The Penguin introduced an incredibly dark and twisted version of the titular villain, Oz Cobb, but it’s hard to believe that the series exceeded even Gotham’s most twisted moments from Oswald Cobblepot. It was clear from the first 10 minutes of Matt Reeves’ The Batman that his universe was considerably darker than any version of Gotham seen before. Between the Riddler’s brutal murder of a man, and Batman’s first battle with some thugs, the world of these films was brutal, gritty, and twisted to another degree.

However, the 2014 TV series, Gotham also delivered a dark and lawless version of the city with some of the most comprehensive explorations of the villains seen in live-action. Particularly for the character of Oswald Cobblepot, who grows from a shriveling shadow of a man, to a monstrous, vicious crime lord. While exploring this Oswald’s backstory, Gotham reveals a moment when he killed his stepmother, Grace, after feeding her the cooked flesh of her own children, but somehow, The Penguin’s version is even more cruel.

I Can’t Believe The Penguin’s Main Villain Feels More Evil Than Gotham’s

Oswald Cobblepot Is Considerably More Evil Than Oz Cobb

Tonally, the two shows clearly reveal a big difference, with The Penguin going for a darker drama feel, while Gotham retained some comic book charm and humor. However, there is no denying that Gotham also created incredibly dark and twisted versions of the DC Batman villains. Oswald was slimy, conniving, and willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted. He constantly uses and abuses others, and in fits of rage, he unleashes a dark side that is terrifying.

Robin Lord Taylor’s performance as Oswald was also outstanding, as the actor made the character his own, and convincingly switched between tiny and defenseless, to brutal and unhinged within the same role. And his grievous acts, such as feeding his step-siblings to their mother, appeared to be something that I believed would never again be matched on the screen. In every version, their ambition leads to violence, but the differences in how far they go, and where they draw a line define the performance.

Why Gotham’s Penguin Is Less Villainous Than The Batman’s

Robin Lord Taylor’s Penguin Has A Heart And A Moral Line

As stated above, it comes down to where the line is drawn. Oswald is willing to kill, cook, and serve up his step-siblings, who were always cruel and monstrous, to his step-mother, who was abusive, and murdered Oswald’s father. But when he met and befriended a young orphan boy, he found room in his heart to help and keep him safe. This indicates that as brutal and violent as Oswald may be, he does have a heart, and he draws the line at seeing any harm come to the people he cares about the most.

The boy, Martin, was a lost soul that Oswald felt a kinship with, and he did a lot to protect him and keep him safe. Ultimately, when things became too dangerous in Gotham, Oswald chose to have Martin sent somewhere, proving he had some kind of heart. However, Oz, in The Penguin, forms a similar close connection to Victor Aguilar. Victor eventually grows from an accomplice, to a protégé, and then Oz begins to view the boy as family. However, the way Oz treats his family certainly reveals his character to be significantly darker, with no discernible moral line.

I’m Glad The Penguin Showed How Evil The DC Villain Could Really Be

This Version Of The Penguin Raises The Bar And Fits The Reeves Batverse

As brutal as it is to see Oz turn to Victor, after achieving their goal to take over Gotham and bring down the old heads of power, and then choke the life out of him, it does set the bar for the future of the franchise. Oz is relentless. He knows where he wants to get in life, and he assesses and finds the potential setbacks that could get in his way. Regardless of his own personal connection, Oz values the power, and his future success, more than he values anything else.

This is an incredibly visceral way for The Penguin to establish how intense the Reeves’ Batverse can be, and builds on the events of The Batman. And as hard as it is to watch this brutality unfold, I also find myself unable to look away. Oz’s ambition and willingness to suppress everything for money and power is awe-inspiring and completely terrifying. And this makes him the perfect bad guy for Batman, whose entire life has been defined by what he lost, and he wants to try and protect that for others. The corruption runs deep in Gotham and The Penguin, but it’s obvious which is darker.