Tabitha Galavan

"Big bad Galavan barks the orders, and you scamper around, bringing home dead rabbits, so you might get a little pat on the head?"

- Alfred Pennyworth describes Tabitha.

Tabitha Galavan is the the secondary antagonist in the Rise of the Villains Arc and a supporting anti-heroine in the Wrath of the Villain arc of the second season of Gotham  and a supporting anti-villainess and later tertiary antagonist to Oswald Cobblepot's subplot in the Mad City arc of the 3rd season. She is portrayed by Jessica Lucas, who also portrays Olivia in the Evil Dead remake.

She is the sister of Theo Galavan and starts off as his enforcer, killing those who endanger or interfere with his plans. However, near the end of the first half of the second season, Tabitha grows more and more dispirited about how Theo treats his family, which ultimately leads to her leaving Theo behind to save her niece Silver from being killed by him.

After Theo's death, she allies herself and falls in love with Butch Gilzean, who is now the new ruler of the Gotham Underworld after Oswald's empire crumbled. After Edward Nygma mistakenly assumes that Butch is responsible for his girlfriend's murder, Nygma captures both Butch and Tabitha. Although Oswald Cobblepot is eventually revealed as the true killer, Tabitha loses her hand in Nygma's interrogation.

Plotting with her brother
After her targets have been knocked out by Zaardon, she and some men enter Arkham Asylum and break free six inmates, among them Jerome Valeska, Barbara Kean and Richard Sionis. She brings them before her brother Theo who offers each of them to join his team. When Sionis declines, Theo tells him that Tabitha will take him outside. When Sionis insists that Barbara will come with him, Theo tells him that she wouldn't want to go where he is going. Tabitha then attacks Sionis with her whip and pushes him to the ground where she stabs him multiple times, much to the amusement of Jerome.

When the Maniax throw people off a rooftop, Tabitha watches them with a binocular. She is also present when her brother blackmails the mayor.

While her brother supervises the male members of the Maniax, Tabitha has taken a liking to Barbara, teaching her how to use a whip. When Theo Galavan talks to four of the Maniax, they are disturbed when Mayor James enters the room, followed by Tabitha and Barbara who whip him just for fun. James, due to the box on his head, can't see where he is going and runs into a wall which knocks him out.

It is revealed that she watches the Maniax on all their missions, killing them if they get caught. When Arnold Dobkins is apprehended by Gordon Tabitha shoots him with a sniper rifle from a nearby rooftop.

The day after the shooting at the police precinct, Theo walks in on his sister and Barbara making out. He doesn't mind, but tells Tabitha to go entertain Jerome while he has to talk to Barbara. Tabitha leaves, not before kissing Barbara. After Tabitha leaves, Theo remarks that he is glad that his sister and Barbara get along so well, because she needs a friend. He also says that despite acting tough she is quite fragile. While Gordon keeps searching for Jerome, Jerome and Tabitha visit Cicero the Fortune Teller, Jerome's father. Tabitha puts a noose around Ciceros neck and ties him to a chair. While Jerome bitterly talks about his past and reveals to his father that he will kill him and blame him for the Maniax-breakout, Tabitha holds herself in the background, at some point searching for food. When she doesn't find any, she tells Jerome to hurry up. When Gordon and Bullock knock at the door, Tabitha and Jerome flee and leave a knockout gas behind. Bullock is quickly knocked out but Gordon manages to attack Jerome. Weakened by the gas he is overpowered by Jerome who holds a gun to his head. Before he can shoot, Tabitha stops him and knocks Gordon out.

The same evening, Tabitha and Jerome arrive at the benefit gala at the Gotham Children's hospital. The two of them overpower the magician and Tabitha stuffs him in a chest so that Jerome can take his place at the event. At the gala, her brother introduces her to Deputy Mayor Kane. When Kane tells Tabitha jokingly that the "appearance of a handsome billionaire our of nothing" raises questions, Tabitha replies that her brother is a "monster in a sack" which leads to a uncomfortable silence. Tabitha then asks the Deputy Mayor if there are any news on Mayor James. After taking their leave from Kane, Tabitha tells her brother that everything is ready and that she will see him at home. She then leaves the event.

