Line #26 Characters/BatmanTaliaAlGhul


1	[[WMG:[[center:[-''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' '''[[Characters/{{Batman}} Main Character Index]]'''\
2	'''Title Character'''\
3	[[Characters/BatmanTheCharacter Batman]] ([[Characters/BatmanBruceWayne Bruce Wayne]])\
4	'''Allies'''\
5	[[Characters/BatmanBatFamily The Bat-Family]] (Characters/{{Batgirl}} \| Characters/{{Batwoman}} \| [[Characters/BatmanJasonTodd Jason Todd]] \| Characters/{{Robin}}) \| [[Characters/BatmanSupportingCast Extended Bat-Family & Other Supporting Cast]] (Characters/{{Azrael}} \| [[Characters/BatmanHuntress Huntress]])\
6	'''[[Characters/BatmanRoguesGallery Villains]]'''\
7	[[Characters/BatmanBane Bane]] \| Characters/{{Catwoman}} ([[Characters/CatwomanSelinaKyle Selina Kyle]]) \| [[Characters/BatmanClayface Clayface]] \| Characters/HarleyQuinn ([[Characters/HarleyQuinnTheCharacter Harleen Quinzel]]) \| [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]] \| [[Characters/BatmanLadyShiva Lady Shiva]] \| [[Characters/BatmanLeagueOfAssassins League of Assassins]] ([[Characters/BatmanRasAlGhul Ra's Al Ghul]] \| '''Talia Al Ghul''') \| [[Characters/BatmanMrFreeze Mr. Freeze]] \| [[Characters/BatmanThePenguin The Penguin]] \| [[Characters/BatmanPoisonIvy Poison Ivy]] \| [[Characters/BatmanTheRiddler The Riddler]] \| [[Characters/BatmanTheScarecrow The Scarecrow]] \| [[Characters/BatmanTwoFace Two Face]] \| [[Characters/BatmanRoguesGalleryPart1 A-F]] \| [[Characters/BatmanRoguesGalleryPart2 G-L]] \| [[Characters/BatmanRoguesGalleryPart3 M-R]] \| [[Characters/BatmanRoguesGalleryPart4 S-Z]]\
8	'''Spin-Offs'''\
9	''Characters/Batgirl2000'' \| ''Characters/BatmanIncorporated'' \| ''Characters/DarkNightsMetal'' ([[Characters/DarkNightsMetalTheBatmanWhoLaughs The Batman Who Laughs]]) \| ''Characters/IAmBatman'' \| ''Characters/{{Nightwing}}'' ([[Characters/NightwingDickGrayson Dick Grayson]]) \| ''Characters/{{The Outsiders\|DCComics}}'' \| ''Characters/RedHoodAndTheOutlaws'' \| ''Characters/Robin1993'' ([[Characters/RobinTimDrake Tim Drake]]) \| ''Characters/Robin2021'' ([[Characters/RobinDamianWayne Damian Wayne]])-]]]]]
10
11	!!Talia Al Ghul
12	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/talia_al_ghul_poster.jpeg]]
13	[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see her "Classic" design]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/talia_classic.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
14	[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see her design in ''The New 52'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/talia_new_52.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
15	[[quoteright:350:[[labelnote:Click here to see her design in ''Rebirth'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/talia_rebirth.png[[/labelnote]]]]
16
17	!!! '''Alter Ego:''' Talia Head
18	!!! '''Species:''' Human
19	!!! '''Team Affiliations:''' League of Assassins, Leviathan
20	!!! '''First appearance:''' ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics #411'' (May 1971)
21
22	->''"Family can be replaced. And your obsession with family has always been your weakness. Let this be a lesson to you."''
23
24	Talia Al Ghul (Arabic: Vanguard of the Demon) was created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Bob Brown and Dick Giordano. Talia's publication history extends back to the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] of comics, making her debut in ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' #411 that released in May 1971.
25
26	Talia is the daughter of ComicBook/RasAlGhul and was raised from birth to be part of his criminal empire, in both administration and combat. She grew up to be a shrewd leader and excelled in managing his criminal and legitimate operations and became his most skilled, loyal and trusted advisor which led to her being appointed as his primary heir, although [[HeirClubForMen her status as a woman still made her an unsuitable heir in his eyes]] and his ultimate goal for her is to find a suitable mate to [[IWantGrandkids give him true male-born heir]], with the most famous candidate being ComicBook/{{Batman}}. While Batman is uninterested in Ra's plans, he has often demonstrated actual romantic feelings for Talia.
27
28	Talia is known for being one of ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}'s primary competitors for Batman's {{Love Interest\|s}} and oft-regarded as his second great love. And like Catwoman, [[DatingCatwoman being on opposite sides keeps them apart.]] Talia is [[ConflictingLoyalty often conflicted]] by [[DaddysGirl her loyalty to her father]] and her love for Batman. She [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor will often pick one over the other, only to change her mind again later]]. Ra's whole-heartedly approves of the relationship between Batman and Talia, but only insofar as [[IWantGrandkids it will produce him an heir]] should [[WeCanRuleTogether Batman himself comply.]] He finally got his wish when Batman and Talia had a one-night-stand (or [[ChildByRape she date-raped him]], DependingOnTheWriter) and she gave birth to [[ComicBook/{{Robin}} Damian Wayne]], who was raised to take over the League of Assassins. However, Damian would reject these plans and defect from the House of Al Ghul to side with his father, thus becoming the fourth Robin. [[ComicBook/KingdomCome In other realities,]] Bruce and Talia's son is Ibn al Xu'ffasch, and he ''does'' take over for Ra's; in a mild twist, Ibn is a benevolent leader.
29
30	Talia is most commonly depicted in an AntiVillain light or as an ALighterShadeOfGrey to her father, but DependingOnTheWriter she has also been depicted as a cruel and ruthless villain with little redeeming qualities. She's normally not above co-operating with Batman or other heroes if it would serve her own ends, and has firmer ties to the rest of Franchise/TheDCU villain community than her father, such as taking over for ComicBook/LexLuthor as CEO of [=LexCorp=] upon his election as president or being one of the core members of the Secret Society of Super-Villains. After cutting ties with her father and founding her own organization called Leviathan, she has become a prominent figure in the espionage world of the ''ComicBook/DCUniverse''.
31
32	[[folder:Appearances in other media:]]
33	[[AC: Live-Action]]
34
35	* ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'': Talia is [[BigBadDuumvirate one of the antagonists]] in final film of the trilogy, ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''. She appears under the alias of Miranda Tate, a philanthropist who befriends Bruce Wayne. She wants to destroy Gotham as [[AvengingTheVillain revenge for her father's death]] and has no real romantic interest in Bruce. Her [[AdaptationOriginConnection backstory is now tied]] to ComicBook/{{Bane}}'s, with her having been born into "[[TheAlcatraz the Pit]]" prison where he was stuck in, where he protected her until she was able to escape and she would later have her father free him herself and became her partner. She's played by Creator/MarionCotillard as an adult and Creator/JoeyKing as a child. See [[Characters/TheDarkKnightTrilogyLeagueOfShadows her character entry here for more information]].
36	* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': Talia's lesser-known sister, Nyssa (played by Creator/KatrinaLaw), appears with [[CompositeCharacter several of Talia's attributes]] such as her romantic interest in a hero(ine) and loyalty split between said LoveInterest and her loyalty to Ra. Talia herself would later appear as a young girl (played by Creator/MilliWilkinson) in an episode of spinoff ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' set in 1960, before becoming a supporting player in ''Arrow'''s Season 5 as an adult (played by Creator/LexaDoig). See [[Characters/ArrowverseLeagueOfAssassins her character entry here for more information]].
37
38	[[AC: Animation]]
39
40	* ''Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse'': Talia is a recurring villain in the SharedUniverse, appearing in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' (voiced by Creator/HelenSlater), ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' (voiced by Creator/OliviaHussey in both). See [[Characters/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesRoguesGalleryPart1 her character entry here for more information]].
41	* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'': Talia is a recurring villain voiced by Creator/AndreaBowen. See [[Characters/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBoldAntagonists her character entry here for more information]].
42	* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'': Talia makes her first appearances in the tie-in comics set during Season 1 and 2 before she appears in the show proper during Season 3 and speaking in Season 4, voiced by Creator/ZehraFazal. See [[Characters/YoungJustice2010LeagueOfShadows her character entry here for more information]].
