Quick rant because I can 🧩❔
(Me defending canon Riddler because he deserves more love)
We need to talk about how brilliant canon Edward Nygma is. He’s not just “the riddle guy.” He’s a malignant narcissist with OCD traits and straight up megalomania. That’s what makes him so interesting, he’s dangerous because he’s smart, manipulative, bitter, and obsessed with proving he’s better than everyone.
His meltdowns? Not overstimulation. They’re ego injuries. He loses it when his superiority gets bruised, when Batman solves something too fast, when people don’t recognize his genius. That’s the point. He’s allowed to be a narcissist, that’s his personality.
He’s not alone because he can’t make friends, he’s alone because he refuses to believe anyone is worth his time. He doesn’t want love, he wants validation. He doesn’t want equals, he wants an audience.
And he’s allowed to be evil. He’s a villain. That’s what makes him compelling. Stop sanding villains down to make them palatable. Edward is brilliant because he’s manipulative, obsessive, and cruel. That’s who he is, and that’s why he’s so good.
Personally I prefer canon Riddler because that’s his true essence. It’s boring when he’s watered down to be a comfort character or representation. He’d laugh at that and then throw you into one of his death traps.
