History Comicbook / RasAlGhul

[[redirect:Characters/BatmanRasAlGhul

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/raspic_7858.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[AffectionateNickname "Detective."]]]]

->''"A criminal mastermind more dangerous than ComicBook/TheJoker and ComicBook/LexLuthor put together."''
-->-- '''Franchise/{{Batman}}'''

Ra's Al-Ghul (Arabic for "the Demon's Head") is a Creator/DCComics supervillain and is considered a second ArchNemesis for Franchise/{{Batman}}.

Ra's Al-Ghul first appeared in 1971 to provide a new type of villain, and WorthyOpponent, for the Dark Knight. Though created at the dawn of TheSeventies, he is more accurately a product of TheSixties, and was influenced by the popularity of Franchise/JamesBond. Ra's is an [[WickedCultured archetypical Bond Villain]], but slightly tweaked to fit in well with Batman and the greater Franchise/DCUniverse.

As stated, Ra's is second only to ComicBook/TheJoker in Batman's RoguesGallery, and may better fit the mold of an EvilCounterpart than the clown does. Like Batman, [[RealLifeSuperPowers Ra's has wealth, skills, charisma, intelligence, and cutting-edge-technology]], but unlike Batman, he also has the League of Assassins, an entire shadow organization at his beck and call which follows him like a devoted cult. Ra's' ultimate goal is to stop the slow death of the planet Earth... by wiping out most of humanity. [[{{Ubermensch}} In its place, he plans to build a new society]] which will be overall superior.

Ra's is nearly immortal--he is ''literally'' ReallySevenHundredYearsOld. His life is extended by repeated usage of the Lazarus Pit, a mystical spring which can retard the aging process, heal virtually any wound, and even bring back the dead (temporarily driving the subject insane, however). However, repeated use of the Pit has made him addicted, and he has grown more and more reliant upon it as his time grows short. Which brings us to our next point...

The next thing Ra's is most famous for is his [[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter beautiful daughter]], ComicBook/TaliaAlGhul. After Comicbook/{{Catwoman}}, Talia is Bruce's second great love. And like Catwoman, [[DatingCatwoman being on opposite sides keeps them apart.]] Talia is often conflicted by [[DaddysGirl her loyalty to her father]] and her love for Batman. She [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor will often pick one over the other, only to change her mind again later]].

Ra's whole-heartedly approves of the relationship between Batman and Talia, but only insofar as [[IWantGrandkids it will produce him an heir]] should [[WeCanRuleTogether Batman himself comply.]] He finally got his wish when Batman and Talia had a one-night-stand (or she raped him, DependingOnTheWriter) and she gave birth to [[Comicbook/{{Robin}} Damian Wayne]]. However, Damian later defected and Talia had him cloned. Then the clone later kills Damian, who later gets better. [[ComicBook/KingdomCome In other realities,]] Bruce and Talia's son is Ibn al Xu'ffasch, and he ''does'' take over for Ra's; in a mild twist, Ibn is a benevolent leader.

Ra's and Batman have a [[FriendlyEnemy mutual respect]] [[WorthyOpponent for one another]], and Ra's has even ''helped'' Batman at times as a show of good faith. However, he will just as easily disavow their "friendship" and declare that he and Batman are fully enemies (this has happened at least a billion times), and he's not above using [[CombatPragmatist brutal, efficient, and downright inhumane tactics to defeat his nemesis.]]

And if that weren't enough to make him awesome, Ra's is one of the few Batman villains that is fully aware of Batman's SecretIdentity, even knowing the location of the Batcave.

!! Ra's Al-Ghul has appeared in:
[[folder:Significant Comic Books]]
[[AC:Earth-One]]
* ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' (1975-1985) [-intermittent appearances-]

[[AC:ComicBook/PostCrisis]]
* ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' (1986-2011) [-intermittent appearances-]
* '''''Saga of Ra's al Ghul''''' (1988)
* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' (1994-2011) [-intermittent appearances-]
* ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'' (1996-2009) [-intermittent appearances-]
* ''ComicBook/{{Azrael}}'' (1997-2011) [-intermittent appearances-]
* ''ComicBook/{{JLA}}'' "Tower of Babel" (2000)
* ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'' (2001-2009) [-intermittent appearances-]
* ''ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}'' (2002-2009) [-intermittent appearances-]
* '''''Year One: Batman/Ra's al Ghul''''' (2005)
* ''ComicBook/RedRobin'' (2009-2011)
* ''ComicBook/RedHoodTheLostDays'' (2010)
* ''[[{{ComicBook/Legion of Super-Heroes}} The Legion]]'' (2002-2003)

[[AC:ComicBook/DCRebirth]]
* ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' (2016-present) [-intermittent appearances-]
* ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' (2016-2020) [-intermittent appearances-]
* ''ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders'' (2019-2020)