43	* ''WesternAnimation/HarleyQuinn2019'': Talia is a regular villain starting in Season 4 and set to continue into Season 5, voiced by Creator/AlineElasmar.
44	* ''WesternAnimation/DCUniverseAnimatedOriginalMovies''
45	** ''WesternAnimation/BatmanUnderTheRedHood'': Talia has a brief unvoiced [[TheCameo cameo]] standing next to her father as she witnesses Jason Todd came back to life.
46	** ''WesternAnimation/DCAnimatedMovieUniverse'': Talia is a recurring villain in this film continuity appearing in ''WesternAnimation/SonOfBatman'', ''WesternAnimation/BatmanVsRobin (unvoiced [[TheCameo cameo]]) and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBadBlood''. She's voiced by Creator/MorenaBaccarin. See [[Characters/DCAMUVillains her character entry here for more information]].
47	** ''WesternAnimation/BatmanVsTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': Talia has a brief [[TheCameo cameo]] as a profile picture in the Batcomputer.
48	** ''WesternAnimation/DCShowcaseBatmanDeathInTheFamily'': Talia appears in three of the alternate storylines in the interactive film. She's voiced by Creator/ZehraFazal.
49
50	[[AC:Video Games]]
51
52	* ''VideoGame/BatmanDarkTomorrow'': Talia is a supporting character in the game, voice by Creator/WendyJones.
53	* ''VideoGame/DCUniverseOnline'': Talia appears an NPC for villain characters. An AlternateSelf version of her called "Lady al Ghul" is the FinalBoss of "The Bombshell Paradox" operation. She's voiced by Creator/EllieMcBride
54	* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'': Talia appears as a supporting character and LoveInterest. She's voiced by Creator/StanaKatic. See [[Characters/BatmanArkhamSeriesRoguesGalleryCity her character entry here for more information]].
55	* ''VideoGame/LEGOBatman'': Talia is an unlockable character in the portable versions of ''LEGO Batman: The Videogame'' and ''LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes''.
56	* ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'': Talia appears as a Support Card in the first game. In ''VideoGame/Injustice2'' she appears in the tie-in comic and is mentioned in several intros, often implying that she is dead.
57
58	[[AC:Webcomics]]
59	* Webcomic/BatmanWayneFamilyAdventures: Talia makes an appearance when visiting Damian Wayne in order to test his abilities. Notably, their relationship is much more stable in this interaction, with Talia being satisfied in knowing that Damian is happy living with his father and telling him that letting him go was the hardest decision she had ever made.
60
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	!!Tropes which describe Talia Al-Ghul:
64
65	* AbhorrentAdmirer: Had one in ComicBook/{{Bane}} during his time in the League of Assassins. She had a brief consensual relationship with him, but broke it off after finding him too brutish, cruel and [[SpeedSex a poor lover]]. But Bane remained enamored by her and Ra picked him to be her ChosenConceptionPartner, forcing her to tolerate him for a while, until he fell out of favor with Ra.
66	* AbusiveParents:
67	** While her father ComicBook/RasAlGhul has shown to love her in his own way, he's always been portrayed as a terrible father:
68	*** He put her through a TrainingFromHell from birth so he could mold her into the person he wanted as an heir, often putting her through harsh trials (emotional, intellectual, and physical) so she could prove herself to him.
69	*** Ra has often shown to have a chauvinistic side, and even though Talia has proven herself worthy to be his heir, he still desires [[HeirClubForMen a male heir]], and schemes to have her marry [[ChosenConceptionPartner someone worthy enough]] so she could produce him such an heir.
70	*** Taken to the ultimate conclusion in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond''. [[spoiler:It turns out that, rather than dying when defeated by Batman during "the apocalypse of 2009", Ra's actually cheated death by [[FamilialBodySnatcher stealing Talia's body for his own]], as his original body was too mangled for the Lazarus Pit to restore it. Although he describes it in terms that infer that Talia willingly chose to die so that her father could live, a disgusted Bruce Wayne declares that Ra's sacrificed Talia's life for his own, and of course Ra's ''would'' paint himself in the best light...]]
71	*** Ra's [[Really700YearsOld unnaturally long age]] has made him an emotionally distant father who would often neglect to give Talia true affection. The fact her mother also wasn't present in her life, and Ra dismissed any of Talia's attempts to find out about her would deeply frustrate her.
72	** She herself wasn't the best mother to Damian, although the degree varies DependingOnTheWriter, with most of her KickTheDog moments coming from her characterization as an EvilMatriarch during ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison''. Most commonly she still cares deeply about him but acts [[MyBelovedSmother smothering and overprotective]] and often tries to push her ideals into him, at her worst even coming into conflict with his friends and allies because she disapproves of the influence they have on him.
73	*** After Damian suffers from a spine injury while working as [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson's]] Robin, she secretly installed a device in his spine that would [[PeoplePuppets allow her to take over his body]] so she could use it to kill Grayson, who she thought was holding back Damian's potential. When Damian finds out, he's horrified enough that he renounced his maternal heritage and abandoned her for the Bat-family.
74	*** She disowns Damian when he chose to stay with Batman instead of her and even placed a ''bounty'' on his head.
75	*** At the peak of her villainy in ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', she doesn't stop [[EliteMook The Heretic]] from killing Damian, though she later [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone comes to regret this]] and [[AntagonistInMourning mourns his death]], and has every one of her men involved in his death be executed.
76	*** She also didn't have a sliver of affection for the Damian clones, treating them as merely clone soldiers for Leviathan, despite the fact they see her as their mother.
77	* ActionMom: Giving birth to Damian has not made her any less of a badass.
78	* AdaptationalConsent: Exactly how willing Bruce was to sleep with Talia during the encounter that produced Damian has [[DependingOnTheWriter flip-flopped between writers]]. The original story had their encounter being consensual and fueled only by their attraction towards each other, and Talia gave up the child to adoption so it wouldn't get involved in the conflict between Batman and her father. The story that introduced Damian {{retcon}}ned it as Talia [[SlippingAMickey drugging]] Bruce purely so [[ChildByRape she could have his child]]. This was later {{retcon}}ned back into being a consensual relationship.
79	* AffablyEvil: Even when she's portrayed as being extremely evil, she can still be very cordial.
80	* AffectionateNickname: She famously refers to Bruce Wayne as "Beloved", although she's also prone to using "Detective" just like her father does.
81	* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: All the men she's ever been attracted to are often dangerous men with a dark brooding persona.
82	* AmicableExes: Seems to have become one with Bruce in ''ComicBook/BatmanTomKing''. After ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} beats her in a sword fight, a wounded Talia al Ghul crawls up to Batman and they act rather friendly with each other despite her attempting to kill him earlier that day. She also approves of Selina being Bruce's fiancée.
83	* AntiHero:
84	** She was portrayed as this during the time she defected from the League of Assassins after ''ComicBook/JLATowerOfBabel''. While she still used underhanded tactics, she would often assist other heroes, such as leaking info on [=LexCorp=] while she was CEO for Superman and Batman.
85	** In ''ComicBook/DCFutureState'', she's allied with the heroes in the [[LaResistance Gotham Resistance]], even rescuing Batman herself. Bruce still has to ask her [[ThouShaltNotKill not to kill anyone]] while fighting alongside him.
86	* AntiVillain: At her best, she's usually this, being [[PragmaticVillainy more pragmatic]] and ALighterShadeOfGrey than her cruel father and often assisting Batman and Damian. After cutting ties to Ra's it's also not uncommon to see her siding or fighting alongside the good guys if their goals happen to align.
87	* ArchnemesisDad: She has a complicated love/hate relationship with her father ComicBook/RasAlGhul, and has fought him many times, to the point it's not unreasonable to say he's one of her greatest enemies.
88	* AsianBabymama: She's an exotic "oriental" woman (usually a vague mixture of Arab and Chinese, sometimes with some Eastern European ancestry thrown in) who ultimately bears TheHero's lovechild. However, Talia is given a lot more characterization than most examples of this trope.
