Ra's al Ghul

Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul Art by Cliff Chiang
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Batman #232 (June 1971)
Created by	Julius Schwartz (concept/name) Dennis O'Neil (writer) Neal Adams (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Henri Ducard / Terry Gene Kase
Team affiliations	The Demon League of Assassins Underground Society
Partnerships	Talia al Ghul
Notable aliases	Ra's, The Demon's Head
Abilities	Genius-level intellect Peak physical conditioning Superior strength and stamina Master martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant for centuries Swordsmanship, fencing, alchemy, demonology, marksmanship, and acrobatics Nearly immortal due to Lazarus Pits

Ra's al Ghul (Arabic: رأس الغول‎‎ Raʾs al-Ġūl; "Ghoul's Head" or "Demon's Head") is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. Created by editor Julius Schwartz, writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, the character first appeared in Batman #232's "Daughter of the Demon" (June 1971). The character is one of Batman's most enduring enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery, though given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Superman and other superheroes in the DC Universe.

Most notable as the leader of the League of Assassins, Ra's al Ghul's name in Arabic translates to "The Demon's Head". He is the son of Sensei, the father of Talia al Ghul, Nyssa Raatko, and Dusan al Ghul, and the maternal grandfather of Damian Wayne. Stories featuring Ra's al Ghul often involve the Lazarus Pits, which restore life to the dying. The Lazarus Pits have kept Ra's alive for centuries, making him particularly dangerous as he has honed his combat skills for a millennium.

Ra's al Ghul has been featured in various media adaptions. The character was voiced by David Warner in Batman: The Animated Series, which became his first appearance in media other than the comic books. Ra's was subsequently portrayed by Liam Neeson in the Dark Knight Trilogy, Jason Isaacs in Batman: Under the Red Hood, Dee Bradley Baker in Batman: Arkham City, and Matt Nable in the Arrowverse television series.