All 14 Major DC Characters In The Dark Knight Trilogy Ranked By Threat Level

Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy has an interesting set of characters, making a clear hierarchy in terms of power, threat and capability. Some of the most thoughtful and groundbreaking takes on Batman stories ever, The Dark Knight trilogy is a master class in superhero storytelling, making for some of the best Batman movies around. With so many unique heroes, villains, and supporting characters, it's interesting to see where everyone falls in terms of threat assessment.

Like even the most fantastic movies of Christopher Nolan's filmography, the world of his Batman is quite grounded compared to most iterations of the high-flying superhero. This means that the general threat levels of most characters are quite low compared to the average superhero movie, with no one having explicit superpowers or technology too far out of the ordinary. However, that's not to say that the characters of the so-called "Nolanverse" don't operate on a clear scale of power.

14 Lucius Fox

An aged inventor

One of the most clever changes The Dark Knight trilogy makes to the comics is its treatment of Lucius Fox. One of the few civilians to be aware of Bruce Wayne's secret life as Batman, Fox usually handles the business side of Wayne Enterprises while Bruce's time is taken up fighting crime. In the Nolan movies, however, Morgan Freeman's Lucius Fox is made into the Q to Batman's James Bond, developing his gadgets and vehicles for use in the field.

Morgan Freeman was already 68 when Batman Begins was released in 2005, and his character doesn't have any sort of combat record to speak of. That's not to say he isn't extraordinary, as Batman would be next to nothing without his high-tech gadgets, and he demonstrates remarkable coolness under pressure when faced with a blackmail attempt at the hands of Coleman Reese. But in terms of threat level, it's safe to say Lucius Fox is at the bottom of the barrel.

13 Alfred Pennyworth

A wise ex-commando

Another older ally to Batman, Michael Caine has one of the better cinematic versions of Alfred in movie history. Always knowing just what to say, Bruce Wayne's steadfast butler and father figure has remained loyal even after his young charge begins to dress up like a bat and go out into the night to fight crime. Pennyworth wants what's best for Bruce, but also understands the importance of Batman's mission to him.

Again, Alfred is an older fellow, putting him at a disadvantage for any physical confrontation. However, it must be remembered that Alfred was once a decorated member of the British Special Air Service, one of the U.K.'s most elite group of military commandos. He demonstrates that he hasn't lost all of his combat experience due to age when he knocks out a League of Shadows member with a golf club in Batman Begins, but at the end of the day, he'd likely be overpowered without sneaking up on someone.

12 Rachel Dawes

A capable civilian, but a civilian nonetheless

An original character and Batman's primary love interest throughout the first two films, Rachel Dawes is an interesting new addition to Batman's mythos in the Nolanverse. Once Bruce's childhood friend, Rachel was the one that kept him from going down a self-destructive path of murderous revenge, instilling in him his values for human life. Rachel is an experienced district attorney who isn't afraid to upset the establishment by taking on Gotham's corruption herself.

Outside of her legal prowess, it can at least be said that Rachel can stay calm enough in a crisis to be of use. After prisoners run rampant through Gotham City's streets, Rachel is able to hold her own against one of the escaped inmates, keeping him at bay with a taser and protecting a random little boy she finds. Of course, though mentally tough and physically fit enough, Rachel is ultimately a normal civilian with no specialized training or threat outside of what she can legally leverage.

11 Carmine Falcone

An insidious force of corruption

Speaking of Rachel's legal battles, Carmine Falcone starts Batman Begins as one of the primary figures keeping Gotham's criminal underworld aloft. The head of the Falcone crime family, Carmine scoffs in the face of law enforcement, knowing that much of the city's staff has had their pockets lined by him. It's only when terrifying new elements like Scarecrow and Batman begin to pop up that Carmine starts to struggle.

Yet another old man, Carmine prefers to let his cronies do his dirty work, unafraid to assault even Gotham's playboy sweetheart Bruce Wayne in broad daylight. In terms of his physical resilience, it should at least be noted that Carmine was unafraid to slit his own wrists with the intention of being bailed out of serving hard time by Dr. Jonathan Crane, a.k.a. Scarecrow. Mentally, however, his encounter with the villain goes south, and he isn't able to stand up to Scarecrow's fear gas.

10 Two-Face

A dangerous, but ultimately limited man with nothing to lose

Two-Face begins the series as Harvey Dent, the star district attorney of Gotham City and a beloved lawyer who was known for cracking down on crime within the bounds of the law. Harvey's life as he knows it is destroyed when his fiancé is killed by The Joker and he is horrifically scarred, fundamentally changing him forever.