89	* BadassInDistress: Even after her {{Xenafication}}, Talia still gets kidnapped from time to time, though she most commonly [[DamselOutOfDistress managed to get out by herself]]. One of the most notable examples being when ''Batman himself'' kidnaped her in ''ComicBook/BatmanHush'' in order to draw out ComicBook/RasAlGhul.
90	* BadassNormal: She's a master assassin that does not have any supernatural abilities, save for access to the Lazarus Pits.
91	* BadBoss: PlayedWith. She often acts as a strict IronLady to her subordinates and is not above using {{Mook}}s as expendable, but they hardly seem to mind since the League of Assassin or Leviathan {{Mook}}s she commands usually have an UndyingLoyalty to the cause.
92	* MyBelovedSmother: She's frequently shown to be an overprotective and controlling mother to Damian, to the point she often comes into conflict with him when she starts associating with people (often heroes) she doesn't like, due to fearing their influence on him will "make him weak".
93	%% Doesn't explain what the reaction is. * BerserkButton: While she's not as obsessive about it as her father, she's also an environmentalist and cares a lot about the planet's well-being, which is why she often assisted ComicBook/{{Superman}} during her time as [=LexCorp=]'s CEO.
94	* BettyAndVeronica: The (relative) Veronica to Catwoman's (relative) Betty for Batman's Archie. While both are often villains or {{Anti Villain}}s and both are [[TheTease very seductive]], Talia is usually the "amoral" LoveInterest while Selina is the "moral" LoveInterest. ''ComicBook/GothamCitySirens'' states that they are the only two women that hold a place in Batman's heart, although UnreliableNarrator is likely present, as he's shown feelings for other women, such as ComicBook/{{Zatanna}} and Silver Saint Cloud.
95	* BigBad: Revealed to be this for the ''Batman Incorporated'' stage of ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'' epic in ''Leviathan Strikes'' arc.
96	* BigEgoHiddenDepths: Talia is a very arrogant woman, but deep down she is a woman who constantly struggles with ConflictingLoyalty and her place in the world.
97	* BigSisterWorship: Had this for Nyssa after being {{Brainwashed}} by her, always calling her "beloved sister" and serving her even more faithfully than she had Ra. But when Nyssa dies, Talia doesn't even seem to acknowledge her death, even though she still maintains the SanitySlippage that the {{Brainwash\|ed}}ing caused.
98	* BirdsOfAFeather: She has bonded with ComicBook/LadyShiva and Cheshire in the past, due to all three of them being villainous female assassins and {{Asian Babymama}}s whose offspring turned into heroes.
99	* BodyguardBabes: Her personal guard are female ninjas with good looks similar to Talia's.
100	* BodyguardCrush: She had a FriendsWithBenefits arrangement with one of her bodyguards in ''ComicBook/RedHoodTheLostDays''.
101	* BodyguardingABadass: While she's often escorted by bodyguards, she's often much deadlier than they are.
102	* BoomHeadshot: At the end of ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', she's killed by getting shot in the head by [[ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} Kathy Kane]]. She got BackFromTheDead via Lazarus Pits not long after.
103	* BrainwashedAndCrazy: During the ''Death and the Maidens'' story arc, her sister Nyssa {{brainwashed}} her while repeatedly killing and resurrecting her in a Lazarus Pit, which eventually led to Talia becoming much more unstable and even turning on both Ra ''and'' Batman for Nyssa's sake. Even after Nyssa was gone, the trauma of the experience has been given to explain how often her character flip-flopped since.
104	* BrainyBrunette: Talia is a brunette with long brown hair, and is a cultured woman who is a skilled battle tactician and business expert.
105	* BuxomBeautyStandard: Like most female comic characters, she has an ample bust, which is only part of why she's considered so attractive InUniverse. They are also often emphasized by her outfits, which frequently have {{Cleavage Window}}s.
106	* CainAndAbel: Talia and her sister, Nyssa Raatko have had many problems; including Nyssa killing and reviving Talia numerous times with a Lazarus Pit. Nyssa also once killed Ra's (even though for Ra's, DeathIsCheap, due to the Lazarus Pits). [[spoiler:Nyssa Raatko is later killed by the League of Shadows with a car bomb.]]
107	* CharacterExaggeration: Her arrogance reaches megalomanic levels during ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', with her believing herself to own the world and acting as a SmugSnake.
108	* TheChessmaster: Her role as a villain after parting ways with Ra is that of a schemer who manipulates people and events in order to further her own goals.
109	* ChessMotifs: [[LikeFatherLikeSon Much like her father]] she has a tendency to speak in chess motifs when talking about her plans.
110	* ChosenConceptionPartner: Her father is obsessed with choosing a worthy husband for her, so that they can produce the ideal heir for his cause. Whether she actually wants one is a case of DependingOnTheWriter. Classic Talia didn't really like the idea (excluding when it was Bruce) but went along with it to please her father. But future writers and adaptations portray her as a StalkerWithATestTube who's even willing to resort to SlippingAMickey to get the desired child, however since the end of Morrison’s run she’s swung back to the other direction.
111	** ComicBook/{{Batman}} is Ra's favorite choice, as well as Talia's, since [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage she already fell in love with him]] even before Ra picked him. Ra's wishes ended up coming true when Damian Wayne was created, although if he's a product of Talia and Bruce's consensual love or her date-raping him tends to change DependingOnTheWriter.
112	** One story that had ComicBook/LexLuthor backstory having been mentored by Ra's when he was young had Ra consider Lex as an heir, and even introduced him to Talia, but apparently nothing came of it.
113	** Talia was ''very'' unhappy during the brief period of time Ra picked ComicBook/{{Bane}} as her "mate", and he wouldn't allow her to rebuff him but he called the marriage off when Bane failed to defeat Batman, much to Talia's relief.
114	** Ra later picked ComicBook/{{Azrael}} as a potential heir, and while she confessed to Jean-Paul that she was still in love with Bruce, she wouldn't object to marrying him. But when Ra finds him "genetically imperfect" he calls the marriage off and orders him killed, but Talia liked him enough that she sneaks him a key via a SleightOfTongue hidden as a LastKiss, allowing him to escape execution.
115	* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: A more sympathetic example from during the days she had a ConflictingLoyalty towards her father ComicBook/RasAlGhul and her lover ComicBook/{{Batman}}. Since she ultimately wanted no one to end up hurt, she would switch sides in assisting one and the other in order to ensure neither of them lost or won.
116	* ChronicVillainy:
117	** She once attempted to live a normal life away from her father's influence and even away from Bruce working as a businesswoman, but ComicBook/LexLuthor eventually tracked her down and convinced her to work for him, putting her once again on the path to villainy.
118	** ''ComicBook/RobinSonOfBatman'' brought her BackFromTheDead after ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Inc.]]'' and attributed most of her overt evil action in the past era as a result of the [[{{Brainwashed}} indoctrination]] Nyssa put her through during ''Death and The Maiden'', and was "brought back to her old self after she was revived without the indoctrination. She [[MustMakeAmends mended her relationship with Damian]] and seemingly was going to have a [[RedemptionQuest redemption arc]], but then ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'' happened and all the ''ComicBook/New52'' series had to be closed and the idea was abandoned. By the next time we see her in ''ComicBook/BatmanTomKing'' she's back to being a villain, albeit not as monstrous as she was before.
119	* CleavageWindow: Several of her outfits have a window to her cleavage. Sometimes they ''also'' have a NavelWindow, too.
120	* CombatPragmatist: She's a master assassin who wouldn't hesitate to press any advantage she can get in combat. While much like her father, she enjoys using [[CoolSword elegant weapons like swords]] and fighting like a LadyOfWar, she doesn't have the same aversion he has with using more conventional weaponry such as firearms or using dirty tricks like coating her weapons with poison.
121	* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Some of Talia's early designs were inspired by British actress Creator/CarolineMunro, particularly how she looked in her role as Margiana in ''Film/TheGoldenVoyageOfSinbad''.
122	* ConflictingLoyalty: Talia's character is centered on this, at first with her being conflicted from her desire to please her father ''and'' her love for his ArchEnemy ComicBook/{{Batman}}. Later her loyalty is conflicted between her love for her son and her own objectives in life.
123	* ContinuitySnarl:
124	** The retroactive existence of the events of ''Son of the Demon'' (originally non-canon) and thus Damian in her life conflicts with some of her actions that took place between ''Son of the Demon'' itself and Damian's introduction in ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman and Son]]'', such as the time she defected from the League of Assassins and became estranged from Ra's for a significant period of time.
