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There is nothing to fear... but fear itself!
~ Scarecrow’s catchphrase.
Boo! Aw, having trouble? Take a seat. Have a drink. You look like a man who takes himself too seriously. Do you want my opinion? You need to lighten up.
~ Scarecrow to Batman after exposing him to the fear toxin.
Scarecrow: Would you like to see my mask? I use it in my experiments. Now, I'm probably not very frightening to a guy like you. But these crazies, they can't stand it.
Falcone: So when did the nut take over the nut house?
[Crane sprays his fear toxins at Falcone, who starts screaming uncontrollably]
Scarecrow: THEY SCREAM AND THEY CRY! MUCH AS YOU'RE DOING NOW!
~ Scarecrow poisoning Falcone with his fear toxins.
noicon

Dr. Jonathan Crane, also better known as the Scarecrow, is a major antagonist in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy.

He is the corrupt and sadistic chief administrator at Arkham Asylum, who is secretly working with League of Shadows leader Ra's al Ghul and mob boss Carmine Falcone, who bring shipments of drugs in for Crane to use to create his Fear Toxin, which he later sells as a drug to criminals like The Chechen. He works with the League of Shadows again years later, when Bane and Talia al Ghul take over Gotham City, serving as judges in a kangaroo court for Gotham's wealthy citizens, forcing them to choose between death or exile, the latter actually being "death by exile".

In the films and Batman Begins video game adaptation, he was portrayed and voiced by Cillian Murphy, who also played Jackson Rippner in Red Eye. In Batman: Gotham Knight, he was voiced by Corey Burton, who also voiced Brainiac in the DC Animated Universe, Brainiac 1.0 in Legion of Super Heroes, V.V. Argost in The Secret Saturdays, the Galalunan Commander in Sym-Bionic Titan, and Hugo Strange in Batman: Arkham City.

What Makes Him Pure Evil?[]

In General[]

  • While the Scarecrow took time to answer all of his men's questions, this was obviously just a way to keep his men on his side and make sure they didn't turn on him making this pragmtic.
  • While he didn't have as much of a "grand scheme" plan as Ra's al Ghul or did as much damage as the Joker, the Scarecrow still passed the heinous standards as while he acted as a "pawn" to Ra's al Ghul in the first film, he still committed many atrocities free from the League of Shadows' demands, such as illegal experimentation.
    • In the second film, he had clearly lost his position at Arkham but was still poisoning and killing people, including clients of the mob. In the third and final film, he was only a mere mock trial judge but was still managing to kill many people by sentencing them to death or exile, with the latter choice leading to the prisoner's death anyway when they fell through the thin ice surrounding Gotham into the freezing waters below.
    • Even though in the film he didn't know about Ra's al Ghul's true intentions with his fear toxin and was under the impression that the plan was to hold the city for ransom, this only makes him worse since he's motivated solely by greed and sadistic disdain for human life (unlike Ra's himself who's a well intentioned extremist). Meaning it doesn't undermine his heinousness.

Batman: Gotham Knight[]

  • He carried out experiments on Arkham inmates.
  • He killed five innocent people who were helping the people of Gotham with a brainwashed cult and was going to kill Cardinal O'Fallon before being stopped by Batman.
  • He experimented on Waylon Jones, turning him into Killer Croc.

Batman Begins[]

  • He regularly abused his power as a psychiatrist, experimenting on the patients in Arkham Asylum with his fear toxins, with it being heavily implied that he experimented on people who weren't insane, making them so terrified that they looked insane to the outside world, giving him an excuse to keep them in Arkham Asylum.
  • He worked with crime boss Carmine Falcone by claiming that Falcone's men were mentally insane to get them a reduced sentence. One of these men was Victor Zsasz, and while he wasn't seen doing anything in the trilogy, assuming he was like his comic book counterpart, this meant the Scarecrow was responsible for giving a serial killer a reduced sentence.
  • After Falcone was apprehended by Batman and put in custody, the Scarecrow went to meet him, claiming that he was insane, and to prove his false claim, the Scarecrow decided to turn on his former associate and spray him with his fear toxin, making him fairly terrified and traumatized to the point where he was left in a catatonic state.
  • He helped Ra's al Ghul infect Gotham City's water supply with his fear toxins, thinking they would hold the city to ransom.
    • While Ra's al Ghul did this due to being an extremist who believed this would make Gotham a better place, the Scarecrow's intentions were purely self-serving.
  • He infected Rachel Dawes with a huge amount of his fear toxins, nearly killing her.
  • During the chaos with Gotham being infected with the fear toxins, he attempted to attack both Rachel and a child who she was protecting, only being stopped due to Rachel tasing him.

