Does The Riddler Need To Be Darker?

The Riddler has been a member of Batman's Rogues gallery for decades. Debuting back in Detective comics 140 the prince of puzzles a.k.a Edward Nygma ak.a Edward Nashton has long sought to confound the Dark Knight with his riddles. For some this is not enough, the Riddler needs to do more be darker. Is that the case? How do you like your Riddler?

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[Luke-fuco]

To quote another Batman villain: Why so serious?

I mean really, not every bad guy needs to be dark and moody, who wants every villain to have the same tone? It would just be boring and tedious, variety is the spice of life after all! (I think that's how that saying goes🤔)

[halfmettlealchemist]

I feel like generally the Riddler can be treated as a genuine threat, but I don't think writers need to make him darker or more violent for that to happen. He can be campy and goofy while also being legitimately menacing - those two traits aren't mutually exclusive.

Hell, one of the reasons I like his portrayal in The Batman 2022 is because the big third-act twist is that despite appearing as this horrifying and mysterious serial killer, he's actually just a big fucking nerd with a crush on Batman. It's why I kind of disagree with people saying that version of Nygma isn't accurate - he's scary, sure, but at his core, he's still as pathetic and insecure as his comic-book counterpart.

[TJUC]

Darkening the Riddler can be done without changing who the character is. I love what Gotham did with him. Cory Michael Smith’s performance made it even better.

[TankHammer]

Not every Batman villain needs to be a serial killer psychopath. I would prefer an arrogant Riddler simply obsessed with proving he's more clever than anyone else and any human lives put in danger in the process are purely tangential.
Batman can defeat Gotham's rogues without killing, so Riddler ought to mirror that being a villain who thinks he can win without resorting to barbarism.

[joshuaschoonmaker]

At the end of the day, narcissism is crucial to his character. Attempting to darken his ATTITUDE and disposition does take away from the narcissism and therefore shouldn’t be done. But you can make his ACTIONS and plans a lot darker without detracting from his personality

[BoSmith]

I would like to see a return to a "reformed" Riddler doing detective work. Someone who had his fun with Batman but sick of prison. It's what a older, non psychotic genius would do. Hire himself out and make money while still enjoying challenges.

[cybercrash]

The core of the Riddler is a character who treats villainy as a game. He’s a genius, and his greatest desire is to find a worthy challenge to his intellect; a challenge he finds most often in Batman. He plans and schemes and has end goals like everyone else, but he cares about the journey just as much as the destination. Because of this, there should always be an air of silliness to him, but as long as that core is preserved, he can be as dark or as light-hearted as any writer wishes to make him.

[AndEzutarian]

"In trying to darken him, is what's unique about him being taken away?" Yes! And you put it perfectly! That Batman Hush story just turned him into the Joker 2. What's the point?
+ the way they make him scarier is just a cop out. Oh serial killing and torture? Okay Black Mask, okay Joker, okay Scarecrow, okay Penguin, okay...you see where I'm going. If he has to be "darker, " do it in a creative way that doesn't necessarily make him a murderer.

[Hellacious-Blue-Liquid]

I think Riddler should toe that line. I think he should be loud/fun/campy until he gets pushed too far/properly motivated that he pulls out the saw-like death traps. He should be compelled into that more scary side, but never be his resting state

[catlawyerwilldefendfortrea]

Darker Riddler usually just feels like a rip off of Joker or Jigsaw. I love charismatic, arrogant Riddler. But It's not easy to write that i assume

[baronhausenpheffer]

I like to see his intelligence emphasized -- as in, he's one of the few Batman villains who can routinely outsmart Bruce Wayne not because he's unpredictably random (a la Joker), but because he's just so stinkin' smart. And a slightly playful vibe makes him unique.

[hypno-trash]

I actually loved him in the "gotham sirens" run where he was kind of a good guy for the lulz, becoming an inverstigator and helping the GPD

[blacksun]

My favorite iteration has to be the Arkhamverse Riddler. I think he is the perfect amount of pathetic and self-absorbed in these games. He manages to simultaneously make me feel sorry for him but I also want to punch him in the face.

In general I do prefer him to be not so dark. I like him better when he's more of a nuisance who doesn't actually kill people but rather threatens them enough for batman to be forced to solve his riddles.

[magicalgirllaurie]

I mean whether any Batman villain is dark is always going to depend on the story. And I've liked Dark Riddlers before, I really liked The Batman this year for example, but generally I do prefer more light-hearted Riddler.

[GenerationWest]

I like my Riddler in a suit and being a complete narcissist, preferably with a bowler hat.
But if you change up design enough, like Arkham and 2004's The Batman cartoon, then you're master of design in my books.

[ThatJohnKillion]

Everyone remembers the silly Frank Gorshin 60's TV version, but they forget he was also just as quick to turn deadly serious and dangerous.

[qwellen]

Honestly Neil Gaimen's take is really great - basically keeps him behind the times and working as vintage gimmick guy that no one respects.

[dtrash]

Personally I am too big a fan of the "bright green dress suit covered in question marks" aesthetic to wish for a Riddler with a darker disposition.

[flyingspaghettimonster]

I think the Gotham version of riddler is probably my favorite hes pretty dark but also goofy and weird and he starts out trying to help

[T.K.Fischer]

No. In fact it's one of my biggest pet peeves of Batman adaptations.

If we're going with D&D alignment, Riddler should be Chaotic Neutral. Amoral, but not malicious. Just singularly focused on amusing himself by playing the villain to Batman's detective. He does crime for the same reason Sherlock Holmes solves them. Cause he's bored.

A dark, murderous Riddler is just the Joker, and we have one of those already.