125	** The original ''Son of the Demon'' story has Bruce and Talia be in love having a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage as part of Batman's alliance with Ra, with the story ending with the two breaking the alliance and going into conflict, and Talia pretending to have suffered a miscarriage in order not to involve the child, giving him away for adoption. Years later, during ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', the story was made canon through BroadStrokes and the child was {{retcon}}ned into having stayed with Talia and raised by the League of Assassins as Damian Al Ghul. However, Morrison also {{retcon}}ned the romance and marriage of Talia and Bruce, attributing their 'romance' as merely a ploy of Ra and Talia to create a genetically perfect heir, with Talia having even [[SlippingAMickey drugged Bruce]] in order to [[ChildByRape get him to sleep with her]]. This proved to be an unpopular decision and was later {{retcon}}ned ''again'' with the Pre-Flashpoint Superboy-Prime universe-shaking punch restoring Bruce and Talia's relation as being consensual, except some writers didn't care or didn't get the memo, so several of the events still get mix and matched DependingOnTheWriter.
126	* ConvenientMiscarriage: {{Invoked\|Trope}} by her in the graphic novel ''Son of the Demon'', where she pretends she miscarried her and Bruce's child so she could keep the child away from both Ra's and Batman's influence, giving the child away for adoption. Said story was revisited and {{retcon}}ned years later when the child became Damian, whom she kept and raised.
127	* CriminallyAttractive: She is smitten by the "world's greatest detective" who happens to be a fierce enemy of her father. And Batman reciprocates even if Talia's on the wrong side of the law.
128	* CutLexLuthorACheck: {{Subverted\|Trope}}, even if she wasn't born in an already priviliged life, during the time she cut ties to ComicBook/RasAlGhul and the League of Assassins, she actually had no trouble using her skills to make a living as a legal businesswoman. Ironically enough, the one who got her back into the criminal life was no other than ComicBook/LexLuthor who recruited her to run [=LexCorp=]
129	* DaddysGirl: Talia's early characterization has her being extremely loyal to her father and dedicating most of her life in service to him and his goals. Over time and with Bruce's influence, she came to find his ruthless and genocidal plans to be too much and has sided against him on several issues, until she eventually cut ties with him for good, and even founded an organization similar to the League of Assassins on her own: Leviathan.
130	* DaddysLittleVillain: She often flip-flops between loyalty to her father and to her "beloved". She foils his 'destroy the written word' scheme, a lackey shoots her in the leg and the lackey is fed to lions. Although in recent years she more often falls firmly on her father's side in the villain camp.
131	* DarkActionGirl: Talia is an athlete at the peak of physical conditioning and has been trained in many forms of martial arts since birth, and other deadly techniques as an assassin. She is also quite proficient with most hand weapons and is an excellent sword fighter and a decent marksman.
132	* DatingCatwoman: Arguably the most famous example to Batman after the TropeNamer herself. It's been said that the only woman Batman has ever truly loved besides the aforementioned Catwoman is Talia.
133	* DamselInDistress: During her early characterization (before her {{Xenafication}}) where she didn't have many combat skills, she would often be held hostage and need to be rescued by Batman. Often she'd be held by her own father's {{Mook}}s, as punishment for having assisted Batman in some manner.
134	* DefectingForLove: Would often come close to abandoning the League of Shadows and Ra to be with Bruce, but would always ultimately choose to stay with her father, even if she assisted Bruce with foiling his plans.
135	* DependingOnTheArtist: Due to being of Arabic and Chinese descent Talia has been depicted with a variety of different skin tones and facial features. Sometimes she's [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/talia2_148.jpg drawn white-passing]], sometimes brown-skinned with [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arab_talia.jpg Arabic features]] and others with [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/asian_talia.jpg eastern Asian features]]. Her eye color is prone to change too. Her long, slick brown hair is her most consistent facial feature.
136	* DependingOnTheWriter: After ''Death and the Maidens'', her characterization begun to drastically ping-pongs around from writer to writer. At her best, she's an AntiVillain and NobleDemon who genuinely loves Bruce and Damian but has a hard time playing by their rules. At her worst, she's an irredeemable monster who's even more ruthless and unhinged than her father. Starting in the early 2020s after she came back from a publishing break, her characterization began moving back to what it was pre-Morrison.
137	* DissonantSerenity: No matter how upset, enraged, or surprised she gets, she almost always looks completely calm and seductive. Even when her son is critically injured after an explosion at sea, her orders for help are as calm as though she were ordering lunch at a restaurant.
138	* DotingParent: She often doted and spoiled Damian when he was little, unintentionally turning him into a SpoiledBrat.
139	* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: In some continuities, Damian is [[ChildByRape the product of Talia drugging Batman and having her way with him]]. Batman himself never calls it a sexual assault, but he is clearly not happy with her. This was originally a {{retcon}} of a story in which Damian's conception was consensual and it has since been retconned back into being consensual.
140	* TheDragon:
141	** She's frequently Ra's NumberTwo in his criminal empire, although DependingOnTheWriter other villains in the League of Assassins outrank her.
142	** She also was this for Nyssa during the brief time Nyssa became the new Demon's Head, which she spent joining the Secret Society of Super-Villains and acting as the link between them and Nyssa.
143	* DragonAscendant: After Ra's death in ''Death and the Maidens'' and Nyssa's death in ''One Year Later'' she inherited almost all of the Al Ghul [[TheSyndicate criminal empire]]... until Ra came BackFromTheDead. Even then she managed to usurp his position in ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Inc.]]'' and placed him under [[GildedCage house arrest]] while she absorbed most of the League of Assassins into Leviathan.
144	* DragonInChief: As her name implies, she's the Vanguard of the Demon and frequently worked as a field commander for several of the League of Assassin operations, while ComicBook/RasAlGhul was a NonActionBigBad. The most notable example being the ''ComicBook/JLATowerOfBabel'' arc, where she personally infiltrates the Watchtower and Bat-cave and also personally manages all the operations to take down each of the League members.
145	* DragonLady: Her design and role in ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'' was fashioned after one, with her Asian physical features being more prominent than ever, her tendency to wear red UsefulNotes/{{qipao}}, TookALevelInJerkass and becoming far more ruthless and her role as TheLeader of a terrorist organization of her own.
146	* DrivenToMadness: During ''Death and the Maiden'' she was repeatedly killed and revived by a Lazarus Pit (who are known for their SanitySlippage side-effects), as part of her sister's Nyssa attempt to [[{{Brainwashed}} indoctrinate]] Talia. It worked and Talia became Nyssa's puppet for a while, acting much more hostile to both Ra and Batman. Even after Nyssa's death, Talia still continued to act as NotHerself, becoming increasingly more unhinged and megalomaniacal, particularly during ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison''. After she got killed was brought BackFromTheDead in ''ComicBook/RobinSonOfBatman'', she got better and returned to her previous AntiVillain characterization.
147	* DualWielding: She is a MasterSwordsman who often dual-wields them in combat. Sometimes she even goes for a SwordAndGun combo.
148	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Modern Talia is known for being a master assassin and ruthless TheChessmaster ever since she was a child, but her very first story has her breaking into tears after she's forced to shoot a man to save ComicBook/{{Batman}}'s life.
149	* EducationMama: A more fantastical example. She has always pushed Damien for to excel at everything he does and seemed to personally interfere with his training in the League of Assassins quite often, to the point she had a few of his {{Private Tutor}}s expelled when she thought [[MamaBear they were treating him too harshly]] or just not being competent enough for her standards.
150	* EnemyMine: As an AntiVillain, she has often allied with heroes to fight enemies she considers a greater threat.
151	** The most common being siding with Batman [[ArchnemesisDad against her own father]] ComicBook/RasAlGhul, when she thought his plans were going too far. She once even teamed up with ComicBook/{{Superman}} in ''ComicBook/ActionComics'' in order to stop Ra and Encantadora in a plot to [[AGodAmI turn Ra into a god]].
152	** After Mark Shaw took control of Leviathan, she allied herself with ''ComicBook/{{Checkmate}}'' in order to oppose him, although it's later revealed she was PlayingBothSides and took control of Leviathan back to herself.