When Barbara and Theo return, Tabitha watches Barbara getting close to her brother and kissing him on the cheek.

Feud with Penguin
On her brother's behalf she visits Oswald Cobblepot to arrange a meeting between Theo and him. She tells Cobblepot that a car is waiting outside to bring him to her brother. When she and Penguin arrive at Theo's apartment, Barbara enters the meeting and kisses her. During the meeting Tabitha provokes Penguin by telling him that he is the King of Garbage rather than the King of Gotham. Penguin angrily replies that only a year ago he held Fish Mooney's umbrella and that she is now dead by his hand along with Maroni with Falcone hiding. He tells Tabitha that every one of them underestimated him and threatens her not to make the same mistake. Theo then intervenes and tells Penguin that while his sister is blunt, she is also honest. He then shows Penguin his plans for the city, giant futuristic skyscrapers. When Penguin states that thousands of homes have to be destroyed to allow the building of the skyscrapers Tabitha replies: "Yeah, so?", which deeply annoys Penguin.

When Penguin declines Theo's job to kill all other mayoral candidates, Tabitha blackmails him by turning on the TV, showing him video footage of his kidnapped mother. On Theo's orders she kidnaps Sid Bunderslaw and gouges out one of his eyes. She is present when Penguin begs Theo for his mother's release and grins when Theo denies. Later, she visits Penguin and hands him a list of addresses he is to burn down. When Penguin remarks that they are now making him an arsonist and that he has to find a good pyromaniac for this, Tabitha provokes him before telling him that he should pull himself together. Before leaving she hands Penguin Bunderslaw's eye, saying that his arsonist will need it.

She and Barbara listen when Butch Gilzean visits Theo to become a member of his organisation, claiming that Penguin went mad and almost killed him. When Theo asks Tabitha what she thinks she is thrilled and already has plans to put a knife on Butch's stump. After the conversation, Tabitha cuts down the rope strangling a congressman after the man agrees to support Theo's candidature.

Later, Theo reveals to Butch that he knows that he is still loyal to Penguin and searching for his bosses' mother. When he finds out that Butch is only loyal because Penguin brainwashed him, Theo calls Tabitha to free his mind. When Tabitha appears with a whip in her hand, Butch attacks her but is overpowered and strangulated by her until he is unconscious.

After Butch, now free from Penguin's influence, leads Penguin to the warehouse his mother is imprisoned at Theo and Tabitha arrive, with Theo holding the key to Gertruds cell. Penguin, who has arrived with Butch and two henchmen, orders Butch to shoot both Theo and Tabitha in the head. However, Butch shoots Penguins men instead, thereby revealing that he is free from Penguin's influence. Outnumbered and alone, Penguin begs Theo to spare his mother. Theo indeed seems to give in when he hands Tabitha the key to the cell, but this changes immediately when Tabitha frees Gertrud and stabs her in the back moments later. Afer comforting hisn dying mother, Theo orders Butch to kill Penguin but Penguin, who states that Theo does not have the guts to do it himself and that his family was banished because they come from a line of cowards. Theo then takes the gun and sadistically asks if Penguin has any last words to which Penguin answers: "I'm gonna kill you" and slices into his neck with the knife Tabitha used to kill his mother. Penguin jumps out of a window. Tabitha shoots at him but Penguin safely gets away.

At the victory party for Theo, Tabitha is on the roof with a sniper rifle, ready to kill Penguin if he arrives. When she spots a large crowd approaching she shoots the man she thinks to be Penguin but the gang reveals that they are all disguised as Penguin. When Martinez, a GCPD officer finds her on the roof she uses her whip to drop him to the ground and then crushes his throat with her heels.

Tabitha takes part in the attack on Gordon's caravan as part of a trap by Barbara. She injects Jim Gordon with a serum that knocks him out. She later brings Gordon's girlfriend Leslie Thompson to the church where Barbara is holding Gordon. When Gordon manages to save himself, Tabitha attacks him but is shot in the shoulder and escapes.

Losing faith in Theo
Tabitha later approaches a woman named The Lady and puts a hit out on James Gordon in revenge for Barbara's injuries. The Lady complies and sends assassins to Theo's headquarters where the GCPD are collecting evidence after Theo Galavan's arrest. But Gordon and Captain Nathaniel Barnes manage to fight off the waves of assassins and survive. When Tabitha goes to visit her brother in prison, he is angry at her carelessness. He tells her that soon they will be in control of Gotham, and warns her if she pulls off anything like that again he will slit her throat.

While at Theo's penthouse, Tabitha is surprised by Alfred who is looking for Bruce. After disarming him with her whip, Tabitha tells him to leave while he still can. Alfred tells her that if he learns that anything happened to Bruce, he will make her responsible for that. He turns to leave and Tabitha uses that to attack him with her whip but Alfred is prepared and huses the whip to knock her to the ground. Both of them fight and Alfred almost overpowers her, but she stabs him in the side with her knife. Alfred knocks her down, and enters the elevator, but is prevented from leaving when Tabitha jumps onto the elevator roof. Alfred manages to get out of the building and jumps onto a garbage truck to escape but Tabitha hurls her second knife into her back. Alfred falls into the back of the truck and the truck drives off. Tabitha and some men arrived at the junkyard to look for Alfred and finish the job, however he manages to hide from them and later escape.

Tabitha is later shown to be fed up with her brother's actions, and points out that without money or power he would be nothing. During the ceremony for Bruce Wayne's sacrifice, James Gordon along with Penguin, Alfred, Selina Kyle, Harvey Bullock and groups of mobsters arrive to rescue Bruce and capture Theo. Tabitha, Theo and Silver escape to his office and plan to parachute out the window, but Tabitha notices Theo only has two parachutes. He reveals he intends to leave Silver behind due to her "failings" and tries to strangle her. Unable to watch her brother mistreat his family any longer, Tabitha knocks Theo to the ground, and she and Silver escape by jumping out the window and parachuting to the city below, leaving Theo behind to his fate.

Alliance with Butch
Not yet finished with Gotham, Tabitha teams up with Butch Gilzean who has taken the mantle of "King of Gotham" after Penguin's arrest. Penguin is brought to Arkham Asylum, having pledged insanity after having been arrested for Theo's murder. There, he is reconditioned by Professor Strange and released as a free man.

Having been released, Penguin at first walks right into the place of Butch Gilzean, who has taken over Cobblepot's role as King of Gotham. Butch and his new partner, Tabitha Galavan, are astonished when they see their visitor. Oswald is immediately taken by Butch's men and Tabitha jumps up to kill him but Butch stops her. Penguin claims that Arkham changed him and that he thought it would be impolite to be in the area and not pass by to say hello to an old friend. Tabitha and Butch are awed, considering that Penguin brainwashed Butch, cut off his hand and murdered Theo. However, they find out that Penguin genuinely means it and is not even provoked after Tabitha insults his mother. Butch then orders his men to release Penguin, claiming that they were even because they all lost something important to them. Tabitha claims that she won't allow Penguin to leave without some punishment so Butch allows her to tar and feather him. Penguin sees this as a joke and leaves Butch's place in high spirits.

Tabitha, much to Butch's surprise, is later visited by Barbara Gordon who has woken from her coma and been released from Arkham Asylum. Together with Butch and a crazed Barbara Tabitha watches TV when the news from Theo's return from the dead are broadcast.

Search for Theo
After finding out that her brother is alive, Tabitha leaves Butch in order to leave the city, fearing retribution from Theo. Before she can flee she is approached by Bullock and Gordon whom she tells the legend of Azrael. She reluctantly teams up with Gordon in order to catch Theo and reveals information about the 'Sword of Sin', the sword of the original Azrael, which Theo is attempting to obtain. She leads the two to the Dumas Crypt where the sword is hidden.

There, they find the tomb and take the sword. However, they are then attacked by Theo who advances onto Gordon and throws him through a door. Before he can follow the way is blocked by Tabitha. Theo, not recognizing her, tells Tabitha to step aside but Tabitha tries to remind him of his true identity. She succeeds, but Theo also remembers that the two of them tried to kill Bruce Wayne and that Tabitha betrayed him. For her betrayal, Theo impales her on the sword before escaping from the church. The unconscious Tabitha is brought to a hospital where she is later visited by a devastated Butch and, to the shock of the latter, by Penguin. Penguin strikes a deal with Butch, promising to leave Tabitha alone if Butch helps him find Theo.