Novelization[]

  • He took advantage of his profession as a professor of psychology by testing his Fear Gas on his students, driving them into insanity to the point where one of them jumped through a window to assault a Santa Claus mannequin.
  • Unlike the film version, who helped Ra's al Ghul to infect Gotham city's water supply with Fear Gas because he thought they were just going to use the Fear Gas to blackmail the city for ransom and was unaware of the League of Shadows' plans to instead wipe out the city with the gas, this version was fully aware and was looking forward to it.
  • He and many of Arkham's inmates participated in causing mayhem on the streets of Gotham as his Fear Gas affected most of the citizens.
  • He murdered a police officer upon escaping Arkham.

Video Game Adaptation[]

  • He drove many of his patients insane with his Fear Gas to the point where they would attack anyone who moved, even keeping them chained up and using them as "attack dogs".
  • When Batman tracked Scarecrow down to his lair, it went up in flames, and Crane left his patients to die, taunting them that they'd only feel pain as long as they're alive.
    • He later used two of his surviving patients to attack Batman.
  • He was uncaring when some of his henchmen were infected with the gas, and he did nothing to help them.
  • He took the brother of one of his henchmen hostages and threatened to kill him should said henchman fail him in his plans.
  • As the League of Shadows infected the Gotham River with the Fear Gas, this prompted the Scarecrow to lower the bridge into the river so innocent civilians would be infected.

The Dark Knight[]

Film[]

  • He tried to sell his fear toxins off to the mob to make a profit. And he showed no concern for one of Chechen's men suffering from the effects of his fear toxin when he was presented to him.
  • While trying to escape Batman and his copycats, he gassed one of them with fear toxin.

Novelization[]

  • He tested his Fear Gas as a drug on a junkie and murdered him before selling his toxin as hallucinogens to the Chechen.

The Dark Knight Rises[]

  • After Bane broke him and other inmates out of the Blackgate Prison, he became the judge of a kangaroo court, sentencing many of the upper-class people of Gotham, taking pleasure in doing so.
    • While he claimed to give them a choice of either death or exile, it was revealed that both of these were the same thing, with the ones sentenced to exile being forced to walk over thin ice to escape Gotham, with most of them dying in the process due to the ice breaking, shown when Commissioner Gordon chose death and Scarecrow decided "death by exile".

Trivia[]

  • The Scarecrow and the Joker are the only villains in The Dark Knight Trilogy to be Pure Evil.
    • Furthermore, they are the only major villains in The Dark Knight Trilogy who didn't die and were sent to Arkham Asylum at least once.
  • This is, alongside his Arkhamverse and Injustice incarnation, one of three incarnations of the Scarecrow to be Pure Evil.

External Links[]

Navigation[]

            Pure Evils

Animated Features
Saruman | Jenner | Ommadon | Bryagh | Joker (Mask of the Phantasm and Return of the Joker | The Batman vs. Dracula | Under the Red Hood | The Dark Knight Returns | Assault on Arkham | Injustice Film | Tomorrowverse) | Jacques | Thrax | Brainiac | General Aguila | Toyman | Eon | Emperor Palpatine | King Malbert | Black Wolf | Lex Luthor | Major Force | Owlman | Superwoman | Volcazar | Madame Lorraine | Surtr | Solaris | Rough Cut | Vandal Savage | Atomic Skull | Brainiac | Professor Zoom | Deathstroke | Black Manta | Darkseid | Harlequin | Talia al Ghul | Destiny | Jack the Ripper | Philip Eberfroe | Shredder | Ra's al Ghul | Trigon | Agent Trout | Brainiac | Joseph Stalin | Sinestro | Brainiac

