Is Batman really dead in WB Games Montréal’s Gotham Knights game? There are fans who believe that Bruce Wayne (Batman) is very much alive.
RELATED: Gotham Knights Characters Ranked
Although it was a shock to hear that Batman is dead when the world premiere trailer of Gotham Knights dropped at the DC FanDome event, that meant that it wasn’t much of a shock when the game came out and it started in the same fashion, with the immediate and unfortunate death of Gotham’s number one protector. Still, this wasn’t exactly what fans expected would be what DC had in store for its next Batman game. A Batman game without Batman?
Batman Dies At The Start Of The Game
It is well known that Bruce Wayne aka Batman, unfortunately, dies right at the start of the game when the self-destruct programme for the Batcave is activated, and Batman dies inside. This is essentially what spurs the game, as when he dies, a pre-recorded message for the Bat Family (his chosen successors) releases when he dies that asks them to be brave and stand together because, without him, Gotham City still needs to be protected.
Most of these chosen heroes are ones that he has trained himself, all worthy heroes that have been fighting crime at his side in the city, but now they must band together to form the Gotham Knights, and carry on the legend of the Dark Knight himself.
RELATED: Gotham Knights Review – No, It Isn’t Arkham
Is He Really Dead?
DC hasn’t been shy about resurrections in the past, so fans were kind of holding out hope for a return later on in the game. Unfortunately for those fans still holding out hope, the developers have confirmed that Batman is, in fact, dead and will be staying that way. The unfortunate news was delivered through a Fan Q&A at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con where the creative director himself, Patrick Redding, confirmed that Batman is dead and will remain dead through the game’s entirety.
RELATED: Gotham Knights’ David Alexander Miller Shares Images of Dead Batman
How Did He Die?
So we know that Batman activates the self-destruct sequence while he is in the Batcave, destroying the facility with him still in it. Why would he do this? It is later discovered that he was fighting the leader of the League of Shadows (sometimes called the League of Assassins), Ra’s Al Ghul. The two likely found themselves at a stalemate and Bruce decides that the only way to deal with the evil leader of the League is to sacrifice himself and detonate the Batcave, killing both of them.
This part is a spoiler, so if you don’t want the end of the game spoiled for you, please check out some of our other Gotham Knight content instead.
So, Batman doesn’t stay dead throughout the events of the whole game. In the end, we find out that Batman had been resurrected by the League of Shadows, likely to use his incredible skills and knowledge for their own devices. But once a hero, always a hero. Batman sacrifices himself once again to destroy the League’s Lazarus Pit (the chamber they used to resurrect him and many other League Assassins) to end their reign of terror. So Batman sacrificed himself for the greater good not once, but twice, all in one game!
While he technically didn’t stay dead the whole game, now that he has sacrificed himself to destroy the Lazarus Pit, he will be staying dead according to the devs.
RELATED: Gotham Knights’ Cancellation on PS4 and Xbox One Is Laughably Stupid
He could come back later as a new dlc but in the mean time he could be made as the main talon for future dlc