Is Batman truly dead in Gotham Knights?

Gotham Knights is a Batman game that apparently won't feature the iconic character himself. The title's premise sees Gotham fall after the Caped Crusader's sudden and mysterious death, leaving the mantle of the city's protector to the remaining members of the Bat family - Robin, Batgirl, Nightwing, and Red Hood.

The premise of Batman dying is nothing new. In fact, the finale of the Arkham series, Batman Arkham Knight, saw the titular character die in the Knightfall protocol after Scarecrow revealed the Dark Knight's true identity as Bruce Wayne to all of Gotham City. However, the premise of the aftermath of Gotham's most trusted vigilante is rarely explored in video games.

The latest title starts with a lengthy cutscene that shows how Batman is killed and who the perpetrator is behind his death. However, is he truly dead in Gotham Knights or is it just a ruse spread by the illusive Court of Owls, the main antagonistic force in the title?

In this article, we'll be answering the most burning question regarding the upcoming action-adventure title from WB Games Montreal: is Batman truly dead in Gotham Knights, or is there more to this situation than what meets the eye?

Note: This article contains major spoilers for the plot and ending of Gotham Knights.

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Exploring the Caped Crusader's death in Gotham Knights

The Batman stories, be it in comic books, movies, or video games, have always portrayed the character as an indestructible force of justice, despite being human. He has gone toe-to-toe with some of the fiercest and unearthly foes during his time, be it the standard goons of Penguin or the Lord of Apokolips, Darkseid himself. And yet, none have managed to best the Dark Knight.

In Gotham Knights, players are supposed to believe such a formidable character is dead, and that too at the hands of none other than Ra's al Ghul. The title's starting cutscene shows how the leader of the League of Assassins, and former mentor to Bruce Wayne, incapacitates and ultimately kills the Dark Knight.

The first half of Gotham Knights sees the Bat family grieving the loss of their mentor, father figure, and friend, which also acts as the force that ultimately brings them together in the storyline. However, it turns out Batman might not be dead after all, and that's where the twist of the story comes into play.

During the game's finale, it is revealed that Talia al Ghul, the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, is behind Bruce Wayne's death. She planned to use the Lazarus Pit to resurrect Bruce and cleanse him of his moral code of not killing anyone or harming an innocent.

The final mission of Gotham Knights sees players visit Talia's lair as she prepares to resurrect Batman's cold corpse and use him for her own nefarious purposes, which starts with killing the Bat family itself. Players are even forced to go toe-to-toe with the Dark Knight himself before he returns to his senses.

However, the joy of seeing Bruce alive is short-lived as he soon sacrifices himself so that the illusive Court of Owls cannot get their hands on the Lazarus Pit. It is a heartfelt moment as players get to see Bruce's softer side as he sacrifices himself to save those he calls family.

It is implied that Bruce died in the crash that took down the Court of Owls, but the game never confirms that by showing his body, which many players assume to be an indication of Batman surviving the crash.

There's a lot more to the game's narrative than just its ending, and players can experience Gotham Knights in its entirety when it releases on October 21, 2022, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC.