Red Hood has long been the black sheep of the Batman family. His anger made him not as good of a detective as others but his fighting skills more than made up for it— until the Joker struck. His death at the hands of the Joker in the seminal Death In The Family changed Batman forever, a failure that would haunt him. He would eventually return to life, blaming Batman for his death and working as a villain.
Of course, redemption would come for him but the argument can be made that he never should have stopped being a villain. While Batman has some great villains, one like Red Hood would be a unique addition.
10 His Look Works Better For A Villain
This is superficial but heroes and villains have different costume conventions, and Red Hood’s just works better for a villain. The helmet has a sinister edge to it and is a great design— but one better suited for a villain. The muted color scheme and simplicity also lends better to a villain than it does a hero.
Red Hood has had a lot of costumes over the years, some good and some bad, but all of them would look better on a villain than on a hero. He has the right amount of intimidation and ostentation and looks scary enough to keep his henchmen in line.
9 The Red Hood’s Legacy Is Villainous
The Red Hood has a legacy in Gotham City and it’s never been good. The Red Hood Gang was a gang that terrorized the city, and its “leader” was the Red Hood— usually a first timer with the helmet on who would grab Batman’s attention. At one point, the Joker wore the hood before he was the Joker, which has a lot to do with why Jason put it on.
The Red Hood has always been a villain in Gotham and it fits better there. There’s a reason that Jason choose it when he came back to Gotham, as he wanted to reference the villainous legacy and get the Joker’s attention.
8 The Wounds Of The Joker Run Too Deep
For a long time, Red Hood hated Batman because of what happened to him at the hands of the Joker. The fact that he eventually forgave his mentor has always seemed a little too convenient. Jason Todd’s death at the hands of the Joker was sadistic, playing on his desire to find his mother, and the sheer brutality of it changed Todd.
Even now, the thought of the Joker drives him crazy and the fact that he would change his mind about things makes no sense. The Joker did something terrible to Red Hood and for him to just to go back to the way things used to be simply doesn’t make much sense.
7 He Wants To Prove Himself In Another Way
One of the weird things about Red Hood as a hero is how much he’s set himself in opposition to the heroic values he grew up with. The team he led was even called the Outlaws. It’s plain to see that he’s trying to set himself apart from the rest of the Bat-Family and prove himself in an unconventional manner.
It’s hard to argue with his successes as a villain, ones that were arguably greater than anything he did as Robin or since reforming. He’s proven that he was just as tough and smart as the other Bat-Family members as a villain and it made him special, something he isn’t right now.
6 He Poses An Interesting Challenge
Being trained by Batman is a mark of quality in the DC Universe, with the trainee typically going on to be among the best of the best in multiple disciplines. So, for a villain to have a lot of that same training is a really big deal and sets him apart from any other villain out there. That’s what Red Hood brings to the table. He grew up with Batman and learned everything he could from him.
Red Hood is one of the best fighters in the DC Universe and he knows how the mind of one of its greatest heroes operates. As a villain, he would pose a challenge to just about any hero he comes across, making him the kind of threat that is perfect for multiple heroes.
5 He Was Able To Outfox Batman For A While
A common way to judge the prowess of a DC villain is in how well they have done/would do against Batman. Judging from his time fighting Batman, Red Hood is a quality villain. He was able to get the best of Batman on more than one occasion, out-thinking and out-fighting his mentor. The fact that he was able to do this speaks volumes about just how well suited to being a villain he is.
Red Hood is good enough to keep Batman guessing and the Caped Crusader just doesn’t have enough villains who are the kind of challenge to him that Red Hood is. This is a really big deal and it makes Red Hood tailor made for villainy.
4 His Evil Batman Schtick Was Perfect In Morrison’s Batman And Robin
After Batman’s supposed death at the hands of Darkseid, Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne took over as Batman and Robin, respectively. Standing against them was Red Hood and Scarlet, with Red Hood modifying his costume into something more Batman-like and taking on a sidekick. His whole “evil Batman” thing at this time was wonderful and shows just how much potential he has as a villain.
Red Hood as a villain is so ripe with potential, and things like this underscore that fact. Using all of his training to become an evil Batman type of villain is perfect and Red Hood has the bonafides to succeed at it where other villains have failed.
3 The Guns He Carries Are Anathema To Batman
One of Batman’s main rules is no guns. Guns remind him of the night he lost his family and so he never uses them. He also tries to make sure that his partners never use them but Red Hood is the rebel, so he still does. This is another little thing that make him such a great villain- he carries symbols of the thing Batman hates.
Symbiology is important to superheroes and supervillains. Red Hood’s guns, more than anything else, say a lot about him and his relationship with Batman. His carrying of guns positions him as the opposite of his mentor and the opposite of Batman is a villain.
2 He’s Pretty Brutal For A Hero
One of the things that Red Hood has become known for is the brutal way he fights. He’s the Bat-Family member who has no problem brutalizing his opponents, even killing them if need be. Violence is a big part of being a hero, especially in Gotham, but Red Hood takes it to another level.
His casual brutality is even a bit much for an anti-hero and fits a villain much better. Red Hood has proven he’ll do anything and go to lengths that no other hero will. His actions alone make him near perfect for villainy.
1 It’s Personal For Both Him & Batman
The biggest reason that Red Hood should still be a villain is because of what he represents to Batman. Batman is often the “perfect” hero and his failure with Jason Todd was defining. However, Red Hood’s redemption kind of makes that whole thing moot and ruins it. It all works much better if Red Hood is a villain, as it makes Batman’s failure that much worse.
For Red Hood, the fact that Batman wasn’t able to save him and didn’t avenge him is motivation enough. Their battles would be personal in a way that Batman’s fights usually aren’t and their complimentary skills would make their battles exciting.While Jason Todd’s Red Hood is currently an antihero vigilante, it would’ve been much more interesting if he would’ve remained a foe to Batman.
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