[[AC:Elseworlds]]
* ''ComicBook/KingdomCome''
* ''ComicBook/SupermanAmericanAlien''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanUnderTheRedHood'': Appears as the central figure responsible for Jason Todd's resurrection, a simplification of the more complex CosmicRetcon resurrection from the [[Comicbook/RedHoodTheLostDays original comic]]. Here, he's voiced by Creator/JasonIsaacs.
* ''WesternAnimation/SonOfBatman'': Ra's appears in the movie's opening but is soon killed by [[ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} Deathstroke]]. The main focus of the movie is Ra's grandchild Damian, the son of Talia Al Ghul and Bruce Wayne. Here, he's voiced by Creator/GiancarloEsposito.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]
* ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'':
** ''Film/BatmanBegins'': The BigBad of the film, also used to be the source of Bruce Wayne's training to have the skills to be Batman. Portrayed by Creator/KenWatanabe and Creator/LiamNeeson in a form of LegacyCharacter meets CastAsAMask interpretation.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': Ra's Al Ghul is referenced as early as the first season by former League member Malcolm Merlyn (Creator/JohnBarrowman), with Sara Lance/The Canary as one of his agents in Season 2. He appears in person in the third season, played by Matt Nable. It's revealed Ra's is a LegacyCharacter, with individuals taking the name having their life extended by the Lazarus Pits. At the end of the third season, Malcolm Merlyn ends up taking the title of Ra's Al Ghul.
* ''Series/{{Gotham}}'': Ra's Al Ghul appears in the second half of the third season, played by Creator/AlexanderSiddig.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': Ra's Al Ghul appears played by Creator/DeeBradleyBaker. Ra's turns out to be the ManBehindTheMan regarding the events of the game. He is still referenced either in story dialogue or easter eggs in the other Arkham Series games.
* ''VideoGame/BatmanDarkTomorrow''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': Voiced by Creator/DavidWarner, considered the work to put Ra's into the mainstream recognition. Both he and Talia appeared in a crossover episode with ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and in a one-off episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond''.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'': Both Ra's and Talia appear in isolated stories, with Ra's being voiced by Peter Woodward.
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': Ra's appears in a couple of episodes as an overarching villain, voiced by Creator/OdedFehr.
* ''WesternAnimation/BewareTheBatman'': Ra's appears as the main villain in the first story arc, played by Creator/LanceReddick.
[[/folder]]
----
!!Tropes which describe Ra's Al-Ghul and their associates:

* AdaptationNameChange: The League of Assassins is sometimes renamed in non-comic works. ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' called it the Society of Shadows, which became the Society of Assassins by ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', and the ''[[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy Dark Knight Trilogy]]'' called it the League of Shadows.
* AffablyEvil: Genuinely courteous to his antagonists, especially Batman.
* AffectionateNickname:
** Refers to both Bruce and [[Comicbook/RobinSeries Tim]] as "Detective" as a sign of respect. He also never uses the title "Batman", since he views Bats as Bruce with a mask on.
** Likewise, he refers to Franchise/{{Superman}} as "Icon".
* AlternateCompanyEquivalent:
** Is considered DC's answer to The Mandarin from the ''ComicBook/IronMan'' comics, despite Ra's being Arab and the Mandarin being Chinese. This is due to their comparable intellects, resourcefulness and fighting prowess. However, this was not DC's original intent for Ra's, as they based him more on Franchise/JamesBond villains. Nowadays, it's rather that the Mandarin's current characterization in the comics has been off of Ra's, not the other way around. Considering how Iron Man himself has been considered Marvel's answer to Batman, this all makes sense.
** More directly, he was created as Batman's equivalent of Ernst Stavro Blofeld of the ''Franchise/JamesBond'' film series.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Ra's is Arabian, though possibly with some mixed Chinese ancestry. DependingOnTheArtist Ra's and Talia are subject to looking anything from East European to Arabic to Asian. Notably in ''Film/BatmanBegins'', Japanese actor Creator/KenWatanabe as Ra's Al Ghul was a decoy for the reveal that Henri Ducard, played by Irish actor Creator/LiamNeeson, is Ra's Al Ghul at the end (it's left ambiguous if Watanabe's Ra's was the actual Ra's or was a pure decoy on the part of Ducard). In any case, both actors were a decent match for the character.
* AntiVillain: He has good motives, is highly respectful to heroes, and has strong ties of loyalty. On the other hand, he's a SocialDarwinist, and considers anyone who doesn't agree with him to be an enemy.
* ArchEnemy:
** He's Batman's secondary nemesis, after ComicBook/TheJoker.
** Later, he also deems ComicBook/BlackLightning another WorthyOpponent.
* ArchNemesisDad:
** Often to his own children, who oppose his ideals.
** [[UpToEleven His own father]] often struggles with him for control of the League of Assassins. [[EnemyMine He and Batman teamed up to defeat him.]]
* {{Assassin}}: Leads a league of them.
* BackFromTheDead: To the point that he's become a PlotDevice for resurrecting ''other'' characters in the Bat-family.
* BadassBeard: ''LOOK'' at it.
* BadassCape: As if the trope pic couldn't tell you that his heavy green cape edged in elaborated gold embroidery doesn't create an imposing figure.
* BadassInANiceSuit: Again, look at the trope image.
* BadassNormal: Lazarus Pit aside, he's completely human.
* BattleButler: A big manservant named Ubu. It's sometimes implied Ubu is a title and thus a CollectiveIdentity or a LegacyCharacter.
* BeardOfEvil: Oh yes.
* BigBad: For lots of storyarcs involving Batman and his related characters, and sometimes even the Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}}. The most notable one is ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmericaTowerOfBabel''. In fact Ra's is commonly seen as the top gun of Batman's rogues gallery in terms of threat level and ambitions; even the Joker, while insanely dangerous on his own, serves more as a personal threat toward the Dark Knight.
* BodyBackupDrive: Has a lot of "spare bodies" (read: his own children) ready for use.
* BodySurf: Has done this on occasion while "dead".
* BornInTheWrongCentury: In the time era where he came from, Ra's Al-Ghul was a kindhearted physician who had a mindset that was progressive and charitable to all men, even evil men like the prince who lusted after his wife. Unfortunately, his era was also a time of brutality, conquest, palace intrigue, and the strong taking what they wanted from the weak. Sadly for Ra's, he was on the wrong end of his time era's ugliness which destroys his idealism and kickstarts his StartOfDarkness.
* BreakoutVillain: Debuting decades after Batman's creation, Ra's is a relatively newer addition to his rogues gallery, but still considered one of the best and most memorable. Even in continuities or stories that have nothing to do with Batman whatsoever, Ra's will often appear as a major threat, BigBad or ArcVillain, demonstrating his massive appeal.
* CallingTheOldManOut:
** Did this to his own father, who was revealed to be "The Sensei", his second-in-command.
** Many of his children have done this. In particular, Talia has shown ''extreme'' displeasure whenever he uses her feelings for Batman to lure her beloved into a trap.
* CameBackWrong: Sometimes DependingOnTheWriter, but using the Lazarus Pit makes R'as a little less sane every time he uses it, which is why he tries ''not'' to. Future stories have the Pit having diminishing returns using after a thousand years.
* CanonImmigrant: Ibn al Xu'ffasch first appeared in the Elseworlds story ''ComicBook/KingdomCome''. Bruce suspects he's his son, but it isn't confirmed til near the end.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: For the longest time, he was known as an environmentally sensitive villain who believed nature should be treated with respect. However, by the time of "The Hunt for Robin" storyline, Ra's al-Ghul seemingly has no problem using whales as incubation factories for his new Damien clones, causing them great pain and death in the process. And considering whales are considered a very vulnerable species in general, Ra's, at this point, doesn't appear to be as environmentally sensitive as he used to be.
* TheChessmaster: Better at it than any other Bat-villain. Even The Joker.
** Ironically, the Joker is one of the few characters to actually ''beat'' him in literal chess (the others include Batman and Bane).
** Many of his plans involve using Batman's own [[BatmanGambit gambits]] against him.
* ChosenConceptionPartner:
** Talia has chosen Batman as her ideal breeding partner and mate.
** Nyssa, Talia's sister, once chose [[Comicbook/RobinSeries Tim Drake]], but [[AttemptedRape failed]]. This was arranged by and eagerly watched Ra's himself as part of his ongoing very uncomfortable interactions with Tim that started around the time Damian first came to Gotham.
** Ra's himself has done this with more women than you can count.
* CombatPragmatist: While he'll often fight Batman in a one-on-one duel as a show of respect, he'll start fighting dirty when it looks like he's actually gonna lose.
* ConflictingLoyalty: Talia's anguish stems from her desire to please her father ''and'' live happily with her beloved Batman.
* CrazyPrepared: The sheer number of methods this guy can use to bring himself BackFromTheDead is staggering. But we wouldn't know about them [[ProperlyParanoid if he weren't forced to use them]].