153	* EntitledToHaveYou: She firmly believes she and Bruce are destined to be together, which is why she doesn't show jealousy over his other {{Love Interest}}s, since she figures they will ultimately not mean anything.
154	* EvenEvilHasStandards: During the ''ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}'' "Freefall" arc, she's building a CloneArmy to protect herself from Ra with the help of MadScientist Creighton Kendall. But even she gets disturbed when he turns the Mother of Champions into a clone BabyFactory, and is actually horrified when she discovers a lot of the clone babies just end up dying and disposed of as if they were trash, and she attempts to shut down the whole experiment right there.
155	* EvilMentor:
156	** She becomes a mentor figure for Jason Todd/Red Hood in ''ComicBook/RedHoodTheLostDays'', after his revival by Lazarus Pit while encouraging his PayEvilUntoEvil tendencies.
157	** Most of the things Damian ever learned about assassinations and killing came from her.
158	* FemmeFatale: Beautiful? Check. Seductive? Check. Deadly? Double-check.
159	* FemmeFataleSpy: She's an espionage expert and makes full use of her sexual prowess to gain any edge she can in the field.
160	* FollowInMyFootsteps:
161	** Her father ComicBook/RasAlGhul has raised her to take over the family's work, training her to be a ruthless assassin and leader, something she often resents, as she never had the chance to live a normal life.
162	** She herself often wants Damian to follow in her and Ra's footsteps despite him wanting to follow in his father's heroic legacy instead. How well she accepts this [[DependingOnTheWriter depends on the writer]], with sometimes her coming to respect his decision, to sometimes being enraged and trying to force him back through various terrible means, to sometimes denouncing him entirely.
163	* FormFittingWardrobe: Many of her combat outfits are extremely skintight, especially if they're a SpyCatsuit or are a SensualSpandex.
164	* FriendsWithBenefits: She doesn't seem to have had any serious romantic relationship outside of Bruce, but she does date or sleep with other men, often with this arrangement. In ''ComicBook/RedHoodTheLostDays'' she actually had this arrangement with one of [[BodyguardCrush her bodyguards]].
165	* GiveHimANormalLife: This was the original fate of her child with Bruce in ''Son of the Demon'', due to Batman's alliance with Ra's Al Ghul falling apart, she decided to fake a miscarriage and give the child away for adoption so it would never get involved in the conflict between Batman and Ra. This was eventually {{retcon}}ed, with the child staying with her and becoming Damian.
166	* GlassCannon: While she's a skilled master assassin, she's merely a BadassNormal who dish out ''a lot'' more than she can take, and she usually relies on her own agility or her {{Mook}}s to protect herself. And due to DeathIsCheap being in effect for someone with access to Lazarus Pits, it's not uncommon to see her take fatal injuries which would render other characters unable to fight for the rest of their lives.
167	* GoToAlias: On the occasions that she represents herself as a legitimate businesswoman, she uses the name [[ThisIsMyNameOnForeign Talia Head]].
168	* GracefulLoser: In ''ComicBook/BatmanTomKing'', Talia doesn't seem that bothered by being beaten by Catwoman, implying the whole conflict between them was a SecretTestOfCharacter to see if Selina was worthy of being his bride and she even ends up giving them her blessing.
169	* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Due to her ConflictingLoyalties and being an AntiVillain character who is centered around espionage and intrigue, she's prone to switching sides often, mostly switching back and forth between her loyalties to her father and her love for Batman.
170	* HidingBehindYourBangs: One of her iconic hairstyles has her eyes frequently disappear behind her bangs, which helps reinforce her "shady" nature.
171	* HighHeelPower: Several of her {{Spy Catsuit}}s come with high-heels.
172	* {{Hypocrite}}: She grew to hate her father ComicBook/RasAlGhul for being a ControlFreak who [[FollowInMyFootsteps attempted to control her every aspect of her life so she could continue his work]], apparently not realizing she often does the exact same thing to Damian.
173	* HeirClubForMen: DependingOnTheWriter, Ra's reason for wanting Batman to marry Talia and produce an heir it's because she's an InadequateInheritor simply due to being a woman. It says something about the kind of person Ra's is that the ''less'' misogynistic reinterpretation of this interpretation is that he wants Talia to give him a grandson [[FamilialBodySnatcher so Ra's can then steal the boy's body for his own]], because whilst he considers stealing the bodies of his descendants an acceptable way to stay immortal, he doesn't want to become a woman by doing so.
174	* ItsAllAboutMe: DependingOnTheWriter, the center of Talia's world is someday ruling the earthly paradise Ra's promises with her destined partner and their son at her sides. That she wants to achieve this through absolutely no compromises on her part endear her to neither Batman nor Damian.
175	* InTheBlood: Several of her personality [[ItRunsInTheFamily traits]] and [[SharedFamilyQuirks quirks]] came from her father, such as [[TheChessmaster her intelligence]], [[MasterSwordsman skill with a sword]], her [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness eloquent manner of speaking]] and her UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans and NobleDemon tendencies.
176	* IWantGrandkids: Ra greatly desires for Talia to have a worthy heir with someone he [[ChosenConceptionPartner finds to be worthy]], such as [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]].
177	* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Despite loving [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Bruce]] she actually has shown little jealousy and at times outright support for his relationship with ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}. Although often it's simply because she does not feel threatened, as she considers it simply a matter of fact that Batman is destined to marry her someday.
178	** In "Hush", she was perfectly content to let Batman have his romance with Catwoman, and even prevented her from being killed by ComicBook/LadyShiva.
179	** In ''ComicBook/BatmanTomKing'', she [[WorthyOpponent actually approves of Selina after being beaten by her]] and gives the couple her blessing to be wed.
180	* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Much like her father, too much time in the Lazarus Pit eventually takes its toll on her mental state and moral fiber.
181	* KinslayingIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Several characters found her role in Damian's death on ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'' to be reprehensible, including her genocidal father, although it's become {{downplayed\|trope}} over time since he got BackFromTheDead not soon after and Talia was later portrayed as [[NotHerself not being herself]] during the time and having her own MyGodWhatHaveIDone freak out about it.
182	* KnightTemplarParent: She's quite the MamaBear towards Damian, having even expelled League of Assassins instructors when she didn't approve of how they were training him.
183	* LadyInAPowerSuit: She usually has this look whenever she works as a businesswoman, most frequently when she was CEO of [=LuthorCorp=].
184	* LeParkour: As a master assassin she's been trained to traverse urban environments via this and can keep up with any Bat-family member in RoofHopping.
185	* LittleMissBadass: When we see her childhood in ''Gotham City Villains Anniversary Giant'', she's already shown to be an expert martial artist and intelligent enough to take part in League meetings.
186	* LonelyRichKid: From the few glimpses we have of her childhood and teen years, she didn't have a great social life and was mostly surrounded by her father's servants and associates.
187	* LovingAShadow:
188	** The more villainous and unhinged incarnations of Talia portray her affections directed solely at "the Bat," Bruce as a pillar of righteousness among ordinary men, rather than "the Man," Bruce's goodhearted yet imperfect humanity hidden under his mask.
189	** In a platonic way, with Damian; She loves him, but that falls short compared to her love for who she wants her son to be.
190	* MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter: Talia to Batman, but rare for the trope, Ra's ''approves''. But only because Talia might be able to seduce Bruce into becoming his successor, or at least produce a grandchild that will.
191	* MafiaPrincess: Talia was first introduced as an ordinary if SpoiledSweet, who just so happened to have a terrorist father in charge of [[TheSyndicate an international criminal empire]], and got kidnapped by one of his criminal rivals, thus crossing paths with ComicBook/{{Batman}}. Her first story even ends with her being traumatized at having to kill a man to save Bruce. As time went on her character started to become more involved with running Ra's operation, and she went from a MafiaPrincess to a NeutralFemale, to DaddysLittleVillain and eventually, became TheQueenpin of her own criminal organization.
192	* MamaBear: Mess with her son and you won't live long enough to regret it. Even in her AbusiveParent EvilMatriarch characterization in ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Incorporated]]'', she immediately regretted her role in Damian's demise and had all her grunts that were involved in his death be executed.
193	* TheManBehindTheMan: She was this for the majority of ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Inc.]]'', being the MysteriousEmployer of several Leviathan villains, until TheReveal she was the BigBad.
