The correct pronunciation of Batman villain Ra’s al Ghul’s name has long been contentious in fan circles, but how should it be spoken? Batman made his debut way back in 1939 in an issue of Detective Comics and hasn’t stopped punching criminals ever since. Alongside Superman or Wonder Woman he’s one of the most iconic superheroes of all time, and he’s made all the cooler by the fact he has no actual superpowers. Many talented writers and artists have played with the character over the years and always find ways to keep him fresh.
This extends to live-action too, from the gleefully over the top 1960s Batman series starring Adam West to the brooding darkness of Tim Burton’s 1989 movie. The character was most recently played on the big screen by Ben Affleck in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and Justice League. The actor has since departed the role and Robert Pattinson will next don the cape and cowl for Matt Reeves The Batman, due for release in 2021.
A hero is only as good as his villains and Batman has some real legends, including Joker, Penguin, Harley Quinn, Two-Face and Scarecrow. Ra’s al Ghul is another member of that exclusive club and was intended to be Bruce Wayne’s intellectual and physical equal. Ra’s is a terrorist who wants to wipe out most of humanity to balance the world and he’s seemingly immortal thanks to his rejuvenating dips in the Lazarus Pits. Ra’s has been something of a frenemy to Batman over the years and sees him as something of a son, but the two are destined to never see eye to eye.
From comics to TV shows, movies, and video games, the correct pronunciation of Ra’s al Ghul has been up for debate. Some pronounce Ra’s as “Raz” while others say “Raysh.” This video from NerdSync breaks down the issue, explaining where the confusion stems from and how it evolved. The character was created by Dennis O’Neil, Neal Adams and Julius Schwartz, with the latter combining the Arabic words Ra’s, meaning “head,” and al Ghul meaning “ghoul” or “demon,” which roughly translates to “Head of the Demon.” “Raz” is how Ra’s is pronounced in Arabic making it technically the correct way to say it, but O’Neil stated he once spoke to a university professor who said it should be “Raysh.”
The similarity of Ra’s to a Hebrew word that sounds like “Raysh” appears to be where the division about how to state the name comes from, leading to instances where Batman Begins pronounces it as “Raz” while Batman: The Animated Series is “Raysh.” Ultimately, neither camp is really wrong when it comes to Ra’s al Ghul’s pronunciation which is why it varies so much between sources.
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