For me, the fictional comic-book, cartoon, and movie character Batman and his enemies are not just entertaining fantasy trips for the kid inside all of us, but are practically the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) in comic book form.
I’ve featured the list of personality disorders on the blog before and I thought it might be a fun idea to categorize some of the prominent members of the Batman cast in terms of the personality disorders they exhibit. What follows isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list, and readers are free to pitch in their own ideas (you can refer to the previous link on this paragraph or the DSM link above for help).
Let’s start with the lead character: Batman and his day alter-ego: Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne has a notoriety in Gotham of the inability to hold a long relationship–primarily due to his very unique occupation and odd lifestyle. This solitary but double life and its implications suggests that Bruce Wayne has Schizoid Personality tendencies, even Schizotypal tendencies.
Batman’s greatest foe: The Joker, if not outright psychotic, definitely has Antisocial Personality Disorder. Heath Ledger’s recent portrayal of the villain puts emphasizes ‘anarchy’ as his guiding philosophy. In an earlier potrayal, Jack Nicholson brings this out with dramatic flair. The Joker’s instability of behaviour has kept him ahead of Batman’s attempts to predict his patterns.
Catwoman, especially in the Tim Burton movie, is a woman of many moods and traumas. She is a dead ringer for Borderline Personality Disorder. Her alter-ego: Selina Kyle is typical of the impulsivity characterized by borderline personalities, and like Bruce Wayne, is unable to hold stable relationships.
Harvey Dent Two-Face is obviously a candidate for Multiple Personality Disorder or Dissociative Personality Disorder. His preoccupation with coin-flipping is also indicative of Obsessive Compulsive Personality.
The Scarecrow, who is a psychiatrist himself, is a student of fear and phobia techniques. Highly intellectual and generally condescending, he has trademarks of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Mr. Freeze, who is in a long-time search for a cure for his wife’s malady, is an emotionless machine. Like Batman he exhibits Schizoid Personality tendencies and also Obsessive Compulsive tendencies especially regarding his wife’s treatment.
Mr. Edward Nygma: The Riddler, and his constant insistence on clues, makes him a candidate for both Obsessive Compulsive and Dependent Personality Disorder.
The Penguin constantly compensates for his short stance and horrible appearance with an active sense of panache. He is constantly seeking attention to his small self, exhibiting Histrionic Personality tendencies as well as Narcissistic tendencies.
Poison Ivy’s fanatical obsession with plant life and murderous impulses speak of Paranoid Personality tendencies.
Do you agree with these assessments? Pitch in your differential diagnosis on these and more Batman characters.
ROFL!!! I transcribe psychological assessments so I’m a bit familiar with the various disorders and traits. I’ve often thought that Bruce Wayne/Batman is just as messed up as some of the villians, just with a bit of a different spin.
Probably part of Batman’s charm is that he speaks to the neurotic inside all of us. I wonder if Batman creator Bob Kane had a psych background.
Hit the nail on the head with the Riddler. As per Wiki, “The Riddler is typically portrayed as a smooth-talking, yet quirky, victim of an intense obsessive compulsion… This compulsion has been a recurring theme, as shown in a 1999 issue of Gotham Adventures, in which he tried to commit a crime without leaving a riddle, but fails: “You don’t understand. .. I really didn’t want to leave you any clues. I really planned never to go back to Arkham Asylum. But I left you a clue anyway. So I… I have to go back there. Because I might need help. I… I might actually be crazy.””
Nice list ^^ Ivy’s paranoid about the life of plants huh?
and I think Joker’s more outright psychotic than just antisocial…
Antisocial is classified as psychotic
You should more info about it before assuming it just mean he’s not socialable
Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) does not require psychosis. Psychosis is a break from reality, while APD means you have antisocial tendencies: a lack of regard for the well-being of others, disregard for societal standards, ect. Psychosis implies that you are not fully aware of reality and most-likely not in control of your actions. People with APD a very much in control, they just don’t care for the rules of society.
I’m studying to be a clinical neuropsychologist, but you don’t have to take my word for it. Just do a quick search of the two terms.
Very interesting- however the Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder mentioned above is an Anxiety Related disorder rather than a Personality Disorder.
I look at Bruce Wayne/Batman as something closer to Adult Chlidren of Alcoholics Syndrome or Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Deciet, Searching for normality, Extreme Loyalty (even when there is evidence that the loyalty to Law and Gotham City might be unwarented), A Harsh Self Judgement (as evidenced by his secret training both physical and mental).
Bruce Wayne is probably Roman Catholic or Episcopalian/Anglican- his creator Bob Kane was Catholic.
Note that The Joker’s poison causes rapid Rigor Mortis as evidenced by the macabre grin on his victims- the Grusis Sardonicus. The poison might be something like Strichnine.