With his scarred visage, smoke-cracked voice and gnarly black-and-white sense of morality, Two-Face isn't a villain the average citizen would ever want to encounter. But with no resources, no allies, and no semblance of his old life, Two-Face is ultimately little more than a lone mad man with a gun. His coin is also just as much of a weakness as it is a strength, giving random chance total control over his actions.

9 Jim Gordon

A hard-working cop with an impressive record

Of all of Gary Oldman's cinematic characters, Commissioner Gordon is perhaps one of the most capable and morally righteous. The steadfast commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, Gordon is unique in his recognition of Batman's potential as a force for good in the city, encouraging others to work with him and even installing the famous Bat-signal. Sadly, Gordon lives to see Batman become a martyr, but ends the series just as much of a hero in his own right.

It's worth noting that Batman might not have been able to defeat all of his villains if it weren't for the help of Commissioner Gordon. His handling of the Batmobile was critical in defeating Ra's al Ghul in Batman Begins, and he withstands multiple harrowing firefights in both of the sequels. Trained, clever, creative, and resourceful, Commissioner Gordon is a valuable ally to have and a bad enemy to make.

8 Sal Maroni

Even nastier than his predecessor

After the removal of Carmine Falcone creates a power vacuum in Gotham's criminal underworld, gangster Sal Maroni steps up to the plate. Just like Carmine, Maroni was all but impervious to Harvey Dent's attempts to put him behind bars, weaseling his way out of custody with a smirk on his face. He was also clever enough to set up multiple valuable mob-owned banks and set up a connection with the Chinese criminal accountant Lau.

Compared to Carmine, Sal isn't as afraid to get his hands dirty. He fights with his men in shootouts against the Russian mafia, and isn't fazed by Batman's attempts to intimidate him, even surviving both of his legs being broken in a nonlethal drop off a roof. As terrifying as he is, Sal still falls apart to the theatrics of actors like The Joker and Batman at the end of the day, unprepared for his costumed opponent's creativity and gusto.

7 Scarecrow

A mad scientist with a lucky streak

One of the best recurring elements throughout all three movies of The Dark Knight trilogy is Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow. Dr. Jonathan Crane is a deranged scientist who experiments on his criminal patients, perfecting the use of his so-called "fear gas" or "fear toxin" that causes intense hallucinations of the victim's greatest fears. The effects of the drug, when combined with Crane's psychiatric genius, allow him to crack the minds of even Gotham's most toughened criminals.

Scarecrow's fear toxin is a potent weapon indeed, but his real superpower seems to be lucky escapes. Scarecrow is able to avoid consequences somehow in Batman Begins, and after being imprisoned in The Dark Knight, he's among the prisoners bailed out by Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. Though he's able to scare his way through any normal criminal or legal pursuer, Scarcrow crumbles at the hands of Batman or other supervillains.

6 Catwoman

A capable and practical master criminal

Of all the movie iterations of Catwoman, Anne Hathaway's version from the Nolanverse might be one of the least powerful. A master thief hired by Bane to help steal Bruce Wayne's fingerprints, Catwoman eventually changes sides, becoming Batman's partner-in-crimefighting and even love interest. By the end of the series, she's able to make a clean escape, living a peaceful life with Bruce Wayne, having retired her vigilante identity.

Catwoman's skills as a thief aren't to be underestimated, able to sneak into places even the League of Shadows weren't able to reach. She's quite ferocious in a one-on-one fight against most opponents as well, and even manages to land the killing blow on Bane by using the Bat-Pod's cannons. However, it's worth noting that Selina Kyle was terrified of Bane and the League of Shadows on her own, and is more of an espionage agent and a high-class burglar than a fighter.

5 Bane

A hulking brute with a literal and metaphorical soft side

Having grown up in inhuman conditions in The Pit, Bane became one of the toughest figures in The Dark Knight trilogy's canon. Though an early disfigurement left him forever reliant on a breathing apparatus, Bane eventually grew to become one of the most prominent leaders of the League of Shadows. By his command, the organization brought Gotham to its knees.

Bane is clever, intimidating, and monstrously strong, an absolute brute in one-on-one combat that manages to even break Batman's spine. Though he doesn't flinch at large-scale warfare or murdering innocents with his bare hands, Bane has glaring weak point, reliant on his respirator to function, however immune to pain he may have become. Additionally, in the end, he's revealed to be little more than Talia's lap dog, somewhat diluting his own threat despite how threatening he is on paper.