| NOTE: This page is about the incarnation of Ra's al Ghul and Henri Ducard from Christopher Nolan's film trilogy. The mainstream versions of both characters can be found here and here. |
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| “ | If someone stands in the way of true justice, you simply walk up behind them and stab them in the heart. | „ |
| ~ Ra's al Ghul's most famous line. |
| “ | You never did learn to mind your surroundings. | „ |
| ~ Ra's to Bruce. |
Ra's al Ghul, also known as Henri Ducard, is the main antagonist of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy.
A revolutionary cult leader, he was the founder of the League of Shadows who sought to destroy Gotham City as he believes it to be beyond saving; he served as the employer of both the city's gangland boss Carmine Falcone and corrupt psychologist Jonathan Crane in addition to this. He is also the father of Talia al Ghul and the former mentor of both Bruce Wayne and Bane, thereby becoming responsible for making the former take on the mantle of Batman in the process.
He was portrayed by Liam Neeson, who also played Norvirus Raccoon in The Nut Job, Clinch Leatherwood in A Million Ways to Die in the West, Harry Rawlings in Widows, the impresario in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Phango in Khumba, Bad Cop in The Lego Movie franchise, High-T in Men In Black: International, himself in Family Guy, and Jimmy Conlon in Run All Night. As a younger man, he was played by Josh Pence.
Biography[]
Thirty years before the events of Batman Begins, Ra's al Ghul was a mercenary who served a warlord in Northern Africa. He fell in love with the warlord's daughter and they married in secret. When the warlord learned of the marriage, he sentenced Ducard to the Pit. Unbeknownst to Ra's, the warlord's daughter offered to take his place in the pit and have him exiled. The warlord agreed. The daughter was imprisoned in the pit and was also with a child: his daughter Talia.
Training Bruce Wayne[]
| “ | Ra's al Ghul: A vigilante is just a man lost in the scramble for his own gratification, he can be destroyed or locked up. But if you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you, then you become something else entirely. Bruce Wayne: Which is? Ra's al Ghul: A legend, Mr. Wayne, a legend. |
„ |
| ~ Henri Ducard's famous monlogue to Bruce Wayne. |
Ra's al Ghul first met Bruce Wayne in a Bhutanese prison under the name of Henri Ducard who offered Bruce a chance to become a member of the League of Shadows. Bruce agreed and Ra's told him to find a rare blue flower outside the prison and bring it to his lair on top of a mountain. Bruce eventually found the lair and met the Decoy of Ra's al Ghul, the latter of whom originally appearing to be the League of Shadows' leader himself. Bruce told Ducard everything: his parent's death, his fear of bats, and the events prior to his imprisonment. Ducard taught him to fight with a sword, martial arts, etc. Bruce succeeded in Ra's tests and was sworn into the League. Bruce's final test was to execute a murderer, but he refused to do so; he then learned from Ducard and the decoy Ra's that the League planned to attack Gotham City and destroy it. Bruce then set the lair on fire, which knocked Ducard unconscious and killed the decoy Ra's in the process; Bruce rescued Ducard and then brought him to a village to have the latter recuperate.
Assault on Gotham City[]
Many months later, Bruce became Batman and slowly brought hope back to Gotham. He learned that Dr. Jonathan Crane (the Scarecrow) was using his tear toxin on his patients and dumping it into the water supply. Scarecrow told Batman that he was working for Ra's al Ghul, but Batman didn't believe him as he saw the decoy get killed.
Later that night, Ducard crashed Bruce's birthday party and revealed himself as the real Ra's al Ghul. He revealed that Scarecrow took the toxin from the blue flowers near his lair and was able to weaponize it and make people see their worst fears. Ra's master plan was to destroy Gotham with biological warfare and make the citizens kill each other out of fear.
Ra's then went on and said that the League of Shadows have been around for centuries and were behind historical ecological disasters including the sacking of Rome, the Bubonic Plague, and the London Fire; and they believed what they did for the sake of the environment. Ra's then knocked out Bruce and set Wayne Manor on fire.
