Arkham Knight is a computer game for the PS4, Xbox, PC. etc. released in 2015.

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SPOILER WARNING: Next post, as well of rest of thread.

Just in case: SPOILER WARNING, rest of post.


There are two endings for the game:  The "partial ending" where Wayne Manor blows up, and its assumed Batman dies in the blast, and a "full ending" which continues from that point and shows a new Batman in the near future. This Batman seems to have actual powers--he summons black mist, turns into a flaming demon-bat, etc. If you haven't seen it, it's on YouTube. The new "powers" are probably hallucinations experienced by the thugs, due to a refined version of the Scarecrow toxin.

So, who is the "new" Batman?

Red Hood: The only thing that makes me think it might be Todd is that he painted a bat symbol on his armor when he rescued Batman from Scarecrow. But I don't find it plausible that someone who spent years and millions of dollars to takeover Gotham with a private militia would decide to become its protector. He seemed like a broken man, and although he did turn things around a bit, there's still a lot of work left to be done. How does he get access to the fear toxin?

Azrael: Although Batman seems to be grooming him as a successor (as evidenced by the three tests) I find this one doubtful as well. Why would Azrael change costumes? How does he get access to the fear toxin? Or does the character have magical powers? I don't know much about Azrael, but I doubt this is the case, since the Order was controlling him with a microchip rather than magic. My theory is that he continues to operate in Gotham, but not as the new Batman.

Bruce Wayne: Of course he did not die in the explosion. Not only would he not kill himself, but he wouldn't endanger Alfred. He fakes his own death to reinvent Batman, using the fear toxin as his new weapon. This theory is plausible, but there are clues in the game that lead me to think he retired instead, and passed the mantle on to...

Robin: Robin gets the fear toxin from Oracle, who probably reverse engineers it and creates a new version. Together they work to defend Gotham. This makes the most sense to me, as Robin is the logical successor. He still has access to all of the stuff at Panessa Studios, as well as all of the auxiliary Batcaves (I assume) and certainly the Batcomputer (through Oracle.)

Gordon: I read this theory online, and while I don't think it's accurate, it's very intriguing. Towards the end, Gordon stares into the Gotham skyline and talks about how Batman used fear to defeat criminals. What if he got the fear toxin from his daughter? He's not running around in a costume and fighting thugs, but using the toxin from a safe distance from the rooftops.