* DaddysGirl: Talia is certainly this. She is torn by her loyalty to her father and her love for Batman.
* DaddysLittleVillain: Talia has done some really, really, abhorrent things to please her father.
* DarkMessiah: This is how his followers, including his loyal children, see him.
* DarwinistDesire: Ra's desires a biologically optimal mate for his daughter. He dismissed Azrael as a possibility when his biology showed some traces of other animals (specifically, a gorilla was used as a surrogate mother to carry him to term).
* DeathIsCheap: To the point that his Lazarus Pit has become the go-to PlotDevice for resurrecting ''other'' characters (such as Comicbook/LadyShiva, [[Comicbook/RedHoodAndTheOutlaws Jason Todd]], Comicbook/{{Batwoman}}, and others).
* DependingOnTheArtist: The trope picture shows gives him a lighter complexion than usual.
* DependingOnTheWriter: In some continuities, Ra's Al-Ghul's centuries of fighting abilities are too much for Batman in a fight and Batman isn't able to do much more than foil his plans. In other incarnations, however, Batman is quite capable of defeating him in combat(albeit with some effort) and Ra's usually ends up getting humbled in some way at the hands of the Dark Knight.
** His villainous plots and the motives behind them can vary depending on the continuity. Some writers present him as being a fanatical eco-terrorist who wants to purge the world of most of humanity. Other writers present him as being a WellIntentionedExtremist who desires to combat crime and civilizational decadence through extremely brutal methods that Batman has a hard time getting behind. And of course, there are also some writers who don't even bother giving him more sympathetic motives and just present him as a murderous global terrorist who does what he does ForTheEvulz or to just personally spite Batman.
** Does he ''truly'' respect Batman or is he being FauxAffablyEvil? Writers approach him different ways:
*** Some writers treat Ra's as someone who truly wishes Batman no harm, but sees him as someone who unfortunately must go ForTheGreaterGood.
** Others portray Ra's as an ultimately selfish bastard who only "respects" Batman as far as it furthers his goals, and who will mercilessly destroy Batman's life in [[EvilIsPetty extremely petty ways]] for daring to refuse his offer.
*** Some portray Ra's as someone who is willing to die for what he believes in, whereas his life is secondary to the Utopia he envisions.
*** Others make him a megalomaniac who just wants make his own personal paradise, with people who further his schemes, and more baby-mamas than his harem could shake a stick at.
* DisproportionateRetribution: His backstory in ''Birth of the Demon'' reveals that was on the receiving end of some ''serious'' injustice from his hometown (namely, his wife got killed by a spoiled prince, and then the king convicted ''him'' for it). Once he's escaped, he leads a band of marauding nomads to ''slaughter the entire city''. This is somewhat deconstructed, though, as he acknowledges that the experience doesn't really make him feel any better.
* EcoTerrorist: Ra's is dismayed at the human population boom and the way nature has suffered as a result. He plans to kill off most of humanity to forcibly restore the balance between humanity and the world.
* EqualOpportunityEvil: The League of Assassins employs people of every nationality and ethnicity.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He generally opposes measures such as nuclear weapons that do more harm that good to the World's environment and he is often shocked by the savage, sadistic nature of villains such as The Joker. Ra's may not have a problem spilling blood but he won't do it unless he feels he must.
* EvilCounterpart: Designed to be this for Batman.
* EvilOldFolks: Emphasis on ''old''. A long lived terrorist and mass murderer who abuses his own daughters and grandson and has predatory grooming interactions with Tim Drake starting when Tim was in high school and culminating in Ra's very eagerly arranging for Tim to be raped and murdered when Tim was 18. Tim and Cass weren't putting up with that though.
* ExitVillainStageLeft: Unlike most of Batman's rogues, Ra's tends to escape capture rather than repeatedly break out.
* {{Expy}}: A little [[Franchise/JamesBond Ernst Blofeld]] and a lot of Literature/FuManchu. And the bit about wanting the hero to marry his young daughter is [[Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService Marc-Ange Draco]].
* FlashForward: He once fought [[TimeTravelTenseTrouble (or will have fought)]] the ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}, a thousand years from now. However, it turns out that [[spoiler:this Ra's is just a [[CloningBlues clone]] of the original, who was presumably long dead. The clone [[TomatoInTheMirror did not know this,]] and takes the discovery [[VillainousBreakdown very badly.]]]]
* FountainOfYouth: The Lazarus Pit, which has prolonged his life at the cost of degrading his mental faculties.
* FreudianExcuse: He had his wife murdered before his very eyes by the spoiled prince he had just saved. He was then wrongfully accused of murdering his own wife. Then he was left in a cage in the desert to rot before finally being saved. The kind of tragedy Ra's went through would screw just about anybody up. All it took was one bad day to turn him into the would-be world conqueror that he is now.
* FriendlyEnemy: He can be very amiable to Batman when he wants to be.
* GaiasVengeance: His prime motivation is to destroy humanity for the harm it does to MotherNature.
* GrandTheftMe: One of the ways he prolongs his life.
* GreaterScopeVillain: A number of villains are, or used to be, minions of his.
** David Cain is an instructor for the League of Shadows.
** Comicbook/LadyShiva was intended to be one of his finest warriors, but she prefers being on her own.
** His daughter Nyssa has troubled the Bat-family at times.
* HeirClubForMen: He has lots of daughters, but considers none of them adequate to the job of being his heir. So he tends to throw them at men [[BabyFactory to produce better candidates]]. Downplayed in more modern works, where he has male heirs as well and is equally dismissive of them.
* {{Hypocrite}}: DependingOnTheWriter, but many depictions of him focusing on his villainous nature tend to highlight how, under his grand goals and lofty plans, Ra's is really no better than the petty, shallow and selfish "common masses" he rails against.
* IWantGrandkids: Well, he has them, but not enough for an heir.
* IconicSequelCharacter: Despite his importance, and that of various relatives, to the Batman franchise, he wasn't introduced until 1971 in real-world time.
* {{Immortality}}
** ResurrectiveImmortality: The Lazarus Pit can bring him back, if he needs it. But, it is less and less effective as he naturally ages.
** In several adaptations, he branches out to the serial body-stealing form of immortality as well.
* IfIWantedYouDead: On several occasions, R'as had the opportunity to kill Batman and his allies after foiling his plans, but instead congratulated them and let them go. Highlighted in a ''Batman[=/=]ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'' crossover, when Bats quietly tells DD and the Kingpin to just leave and not try to get some karmic revenge on him.
