An anti-hero is a central character who lacks conventional heroic attributes, an individual who is generally good with a dark side. An anti-hero may be someone who partakes in petty crime but always circles back to doing the right thing, or a person with good morals that they frequently execute in an unethical way.
The DC universe is filled with iconic characters, and the Batman: Arkham video game series is no exception to that. This incredibly influential, groundbreaking set of games feature an unmatchable cast of noble heroes, unhinged villains, and, of course, complex anti-heroes.
6 Anarky
Anarky is a political activist and extremist based in Gotham City, who serves as a minor antagonist in Batman: Arkham Origins. His goal is to rid Gotham of corruption. Though this desire isn't evil in itself, his methods certainly are, considering the way in which he plans to destroy the city. He makes heroes question if their actions really benefit the greater good, a theme within Arkham Knight that inevitably leads to Batman's sacrifice.
Some fans would describe Anarky as an anti-villain, but he craves change that focuses on the well-being of Gotham's residents (while, of course, executing his ideas in a way which is highly illegal). This portrays his character as much more of an anti-hero.
5 Mr. Freeze
Victor Fries, better known as Mr. Freeze, is one of DC's most notorious villains. However, in the Batman: Arkham series, he is portrayed as being much more passive. He sides with Batman to create a cure that would save The Dark Knight and stop both the Joker and Strange. Ultimately, Freeze's efforts were the core reason Batman lived.
The majority of this character's wrongdoings are done to protect his wife and cure her of her illness, or so he thinks. He's willing to commmit every crime necessary if it meant she could survive. In fact, in the Arkham Knight DLC Season of Infamy, he was willing to quit his life of crime if it meant Nora would be safe. Given that his intentions are mostly good, Mr. Freeze feels like more of an anti-hero than a villain, at least in the Arkham games.
4 Poison Ivy
Like Freeze, Poison Ivy is usually portrayed as a villain through and through; she's even a minor antagonist in Batman: Arkham Asylum. However, players saw a very different side to the Gotham City Siren n Arkham Knight, in fact, she was a hero. In this game, she makes the ultimate sacrifice. She absorbs a lethal dose of Scarecrow's toxin, cleansing the city, in order to protect the plants of Gotham and ultimately saving its residents in the process.
Ivy's intentions have often stayed the same: she aims to change the world and save the environment from human destruction. Her ideology itself isn't morally wrong, but her methods usually involve killing innocent people. She's an individual who commits acts of terrorism, all while convincing herself it's for the greater good of the planet, giving her the title of anti-hero.
3 Azrael
Michael Lane is an ex-GCPD officer recruited by the Order of St. Dumas, a secret religious sect, who gave him the name 'Azrael.' He was ordered to watch Batman, not only to study his combat but to also gain his trust, so he could ultimately kill him. After all, the Order believed that the rightful protector of Gotham had to be brutal, something Batman was not.
Azrael is a fascinating character ordered to use violence as means to stop crime, murdering criminals who cross his path. In Arkham Knight, while the player is in control of him, Azrael must choose whether he kills or spares Batman. At this moment, Lane takes back control of his body. His appearance in this game highlights Azrael's constant battle with his own morality, making him a fascinating anti-hero.
2 Red Hood
The Red Hood, originally Joker's former identity, has since been taken on by Jason Todd, the second Robin and (briefly) the Arkham Knight. After realizing that Batman thought he had been murdered and seeing how much the hero still cared for him, he was able to put behind his vendetta for The Dark Knight and move past the trauma he suffered at the hands of the Joker. At the end of Batman: Arkham Knight, Red Hood tracks down Batman and frees him from Scarecrow, saving his life.
Despite learning the truth about the past, Todd's desire to kill criminals kept them from working beside one another again. In fact, the Red Hood delivers a brutal form of justice: a force so violent, any real superhero would avoid it. His methods of battling crime make him an anti-hero, and one of DC's finest.
1 Catwoman
This fierce feline is the definition of an anti-hero. Whilst she is a thief, she often works alongside Batman to put a stop to more serious, harmful crimes. All in all, Catwoman has good moral character. Even when she's initially tempted by the selfish option, she will always ultimately do the right thing.
The perfect example takes place in Batman: Arkham City when she is forced to make a choice between saving The Dark Knight or escaping Gotham with loot she had stolen. Though this decision is the player's to make, choosing to leave Gotham results in Batman's death. Given that there was a follow-up game featuring the caped crusader as the main character, it is clear that the canon ending involved Selina making the selfless sacrifice of coming to his rescue.