Ra's al Ghul

Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul, as depicted on the cover of Batman #244 (September 1972)
Art by Neal Adams.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceBatman #232 (June 1971)
Created byDennis O'Neil (writer)
Neal Adams (artist)
Julius Schwartz (concept/name)
In-story information
Team affiliationsLeague of Assassins
Secret Society of Super Villains
Council of Immortals
Legion of Doom
The Demon
Notable aliasesThe Demon's Head
The Demon
"Terry Gene Kase"
Abilities
  • Genius-level intellect
  • Criminal mastermind
  • Master strategist and tactician
  • Master martial artist, hand-to-hand combatant, and swordsman
  • Enhanced longevity, healing, and resurrection Resurrection via Lazarus Pits

Ra's al Ghul is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. 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 notable as the leader of the League of Assassins, Ra's al Ghul's name in Arabic translates to "Head of the Ghoul". He is the son of Sensei; the father of Talia al Ghul, Ali al Ghul, Nyssa al Ghul, and Dusan al Ghul; and the maternal grandfather of Damian Wayne, who is the biological son of Bruce Wayne/Batman and Talia. Other versions include other grandchildren such as Athanasia al Ghul (Injustice timeline), Hafid al Ghul (Damian's clone), Tallant Wayne (Brotherhood of the Bat timeline), and by last the siblings: Saif al Ghul, Taj al Ghul and Janan al Ghul (in the Earth al Ghul timeline). Stories featuring Ra's al Ghul often involve the Lazarus Pits, which restore life to the dying. The Lazarus Pits have considerably prolonged Ra's' life, making him particularly dangerous, as he has honed his combat skills for centuries. Though primarily an enemy of Batman, Ra's has also come into conflict with Superman and other heroes 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.