Top 10 Most Violent DC Villains
For this list, we'll be looking at villains from DC comics with a penchant for over-the-top violence. While there are plenty of villains out there cause mayhem with elaborate plots, these baddies like to get their own hands dirty and do so often.
#10: Killer Croc
Waylon Jones is a misunderstood creature. Despite his monstrous appearance, he is a man with crocodile-like features and not the other way around. Shunned by society, it could be argued that it was the world’s failure to accept him that turned him into the villain he is today, as Jones has shown a softer side over the years. Be that as it may… he also uses his colossal strength and crocodile-like anatomy to tear his opponents apart. Over the years, he’s been depicted inconsistently, with varying degrees of intelligence and savagery, but after being infected with a virus that made him increasingly animalistic, he went full cannibal. Speaking of cannibals, we’d be remiss not to give a shout out to the similarly violent King Shark.
#9: Black Adam
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Whenever a character is the ruler of a sovereign nation, their hero/villain status is complicated. Black Adam is the archnemesis of Shazam and boasts a similar powerset. Over the years, he’s fought alongside the heroes of the DC universe, as well as its villains. As the champion and/or ruler of Kahndaq, his allegiances are usually governed by the interests of his people. Though we appreciate the complexity of his moral compass, his history of extreme violence earns him “villain” status in our books. An egotistical warrior who relishes combat, he has a nasty habit of dismembering his opponents - or obliterating their skulls with an eye-poke. He uses extreme and gratuitous violence without hesitation or remorse.
#8: Darkseid
This tyrant and conqueror of worlds has legions of minions at his disposal to do his dirty work for him. Using his powers and influence, he has killed more people than any earthly villain could ever dream of, but it’s when he himself gets directly involved in the fray that things get really ugly. The heroes of the DC universe always block his attempts to conquer earth, at which point he’s only too happy to teach them firsthand the pains of fighting a god. With his Omega beams, one shot is enough to prove lethal. Of course, he’s just as happy to get up close and personal, as he’s proven time and time again in his brutal hand to hand battles with members of the Justice League and their allies.
#7: Deathstroke
Deadpool VS Deathstroke
You don’t get a label like “the Terminator” by solving your problems with your words. Slade Wilson is a mercenary, assassin and is arguably the most deadly and efficient killer-for-hire in the DC universe. A supersoldier program gave him increased strength, stamina, reflexes, agility, intelligence, and endurance. It also heightened his senses, gave him a healing factor and slowed the aging process. The thing is, even before getting this upgrade, he was already a masterful combatant. Ruthless and efficient, Deathstroke can cut through a room of minions without breaking a sweat. Operating without remorse and single-minded in his task, Deathstroke is a killing machine.
#6: Doomsday
Violent villains get that way by various paths, but Doomsday is the rare specimen that seems to exist solely for destructive purposes. He’s not generally depicted as being interested in money, revenge or world domination. He is an agent of violence, pure and simple. The most popular origin story for the character is that he was created to become the ultimate lifeform. To this end, he was repeatedly subjected to death, only to be brought back stronger and more capable of survival. It’s basic evolution, as guided by the “survival of the fittest concept”, set to fast-forward. As such, all that Doomsday knows is pain and violence, which he inflicts upon everyone and everything it encounters.
#5: Bane
This juggernaut of a man is among the most physically formidable foes that Batman has ever faced. Though there is no shortage of hulking villains in DC comics, Bane stands apart from the bunch by being not just a physical threat, but a master tactician as well. Fueled by Venom, a hyper-potent super-steroid, Bane is capable of delivering bone-shattering blows. Undeniably his most famous act of violence was when he “broke the Bat” - literally breaking Bruce Wayne’s back. Having spent his childhood in one of the most dangerous prisons in the world, Bane was raised on violence - and it shows. Any villain who can snap Killer Croc’s arm is indeed a master of the violent arts.
#4: Ares
He’s the freaking Greek god of war. So yeah… violence is basically his middle name. For millennia he has fostered, encouraged, helped orchestrate and relished in large scale acts of violence between the factions of mankind. More than just a puppeteer, however, Ares enjoys getting into the thick of war, wetting his sword or battleax with the blood on the field of combat. One of his favorite opponents to clash weapons with is none other than Wonder Woman, whom he has had violent encounters with on numerous occasions. In his quest to encourage war, there’s no deed too violent to achieve his bloody ends.
#3: Victor Zsasz
Serial killers, with few exceptions, tend to be extremely violent individuals by nature. A nihilist who took the philosophy to its darkest logical conclusions, Zsasz kills his victims to liberate them from the burden that is life. Everything may be meaningless to Zsasz, but he certainly seems to derive great pleasure from his work. For every life he takes, Zsasz gives himself a scar, making his body a living temple to his kill count. A skilled hand-to-hand combatant, Zsasz is at his best when armed with blades, which he wields with deadly accuracy. He’s been repeatedly incarcerated, but he’s not interested in treatment or reform - he lives for the kill.
#2: Professor Pyg
This psychotic killer is a relatively recent addition to Batman’s rogues' gallery, but in his short history, he’s made quite the impression. Professor Pyg made his debut in 2007’s appropriately numbered Detective Comics #666. The deranged doctor was allegedly driven mad by his own concoctions and now practices his craft on the unwilling citizens of Gotham. He enjoys performing unneeded surgeries, turning people into his minions (known as “Dollotrons”) and, of course, killing! His skills with a scalpel apparently translate quite to wielding a knife. He’s seemingly driven by a desire to achieve “perfection” in others, but his vision of perfection is notably skewed. He’s quickly established himself as one of Batman’s most sadistic and violent villains. Really, his work speaks for itself.
#1: Joker
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Yes indeed! Despite steep competition from his fellow villains, we ultimately had to hand the crown over to the Clown Prince of Crime. Though he may be prone silliness and odd gimmicks, his clownish ways only serve to add an extra level of perversion to his twisted acts of violence. The man beat Batman’s second Robin to death with a crowbar, laughing as he did it. He once skinned a man alive. Who could forget what he did to Barbara Gordon and her father? This is the sort of villain who goes joyriding around Christmas time, running down random pedestrians. DC comics are full of violent criminals, but few do it with such genuine joy as the Joker.