Live-Action Features
Harry Potter
Lord Voldemort | Peter Pettigrew | Barty Crouch Jr. | Dolores Umbridge

Middle-earth
Azog | Smaug | Sauron | Saruman | Gothmog | Mouth of Sauron

DC Extended Universe
Erich Ludendorff | Steppenwolf | Black Mask | Victor Zsasz | Darkseid | The Thinker | Mateo Suarez | Sabbac | Ahk-Ton | Kordax

Other
General Zaroff | Ernst Stavro Blofeld | Ramón Rojo | Auric Goldfinger | Emilio Largo | Angel Eyes | Harry Roat, Jr. | The Bastard | Scorpio | Vincent Amafi | Pazuzu | The Tall Man | Hugo Drax | Overlook Hotel | Sador | Burke | Reverend Henry Kane | Maximillian Largo | Ernst Stavro Blofeld | Mick | Gmork | Freddy Krueger | Max Zorin | Frank Booth | Bob Barnes | Bunny | Door Gunner | Richard Jones | Clarence Boddicker | Alien | Chucky | Joker (1989 | Nolanverse) | Arjen Rudd | Pieter Vorstedt | Grand High Witch | Richie Madano | Sheriff of Nottingham | Funekei Yoshida | Earl Talbot Blake | Jaapie Botha | William Strannix | Killer BOB | Doc Hawkins | Shang Tsung | Peter Krill | Charles Rane | Simon Phoenix | Samuel Norton | Bogs Diamond | Ned Trent | Bobby Earl Ferguson | Donald McClintock | Archibald Cunningham | John Doe | Travis Dane | Miguel Bain | Peter Foley | Daryll Lee Cullum | Xenia Onatopp | Gaear Grimsrud | Daniel Harper | Robert Deguerin | Donald Cunningham | Sean Nokes | Captain Dudley Smith | Pierce Patchett | Elizar Kane | Azazello | Shinnok | Dr. Jonas | Nathaniel Burke | John Milton | Elliot Carver | Azazel | Spider Smith | King Louis XIV | Deacon Frost | Dr. Arliss Loveless | Cypher Reagan | William Wharton | General Roth'h'ar Sarris | Terl | Jack Shepard | Mason Verger | Alonzo Harris | Cyrus Kriticos | Akasha | Alistair Pratt | Jack Ferriman | Alex | Mr. Gray | Dr. Douglas Grey | Sheriff Bob Ryan | Martin Asher | Laurel Hedare | Dr. Bernard Merrick | Leland Jones and Billy Orser | Scarecrow | Bill Cox | Adam Sutler | Peter Creedy | Lewis Prothero | Captain Vidal | Le Chiffre | Captain Poison | Eddie Kim | Vladis Grutas | Assef | Judge Turpin | Beadle Bamford | Daisuke Matoba | Agent 23 | Dominic Greene | General Medrano | Skynet | Lord Ozunu | Lord Henry Blackwood | Carnegie | Freddy Krueger | Burke | Jonah King | James Moriarty | Ares | Mickey Cohen | Lord Roderick | Bathsheba Sherman | Annabelle the Doll | Ernst Stavro Blofeld | Immortan Joe | Valak | John Boy | Diana Walter | Pennywise/It | Niander Wallace | Leonard Dekkom | Duncan Taylor | Claire Wyden | King Ghidorah | Holda | Andrei Sator | Sub-Zero | Isla the Occultist | Gabriel | Baron Vladimir Harkonnen | Rabban Harkonnen | The Analyst | Carmine Falcone | Frank | Skar King | Scabrous Scrotus | Kurt Barlow