* ImmortalityPromiscuity: Ra's has had many lovers and many children across the centuries, though rarely considers them worthy of being heirs.
* ImmortalitySeeker: One of his defining traits, and often used to push his more hypocritical depictions; Ra's is absolutely ''terrified'' of dying and will do whatever he can think of in order to preserve his own existence. Although he has the Lazarus Pits as a matter of course, he knows they're not 100% reliable -- they can be exhausted, tainted or destroyed, and are either very hard or even outright impossible to replace -- and so he's always looking for alternatives, either metaphorical (having worthy heirs) or literal.
* ImmortalsFearDeath: Technically. He ''hates'' the idea of dying without his vision coming to fruition, and will do whatever it takes to prolong his life. If he had a worthy heir, he might be able to rest more comfortably--but even then, he'd probably stick around just in case, probably by [[GrandTheftMe taking the heir's body for himself]]. Even after his pits are destroyed, he still plans on using cloning to keep going.
* InsistentTerminology: Ra's always calls Bruce "Detective", almost never "Batman", if ever.
* ItsAllAboutMe: The degree can vary depending on the writer, but the only thing Ra's consistently cares about is Ra's himself. It's all about ''his'' plan to create a utopia, ''his'' plan to take on Batman as his heir, and ''his'' desire to live for as long as he possibly can, no matter the mental or moral cost.
* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: The first part of his name has been pronounced at various times as "Roz," "Raz," or "Raysh," but never by its RealLife Arabic pronunciation "Ross."
* KnightOfCerebus: Stories about Batman are not normally light hearted or comedic, but Ra's al Ghul's first appearance "The Demon's Quest" in the 1970s is an early example of Batman becoming darker. Coming just a scant few years after [[Series/Batman1966 the campy TV series]], following a legacy of over three decades of [[RoguesGallery gimmicky, costumed villains]], Ra's was simply [[WellIntentionedExtremist a very wealthy and very warped (albeit semi-immortal) man who, for reasons that made perfect sense to him but no one else, wanted to wipe out 90 percent of the human race]]. This was also the point in history at which Batman himself began to change, returning from the Dudley Do-Right archetype he'd cultivated during the 1950s and '60s to the stern, brooding, and slightly unhinged "dark" vigilante he was always meant to be. It's notable that the "Demon's Quest" storyline had the same effect two decades later when it was incorporated into [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries the animated series]], and then again a decade after ''that'' with ''Film/BatmanBegins'', which was [[{{Understatement}} quite the palate-cleanser]] after ''Film/BatmanAndRobin''. Even the grisliest Joker stories are guaranteed to have a few laughs; Ra's al-Ghul stories are invariably about genocide, which is almost never funny, especially when the character is no-nonsense.
* LegacyCharacter: A couple of adaptations, ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' and ''Series/{{Arrowverse}}'', have taken to using this as an alternate to his Lazarus Pit immortality. ''Film/BatmanBegins'' has the characters talk of his immortality and TheReveal in the climax has the Henri Ducard Ra's Al Ghul whimsically talk of how myths and legends have mundane explanations. ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' has Ra's explain that even with the Lazarus Pit he is only 150 years old (normally Ra's is upwards of 600 years old), but that he had succeeded the Ra's Al Ghul before him.
* LongevityTreatment: He needs more and more frequent trips to the Lazarus Pit remain young.
* MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter:
** Talia to Batman, but rare for the trope, Ra's ''approves''. But only because Talia might be able to seduce Bruce into becoming his successor, or at least produce a grandchild that will.
** Her ''sister'' tries this with [[Comicbook/RobinSeries Tim Drake]] as well. Although in her case, she doesn't actually "love" Tim.
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: He expresses a fondness for the finer things, particularly truly exceptional works of human triumph.
* MasterSwordsman: He's boasted of having fenced in the courts of King Louis XII through XVI, and surviving Cossack dueling circles - right before [[CurbstompBattle kicking Bane's ass]] in a sword fight.
* MiddleEasternTerrorists: Hardly a conventional example; he doesn't appear to even be religious, let alone a fundamentalist Muslim. But he is Arabic- specifically, descended from a nomadic Central Asian tribe that settled in the Arabian peninsula (possibly something like the Uyghurs).
* AMillionIsAStatistic: Doesn't care about killing millions or even billions of people, but is distressed when Joker kills Jason Todd in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanUnderTheRedHood''. Bats calls him out on this, and this is Ra's explanation.
* MisanthropeSupreme: Has nothing but contempt for humankind, aside from his "chosen" people.
* MotiveDecay: Frequently and often, versions of Ra's Al Ghul are introduced as a genocidal WellIntentionedExtremist who wishs to [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans turn the Earth into a paradise]], but later on be pre-occupied with ever more [[ImmortalityImmorality selfish and heinous methods of just cheating death.]] Its implied that Batman, however, views him as a selfish bastard through and through, who hides behind [[JerkJustifications eloquent philosophical excuses]] to dress up what is nothing more than egotism and megalomania.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Ra's al Ghul means "the Head of the Demon".
* NobleDemon: {{Pun}} inside, he has a code of honor which he adheres by.
* NoBrows: In the original design, creators Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams specified that Ra's has no eyebrows; to give him a subtly exotic appearance. [[DependingOnTheArtist Many later artists]] have missed this detail, and draw him with eyebrows.
* NoShirtLongJacket: Ra's really likes to loom about around Tim with no shirt under his long cape, starting with their meeting during [[https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Robin_Vol_2_169 The Ressurection of Ra's Al Ghul.]]
* OldMaster: Emphasis on ''old''.
* OminousOperaCape