194	* ManipulativeBastard: She's quite good at manipulating people to do what she wants, such as getting ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} to do what she wanted in ''ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} (Rebirth)'' by [[MamasBabyPapasMaybe telling him he was Damien's true father]] (which was a lie) and manipulating both ComicBook/{{Checkmate}} and Mark Shaw so she could reassume control of Leviathan.
195	* MasterSwordsman: Her father is one of the best fencers in the world and made sure to personally train her in sword-fighting since she was a child, turning her into one of the best sword fighters in the DC Universe. Unlike him, she takes preference to DualWielding them.
196	* TheMedic: When ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' first met Talia, she was working as a medical student in the University of Cairo, and she actually healed or dressed his wounds many times in stories where she starred in, in fact it was how she learned of his SecretIdentity since she [[UndressingTheUnconscious had to undress him to patch him up]] when they first met. After her {{Xenafication}} this aspect of her character was more or less forgotten about.
197	* MightyWhiteyAndMellowYellow: In her original characterization, she was a submissive Asian MafiaPrincess and NeutralFemale who fell in love with the foreign white superhero with whom she crossed paths with.
198	* MindRape: At the hands of her own half-sister, no less.
199	* MisanthropeSupreme: PlayedWith. While perhaps not to the extent of her father, she notably never ''objects'' to his plans to kill the majority of the world population. Often, she outright agrees that it has to be done.
200	* MissingMom: Talia's mother, Melisande Al Ghul, was absent during most of her life, although the reason for it has varied:
201	** Originally in ''Son of the Demon'', Melisande was killed in an accident when she fell into the Lazarus Pit right in front of Talia's eyes when she was a child, traumatizing her.
202	** In ''Birth of the Demon'', Talia tells Bruce her mother died of a drug overdose and that Ra refused to use a Lazarus Pit to bring her back.
203	** The ''ComicBook/New52'' {{retcon}}ned Melisande's character, as an ex-wife to Ra who was exiled for an unknown reason, with Ra [[TellMeAboutMyMother refusing to tell Talia anything about her]]. Melisande manages to meet Talia later in later, posing as a fortune teller, however, before she can say too much, Ubu removes her from her daughter's presence and presumably kills her.
204	** In ''ComicBook/DCInfiniteFrontier'' continuity, we only learn that Talia's mother is missing and that Ra has denied any information about her mother to her, despite Talia [[TellMeAboutMyMother constantly inquiring about it]]. All she learns about her is from her PrivateTutor in the League, who says they share a StrongFamilyResemblance and had an affinity for weapons.
205	* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: Talia grew up with conflicting feelings towards her father, who at times seemed to love her and value her, other he acted distantly and treated her as a tool, either to be used as a weapon or as a means to provide him with a "[[HeirClubForMen true heir]]", either by [[HeirInLaw marrying someone worthy]] or [[BabyFactory producing an offspring]] with a ChosenConceptionPartner. When his conflict with ComicBook/{{Batman}}, she grew to dislike Ra's more and more as he became more deranged, to the point where she defected from the League of Assassins in ''ComicBook/JLATowerOfBabel'' story arc, and their relationship never truly recovered from that point forward.
206	* MoralityPet: DependingOnTheWriter, Bruce, Damian, and even Jason Todd can be this to her, with her often going against ComicBook/RasAlGhul or her own plans in order to save their lives or help them.
207	* MostCommonSuperPower: Shown to have quite a buxom bust.
208	* MotiveDecay:
209	** Originally Talia was a woman of ConflictingLoyalty, who struggled with her father's control of her life and wished to escape and forge her own path, one that didn't even involver her being a villain, and she spent a good time actually estranged from him. But Damian's introduction in the Batman mythos almost completely erased that aspect of her character, and her motivations now usually revolve around Damian and having similar world-changing agendas and schemes just like her father.
210	** ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'' infamously had her character undergoing {{Flanderization}} into a pure HateSink megalomaniacal villain, who had multiple KickTheDog moments with Damian and Bruce, only seeming to care about utterly destroying Batman, killing his "family" and ruining everything he'd ever worked for, just because he [[PsychoExGirlfriend had rejected her]]. This characterization of her has been quietly retired ever since.
211	* MsFanservice: Talia is a HeadTurningBeauty and a frequent source of {{fanservice}}.
212	** Her outfits usually range from {{Form Fitting\|Wardrobe}} {{Spy Catsuit}}s to exotic {{Stripperiffic}} outfits that expose her navel, legs and [[NavelDeepNeckline cleavage]].
213	** The NakedOnRevival nature of the Lazarus Pits is often used as an opportunity for a SexySurfacingShot, albeit using [[CensorSteam steam]], [[CensorShadow shadows]] or [[SceneryCensor convenient angles]] to obscure any real nudity.
214	* MustMakeAmends: In ''ComicBook/RobinSonOfBatman'', after she comes BackFromTheDead without the indoctrination that caused her SanitySlippage and led to Damian's death, her first course of action is to find him and try to repair their broken relationship. While Damian manages to forgive her, he still parts ways with her to pursue his path as a hero and warns her he'll be after her if she ever slips again, something that she reluctantly accepts.
215	* NavelDeepNeckline: She very often wears outfits that show cleavage (including her SpyCatsuit uniforms), sometimes so deep it reaches her stomach.
216	* NeutralFemale: In her original characterization, whenever her father ComicBook/RasAlGhul and her beau ComicBook/{{Batman}} fight, she refuses to take a side. The best she'll do is prevent Batman from actually capturing and imprisoning Ra's after winning said fight, or would secretly save Bruce's life if he was the one who lost. The fact that she never could convince one of the other to back down always tore at her.
217	-->'''Talia:''' ''[as Ra and Bruce are getting ready to fight]'' So, once more it comes to elemental savagery. You two are the wisest, most intelligent men on the planet, and still you must settle your differences like beasts.
218	* NobleDemon: DependingOnTheWriter, she's a WellIntentionedExtremist who won't hesitate to spill blood to reach her goals, but still has a soft spot for Bruce and Damian and will ally herself with the heroes if [[EnemyMine the situation calls for it]].
219	* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: In the video games and the animated series, her "accent" is anything but Persian.
220	* NotHerself: Her [[{{Brainwashed}} indoctrination]] in ''Death and the Maidens'' is used InUniverse on ''ComicBook/RobinSonOfBatman'' to explain her [[TookALevelInJerkass villainous shift]] in attitude she had in that era, with her suffering bouts of SanitySlippage. She would return to be more of an AntiVillain after getting "cured".
221	* NotoriousParent: Her father ComicBook/RasAlGhul being a notorious immortal criminal mastermind and leader of an assassin cult has obviously shaped her entire life, something which occasionally resents, and occasionally takes pride in.
222	* OddCouple: ''ComicBook/GothamCitySirens'' has her in a bizarre team-up with ComicBook/HarleyQuinn, ComicBook/PoisonIvy and ComicBook/{{Zatanna}} to rescue ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} from Shrike.
223	* OneWomanArmy: Post her {{Xenafication}}, she has no issues taking down an army of {{Mook}}s all by herself.
224	* OffingTheOffspring: During ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Inc.]]'' she puts a bounty on Damian's head and later watches as her chief henchmen The Heretic kills Damian. She does immediately regret her inaction, and would later execute all of the men that were involved in Damian's death, including Heretic himself.
225	* ParentalBetrayal: Her secretly implanting a device on his spine that could force him to kill [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]] is the trigger that made Damian cut ties with her and permanently join the Bat-family.
226	* ParentalBlamelessness: The fact she's responsible for turning Damian into a SpoiledBrat is completely lost on her. She also joined the Totality because she believes the only possible reason Damian chose to be with Batman over her is something being wrong with reality from a Crisis reset, and not any fault of her actions, because she sacrificed so much for him.
227	* PayEvilUntoEvil: Her view of what the League of Assassins ''should'' be doing. She even encouraged Jason Todd to adopt this mentality during the time she was his EvilMentor in ''ComicBook/RedHoodTheLostDays''.
228	* PetTheDog: In ''ComicBook/RedHoodTheLostDays'', she got Jason Todd out of her father's clutches after Ra thought him a lost cause, and dedicated a lot of time and resources into restoring Jason back to health, while also attempting to dissuade him of taking {{revenge}} on Bruce, while pulling a ScheherezadeGambit on Jason to stall him.
