Take, for example, Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor). The man known as the Penguin appears on the surface to be simply a clumsy, stuttering ne’er-do-well, but underneath he is a calculating criminal and ruthless killer completely lacking in remorse or empathy. He’s also narcissistic (he often asserts Gotham “needs” him), masterfully manipulative, and immeasurably power-hungry. He’s not only a psychopath, he also might fit the standard definition of a serial killer since he stabs frat boys in the neck and feeds people poisoned cannoli with a fair amount of glee.
But what made him a psychopath? It’s hard to tell for sure. However, the roots of the Penguin’s pathological hunger for power may come from years of feeling powerless as a child. After repeatedly being bullied and beaten in his youth, Oswald’s actions may just reflect those of a person who has had enough. Some of his behaviors also may be traced to his mother. Overbearing and jealous—in a creepy, converse-Oedipal sort of way—she seems to have fostered in her son a dysfunctional psyche and poor social skills.