Henri Ducard

Categories: Batman supporting characters | Comics characters

Henri Ducard is a fictional character in the Batman comic book universe.

Comics

In the comics, Bruce Wayne approached Ducard for training in his early days. Ducard is a knowledgeable detective with excellent man hunting skills and was able to impart much of his knowledge to the young, keen Bruce.

Later in the series, it is revealed that Ducard is largely amoral, working for criminals as often as he does the law. He deduces Batman's identity, but keeps it to himself, thinking to himself as he leaves that Batman continues to exist because true criminals realize that he distracts the people from the greater crimes by his public battle of lesser crimes.

Batman Begins

Ducard was portrayed by Liam Neeson in the 2005 movie Batman Begins. In the film, Ducard is presented as the right-hand man to Ra's al Ghul. He was the one who finds Bruce Wayne in an undisclosed Chinese prison and offers him a "path." After Wayne is freed, he climbs to the home of the League of Shadows where Ducard and Ra's al Ghul are waiting. When asked if he is ready to begin, Wayne replies that he can "barely stand." Choosing to test Wayne, and begining training regardless of the response, Ducard attacks Bruce and explains that death would not wait and neither should they. When he defeats Wayne, Ducard asks him what he fears.

When Wayne comes to and recovers, Ducard begins training him in every aspect of ninjutsu. Ducard is seen as a very skilled warrior and a stern teacher in these segments. Throughout his training, Bruce is unable to best Ducard, but comes extremely close in a sword battle. However, he is absent-minded to his surroundings and Ducard simply breaks the ice beneath him for the victory. While he is recovering from the cold waters, Ducard reveals what brought him to the League of Shadows. He once had a wife whom he loved very dearly. One day, she was apparently killed by a criminal. Ducard, he explained, was almost consumed by anger until he learned to control it and channel it to obtain vengeance for his wife.

At the end of his training, Ducard has Bruce face him one last time while slightly drugged. Ducard hides among several of his men while Bruce is forced to try and locate him. Ducard believes he bests Bruce when he discovers one of the ninjas has an injury identical to Bruce's. However, Bruce comes from behind and finally defeats his master. As a final test, Ducard hands Bruce a sword to kill a captured convict. Bruce refuses and Ducard promptly explains that Bruce must do what is necessary to fight evil. After learning of the League of Shadows' plans to destroy Gotham City, Bruce knocks him out and burns his home down, (apparently) killing Ra's. Ducard is rescued by his pupil before the fortress' collapse.

Towards the end of the movie, Ducard unexpectedly reappears and we learn he is actually Ra's al Ghul himself. In the ensuing confrontation, Ducard elaborates on the League of Shadows' treacherous exploits throughout history (spreading the Black Death, Great Fire of London, etc.). Ducard then 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 explains that the destruction of Gotham is merely another mission by the League to undo humanity's recurring fits of decadence: indeed, the League has an indirect link to the death of Bruce's father. After defeating Bruce but sparing his life, Ducard tells his former pupil that they were "even."

Ducard is confronted once more by his student's alter ego, Batman. He tells Batman that he took his advice of using theatricality too literally before escaping and going on with his plans. Batman eventually catches up, and teacher and student have one final battle on a runaway train. Ducard's arrogance is ultimately his downfall after Batman defeats him and his foils his plan. The hero leaves him for dead on the train, and Ducard is seen meditating before the train's crash. He apparently dies in the ensuing explosion. However, as Ducard and Ra's al Ghul have been merged for the Batman Begins franchise, he may live: Ra's al Ghul's greatest asset is his immortality.