Hunt for Fish
Six months later, Tabitha and Barbara own a nightclub in Gotham City. During this time period, Tabitha also broke up with Butch although the two remain on friendly terms. Butch however has still hope, that the two will get back together.

When Oswald arrives at the nightclub, he meets with Tabitha and Barbara whom he at some point made an offer to sell their nightclub to him. Tabitha and Oswald are still hostile against one another and Oswald claims that he offered Butch to kill Tabitha for him in the hope to raise Butch's spirits. He also claims that Butch refused. Tabitha then rudely refuses his offer but is interrupted by Penguin, who tells them to raise word that he is offering one million dollars to whomever brings in Fish Mooney.

The nightclub is later attacked by three mobsters who claim that the club is on their territory. Tabitha sneaks in and slices the throats of two of the men while Barbara beats one unconscious with his own gun. The two call Oswald, who arrives with Butch. The remaining mobster claims that they attacked because they though Oswald was not protecting the club anymore. Barbara however realizes that the man was sent by Butch, who had hoped that the threat would bring Tabitha back to him. Annoyed, Oswald shoots the mobster. He also tells Tabitha that she is only alive because Butch has not given him permission to kill her yet.

When Barbara hires hypnotist Jervis Tetch to perform in their club, Tabitha is at first unconvinced. However, she too eventually takes a liking to Tetch and, when Tetch hypnotizes Barbara on-stage, is amused as well. When Tetch, who has hypnotized Barbara into falling in love with him, tells Barbara that he does not return her love, Barbara almost kills him but is released from her hypnosis in time. It falls to Tabitha to apologize to Tetch.

Reuniting with Butch
Tabitha continues to live in fear from Cobblepot, who still wants to see her dead. When Tabitha witnesses a gangster buying the same explosives used by the Red Hood Gang, a gang who is on the warpath with Penguin, she captures the man and interrogates him together with Barbara. The two find out where the gang's headquarter is located and head there, find that the gang is led by Butch who wanted to have the gang attack Oswald's victory party at the Sirens so that he could take them down and be seen as a hero. Barbara claims that, if they rat Butch out to Penguin, the two could make a deal with Penguin to ensure Tabitha's life. Barbara leaves the choice to Tabitha who later decides against it. However, she tells Butch that Butch now owes her.

During Cobblepot's victory party, Tabitha is captured by some of Penguin's henchmen on Nygma's orders. By threatening Tabitha's life, Nygma forces Butch to seemingly murder Oswald. However, Tabitha kills one of her captors with a knife and brutally beats up the other. Tabitha heads to the main room to save Butch but it is already too late. The gun Nygma gave Butch, however, has been filled with blanks and Butch is shot in the knees by Zsasz. Nygma and Penguin call Butch a traitor. Tabitha tries to intervene but is stopped by Barbara. When Butch is later transported away by an ambulance car, accompanied by two policemen, Tabitha sets out to save him. Later, Cobblepot is informed that the ambulance has indeed been attacked and that Butch has been saved. Tabitha brings Butch to a safehouse upriver and returns to the Sirens.

When Gordon arrives at the Sirens, searching for Tetch, he interrogates Barbara by smashing the club inventory. Tabitha attempts to stop him at gunpoint but the situation is deescalated by Barbara who finally answers Gordon's questions.