Animated Television
DC Animated Television
The DC Animated Universe
Joker | Brainiac | Darkseid | Granny Goodness | Grant Walker | Karkull | Reverend Amos Howell | David Wheeler | Imperium | Lord Orm | Mongul | Doctor Destiny
Teen Titans
Slade | Trigon | Brain | Professor Chang | Brother Blood
The Batman (2004 Series)
Joker | Hugo Strange
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Kanjar-Ro | Gentleman Ghost | Psycho-Pirate | Silver Cyclone | Mongul | The Faceless Hunter | Darkseid
Young Justice
Brain | Desaad | Black Beetle | Ocean-Master | Frederick DeLamb | Granny Goodness | Child
My Adventures with Superman
Parasite | Brainiac
Batman: Caped Crusader
Penguin | Arnold Flass
Others
Anti-Monitor | Anarky | Harlequin
Cartoon Network
Ben 10
Vilgax | Zs'Skayr | Eon | Ragnarok | Aggregor | Maltruant | High Override
Samurai Jack
Aku | The Leader of the Chritchellites | High Priestess | The Dominator
Courage the Cowardly Dog Show
Katz | Queen of the Black Puddle | Fusilli
Star Wars
General Grievous | Emperor Palpatine | Dr. Nuvo Vindi | Wat Tambor | Grand Moff Tarkin | Riff Tamson | Pong Krell | Keeper Agruss
Adventure Time
The Lich (Farmworld) | Dr. Gross | Dr. Caledonius
Generator Rex
Van Kleiss | Dr. Branden Moses
Sym-Bionic Titan
General Modula | Galalunan Commander
Others
Dick Hardly | Brainiac 1.0 | V.V. Argost Twin Masters | The Beast | Evil Entity
Adult Swim
Primal
Ape Shaman | Night Feeder | Mad-Man | Queen Ima | Benatu Eshu
Final Space
Invictus | Lord Commander | Werthrent
Others
Cecil Creepler | Mr. Salacia
Others
Smaug | Witch-king of Angmar | Dark Kat | Dr. Viper | Mutilor | Vangus | High Priestess | Kraken

Live-Action Television
Supernatural
God | Lilith | Alastair | Dick Roman | Whitman Van Ness | Abaddon | Terrance Clegg | Michael | The Shadow

Other
Kurt Barlow | Richard Straker (Miniseries) | Nicholas Pike | Dr. Carl Tanner | Beaugarde Lesko | It | The Trickster | Antono Refa | Anubis | Kai Parker | Arcadius | Joffrey Baratheon | Gregor Clegane | Walder Frey | Craster | Ramsay Bolton | Karl Tanner | Lorne Malvo | Count Vertigo | The Dollmaker | Werner Zytle | Matthew Shrieve | Lonnie Machin | Jerome Valeska | The Dollmaker | Hugo Strange | Professor Pyg | Jeremiah Valeska | Eobard Thawne | The Trickster | Zoom | Indigo | Roulette | Queen Rhea | Morgan Edge | Selena | Valentina Vostok | Quentin Turnbull | Atropos | The Sinnerman | Julian McCaffrey | Dromos | Michael | Pete Daily | Martin Proctor | Henderson | Dragon King | Bartel | Zeta-Rho | Anti-Monitor

Literature
Scarecrow | Lex Luthor

Video Games
Arhamverse
Joker | Scarecrow | Hugo Strange | Riddler | Calendar Man | Simon Stagg

Injustice
Doomsday | Brainiac | Scarecrow

Other
Hammond Litte | Rafael Drake | Scarecrow | Scabrous Scrotus

Fanon
Sargon | Aggregor | Rose the Hat | Overlook Hotel | Bizarre | Jonathan Gavrilovic | Zolkoff | Sawyer (Lost and Found) | The Man In The Woods | Katz (The Bagges Take Ostania)