* TheParanoiac: Ra's Al Ghul has all the hallmarks of a paranoiac {{Narcissist}} cult leader. Most notably, he is a ControlFreak whose League of Assassins has a policy of [[YouHaveFailedMe punishing failure with death]], something that rarely seems to produce results but ''would'' serve the purpose of [[DivideAndConquer making the worlds deadliest assassins more eager to succeed than turn against him.]] In addition, he never once [[NeverMyFault accepts responsibility]] for messing up his family nor any blame for any of the murders and atrocities he has committed over the centuries, or plans to commit in future. He is also prone to {{Revenge}} on everyone who isn't Batman, whom he admires and perhaps secretly [[GreenEyedMonster envies]], although his gigantic ego is rebuffed by the Detectives refusal to [[WeCanRuleTogether marry his daughter and become his heir]]. He is [[MisanthropeSupreme utterly cynical]] about the rest of humanity and is a firm believer in MightMakesRight and ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption, punishing any follower- or Dark Knight- who disagrees with him with [[SadistTeacher object lessons]]. Essentially, he comes across as a man who secretly fears that he [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex isn't as special as he always thought he was]], and falls back on increasingly violent and extreme methods to both prove that wrong and [[TheManBehindTheCurtain stop anyone from questioning his superior image.]]
* PrefersProperNames: Ra's uses proper names for those on whom he has not bestowed a title like "detective", for instance he calls [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Tim]] "Timothy", [[ComicBook/Batgirl2000 Cass]] "Cassandra" and [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick]] "Richard".
* ReallyGetsAround: Has lots of kids, from a lot of mothers around the world, but none that are apparently worthy to be his heir.
* RestartTheWorld: Ra's' basic modus operandi.
* SecondaryColorNemesis: Ra's has a particular affinity for green, be it [[BadassInANiceSuit formal wear]], [[BadassLongrobe robes]], or whatever.
* SecretSecretKeeper: He knows Bats is Bruce Wayne, but considers it irrelevant, and revealing his identity would be counterproductive towards his goals. Now that Damian’s around, it wouldn’t be hard to connect the dots back to him should his identity become public knowledge. Pre-''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'', it was common knowledge that Talia Head (former CEO of [=LexCorp=]) was Damian’s mom but it’s unclear if they knew she was Ra’s daughter.
* SinisterScimitar: He's commonly depicted wielding one of these, cementing his "evil ancient Arabian" origin.
* SketchySuccessor: What his father views him as.
* SkunkStripe: As pictured, he tends to sport these to demonstrate that he's old, but not quite washed up. However, when his Lazarus rejuvenation begins to wear off, his hair rapidly turns white.
* SleightOfTongue: At the conclusion of "The Saga of Ra's al Ghul", Batman is stung by a scorpion while fighting a duel against Ra's. Talia lingers by the dying Batman, saying she wishes to give him one last kiss. However, she uses the kiss to give him an antidote to the scorpion venom, allowing him to recover hours later.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Interestingly, Bane beat Ra's at ''actual'' chess without having ever played the game before and the Joker also beat Ra's at a game as well by [[ConfusionFu constantly switching strategies during the game.]]
* SocialDarwinist: His entire philosophy is a combination of this and [[EcoTerrorist eco-terrorism]]; Earth's population has grown too large, and the vast majority of those souls are unworthy to live, especially as they defile the precious ecosystems of fragile Mother Earth. Consequently, he wants to cut out the "dead wood" of humanity and leave only the worthy to rebuild and repopulate. Fittingly, at least one comic claims he actively ''worked with the Nazis'' as part of his goals to exterminate as many people as possible.
* SparingTheAces: One of the reasons he's so determined to lure the Bat-family to his side.
* StalkerWithATestTube: He has targeted Batman and his "sons" to produce a "worthy heir". He encourages his daughters (and his sister) to accomplish this by any means necessary. While Talia herself would rather do this [[VillainessesWantHeroes the old-fashioned way]], both she and Ra's sister have stooped to rape to accomplish it. [[DependingOnTheWriter Allegedly.]]
* StatuesqueStunner: Talia is incredibly beautiful and stands 5'8"
* TheSyndicate: Leads a vast criminal organization called "the Demon", (hence "the Demon's head") of which the League of Assassins is just the tiny part that reports directly to him.
* TragicVillain: Just read his FreudianExcuse.
* TautologicalTemplar: Fully believes that HumansAreMorons and wants to wipe out ninety-percent of the global population to create a utopia. And ''he'' decides who lives in that utopia.
* {{Ubermensch}}: He believes he lives up to this ideal and, as such, he's justified in his goals to take over the world.
* UnwantedAssistance: Ra's often lends assistance to Batman when he sees need to, but it isn't always the kind of help he wants.
** In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanUnderTheRedHood'', [[TheAtoner feeling guilty about]] causing [[ComicBook/ADeathInTheFamily the death of Jason Todd]], he uses the Lazarus pit to bring Jason back to life -- only for Jason to immediately [[FaceHeelTurn turn heel and begin antagonizing Batman]].
** In a later storyline, Vicki Vale discovers evidence that Bruce Wayne is Batman, and Ra's shows up at her door [[KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade to kill her and keep Batman's reputation intact]]. Batman shows up, convinces Vicki to destroy the evidence, and tells Ra's to get lost.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans; Willing to kill ''billions'' of people in order to save the Earth from collapse.
* VillainessesWantHeroes: Ra's encourages to the point that you almost believe he wishes he ''was'' Talia. [[spoiler: In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', he was Talia thanks to a GrandTheftMe. He later tried to pull another one on a rejuvenated Bruce and pass as son of Bruce and Talia so he could merge his empire with Wayne Enterprises]].
* VillainRespect:
** The villain that most respects Batman, to the point that he always refers to him as "Detective".
** He later begins calling [[Comicbook/RobinSeries Tim]] the same thing.
* VisionaryVillain: The top one in Batman's Rogues Gallery, if not the entire Franchise/DCUniverse.
* WeCanRuleTogether: To anyone whom he believes is a worthy heir.
** Batman in particular.
** He also considered [[GeniusBruiser Bane]] as a possible heir
** [[Comicbook/RobinSeries Tim Drake later on.]]
* WellDoneSonGuy: His son, Dusan, [[UnfinishedBusiness couldn't rest after death]] until he got Ra's approval, which Ra's finally grants him.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Will go to any length to do what he believes is the right thing.
* WickedCultured: He's certainly lived long enough to become adept in many different philosophies, cultures, languages, and customs.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Every time he uses the Lazarus Pit, he loses some sanity - and he knows this.
* WithUsOrAgainstUs: Will show no mercy to anyone who opposes his ideals.
* WorthyOpponent: Considers Batman one.
* YellowPeril: Well, he's actually Arabian, but he's modeled after these kinds of characters.
----