Final Battle and Death[]
| “ | I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you. | „ |
| ~ Batman, before leaving Ras Al Ghul to die. |
Ra's then went to the Narrows and freed all of the inmates from Arkham Asylum. He then took the microwave emitter that he stole from Wayne Enterprises and released the Fear Toxin throughout the Narrows. Batman then arrives whom Ra's admired for using the League's tactic of theatricality and deception. Ra's unleashed a few of his soldiers on Batman to occupy him while he put the emitter on the monorail and set course for Wayne Tower where the emitter would cause a chain reaction and cover the whole city in the poison.
Batman gives Sergeant James Gordon the Tumbler while he got on the monorail and took on Ra's. Ra's got an advantage as Bruce fought the same way, but Batman got the upper hand. The fight was a ruse; Gordon destroyed the monorail track, and Batman jammed the brake switch to prevent the train from stopping. Batman then prepared to strike Ra's down who welcomed it, but Batman refused to kill his old mentor. However, he also chose not to help Ra's, remarking: "I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you," indicating that he was too dangerous to be kept alive.
Batman then blew open the train's door and escaped. Ra's closes his eyes and accepts his fate as the train derailed and crashed into the Wayne Tower Parking Lot and the impact of the crash caused the emitter to explode; which killed Ra's al Ghul, ending his reign of terror for good.
Legacy[]
| “ | You yourself fought the decadence of Gotham for years. With all your strength, all your resources, all your moral authority. And the only victory you could achieve was a lie. Now you understand: Gotham is beyond saving and must be allowed to die. | „ |
| ~ Bruce's hallucination of Ra's al Ghul mocking him |
Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight and Joker's arrest, a new enemy attacked Gotham: Bane. Bruce was told that Bane was once a member of the League of Shadows, but he was excommunicated by Ra's al Ghul. Bruce decided to come out of hiding and confront Bane as Batman. Batman asserted that Bane had nothing to do with the League, but Bane retorted that he was the League and that he was there to fulfill Ra's al Ghul's mission. Bane proved too much for Batman and he broke his back, stole his entire weaponry arsenal, and brought him to Bane's former home: The Pit.
In a hallucination, Ra's appeared before Bruce and said that he was immortal through another method–one that produced an heir. Bruce remembered that Ducard had told him that he had a wife once who was taken from him and realized that he was the mercenary from the legend. Bruce finally escaped from the Pit, returned to Gotham, and as Batman, led an all-out assault on Bane and his forces. Batman defeated Bane and demanded to know who had the bomb trigger, but he got stabbed by Miranda Tate, who revealed herself as Talia al Ghul, the daughter of Ra's al Ghul.
Talia explained that she was the child who escaped from the Pit and Bane was the prisoner who protected her. When she found her father, he stormed the prison, rescued Bane, and gave him the mask to relieve his pain. Ra's excommunicated Bane because his very existence kept reminding him of his wife and the hell that his family had lived in. Talia could not forgive her father, but she blamed Batman for murdering him, and so she finally forgave him and vowed to follow his legacy. Her plans were foiled, both Bane and she were killed, and Batman got the bomb out of range; which finally ended Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows from beyond the grave.
Personality[]
Unlike his comic book counterpart, Ra's al Ghul was just an ordinary man who led a cult that he said was centuries old. He claimed to be immortal to Batman through his use of dual identities and body doubles. He was a fiercely devoted and passionate mastermind as the one who created the League of Shadows to begin with, utterly convinced that the League's purpose of checking against humanity before it overdeveloped is justified. Ra's al Ghul believed in doing what was necessary to extinguish evil from the world in order to restore it to what he called balance.
He did not have a single qualm about taking another human being's life if their existence stood against his beliefs; he showed no hesitation whatsoever about presenting a man for execution for his crimes, without properly trying him. Ra's was a cultured, calm, and sophisticated man who dressed eccentrically and spoke with a wide and intelligent vocabulary. A man with easy and sagely charisma for such an ordinary man, Ra's proved to be quite a skilled speaker and a tireless motivator of those he took under his wing, namely Bruce Wayne. As a teacher, Ra's proved to be blunt, unapologetic, and completely open about his methods. When training Bruce in combat, he never conceded defeat and drilled into the man the ideals of the League of Shadows itself.
