Ra's al Ghul

Ra's al Ghul (Arabic:) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superheroBatman. Created by editor Julius Schwartz, writer Dennis O'Neil, and artist Neal Adams, the character first appeared in Batman #232's "Daughter of the Demon" (June 1971).

Most notably the immortal founder and leader of the League of Assassins and its sects, his name in Arabic means "Head of the Ghoul". Having been born several hundred centuries before the 20th century, the character has prolonged his life through the Lazarus Pits, a supernatural pool of water with restorative properties that allows him to extend his lifespan. With his extended lifespan and his wide breadth of knowledge afforded by his immortality, he seeks to use his organizations' resources to aid his eco-terrorist agenda to cleanse the Earth of corruption and restoring the environment. His extreme methods has pitted him against Batman, being formidable enough to be an adversary rivaling him in combat. The character has fathered various children, including Talia al Ghul and Nysaa Raatko, the former a love interest of Batman and the mother of his grandson, Damian Wayne. Having a chauvinistic streak, the character has sought male successors to his organizations (which has included Batman and Damian) but has also rescinded the inclination, having been succeeded by both of his daughters at various intervals. While a principle adversary of Batman, he has also conflicted with other superheroes such as Superman in the DC Universe.

Ra's al Ghul has been featured in various media adaptations. The character was portrayed by David Warner in the DC Animated Universe, Liam Neeson in the Dark Knight trilogy, Jason Isaacs in Batman: Under the Red Hood, Dee Bradley Baker in the Batman: Arkham video game series, Matt Nable in the Arrowverse television series, and Alexander Siddig in Gotham.

IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time List ranked Ra's as number seven.