-->-- '''''Franchise/{{Batman}}'''''

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}''
* ''ComicBook/RobinSeries''
* ''ComicBook/RedRobin''

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanUnderTheRedHood'': Appears as the central figure responsible for Jason Todd's resurrection, a simplification of the more complex CosmicRetcon resurrection from the [[Comicbook/RedHoodTheLostDays original comic]]. Here, he's voiced by Creator/JasonIsaacs.
* ''WesternAnimation/SonOfBatman'': Ra's appears in the movie's opening but is soon killed by [[ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} Deathstroke]]. The main focus of the movie is Ra's grandchild Damian, the son of Talia Al Ghul and Bruce Wayne. Here, he's voiced by Creator/GiancarloEsposito.

Ra's Al-Ghul has appeared in other works:
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': Voiced by Creator/DavidWarner, considered the work to put Ra's into the mainstream recognition. Both he and Talia appeared in a crossover episode with ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and in a one-off episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond''.

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': Ra's Al Ghul appears played by Creator/DeeBradleyBaker. Ra's turns out to be the ManBehindTheMan regarding the events of the game. He is still referenced either in story dialogue or easter eggs in the other Arkham Series games.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'': Both Ra's and Talia appear in isolated stories, with Ra's being voiced by Peter Woodward.
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': Ra's appears in a couple of episodes as an overarching villain, voiced by Creator/OdedFehr.
* ''WesternAnimation/BewareTheBatman'': Ra's appears as the main villain in the first story arc, played by Creator/LanceReddick.

