The 7 Worst Batman Suits Ranked (and #3 is Super Weird)

Batman is widely recognized as one of the most iconic superheroes, largely due to his distinctive and impactful design. His appearance, which is both straightforward yet potent, boasts an instantly recognizable silhouette among comic book characters. Despite various redesigns over time, these changes generally orbit around the initial concept – a man adorned with a dark cape, a bat-themed mask, a chest symbol, and a utility belt worn across his waist. These elements form the basis of every memorable Batman design, even though the costume can vary. Yet, not all costumes have been successful hits.

The distinctive and enduring design of Batman has made him one of the most famous superheroes. His simple yet powerful look is easily recognizable among comic book characters, thanks to his characteristic dark cape, bat-themed mask, chest symbol, utility belt, and occasional redesigns that usually reference the original concept. While some costume changes have been successful, not all have proven to be hits.

Due to his renowned status, it’s safe to say Batman has donned a substantial number of outfits throughout his career. Some new designs, like Matt Fraction’s Rebirth suit with its blue and grey appearance, have been well-received and cherished by fans. Regrettably, not every costume has hit the mark. In some instances, they fall flat. On other occasions, they are downright jarring. Today, we delve into seven of Batman’s worst costumes that the Dark Knight has ever worn. Brace yourself, as certain outfits may require a good scrub to erase their visual impact from your mind.

7) Batman Beyond Rebirth

In 2016’s Rebirth series, when Terry assumed the role of Batman once more, his classic Batsuit was damaged in a fight. Fortunately, he found an earlier prototype version that was stronger than his original suit. However, it has quite a few changes that make it stand out, and not always for the better. The massive, glowing Bat symbol on the chest I can deal with, but the rest of the suit is overly complex. There are red lines scattered across the suit, which I find very distracting, and the oversized eyes seem disproportionately large. It’s almost as if they combined Batman and Spider-Man’s eyes and gave them a blood-red tint – not exactly an appealing appearance. Unlike the sleek simplicity of Terry’s original suit, this new design is overly flashy. Instead of improving upon his initial design, this updated version seems to have degraded it, making it appear even worse by comparison.

6) Azrael Bat Armor

During the “Knightfall” comic storyline, when Azrael temporarily took on the role of Batman, one of his initial actions was to swap out the traditional suit for a more rugged, armored variant. Initially, this new design was quite stylish, but it was intentionally designed as a satirical nod to the ’90s trend of transforming classic heroes into darker anti-heroes. As Azrael’s psychological condition worsened, he transitioned from an armored outfit to full body armor, complete with a weapon-filled interior. The costume featured an extravagant gold finish, a mask reminiscent of the Power Rangers, and a cape resembling a massive bat wing. It also had large claw-like gloves that housed both a Bat Shuriken gun and flamethrower, which Azrael frequently used. This costume was deliberately over-the-top, and later sported a bold red paint job to further emphasize the exaggerated style of ’90s comics, perfectly encapsulating that era’s extreme tone.

5) Jim Gordon’s Bat Suit

In the “Endgame” narrative, where it was suggested Bruce died, a brief stand-in for the Dark Knight emerged – none other than Jim Gordon. However, he didn’t get the flashy robot armor; instead, his standard Bat Suit, which fell short of the mark, left much to be desired. The suit was too simple and lacked style – an unfortunate combination. The spandex was so tight it exposed the contour of his ear, a detail I never thought I’d associate with Jim Gordon. Furthermore, the empty space in the Bat Symbol on his chest gave off a hollow feeling, while the solitary yellow streak on one shoulder felt oddly out of place. Instead of a utility belt, he wore holsters that seemed misplaced against the otherwise streamlined design. However, what truly marred the appearance was the absence of a mustache. Jim Gordon is synonymous with his mustache, and removing it feels like a disservice. With his appearance as Batman already being unusual, allowing him to retain some semblance of himself would have been appreciated.

4) KnightGallery

In the ’90s, a comic book titled “Batman: KnightGallery” was released as a standalone Elseworlds story. The plot revolved around the discovery of Bruce Wayne’s journal, eleven years after Batman’s supposed disappearance, which contained various sketches of different versions of Batman, Robin, and the Batmobile. Among these designs, one particular Batman suit stood out for its extreme spikiness. To put it mildly, this suit was covered from top to bottom with sharp edges, featuring enormous spiked gauntlets that extended as long as Batman’s forearms. This design was so far-fetched that it’s hard to imagine anyone seriously considering it for use in the field. It seems this particular Batman suit never made it beyond the concept stage.

3) Zebra Batman

In Detective Comics issue 275, Batman encountered the villainous Zebra-Man who, during their fight, accidentally altered Batman’s costume into a zebra print design and imbued him with uncontrollable magnetic powers as a result of his machine. The transformation of Batman’s suit is arguably the most regrettable aspect of this villain’s actions, considering its striking appearance. If the costume had been simply redesigned in black and white stripes, it might have been acceptable, albeit a bit flashy. However, since it also affected his face, making it difficult to distinguish any facial features due to the zebra pattern, it becomes quite taxing on the eyes to discern Batman’s expressions. Additionally, despite the transformation of his face, Batman still sports his signature yellow utility belt, which seems out of place given the overall design and detracts from its cohesiveness. I’m not suggesting that removing the belt would improve the suit, but if one is going to make such a drastic change, consistency in the alteration would be appreciated.

2) Stealth Suit

Introduced in issue #2 of “Superman Unchained,” this unique Batman suit was engineered to make Bruce completely undetectable across all visible light spectra, even evading Superman’s Kryptonian senses – a feature that’s quite handy because no one should ever have to gaze upon this fashion disaster. This outfit seems undecided about its identity, causing an inconvenience for everyone else. It’s a confusing blend of bulky and sleek elements, with armor pieces intermingling with smooth materials. The bold strips of yellow against the grey design are visually unpleasing, while the oversized, spiky eyes – reminiscent of the Batman Beyond Suit – are far too attention-grabbing, even with the bright yellow Bat symbol placed beneath them. This suit is way too ostentatious for a stealth suit design, but if you could make it invisible once more, that would be much appreciated.

1) Injustice 2

The standout ugliest Batman costume to date is undeniably the one featured in the “Injustice 2” series. The Injustice games and comics are well-known for their outlandish costumes, but this Batman suit takes it to a whole new level of questionable design choices. It’s hard to know where to start with this one. There’s a skin-tight material that resembles chainmail or perhaps just the shading, and the rest is an unyielding armor plating – hardly fitting for a character like Batman who is known for his agility. Instead of flexible attire, it seems more suitable for an actual knight, yet none of it appears practical for combat.

The Bat Symbol on this suit is oddly stretched and placed unusually high, almost at his collarbone, making one wonder if the Dark Knight can even turn his head comfortably, Bruce. Additionally, the cowl appears to be entirely made of metal, which might make neck movement challenging. The cape’s short collar seems out of place as well.

The blue eyes remain as unsettling as ever, and while it may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things, the lack of undergarments makes this costume look like a onesie. However, the most peculiar aspect is the armor plate that covers only his abs. One can’t help but question why this suit only exposes Batman’s midsection, leaving the rest of his body fully armored. Furthermore, the design of the abdominal armor doesn’t connect to the rest of the suit and features an unusual line that extends into the fabric beneath it, adding to the overall confusion and ugliness of the ensemble. In short, this costume is bizarre, unsightly, and frankly, a disappointing representation of Batman.

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2025-09-10 02:14