229	* PoisonedWeapons: Just one of her tricks as a master assassin. She once defeated Batman in a sword duel just by slashing him, since her blades were coated with poison.
230	* PsychoExGirlfriend: Her characterization in ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'' makes her very bitter about ComicBook/{{Batman}} having rejected her and going completely unhinged in her attempts to destroy his life. {{Averted\|Trope}} in other runs, where she doesn't express overt jealousy or bitterness about their failed relationship, and has actually expressed IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy sentiments towards ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} a couple of times.
231	* ReallyGetsAround: Though she's never had strong romantic feelings for anyone other than Bruce, she has had many other lovers, including named characters such as ComicBook/{{Bane}}, ComicBook/{{Azrael}}, ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} and [[ComicBook/RedHood Jason Todd]].
232	* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: During the FinalBattle with ComicBook/{{Batman}} in ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Inc.]]'', she dressed up in a super-villain costume: plain, all-red [[SpandexLatexOrLeather spandex jumpsuit]] with a black cape and a black Dr. Hurt-esque DominoMask. She takes it off the mask and cape just before the fight, implying she wore it just to mock the idea SuperheroesWearTights.
233	* RoguesGalleryTransplant: While she started out as a ComicBook/{{Batman}} rogue and LoveInterest, it's not uncommon to see her working as a rogue for other heroes
234	** Of note, after she founded Leviathan, she became a more prominent figure in the espionage world of the ComicBook/DCUniverse, showing up often in books such as ''ComicBook/{{Checkmate}}'' or ''The Silencer''.
235	** Surprisingly, she's one of the Batman rogues that has most often crossed paths with ComicBook/{{Superman}}, even in non-Crossover stories, due to a combination of her tenure as [=LuthorCorp=]'s president; [[MurderInc Leviathan]] becoming a recurring foe of his in ''ComicBook/SupermanBrianMichaelBendis'', her involvement with ComicBook/{{Checkmate}} (an organization which Clark's wife ComicBook/LoisLane is part of); and her disapproval of Damian and [[Characters/SupermanJonathanSamuelKent Jon Kent's]] friendship resulting in having her show up as an antagonist in ''ComicBook/SuperSons''.
236	* SanitySlippage: ''ComicBook/RobinSonOfBatman'' justifies InUniverse that her inconsistent characterization after the ''Death and the Maidens'' story arc comes from the [[{{Brainwashed}} indoctrination]] she endured in that story at the hands of her half-sister Nyssa.
237	* SexGoddess: Talia's a skilled seductress and is sometimes portrayed as a very satisfying lover.
238	** In a {{flashback}} to her time "[[PlayAlongPrisoner imprisoned]]" by Darrk attempts to intimidate her by threatening to make her a SexSlave until his men tire of her, she's completely unaffected and merely tells him no men would ever get tired of her.
239	** At one point in ''ComicBook/BatmanTomKing'', she is shown leaving her own personal harem orgy consisting of [[BedFullOfWomen both men and women who are all passed out in a haze behind her in bed]] while Talia herself still looks no worse for the wear, likely due to her enhanced stamina.
240	* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: Due to the NakedOnRevival nature of the [[FountainOfYouth Lazarus Pits]], she ceased caring about body modesty in front of her servants a long while ago.
241	* SheFu: As a master assassin, her fighting style can be rather acrobatic at times.
242	* ShipSinking: She used to be ComicBook/{{Batman}}'s most prominent LoveInterest after ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}, but since she TookALevelInJerkass in ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'' their relationship has been damaged beyond repair due to her overtly villainous actions, her role in Damian's death and the introduction of QuestionableConsent in Damian's conception. Even after some of these aspects got {{retcon}}ned and she got some CharacterRerailment, writers have avoided presenting her as a potential LoveInterest for Bruce, with Catwoman cementing her place as his OfficialCouple.
243	* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Part of her attraction to Bruce is his [[TheDeterminator utter determination of his mission to rid the world of evil]], which she finds ironic since it's also the main thing that makes them unable to be together.
244	* SleightOfTongue:
245	** At the conclusion of "The Saga of Ra's al Ghul" arc, Batman is stung by a scorpion while fighting a duel against Ra's. Talia lingers by the dying Batman, saying she wishes to give him one LastKiss. However, she uses the kiss to give him an antidote to the scorpion venom, allowing him to recover hours later.
246	** She also did this to save Jean-Paul in ''ComicBook/{{Azrael}}'' #30, slipping him a key that would let him escape execution at the hand of her father's men.
247	* SkullForAHead: During ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Inc.]]'', she would often wear a hood with a skull mask when she presented herself as the leader of Leviathan.
248	* StartMyOwn: Leviathan in her own version of the League of Assassins, which she founded after parting ways with her father. Talia actually usurped quite a lot of the League into Leviathan.
249	* StockholmSyndrome: Implied to be part of the reason Nyssa's {{Brainwash\|ed}}ing of her during ''Death and the Maidens'' is so successful, and Nyssa shifts between cruel ColdBloodedTorture, to acting kindly and comforting towards Talia, until she breaks.
250	* {{Stripperiffic}}: Befitting a classic comic book FemmeFatale, Talia's a big fan of this type of clothing. Several of her outfits tend to feature exposed midriffs, CleavageWindow, a NavelWindow. Her legs are also frequently bare. A couple of her outfits actually have more fabric in her sleeves than anywhere else.
251	* RecliningReigner: It's fairly common to find her reclining in her lavish bed or other furniture in her off time, in order to illustrate her power and vanity.
252	* TheQueenpin: After founding Leviathan, she became the female leader of her own criminal empire.
253	* SensualSpandex: Her {{Spy Catsuit}}s outfits tend to invoke this, due to how [[FormFittingWardrobe form-fitting]] they are.
254	* SilkHidingSteel: Talia prefers to dress as a harmless, beautiful woman to make potential enemies underestimate her.
255	* SlouchOfVillainy: During ''ComicBook/{{Checkmate}}'' she was shown to be slouching in her throne at Leviathan headquarters as she spoke to Mark Shawn. Usually, she's more of a RecliningReigner though.
256	* SmugSmiler: Talia's an arrogant woman, so finding her smiling smugly at people is fairly common.
257	* SmugSnake: Talia is a very arrogant woman, which often leads her to underestimate her opponents. This was especially notable in her characterization in ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', where she acts as a megalomanic.
258	* SpyCatsuit: Her most well-known "combat" attire is the classic catsuit that spies wear. In her early appearance, it used to be pink, but later she started to wear black or dark purple variations of the outfit.
259	* TheSociopath: Sometimes portrayed as one DependingOnTheWriter, most prominently during [[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Inc.]] where she seemed to hate Batman, and everything he stood for.
260	* StalkerWithATestTube: ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'' made Talia much more concerned with the idea of having Bruce's child and {{retcon}}ned the consensual encounter between them that conceived a child into Talia [[SlippingAMickey drugging]] and raping Bruce in order to [[ChildByRape produce an heir in Damian]]. This was then changed ''back'' to consensual sex in a later {{retcon}} and this aspect has ever since been {{Downplayed\|Trope}}.
261	* StatuesqueStunner: Talia is a HeadTurningBeauty and stands 5'8".
262	* StealthExpert: As a League of Assassins operative, she's an expert at infiltration. Notably in ''ComicBook/JLATowerOfBabel'', she managed to infiltrate in both the Justice League's Watchtower ''and'' in the Bat-cave, so she could steal ComicBook/{{Batman}}'s failsafe plans to take down the other Justice League members.
263	* TheStrategist: Having been trained to lead since she was a child, she has a keen mind for strategy and tactics when it comes to espionage combat and sabotage, having driven Batman to the brink with her Leviathan organization during ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Inc.]]'' Even before she founded Leviathan, she still acted as Ra's primary advisor when it came to coordinating the League of Assassins plans.
264	* ThatThingIsNotMyChild: She doesn't consider The Heretic or other Damian clones to be her children, or anything more than tools, despite them viewing her as their mother. She grows to hate the Heretic after he kills Damian and remorselessly kills him herself later.