Losing her hand
Tabitha later heads out of the city to be with Butch but the two are hunted down by Edward Nygma. Nygma, whose girlfriend, Isabella, was killed by Oswald out of jealousy, was told by Oswald that Butch was behind the murder. Nygma successfully captures both Butch and Tabitha by poisoning their food. Once both are unconscious, Nygma brings them to an abandoned house where he demands a confession from Butch. As Butch has never met Isabella he cannot confess but Nygma, believing that Butch is merely lying, starts torturing him with electro shocks. As Butch does not yield up any information, Nygma turns to Tabitha instead but Butch manages to get Nygma's intention again by insulting Isabella, claiming that she most likely did not even exist. When Butch, who has passed out due to the torture, regains consciousness, Nygma reveals to both him and Tabitha that he has created an elaborate death-trap. A guillotine is placed over Tabitha's hand, with a timer ticking down. Tabitha can prevent losing her hand by pressing a button which would in turn send a fatal dose of electricity into Butch's head. Nygma swears on Isabella's memory that he will release both of them if Tabitha sacrifices her hand. Nygma then sadistically watches when Butch pleads for his life, claiming that the last weeks were the best weeks of his life. Accepting his demise, Butch then turns to Nygma, telling Nygma that he murdered Isabella to hurt him. However, as Butch claims to have shot Isabella in the head whereas Isabella died because her car was rigged, Nygma realizes that Butch is not responsible for Isabella's death. Telling Butch that he is sweet, Tabitha then drops the trigger, sacrificing her chance to save her hand. Before anyone can do anything, the guillotine comes down, severing Tabitha's arm, to the shock of both Butch and Nygma. Tabitha passes out and the horrified Butch pleads to Nygma to untie him so that Butch can bring Tabitha to a hospital. Moments later, Barbara storms into the room but Nygma, still shocked about what he found out, just walks past her and out of the building. Butch and Barbara bring Tabitha to a hospital where she is immediately taken in by doctors. The doctors are able to reattach her hand to her arm but she has trouble even holding a knife. After being released from prison, she returns to the Sirens where Butch and Barbara wait with her. To the surprise of the three, Nygma enters the club as well. Butch and Tabitha are outraged but Barbara allows Nygma to talk. Nygma reveals that he found out that Penguin was the one to kill Isabella. Nygma claims that he wants to see Oswald suffer and apologizes to Tabitha. Although Tabitha is still outraged, Barbara tells her to calm down. The four of them then plot to destroy Oswald's legacy.

As part of their plan to destroy Oswald, Tabitha captures the mob boss Tommy Bones who is one of Cobblepot's underbosses. She forces Bones to call Oswald and claim that Gotham's crime bosses do not work for him anymore. Afterwards, Tabitha shoots him in the chest, killing him.

Personality
Tabitha is a tomboy, tough, self-confident, sadistic, sassy, fearsome, bad and powerful woman, who uses her beauty to seduce men into getting what she wants.

Victims
Kill count: 9
 * Three Arkham Asylum security guards - Shot
 * Richard Sionis - Stabbed
 * Arnold Dobkins - Shot
 * Gertrud Kapelput - Stabbed in the back
 * Cobblepot Double - Shot
 * Martinez - Stabbed his throat with her heels
 * Alfred Pennyworth - Stabbed (Survived)
 * Theo Galavan - Left him behind to be killed by James Gordon and Oswald Cobblepot
 * Two unnamed mobsters - Sliced their throats
 * Tommy Bones

Episode appearances
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" width="100%" ! Appearances for Tabitha Galavan

Season 2

 * "Rise of the Villains: Damned If You Do..."
 * "Rise of the Villains: Knock, Knock"
 * "Rise of the Villains: The Last Laugh"
 * "Rise of the Villains: Strike Force"
 * "Rise of the Villains: Scarification"
 * "Rise of the Villains: By Fire"
 * "Rise of the Villains: Mommy's Little Monster"
 * "Rise of the Villains: Tonight’s the Night"
 * "Rise of the Villains: A Bitter Pill to Swallow"
 * "Rise of the Villains: The Son of Gotham"
 * "Rise of the Villains: Worse Than A Crime"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: Mr. Freeze"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: Mad Grey Dawn"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: Pinewood"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: Azrael"
 * "Wrath of the Villains: Unleashed"

Season 3

 * Mad City: Better to Reign in Hell…"
 * Mad City: Look Into my Eyes
 * Mad City: Anything for You
 * Mad City: Follow the White Rabbit
 * }

Trivia

 * She is very loosely based on the DC villainess Tigress.
 * Her choice of using a whip is a possible nod to Catwoman.
 * Her appearance and choice of clothing is familiar to another assassin, Larissa Diaz (Copperhead) from the first season.