7. Catwoman/Selina Kyle

Speaking of The Dark Knight Rises, the film also brought Catwoman back to the cinematic landscape. This Selina, more inspired by Frank Miller’s retooling of Batman: Year One, has shed the mystical cat powers from Tim Burton’s film adaptation and evolved into a more grounded, lower-class Robin Hood-style figure from modern comics. Another character bringing class disparity and a different inspiration for Bruce to suit back up after retirement, Selina opens his eyes to the world in a much different way than his usual allies have.

Through her, he gains an actual voice from the poor and lower-class citizens of the city, as well as from individuals who commit crimes out of necessity due to a lack of options rather than grand plots or a desire to exploit the Gotham citizenry. She comes into his life and reignites his drive to help Gotham, which had been dormant since the loss of Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes and Maggie Gyllenhaal). Her perspective, much like Dawes’s, forces Bruce to come to terms with the fact that he’s not doing enough for the people of the city, even if he thinks his boogeyman persona is enough to let the police, politicians, and his fellow rich folks decide, at the cost of so many under them. There is, of course, attraction and the usual cat-and-mouse chase we want and expect from Batman and Catwoman, with Anne Hathaway and Christian Bale having the right chemistry to pull off this duo.