265	* TheTease: The reason she enjoys wearing {{Stripperiffic}} clothing is that she simply enjoys teasing and flirting with men, which is part of her FemmeFatale act. One example is in ''Bane of the Demon'' where she makes sure to [[DressHitsFloor undress in front of Bane]] just to provoke, as she's no longer interested in him.
266	* TellMeAboutMyFather: Originally, Talia's mother died when she was little in an accident with the Lazarus Pits, but it was later {{retcon}}ed that she was simply [[MissingMom missing from Talia's life]] without her knowing why, and her father ComicBook/RasAlGhul having always been extremely secretive and dismissive about her mother's whereabouts or how she was like, despite Talia's constant inquiries. The ''Gotham City Villains Anniversary Giant'' even focuses on this in Talia's section, with Ra giving a teen Talia a BreakingSpeech when he tires of her asking him:
267	-->'''Ra's Al Ghul:''' You want to know who your mother is? She's a pile of ashes. You are you ''own'' mother. I'm your father, but one day you'll need to be your own ''father'', too. [[InTheEndYouAreOnYourOwn We're all orphans, in the end]]. No matter if the ones who gave us life be dead or alive, everyone needs to be their ''own'' parent. You think a dead woman has any influence on who you are? It's the ''living'' who shape the world. It's the living who ''matter''.
268	* ThisIsMyNameOnForeign: Talia Head, which is a literal translation of her name, is her GoToAlias when she's acting as a legitimate businesswoman in Western countries.
269	* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: She is the Girly Girl to both her sister Nyssa and Catwoman's Tomboy.
270	* TookALevelInJerkass: She becomes far more diabolical around the time Damian is introduced, and by the New 52 she is almost as vicious and cruel as her father.
271	* ToughLove: When she's characterized as a more [[AbusiveParents abusive parent]], the things she put Damian through come with the logic that it will ultimately make him a better person and future leader.
272	* UnderestimatingBadassery: She's often underestimated by people, which is her intent as her looks and manner tend to invoke SilkHidingSteel and she has even defeated ComicBook/{{Bane}} once when she caught him by surprise. Sometimes even her own father or ComicBook/{{Batman}} underestimate her abilities, both in combat and in plotting.
273	* UnlimitedWardrobe: She has had many outfits over the years, both civilian and as for fieldwork.
274	* VillainessesWantHeroes: {{Downplayed\|Trope}}. While Talia has been one of ComicBook/{{Batman}}'s most famous {{Love Interest}}s, their actual romance was stronger and more prevalent during the time she was, at worst, a MafiaPrincess or an AntiVillain . When she fully embraced villainy, neither of them wanted each other romantically.
275	* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Like Ra, she's an environmentalist and feels harsh methods should be taken to preserve the planet, but she does feel his [[WellIntentionedExtremist mass genocide plans]] go ''too'' far.
276	* VagueAge: Due to Lazarus Pits functioning as FountainOfYouth, some writers have played with the idea Talia is OlderThanSheLooks. In ''Birth of the Demon'', Batman bluntly asks this of her, and she actually confesses she's not even thirty yet, although it's unknown if that's still canon.
277	-->'''Batman:''' Tell me, Talia, how old are you? A hundred years? Two? More?\
278	'''Talia:''' You are wondering if you're [[BeenThereShapedHistory talking to history]]? To someone who slept with [[UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte Napoléon]], perhaps? To someone who sandpapered UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington's wooden teeth?\
279	'''Batman:''' No, I was [[DeadpanSnarker planning to ask you for your beauty secrets]]. I mean, you ''are''... [[HeadTurningBeauty very well preserved]].\
280	'''Talia:''' Preserved? Like a jar of pickles? You certainly know how to flatter a girl. Well, I am sorry to disappoint you, but I must confess that I am not yet thirty.
281	* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: She can be very protective of Bruce, to the point of saving his life many times when he goes up against her father Ra's Al Ghul, or even other villains.
282	** Her very first story, before her {{Xenafication}}, even had her shooting Dr. Darrk when he was about to kill him.
283	** In ''ComicBook/GothamCitySirens'', she comes into conflict with ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} not out of jealousy for her relationship with ComicBook/{{Batman}}, but due to concern at others getting Selina to spill Bruce's SecretIdentity, going as far as teaching Selina a mental technique that would [[TongueTied completely unable to ever divulge]] Bruce's identity to anyone, and when that doesn't work, elaborating a scenario to convince ComicBook/{{Zatanna}} to use her magic to [[LaserGuidedAmnesia wipe out]] Bruce's SecretIdentity from Selina's memories.
284	* WellDoneDaughterGirl: Having grown up in a {{cult}}-like environment dedicated to worshiping [[ComicBook/RasAlGhul her father]], she became extremely devoted to him and his ambitions. But due to his SanitySlippage and encounters with ComicBook/{{Batman}} exposing the worse of him, her loyalty and devotion to him began to crack.
285	* WellIntentionedExtremist: She's an AntiVillain that shares her father's goals in bettering the planet, even if a lot of blood needs to be shed. But she's presented as ALighterShadeOfGrey than him, and often thinks some of his plans go ''too'' far, especially the genocidal ones.
286	* WickedCultured: She's a luxurious villainess who likes fine things, is intelligent, well-spoken, and often speaks in polished prose. Finding her as a RecliningReigner with an AGlassOfChianti in hand is a common sight.
287	* WildCard:
288	** Due to her ConflictingLoyalty, it's up in the air whether or not she will side with her father ComicBook/RasAlGhul or her lover ComicBook/{{Batman}} in any given conflict. She usually sides with whoever is losing, or attempts to manipulate the situation so that both of them come out unharmed.
289	** As an independent villain, her loyalties are also often up in the air, with her sometimes siding with heroes in an EnemyMine situation, only to betray them at the end.
290	* WomanScorned: The entire motivation for characterization in ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Inc.]]'' is resumed to "Batman rejected me". After she gives him an ultimatum about finally joining her and Damian to rule the world and he refuses, she says she'll destroy his world. She follows through.
291	* WorfEffect: Her defeat at the hands of ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} in ''ComicBook/BatmanTomKing''. While Selina beating Talia using her own talents is hardly improbable, they were specifically having a sword duel, and Talia is a MasterSwordsman while Selina herself points out in the story she never even held a sword in her hand before, yet Selina manages to defeat Talia in a straightforward duel.
292	* WorldsMostBeautifulWoman: Talia has been described as a woman of near matchless beauty and [[https://13thdimension.com/neal-adams-reveals-what-inspired-him-when-he-first-drew-talia-al-ghul/ Neal Adams once referred to her as the most beautiful woman in the world.]]
293	* {{Xenafication}}: Originally, Talia's character was that of a MafiaPrincess and NeutralFemale, a relatively normal who just so happened to have an evil terrorist for a father. While she had some skill in self-defense and a FemmeFatale air, she didn't enjoy violence and had very little to do with the League of Assassins, to the point she actually broke into tears when she was forced to kill Doctor Darrk in order to save Bruce's life in her very first story. But [[CharacterizationMarchesOn as time went on]], she was {{retcon}}ned into being more of FemmeFataleSpy type of character with more advanced fighting and espionage skills and started to [[DaddysLittleVillain personally take part]] in running Ra's Al Ghul [[TheSyndicate criminal empire]], but still found some of the things he asked of her to be abhorrent and heavily disliked being seen as an assassin. But as the League of Assassins [[OvershadowedByAwesome started to overshadow the other aspects of Ra's criminal organization]], Talia herself got {{retcon}}ned into being a League of Assassins member who trained there since birth, becoming [[DarkActionGirl one of their deadliest assassins]] who could be a match in a fight to someone like ComicBook/{{Batman}}. She also became a much [[TheChessmaster sinister schemer]] and [[ManipulativeBitch manipulator]] and overall both TookALevelInBadass and TookALevelInJerkass.
294	* YouHaveFailedMe: In ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison'', she [[OffWithHisHead beheads]] the Heretic for daring to insinuate that she needs him after what she assumes to be his failures.
295	* YouMonster: At the peak of her villainy in ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Inc.]]'', her own father Ra's al Ghul, ''of all people'', says this to her after However, he doesn't really seem to dislike her for it, even seeming [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame congratulatory]].
296	-->'''Ra's Al Ghul:''' You have become a monster at last.

Context Characters / BatmanTaliaAlGhul