The character   of Batman has been taken in so many direction ; from vigilante to public - saving superhero . For the most part , Batman tends to have darker storey and that is in spades the case with film ; especially more New takes on the character such as Matt Reeves’The Batman .

Though many Batman flick are sorry , some go above and beyond to be saturnine than most . It even have to the point where Batman motion-picture show start to feel less like amusing book films and more like repulsion picture . From the many live - action and animated Batman films , which one manage to go the darkest ? They can all currently be pour on HBO Max .

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

Ben Affleck ’s introduction as Batman showcases a variant of the character who has lost his agency after   20 years of fighting crime . He ’s no longer a hero with both criminals and civilian terrified of him . Now after the events ofMan Of Steel , he is on a dark track to try and murder Superman .

Overall , Batman V Superman : Dawn Of Justiceis more of a bleak political thriller showcasing the two extreme point that would happen if an extraterrestrial just like Superman existed . It deconstructs the superhero tropes while also building towards a greater DC cosmos .   It also get a special cut that made itone of the few R - rated   superhero filmsdue to the force and sinister themes at manoeuvre .

Batman Begins (2005)

Christopher Nolan reboot Batman in a much dark and more naturalistic style . As the deed suggests , Batman Beginsdelves intothe descent story of Batman , testify the demise of the Waynes and Bruce Wayne ’s transformation into the Caped Crusader .

As a result , Nolan focuses a muckle on the catastrophe of Batman and how his parents ' death ghost him . Gotham City is also at its tough to help solidify why it need someone like Batman . sum in the evil plot of land of Scarecrow and Ra ’s Al Ghul , andBatman Beginsbrought darkness back to the dealership .

Batman: Under The Red Hood (2010)

First off , Batman : Under The Red Hoodopens up with the brutal execution of a teenage boy at the hands of the Joker . That alone earn this film a slot on this list but Batman ’s guiltiness is felt throughout the film , add a cheerless tone that take in the picture show feel bare .

Then there ’s the titulary baddie of Red Hood . He does not bear back with his killings and as a answer , there is a caboodle more blood and gore in the film . Plus the rivalry between Red Hood and Batman has a mountain of dark twists and turns that make their relationship tragic in nature .

Batman Returns (1992)

Tim Burton was given total sovereignty over this sequel and as a result , he cranked the darkness up to the point that the motion picture was considered too sour on release . Today , Batman Returnshas earned cult position with fans embracing that it is so dark and even a number distorted at prison term .

Danny DeVito ’s Penguin nearly bites off a man ’s olfactory organ , his plot is to drown Gotham ’s infants , and Batman is a straight - up murderer at times in this one . It completely embraces Tim Burton ’s macabre style for good or for uncollectible .

Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (1995)

Though it is based onBatman : The Animated Series , Mask Of The Phantasmpushed the limit point of an animate superhero film . It undertake the idea of Batman struggling with the promise he made to his parents while cover with a fresh serial cause of death in Gotham City .

It may not show the blood but the Phantasm ’s violent death are indicate enough that it does n’t take much imaginativeness to calculate them out . Eventhe typically mirthful and   clown - similar Jokeris depicted as much non-white with Mark Hamill giving a sinister performance .

Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker (2000)

Acting as the mop up of bothBatman : The Animated SeriesandBatman Beyond , Return Of The Jokercreates a bridge deck between the two display . Now on its own , the movie is not anything too dissimilar from an episode ofBatman Beyondbut that alter when flashbacks are show .

These flashback , especially in the unrated version , depictMark Hamill ’s now - iconic Jokerat his most disturbing in the DC Animated Universe . How he tortures and rick Robin into a Joker and how Robin really murders the Joker has become infamous for basically pit childhoods .

The Dark Knight (2008)

Instead of a practical joker villain , Heath Ledger ’s Joker is render as an anarchist and domesticated terrorist who practically brings Gotham to its genu in just a few calendar week . He kills cops , takes over the deplorable chemical element of Gotham , and in person makes himself into Batman ’s bane .

One of the most iconic scene features Joker terrorize a Batman copycat before viciously murdering him on video . It gave semi - found footage   vibraharp   that pull up stakes audiences terrified of this Joker and combined with the origin of Two - Face , The Dark Knighttook the non-white elements of the first film and amped them .

Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

Despite its controversial prologue , Batman : The Killing Jokeis still a patriotic adaptation of the graphic novel . From Joker ’s tragic origin story to the paralyzation of Barbara Gordon which he apply to help torture Jim Gordon . Everything about this story is akin to a psychological thriller seen in Hannibal Lecter history .

Batman and Joker are depicted less like the distinctive superhero and villain and as a outcome , The Killing Jokebecomes more of a character study of the Joker . It lead to the overall film have got a creepy vibration with disturbing imagery .

The Batman (2022)

The newest celluloid on this leaning , Matt Reeves’The Batmantakes the titular hero back to his roots as a detective . This time he ’s investigating the strange murders comport by the Riddler who is intentionally sit after the Zodiac killer and a lilliputian minute of Jigsaw from theSawfilms . As a consequence , there are a surprising amount ofscary scene inThe Batman .

The movie unfold up with Riddler killing someone in a astonishingly graphic way and he ’s putting other dupe through demented yap throughout the film . Even Batman himself is limn as a figure that has criminals frightened to walk down alleys .

Batman: Gotham By Gaslight (2018)

This is one of the first DC animate film to fully sweep up an R - paygrade and it designate . With Jack The Ripper being the villain ofBatman : Gotham By Gaslight , all of the kills in the film are grisly . Even the single that are done off - silver screen match that of the actual Ripper murders .

prudish Gotham is satiate to the brim with skunk , scoundrels , and prostitutes that make the city just feel sickly . However , the film kick the bucket in its own counseling from the vivid novel and some of the twists are akin to something seen in a revulsion movie . It helps giveGotham By Gaslightan sharpness not seen in many Batman films while harken back to classic Sherlock Holmes novel .

NEXT : The 10 safe DC Animated picture , According To Ranker

Comic book art: Batman faces the four Robins: Nightwing Dick Grayson, Red Hood Jason Todd, Red Robin Tim Drake, and Robin Damian Wayne.

Comic book art: batman by arkham asylum

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

Split image of the Joker in The Dark Knight and Robert Pattinson’s Batman in The Batman 2022

Batman in the armored Batsuit in Batman V Superman Dawn Of Justice

Batman overlooking Gotham with a swarm of bats in banner for Batman Begins

Batman and the Red Hood battling on a rooftop in Batman Under The Red Hood

Michael Keaton as Batman glaring at a clown in Batman Returns

Batman- Mask Of The Phantasm

Batman Beyond confronting The Joker in Batman Beyond Return Of The Joker.

Heath Ledger as The Joker sitting in a cell in The Dark Knight

The Joker grinning in Batman The Killing Joke

Robert Pattinson as Batman marching through the rain in The Batman 2022

Batman sticking a superhero landing inside the airship in Batman Gotham By Gaslight

Movies

Batman