As Bruce got to know Ra's al Ghul, and even after Ra's' death, he began to discover how truly dangerous the man was. In spite of his cultured persona, Ra's was a peerless fanatic of the League of Shadows, devoted to their ideals so much that he didn't even shy from endangering personal relationships. He was confident enough to blatantly admit that the League was responsible for the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents, and labeling them as merely obstacles for his people's ambitions. He showed frustration and even disappointment when Bruce opposed him but was rather amused by how literally Bruce took his teachings about theatricality and deception into heart.
It soon became clear that Ra's had a deep and cruel contempt for criminals to the point of being so convinced that they deserved true justice regardless of their status as human beings; he believed them to be parasites of society, overwhelming society's understanding. Despite this, Ra's did not see his own actions and ideals as remotely criminal but rather necessary. Overall Ra's was, inwardly, an extremely bitter man up to the stage where he excommunicated Bane from the League of Shadows out of remorse for how he had abandoned his own wife. When speaking of his wife, Ra's turned strangely sentimental, only divulging that she was taken from him.
Skills[]
- Peak Human Physical Condition: As a former soldier and the League of Shadows leader, Ra's was in top physical condition for his age. He was able to keep his balance while fighting Bruce Wayne on a frozen lake and was able to hurt Batman through his armored suit.
- Master Martial Artist: He was a superb martial artist. He trained Batman to fight and as such, gained the upper hand against Batman during their final duel. His fighting style seemed to comprise of Keysi, Jujitsu, Panther Kung Fu, Tiger Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jujitsu, Krav Maga, and Boxing.
- Master Swordsman: He was a master swordsman, primarily using Japanese Kenjutsu as his dueling style. He trained Bruce Wayne to fight with a sword and used this skill to push back Bruce during their fights.
- Master Tactician: Ra's was very aware of his surroundings in a fight, and used the environment to his advantage when it appeared that he would lose. This extends to planning as he made a plan to destroy Gotham City by using Scarecrow, Carmine Falcone, and Wayne Tech to complete his mission.
- Master of deception/manipulator: Ra's was able to trick people into thinking he was Henri Ducard and even had a decoy act in his place as leader of the League of Shadows. He was even able to deceive Bruce into joining the league without him knowing that they would attack Gotham City until they revealed their plans to him.
- Stealth: Ra's is a master of stealth tactics. He is able to sneak around undetected and later taught these tactics to Batman.
Weakness[]
- Arrogance: However, he was prone to the typical weakness of arrogance because of his skill, which ultimately enabled Bruce Wayne to defeat him.
Equipment[]
- League of Shadows Armor: Ra's wore the standard League of Shadows armor when training Bruce. All League of Shadows armor include gauntlets with scalloped blades on the forearms to block and trap an opponent's weapon. During his battle in Gotham, Ra's used a gas mask to protect himself from the Fear Toxin during his attack on Gotham.
- Ninjato Sword: Ra's used this sword when training Bruce to join the League of Shadows.
- Cane Sword: Ra's used this cane sword during his meeting with Bruce at his party and during their final fight.