* BadassCape: As if the trope pic couldn't tell you.

** Nyssa, Talia's sister, once chose [[Comicbook/RobinSeries Tim Drake]], but [[AttemptedRape failed]].

* EvilOldFolks: Emphasis on ''old''.

* FountainOfYouth: The Lazarus Pit, which has prolonged his life.

* BreakoutVillain

** Is considered DC's answer to The Mandarin from the ''Franchise/IronMan'' comics, despite Ra's being Arab and the Mandarin being Chinese. This is due to their comparable intellects, resourcefulness and fighting prowess. However, this was not DC's original intent for Ra's, as they based him more on Franchise/JamesBond villains. Nowadays, it's rather that the Mandarin's current characterization in the comics has been off of Ra's, not the other way around. Considering how Iron Man himself has been considered Marvel's answer to Batman, this all makes sense.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see his daughter, Talia.]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/talia2_148.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[AffectionateNickname "Beloved."]]]][[/labelnote]]

The next thing Ra's is most famous for is his [[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter beautiful daughter]], [[FemmeFatale Talia Al-Ghul]]. After Comicbook/{{Catwoman}}, Talia is Bruce's second great love. And like Catwoman, [[DatingCatwoman being on opposite sides keeps them apart.]] Talia is often conflicted by [[DaddysGirl her loyalty to her father]] and her love for Batman. She [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor will often pick one over the other, only to change her mind again later]].

Ra's Al-Ghul and/or Talia have appeared in other works:
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': Voiced by Creator/DavidWarner, considered the work to put Ra's into the mainstream recognition. Talia is played by Creator/HelenSlater and Creator/OliviaHussey. Both appeared in a crossover episode with ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and in a one-off episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond''.

** ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'': ComicBook/{{Bane}} is reinterpreted as an agent of the League of Shadows dismissed for being cruel even by their standards. Neeson reprises the role in a hallucination and Creator/MarionCotillard portrayed Miranda Tate, an alias for Talia.
* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': Ra's Al Ghul appears played by Creator/DeeBradleyBaker and Talia by Creator/StanaKatic. Ra's turns out to be the ManBehindTheMan regarding the events of the game. He is still referenced either in story dialogue or easter eggs in the other Arkham Series games.

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': Ra's Al Ghul is referenced as early as the first season by former League member Malcolm Merlyn (Creator/JohnBarrowman), with Sara Lance/The Canary as one of his agents in Season 2. He appears in person in the third season, played by Matt Nable. It's revealed Ra's is a LegacyCharacter, with individuals taking the name having their life extended by the Lazarus Pits. At the end of the third season, Malcolm Merlyn ends up taking the title of Ra's Al Ghul. Thalia's lesser known sister, Nyssa, played by Katrina Law, appears with [[{{Expy}} of Talia's attributes]]; Talia herself appeared as a young girl in an episode of spinoff ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' set in 1960, before becoming a supporting player in "Arrow" Season 5 as an adult.

!!Tropes which describe Ra's and Talia Al-Ghul and their associates:

* CameBackWrong: Sometimes DependsOnTheWriter, but using the Lazarus Pit makes R'as a little less sane every time he uses it, which is why he tries ''not'' to. Future stories have the Pit having diminishing returns using after a thousand years.

** He's Batman's secondary nemesis, after SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker.

* ArchEnemy: He's Batman's secondary nemesis, after SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker.

* MiddleEasternTerrorists: Hardly a conventional example; he doesn't appear to even be religious, let along fundamentalist Muslim. But he is Arabic- specifically, descended from a nomadic Central Asian tribe that settled in the Arabian peninsula (possibly something like the Uyghurs).

[[caption-width-right:350:[[AffectionateNickname "Beloved."]]]][[/labelnote]]]]

[[labelnote:Click here to see his daughter, Talia.]][[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/talia2_148.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[AffectionateNickname "Beloved."]]]][[/labelnote]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/talia2_148.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[AffectionateNickname "Beloved."]]]]

* SleightOfTongue: At the conclusion of "The Saga of Ra's al Ghul", Batman is stung by a scorpion while fighting a duel against Ra's. Talia lingers by the dying Batman, saying she wishes to give him one last kiss. However, she uses the kiss to give him an antidote to the scorpion venom, allowing to recover hours later.

* ItsAllAboutMe: The degree can very depending on the writer, but the only thing Ra's consistently cares about is Ra's himself. It's all about ''his'' plan to create a utopia, ''his'' plan to take on Batman as his heir, and ''his'' desire to live for as long as he possibly can, no matter the mental or moral cost.

* ''WesternAnimation/BewareTheBatman'': Ra's appears, played by Creator/LanceReddick.