’s worst criminals. This moment shows firsthand the negative influence Batman has had on the people of Gotham as an agent of vengeance, making Riddler a perfect foil to the Dark Knight.