Quotes[]
| “ | Ra's al Ghul: But I know the rage that drives you. That impossible anger strangling the grief, until the memory of your loved ones is just poison in your veins. And one day you catch yourself wishing the person you loved had never existed, so you'd be spared your pain. I wasn't always here in the mountains. Once I had a wife, my great love. She was taken from me. Like you, I was forced to learn that there are those without decency that must be fought without hesitation, without pity. Your anger gives you great power, but if you let it, it will destroy you, as it almost did me. Bruce Wayne: What stopped it? Ra's al Ghul: Vengeance. |
„ |
| ~ Ra's al Ghul explaining to Bruce about how vengeance stopped him from being destroyed. |
| “ | No one can save Gotham. When a forest grows too wild, a purging fire is inevitable and natural. Tomorrow, the world will watch in horror as its greatest city destroys itself. The movement back to harmony will be unstoppable this time. | „ |
| ~ Ra's explaining his purpose to Bruce Wayne before setting Wayne Manor on fire. |
| “ | Justice is balance. You burnt my house and left me for dead. Consider us even. | „ |
| ~ Ra's al Ghul after knocking Bruce out and leaving him for dead. |
| “ | Gentlemen, time to spread the word. And the word is... panic | „ |
| ~ Ra's al Ghul when he releases Dr. Jonathan Crane's Fear Toxin. |
| “ | Ra's al Ghul: Well, well, you took my advice about the theatricality a bit... literally. Batman: It ends here. Ra's al Ghul: For you, maybe. My battle lies with the rest of Gotham. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a city to destroy. Batman: I can't beat two of your pawns? Ra's al Ghul: As you wish. |
„ |
| ~ Ra's al Ghul escaping while having his henchmen fight Batman. |
| “ | Have you finally learned to do what is necessary? | „ |
| ~ Ra's al Ghul's last words as he unsuccessfully tempts Batman to kill him before he himself is killed in a train crash. |
| “ | Ra's Al Ghul: Did you not think I would return, Bruce? Hmm? [Bruce looks up and sees Ra's Al Ghul step out from the shadows in front of Bruce] I told you I was immortal. Bruce Wayne: I watched...I watched you die. Ra's Al Ghul: Oh, there are many forms of immortality. Once I had a wife. My great love. [we then see Ra's Al Ghul, sat at the campfire, as seen in Batman Begins] She was taken from me. Bruce Wayne: You were the mercenary. [back in the prison cell, Ra's Al Ghul nods his head] Bane is your child. Your heir. Ra's Al Ghul: An heir to ensure the League of Shadows fulfills its duty to restore balance as a civilization. Bruce Wayne: No. Ra's Al Ghul: You yourself fought the decadence of Gotham for years. With all your strength, all your resources, all your moral authority. And the only victory you could achieve was a lie. Now you understand, Gotham is beyond saving. Bruce Wayne: No! Ra's Al Ghul: And must be allowed to die [Ra's fades away after Bruce hallucinates him being there]. Bruce Wayne: No! [Bruce passes out] |
„ |
| ~ Bruce imagines Ra's al Gaul being in prison and talking to him as Bruce is getting tortured. |
Relationships[]
Trivia[]
- Ra's al Ghul was Liam Neeson's first villainous role.
- Liam Neeson hesitated to do this movie. As a Superman fan, he says he found Batman "scary".
- An unforeseen problem with the ninja training academy was that Liam Neeson towered over the rest of the men. This was swiftly solved by putting most of the ninjas on wooden blocks.
- Ra's al Ghul had a major impact on the plot of the trilogy, both as Bruce Wayne's mentor and as a villain. He taught Bruce the means that he would use to fight injustice as Batman, means Ducard had intended to use him to destroy Gotham City. The emergence of Batman in Gotham then led to the emergence of the Joker. Bruce Wayne's final test as Batman was to stop Ra's' daughter, Talia, and Bane from finishing his work of destroying Gotham City.
- Liam Neeson was not credited as Ra's al Ghul in the ending credits of Batman Begins. Instead, he was referred to by his pseudonym Ducard and the part of Ra's al Ghul was attributed to Ken Watanabe, who portrayed the decoy Ra's. Neeson was credited as Ra's al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises.
- Though Ra's al Ghul was not seen or mentioned in The Dark Knight, Bruce quoted him by saying that criminals were not complicated. Furthermore, his impact is still felt as he was the one who trained Bruce Wayne to become Batman to begin with.
- Neeson expressed interest in reprising his role of Ra's al Ghul in The CW series Arrow, but he could not accept the role when he had the opportunity and Matt Nable accepted the role instead.
- Liam Neeson and Josh Pence also acted together in Battleship.
- Similar to Joker and Bane, the other main villains of the other two next installments, Ra's al Ghul was never known by his real name and was only known by his alias.
- In the trilogy of novelizations of films the Lazarus Pit exists and Ra's al Ghul is truly immortal.
External links[]
- Ra's al Ghul on the Magnificent Baddie Wiki
- Ra's al Ghul on the DC Wiki
- Ra's al Ghul on the Batman Wiki
- Ra's al Ghul on the VS Battles Wiki
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 Villains
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League of Shadows Gotham Criminal Underworld Others Others | ||
