Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson)

"To manipulate the fears of others, you must first master your own. Are you ready to begin?"

- Henri Ducard

Ra's al Ghul first acted as a mentor and teacher to Bruce Wayne but then became his arch-enemy after Bruce became Batman.

Origin and Early Life
In his youthful days, Ra's al Ghul was a skilled mercenary working for a powerful warlord. He fell in love with the Warlord's Daughter, they became betrothed and she was conceived. Out of a sense of dishonor, the father of his lover had his daughter imprisoned. There, she gave birth to a daughter, Talia al Ghul, who spent the first years of her life locked up with her mother. The other inmates eventually raped and murdered Ra's's wife. This action nearly consumed him with anger, but he managed to control his emotions, due to his sense of vengeance for the crime against his wife.

With the assistance of an imprisoned mercenary called "Bane", Talia escaped from the prison, although Bane was beaten within an inch of his life while defending her. As such, Bane became her guardian and lover and he assumed allegiance to the League of Shadows. However, Ra's did not approve of Bane for his appearance and extremist views resulting in his exile. It was this very reason in which caused Talia to have resentment towards her father, with her not having much regard for him and often staying abroad and living in far off places, such as Switzerland.

Mentoring Bruce Wayne
Ra's al Ghul finds Bruce Wayne in a Chinese prison, where he presents himself as "Henri Ducard" and offers him a "path." After Wayne is freed, he climbs to the home of the League of Shadows, where Ra's is waiting, although presenting himself as the servant of another man called Ra's al Ghul. When asked if he is ready to begin, Wayne replies that he can barely stand. As a test, Ra's attacks Bruce and explains that death would not wait and neither should they. When he defeats Wayne, Ra's asks him what he fears.

After Wayne recovers, Ra's begins training him in every aspect of ninjutsu. Ra's is a very skilled warrior and a stern teacher in these segments. Throughout his training, Bruce is unable to best Ra's, but comes extremely close during a sword battle, fought upon a frozen glacial lake. However, he forgets to take full notice of his surroundings and Ra's simply breaks the ice beneath him for the victory. While Bruce is recovering from the cold water, Ra's explains his wife's death as the inspiration for his lifestyle.

At the end of his training, Ra's forces Bruce to face him while slightly drugged. Ra's hides among several of his men while Bruce attempts to locate him. Leaping out at Bruce from his hiding place, Ra's manages to wound Bruce slightly on his arm. Bruce, however, gives an identical injury to two of the other ninja, thus tricking Ra's into believing that Bruce has left him a 'sign'. When he rushes forward to capture his 'student', Bruce reveals the trick and defeats his master. As a final test, Ra's hands Bruce a sword and orders him to kill a captured convict, but Bruce refuses, having realised that he cannot fight evil with evil's methods, and that compassion is necessary to separate him from his enemies. The decoy Ra's al Ghul explains that Bruce must do what is necessary to fight evil, while revealing that they have trained Bruce with the intention of him leading the League to destroy Gotham City, which they believe has become hopelessly corrupt. Bruce subsequently knocks Ra's out and sets the League's fortress aflame, apparently killing the false Ra's. Ra's is rescued by his pupil before the fortress collapses.

Ra's al Ghul's attack on Gotham
Months later, Ra's unexpectedly reappears, and reveals that he was not Henri Ducard, but Ra's al Ghul. In the ensuing confrontation, Ra's elaborates on the League of Shadows' exploits throughout history (sacking Rome, spreading the Black Death, and starting the Great Fire of London). Ra's explains that the League plans to use a fear toxin invented by their partner Dr. Jonathan Crane (alias the Scarecrow) to infect the city with mindless panic, and watch it destroy itself. He claims that the League of Shadows had attempted to use economics as a mean of destruction, which led indirectly to the murder of Bruce's parents when Joe Chill attempted to mug them after losing his job, their deaths subsequently prompting the industries to band together and save the city. He explains that the destruction of Gotham City is merely another mission by the League to correct humanity's recurring fits of decadence and presumably protect the environment. Ra's then has his henchmen burn down Wayne Manor with the intent of killing Bruce, stating "Justice is balance, you burnt my home and left me for dead, consider us even."

With the aid of Alfred, Bruce survives the fire, and confronts Ra's al Ghul as Batman, Ra's commenting that Batman took his advice of "using theatricality" too literally before escaping and going on with his plans. Batman catches up, and teacher and student have one final battle on a runaway train. Ra's' arrogance is ultimately his downfall after Batman defeats him and reveals Gordon's assistance in taking the rails out of the tracks, using Batman's Batmobile; Batman tells Ra's that he himself has failed to be mindful of his own surroundings, as Bruce had learned before. Informing Ra's that he won't kill him, but that he doesn't have to save him, the hero leaves Ra's for dead on the train, which falls moments later into a car garage and explodes. Ra's uses his last moment to meditate, and is presumed dead, though no body is found in the wreckage.

Aftermath
Following his apparent demise, the League of Shadows, though greatly diminished and defeated, pressed on. Talia al Ghul learned of the events that transpired surrounding her father's fate and swore to avenge him by continuing his mission of ridding the world of Gotham City. Having assumed command of the League, Talia appointed Bane as the field commander of their ground forces.

The Dark Knight Rises
Whilst Bruce is recovering in the pit, he sees Ra's in a hallucination.

Behind the scenes

 * A younger version of Ra's al Ghul is portrayed by Josh Pence in The Dark Knight Rises .

Gallery

 * Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson)/Gallery