The Penguin: What does Kismet mean? Explained

The Penguin aired its finale episode on Sunday, November 10, 2024. The eighth episode of the series gave audiences a taste of Oz Cobb's unhinged rise to power and completed his arc of villainy. It also set up the upcoming sequel to The Batman.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Penguin.

During a reminiscing conversation with his protege Victor (Vic), Oz mentioned not believing in 'kismet' but that he was grateful that he'd met Vic regardless. 'Kismet' means fate or destiny, indicating that Oz is not a fatalistic person at heart.

'Kismet' is derived from the word 'qismat', which also means 'something that is meant to be'.

---

What was Victor and Oz's equation on The Penguin?

Oswald Cobb hugging Victor in a still from The Penguin (via @thebatman / Instagram)

Oz met Victor at the beginning of the series, when the youngster was stealing the rims of his car. Despite this, Oz took Victor under his wing and mentored him for the duration of the story.

After being with Oz, Victor started learning the ways of the criminal underworld in Gotham City. He stood up for his mentor against Sofia Falcone's men and was even involved in various shootings against Oz's rivals.

The two characters were often seeing relying on each other, which was their bond throughout the show.

---

What happened to Victor when he was with Oz in the finale episode?

Victor trapped in a difficult situation in a still from The Penguin (via @thebatman / Instagram)

In the finale episode of the series, after becoming Kingpin of Gotham City, Oz and Victor sat at the edge of the river. They started thinking about their journey and what it took for them to get to this point.

Victor thanked Oz for being there for him and taking him in. Finally, he hesitatingly told his mentor that Oz had become something akin to family for him.

Upon hearing this, Oz seemed to be overcome with emotion. He said that he didn't believe in kismet but was glad he met Victor.

He stated that it was just the two of them left against the world. However, the character did a pivot after this, by trapping Victor's throat in his arms.

Oz said that love was a weakness and he could not allow himself to give in to any hint of vulnerability, now that he had reached a position of power after immense struggle. Finally, despite much pleading from Victor, Oz ended up killing his own mentee to prevent love from being used against him.

This also cemented Oz's status as a villain for any upcoming installments he might be featured in, with a clear sign that he can ruthlessly murder even the people he loves to ensure that he stays at the top.

---

Audiences can watch The Penguin streaming online via HBO and its partner platforms. All eight episodes of the series have already been released on OTT platforms like Max.