Pretty accurate, however. Bruce Wayne is self-declared Atheist throughout his entire comic book/TV appearances
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I can relate more with Poison Ivy’s character, but when I watch the film I am just NOT SATISFIED w/ Uma T’s acting. I have yet to watch a Poison Ivy in full bloom. It’s like I want to tell her what her character is about! She should’ve rehearsed more without the makeup and costume. It was really Quentin T who knew best how to make her act. Perhaps Quentin’s creative mess type of scenes makes her forget how she looks that she goes beyond posing and starts acting.
My god, she looks and feels strangely matronic! I wish QT were around.
I’m most satisfied with Michelle P’s portrayal of Catwoman. Nasty like scratching nails on the blackboard. The role is really more action-oriented than mind gaming, although
Hahahaha! Trippy and crazy perfect.
Among all of the above, I find The Penguin the most tragic of hamartia, portrayals, etc. So unflattering and yet to me is an actor’s piece. “A bird that cannot fly…”
Heart-wrenching or what?
This is a brilliant post. Unfortunately I came across it because one of my students plagiarized it in his final research paper. In the future I will use your post directly as a class material. Thanks.
Stafford Gregoire
http://twitter.com/#!/profgee
http://twitter.com/#!/wqueens7
I apologize for resurrecting an old post but I was doing some abnormal psychology research on Bruce Wayne and came across this post. As you have requested a differential diagnosis, I believe I have one. Also, I will limit my discussion to personality disorders as that was the focus of this post.
First let me say that I disagree with Bruce Wayne having either Schizoid or Schizotypal Personality Disorders on the basis on the DSM-IV-TR diagnosis criteria. I will address these separately.
Schizoid Personality Disorder (301.20) requires the patient display four or more specific indications as listed in the alpha (A) subheading for diagnosis criteria. They are as follows:
(1) neither desires nor enjoys close relationships, including being part of a family
(2) almost always choses solitary activities
(3) has little, if any, interest in having sexual experiences with another person
(4) takes pleasure in few, if any, activities
(5) lacks close friends or confidants other than first-degree relatives
(6) appears indifferent to the praise or criticism of others
(7) shows emotional coldness, detachment, or flattened affect
Bruce Wayne therefore fails to meet 4 or more of these criteria. Criterion (1) is completely off as Bruce Wayne’s initial impetus was the loss of a family and has since sought out family constructs by taking wards and protégés (aka the Batman Family). Furthermore, friendships with his butler Alfred and Clark Kent are shown as quite close and thus rule out criterion (5). Again his persistence in taking on sidekick protégés and being a founding member of the Justice League rules out criterion (2). [The latter could also be further disproof for criterion (1).] Furthermore, his whole life is dedicated to being the “world’s greatest detective” and Wayne shows great enjoyment and pride in all activities relating to that ruling out criterion (4). This leaves criteria (3), (6) and (7). Criterion (3) while arguably present stems more from his double life than with a lack of interest, as anxiety over lack of sexual experiences has been a popular plot point. Criteria (6) and (7) while also arguably present could also be explained in his double identity and need to appear stoic to others to perpetuate the symbolism behind the Batman identity.
As for Schizotypical Personality Disorder, Wayne would need to meet 5 or more criteria and in my estimate only meets three:
301.22 A (5) suspicious or paranoid ideation
301.22 A (6) inappropriate or constricted affect
301.22 A (7) behavior or appearance that is odd, eccentric or peculiar
Again all of these could be explained by his occupation as a superhero although criterion (7) may still apply in contrast to the other members or the Justice League (Wayne’s subcultural peer group).
As for my differential diagnosis I believe Bruce Wayne is more closely aligned with Antisocial Personality Disorder or Borderline Personality disorder. For the former Wayne must meet 3 or more A criteria as well as B through D. In my estimation he meets the following A criteria:
(1) failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated be repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest.
(2) deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
(4) irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
(5) reckless disregard for safety of self or others
(7) lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.
Also, Wayne meets 301.7 B (over 18) and D (antisocial tendencies not Schizophrenia or Mania) and could be inferred to meet C (evidence of Conduct Disorder with onset before age 15).
As for Borderline Personality Disorder one must meet 5 or more criteria; Wayne meets the following criteria:
(1) frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
(2) a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation
(3) identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self
(4) impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging
(6) affective instability due to marked reactivity of mood
(8) inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger
(9) transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms
Wayne may also suffer criterion (7) “chronic feelings of emptiness” but I cannot prove that at this time.
This is my personal interpretation given the facts at hand from comics, television shows, and movies. I also have taken context not just from Gotham City but the greater DC Universe and Batman/Bruce Wayne’s role within it (i.e. Justice League). Any critique or conversation concerning my differential diagnosis is welcome.
Boone
All information on diagnostic criteria was taken from the DSM-IV-TR (2000) American Psychiatric Association.