Scripts
Vlad Tepsch | Brainiac | Esther Coleman

See Also
A Song of Ice and Fire Pure Evils | Amblin Entertainment Pure Evils | Arkhamverse Pure Evils | Arrowverse Pure Evils | Batman Pure Evils | Ben 10 Pure Evils | Cartoon Network Pure Evils | Castle Rock Entertainment Pure Evils | Courage the Cowardly Dog Pure Evils | DC Animated Universe Pure Evils | DC Extended Universe Pure Evils | DC Universe Animated Original Movies Pure Evils | DreamWorks Pure Evils | Godzilla Pure Evils | Gotham Pure Evils | Hanna-Barbera Pure Evils | Harry Potter Pure Evils | Justice League Pure Evils | Legendary Entertainment Pure Evils | Middle-earth Pure Evils | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pure Evils | MonsterVerse Pure Evils | Mortal Kombat Pure Evils | New Line Cinema Pure Evils | Rankin/Bass Pure Evils | Roald Dahl Pure Evils | RWBY Pure Evils | Star Wars Pure Evils | Stephen King Pure Evils | Supernatural Pure Evils | Superman Pure Evils | The Conjuring Pure Evils | Teen Titans Pure Evils | Terminator Pure Evils | V for Vendetta Pure Evils | Paramount Pure Evils | Village Roadshow Pictures Pure Evils | WingNut Films Pure Evils | Young Justice Pure Evils | Yu-Gi-Oh! Pure Evils

            Pure Evils

Live-Action Features
Scarecrow | Joker| Lord Ozunu | Burke | Ares | Lord Roderick | Sultan Mehmed II | Mutsushiro Watanabe | Tao Tei Queen | Eli Mills | King Ghidorah | Baron Vladimir Harkonnen | Rabban Harkonnen | Skar King

Animated Television
High Priestess | Kraken

Literature
Scarecrow | Lex Luthor

Video Games
Scarecrow

See Also
Batman Pure Evils | DC Extended Universe Pure Evils | Godzilla Pure Evils | Netflix Pure Evils | New Line Cinema Pure Evils | Superman Pure Evils | Universal Studios Pure Evils | Warner Bros. Pure Evils

            Pure Evils

Mainstream Comics
Black Mask | Dr. Crane | Hugo Strange | James Gordon, Jr. | Joker | Mary Keeny | Mr. Whisper | Professor Zoom (Dark Multiverse) | Punchline | Vandal Savage | Victor Zsasz

Other Earths
Batman (Catwoman: Guardian of Gotham) | Dark Joker | Barbatos | Carnage (SM&BM: Disordered Minds) | Joker (SM&BM: Disordered Minds) | Joker (Earth-31) | Joker (Joker) | Joker (The Nail) | Mayor Oswald Cobblepot | Red Skull (B&CA) | Robin King | The Batman Who Laughs | The DNA DIktators | William X. Malady

Movies
Batman (1989): Joker
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm: Joker
Batman Begins: Scarecrow
The Dark Knight: Joker | Scarecrow
The Dark Knight Rises: Scarecrow
The Batman: Carmine Falcone

Direct-to-video Movies
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker: Joker
The Batman vs. Dracula: Joker
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies: Lex Luthor | Major Force
Batman: Under the Red Hood: Joker
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Joker
Son of Batman: Talia al Ghul
Batman: Assault on Arkham: Riddler | Joker | Scarecrow
Batman: Bad Blood: Talia al Ghul
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight: Jack the Ripper
Batman vs. TMNT: Ra's al Ghul | Shredder
Batman: The Long Halloween: Joker
Injustice: Joker

Television
Batman: The Animated Series: Joker | Grant Walker
Batman Beyond: David Wheeler
The Batman: Joker | Hugo Strange
Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Kanjar-Ro | Gentleman Ghost | Psycho-Pirate | Silver Cyclone | Mongul | The Faceless Hunter | Darkseid
Beware the Batman: Anarky
Batman: Caped Crusader: Arnold Flass | Penguin
The Penguin: Carmine Falcone

Novelizations
The Dark Knight Trilogy: Scarecrow

Video Games
Batman Begins: Scarecrow
Injustice 2: Scarecrow

See Also
Arkhamverse Pure Evils | Catwoman Pure Evils | Gotham Pure Evils | Harley Quinn Pure Evils | Justice League Pure Evils | Suicide Squad Pure Evils