How the Penguin Got His Villain Name, Explained

The Batman franchise is most known for its long list of villains, from the Joker to Poison Ivy. Evidently, there’s no shortage of mutated humans and just straight-up bad guys to serve as formidable foes to Batman. Among them is the ever-famous Oswald Cobblepot, AKA the Penguin, a wealthy businessman turned villain known for his tuxedo and trick umbrellas. Making his TV debut in the original Batman series, portrayed by Burgess Meredith, the Penguin was an immediate smash and became a regular villain to appear alongside the Joker.

The Penguin made his big debut on the screen in The Batman, with Colin Farrell in the role. This would lead to the hit HBO Max spin-off series for Farrell’s Penguin, simplty titled The Penguin, further exploring his origins. The show has been met with ample praise, including having its fourth episode, “Cent’Anni,” setting a record with 1.7 million viewers and the highest rating for an episode ever on IMDB at 9.5. With all this hubbub about the new Penguin series, it’s only appropriate that we dive deeper into the Penguin’s origins, especially how he got his villainous name in the first place.

Who Is Oswald Cobblepot?

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Oswald Cobblepot was born to a wealthy debutante family, but this did not make him immune to the cruelty of others. His origin story varies greatly, with some saying he was merely teased as a child for his short stature, his bird-like nose, and in some cases, his mutated hands that looked like flippers, while others have claimed that he was raised by penguins in the Gotham City sewers as seen in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns.

The constant rejection from those around him led Oswald to become bitter and evil. With small beginnings as a petty thief, Oswald Cobblepot grew his criminal activity into a full-blown empire, using his ownership of the Iceberg Lounge. The Penguin aspires to be respected by those in high society, like his parents, even going so far as to become a part of the political world despite his criminal history. His crimes often revolve around stealing bird-related items of value.

Why Is Oswald Cobblepot Called Penguin?

Some may wonder where the term Penguin comes from, but there are a few reasons that Oswald is called the Penguin. The original reason that the term Penguin was used for Oswald is due to his regular wearing of a tuxedo, giving him an appearance similar to that of an emperor penguin. His natural physical appearance of a short and stout man with a beak-like nose adds to the accuracy of his alias.

However, one particularly interesting addition to the character that was not a part of the original was that of the mutated hands, introduced by Tim Burton in Batman Returns. This led to many changing the Penguin’s appearance, with some iterations of the Penguin now having webbed hands, which appear more like flippers than hands. That said, the character’s original concept and name revolve more around his fashion choices, including a monocle, a top hat, and a Bulgarian Umbrella.

In The Batman, Colin Farrell’s Oswald is outfitted with a tuxedo, and the actor wears facial prosthetics to give off a rougher and scarred appearance (even his nose is shaped like a beak). In a more light-hearted moment in the film, there’s a scene in which Penguin waddles a few steps after being handcuffed and cuffed in the legs by Batman and Jim Gordon. In the most recent animated series, Batman: Caped Crusader, the penguin saw a slight change, keeping much of the same fashion but with the name Oswalda Copplepot.

What Makes the Penguin Such a Great Villain?

The Penguin is one of the most regular Batman villains alongside the Joker and has repeatedly been called one of the best comic book villains, ranking #51 on IGN’s list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time. Unlike the Joker, the Penguin still has all of his sanity, and despite his short temper, he appears to be the most rational of all the Batman villains with the power to back up his plans. With so many brilliant loose cannons in Batman’s villain gallery, the Penguin can have an edge over others like Riddler and Mr. Freeze with his ability to work within the criminal underworld.

In the campy versions of the villain, there is also the pleasant surprise of his umbrellas holding various surprises for the caped crusader, whether a sword, a mini-helicopter, or even a flamethrower. Still, the villain thrives in the role of criminal mastermind, as highlighted in the ‘Emperor Penguin’ arc in Detective Comics, which saw him dealing with another henchman trying to usurp him. In this story arc, he uses his brilliance to create a short-lived truce with Batman to keep his power over the criminal underworld.

How HBO’s The Penguin Changed the Origin of Oswald Cobblpot

HBO’s The Penguin saw many shifts in the lore of the villain, creating a new vision of how the criminal mastermind came to be. Instead of coming from wealth, Oswald Cobblepot comes from more humble beginnings, forced to get his start with the infamous Gotham crime family, the Falcones, to work his way up the ranks. Oswald’s relationship with his family is also seen as more favorable, having a stronger connection with his mother than in the comics, which depicted him as neglected by the rest of his family.

Other changes that The Penguin has made to the character include changing his modus operandi (slightly). Driven by greed as the main reason for wanting more power, the series downplays his physical appearance as part of the reason for his drive to rule the criminal underworld. While Sofia Falcone was previously introduced in the comics, the series introduces her as a primary antagonist to Cobblepot, which adds new elements to his lore and rise. Colin Farrell’s Penguin may continue to change the lore around the character, with a potential second season dependent on the upcoming Batman movie. For now, you can stream The Penguin on Max as you wait.