Must say your differential diagnosis is quite thorough. Interestingly the symptoms you indicate which place him under Antisocial and/or Borderline personality, also closely mirror the Jokers’. Flipsides of the same coin perhaps?
Batman himself could well be Schizotypal but he’s certainly not Schizoid as he’s easily able to socialise with others in his public Bruce Wayne persona. The personality splitting suggests BPD but that’s a very messy disorder and Bruce/Batman tends to be as neat as a pin. Catwoman is definitely borderline and possibly Histrionic as is the Penguin but the Penguin’s definitely not narcissistic, nor is Scarecrow, he’s probably Antisocial. The Riddler is most likely a narcissist and obviously obsessive-compulsive but certainly not dependant. Going back to Batman, he doesn’t appear to be obsessive-compulsive, he’s not antisocial because he’s very capable of empathy, he could be a narcissist given the sense of infallibility and personality splitting. He behaves in a histrionic manner in public but that’s just part of the act. He seems to prefer being on his own. Therefore I’d diagnose Batman as a Schizotypal narcissist. As for The Joker, he occupies a place where the DSM don’t shine, he’s just straight up crazy!
“As for ‘The Joker’, he occupies a place where the DSM don’t shine, he’s just straight up crazy!”
Make that: straight up HOMICIDAL crazy EVIL!
He is Homicidal Sadistic and obsessed with besting Bruce Wayne’s Batman but not Dick Grayson’s Batman.
Interesting how ‘The Joker’ appeared during WWII wearing a ‘Zoot Suit’ a rather ‘unpatriotic’ style of clothing, and has maintained that costume to date. It tells you something about what the origional cartoonist was saying about his personality.
That is interesting, particularly given that he is disgusted when he finds out that the Red Skull is a Nazi. The Joker pulls a gun on him, announcing “I may be crazy but I’m still an American!”
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Most of these were pretty accurate, though I’d never even considered Paranoid for Ivy! Also, I’d definitely say the Riddler has Narcissistic Personality as well as the other two, because that’s just Eddie. I wished you would’ve done Harley Quinn as well, because I definitely see some dependency issues. Branching out of personality disorders, the Penguin and Scarecrow both have Inferiority Complexes, Penguin’s being more of the Napolean Complex, and Catwoman most obviously has Kleptomania. Nice list though, and a good read!
DSM-IV is a social summary of American civilization.
Just open at any page and start reading.
Inevitable, really, that someone there would don the persona of a Batman loon and dangerously act out one of the numerous scripts of paranoid fantasies and other delusions.
The stuff of children’s stories, no less.
I think Joker is just outright nuts. lol.
Very interesting facts. I’m not actually a fan who’s addicted to the Batman series, but ever since I was a child, there are live-action Batman television shows that entertained me as a kid. The personality disorders correspond well to each Batman character. Knowing that, I guess these disorders have a stronger chance of happening to real life people, weather they are inside an asylum or not. 🙂
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Catwoman is also a kleptomaniac 😀
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I always thought Crane had a multiple personality disorder with a slight Narcissistic Personality.Because of his rough upbringing through schooling for his appearance, he was mocked for his lanky body and his old clothing (and that’s where the name Scarecrow came from). Not to mention the fact he was raised by his psycho religious grandmother from hell when he was abandoned by his birth parents.
I’d like to throw in Joker’s popular henchwoman, Harley Quinn. Looking at personality disorders, i’d say she is borderline. She is constantly seen highly idolizing the Joker and the going into rage and devaluating him, black and white thinking. She acts like a childish frootloop a lot of the time, but then also can become very mature and highly intelligent, a conflict of identity. Her behaviour is often impulsive, reckless and self damaging also. In the batman animated series when Harley is released in “Harley’s Holdiay”, she leaves a store after buying a dress with the security tag still attatched, she flips out thinking she is going back to the asylum. Kidnaps Wayne’s girlfriend and goes hooning around Gotham to escape Batman taking her “back to the bin”.
Aren’t all the characters in Batman a result of Batman being torn apart from his family by a violent act? All the characters could be a part of his splitting his ego, perhaps the characters are all different parts of his altered ego when he witnessed the violent death of his parents. Does the King (Batman) manifest these parts of him and the result is he meets them in the flesh? Are the moths drawn to the flame or is the flame drawn to the moths or do they require each other to feel fully functional because being drawn into danger is all these people have ever known.
I believe the joker epitomizes a borderline (BPD)… With his permanent smile even though he has no faith in human nature…. As evidenced by his failed experiment with the passengers on the ferrys….
That also makes sense because some people with BPD are Narcissistic. I personally think Joker is both a sociopath and suffers from BPD
Reblogged this on Agung Richard Elvon's.
It’s been stated in the comics that Mr. Freeze has Obsessive Love Disorder, and that the Riddler is a Pathological Narcissist.