For many comic book fans, Batman's greatest enemy is the Joker. They are two sides of the same coin, one constantly trying to destroy Gotham while the other one is trying to save it. But there is someone else who is often a bigger thorn in Batman's side.
Batman's biggest rival might actually be Ra's al Ghul. The leader of the League of Assassins has long tried to bring Batman over to his side, which never works. Plus, they're inexorably connected through Damian Wayne, who is Batman's son, and Ra's al Ghul's grandson. When it comes right down to it, Ra's isn't all bad, though the good things he does are usually for the wrong reasons.
Still Works With His Dad
Running the League of Assassins is a full-time gig, and it doesn't come with a lot of vacation time. Ra's al Ghul is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. That's what he committed to hundreds of years ago when he started this journey.
Fortunately, Ra's has help in the form of his family. As second-in-command of the League, his father Sensei is the right-hand man of Ra's. That being said, they are also often at odds for control of the League. Still, it's nice that they have common interests and spend time together.
Helped Guide Batman...Kind Of
In the Christopher Nolan movie Batman Begins, the relationship between Ra's and Batman is depicted as mentor and mentee. That wasn't really the case in the comics as Batman was Batman long before he met Ra's for the first time.
That hasn't changed the fact that Ra's has put a lot of time and effort into trying to guide Batman's growth. It's important to keep in mind that Ra's is trying to direct Batman into being his successor but it's still nice in a way.
Saved A Prince With A Lazarus Pit
Before he became Ra's al Ghul, the man who would eventually create the League of Assassins was a doctor. He had discovered the Lazarus Pit and was researching it when he attempted to use it to save a young prince. It was an act of kindness by the young man.
The Pit however had adverse effects on the prince. When he emerged, he killed Ghul's wife and imprisoned him. Ra's would escape, then lead his tribe to destroy the prince and his city. Those events gave birth to Ra's al Ghul more than 600 years ago, but they all started with him trying to save a life.
Cares About His Daughters In His Own Way
Ra's al Ghul also has children, two daughters, Nyssa and Talia, and a late son named Dusan.
No one would ever suggest that Ra's is anything even remotely close to a good father. But that doesn't change the fact that he loves his daughters, even though he sometimes expresses that love by tricking them into killing him, and in other atypical ways.
Wants To Be A Father Figure To Bruce Wayne
The relationship between Batman and Ra's al Ghul is incredibly complicated. Ra's doesn't really want to be enemies with the Caped Crusader but Batman keeps getting in the way of all of his plans.
More than a mentor, master or sensei, Ra's often acts like he wants to be a father figure to Bruce Wayne. That has only gotten worse since the birth of Damian Wayne who is the son of Bruce Wayne and the grandson of Ra's.
Helped Raise Damian Wayne
Though Batman didn't know it for many years, he had a son with Talia al Ghul named Damian. The boy was raised among the League of Assassins, which helped build him into the most dangerous warrior in his age bracket.
But Ra's took an incredibly active role in raising his grandson. Without Ra's, Damian would not be who he is today, for better or worse. If Ra's loves and cares for only one person in the world, it's definitely Damian.
Falling In Love At Woodstock
Ra's has felt love before, though. His first wife was a woman named Sora who was killed by the prince he tried to save centuries ago. It was her death that sent him on the journey to where he is today.
Hundreds of years later, Ra's would find himself at Woodstock and fell in love with a woman named Melisande who would eventually give birth to Talia. Melisande also died under tragic circumstances, but the moment they fell for each other was still adorable.
The Lazarus Pits Have Saved Lives
Whatever the personal opinions of the various DC heroes and villains may be in regards to the Lazarus Pits may be, it's hard to deny that they serve an important purpose. They have been used to heal and even resurrect many people.
That being said, it should be mentioned that many of those people come out of the Pit much more villainous. Specifically, this is true in the case of Red Hood, though he was violent before he went in.
Has Kept Batman's Secret For Years
There are a surprising number of heroes and villains who know that Bruce Wayne is Batman. The first villain to work that secret out was, of course, Ra's al Ghul.
Given the resources at his disposal, discovering Batman's civilian identity was child's play. Ghul has kept that secret, likely because he knows that any chance of recruiting Batman would dissolve if he opened his mouth.
Wants To Save The World
When it comes to doing the wrong thing for the right reasons and in the worst possible way, Ra's al Ghul is the undisputed champion. His existence is devoted to saving the world, though his way of saving it presents a few issues.
For all intents and purposes, he is an eco-terrorist. Ra's would have no problem wiping out most of humanity to save the environment. While his goal of protecting the natural world is laudable, his means of doing so are not.