Gotham: 5 Times We Felt Bad For Riddler (& 5 Times We Hated Him)

Edward Nygma (aka Riddler) was a fan favorite in the Gotham TV show. He was oddly lovable whilst still being quite a horrific villain. Due to this you can’t help but feel bad for him on multiple occasions, despite hating his every move. The Batman story has been told everywhere, on every platform in every way; however it never seems to get boring. This is due to the pure brilliance of each of the franchise’s over-the-top and entertaining villains and heroes, as well as those that dance on the line. This is the case for Cory Michael Smiths’ Edward Nygma.

Interestingly, the Riddler seems to be rather forgotten about, never appearing in Christopher Nolan’s famous Batman Trilogy, and taking a backseat in many other Batman films. In Gotham, you finally get to experience his turbulent story and learn more about the Riddler, and how he came to be.

10 Felt Bad: Shut Down By Kringle

When you first meet Ed Nygma, he is the lovable and shy forensic scientist who is desperate for Kringle to notice him.

It’s clear he has good intentions so when she shuts him down so harshly and carelessly, poor Ed looks distraught. It should be noted that on many occasions Ed crossed the line in trying to get her to notice him, and rightly so Kringle mentioned it, but many fans theorize that if Nygma and Kringle had gotten together in the first place, then perhaps he would never have become The Riddler.

9 Hated Him: Killing Kringle

Although not the first person he ‘accidentally’ and ‘impulsively’ killed, Kringle’s death shocked every fan watching.

What made it easier to hate Nygma was how kind Kringle was to him, even when she shut down his advances she was somewhat kind about it. She was forgiving and accepted Ed for who he was, apart from when he admitted to killing her boyfriend. Her death sent him into a downward spiral that caused him to be the villain he believes he was born to be.

8 Felt Bad: Bullied

Throughout his job at the GCPD and even at the start of his criminal activity he is consistently made to feel out of place, inferior, and worthless.

Ed Nygma is bullied by Bullock, Dougherty, Oswald, and practically anyone he meets. It is impossible to not feel for him as he tries so hard to be cheery and friendly to everyone he meets in season 1, latching onto Jim Gordon after he shows him a hint of kindness.

7 Hated Him: Framing Jim

After all the kindness and friendship Jim shows Ed, he still ends up being the victim to one of Nygma’s many crimes and murders.

Many fans couldn’t help but feel confused as to why Ed decides to pin the murder of Officer Pinkney on Jim. No one was really on Ed’s tail about the murder of Kringle so it only makes everyone watching begin to despise Ed Nygma for simply causing trouble when it’s just not needed.

6 Felt Bad: Arkham

Ultimately, Nygma deserved to go to Arkham for what he did. However, it is hard not to feel a little bad for him as he sits alone surrounded by people who are much crazier than him.

Interestingly, it looks like Arkham is the only place in which Ed looks and feels superior to those around him, thanks to his smart and quick thinking brain. Even though he is in there for a reason and is still an insane criminal, you have to feel slightly sorry for him for being locked away in such a horrible and unsuitable place.

5 Hated Him: Trying To Kill Oswald

Oswald and Ed were two of the best friends in the Gotham series. They were inseparable and each played a huge role in how the other turned out.

So when Ed kidnapped him and brought him to the docks to shoot him, fans were desperate for Oswald to survive. Although the reasons were understandable, Oswald quickly became the victim whilst Edward was hated by all.

4 Felt Bad: The Death Of Isabella

Ed Nygma has no luck when it comes to love. First comes Kringle who he regrets killing, then comes Isabella, who looks exactly like Kringle.

He falls head over heels for her and the two hit it off straight away, forming a relationship that is good for Ed. For once it is quite nice to see Ed in love, so when Oswald has her killed both Ed and the viewers are devastated.

3 Hated Him: Killing Lee

Another example of Ed’s luck with love. He gets betrayed by Lee but also betrays her, killing her before she does the same to him.

Although Lee had turned bad, fans still believed there was a chance that she would go back to Gordon and become a good guy again. This was not the case after Ed and Lee betrayed each other at the same time which leads to her demise. Viewers can’t help but hate Ed at this point since he killed a fan favorite.

2 Felt Bad: Mind Control

Nygma is famous for his extremely smart brain. It’s what helps him get away with his many crimes but it is also what gets him in a lot of trouble.

Ed Nygma is the victim of so many other villains as all of them know that using him for his brain is a surefire way to succeed. However, the poor guy just gets used then thrown away by The Mad Hatter and is taken advantage of by so many others.

1 Hated Him: Betraying Everyone

The Riddler is a villain. Even though he is somewhat lovable, he is still evil, cruel and selfish. Nevertheless, it is still a shock when he betrays his friends and the people who care about him.

As the end of the show rolls around, Ed Nygma becomes rather annoying due to how many time he betrays the people he meets. He tries to kill Oswald on multiple occasions, he betrays Jim, he kills Lee and more just to get what he wants as well as to protect himself from threats that are often non-existent.

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