Every Arkham Character Who Returns in Batman: Arkham Shadow Explained

This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for
Batman: Arkham Shadow
.

A consistent highlight of the Batman: Arkham series has been its sense of scale. From even its humble beginnings in Batman: Arkham Asylum, the world of Arkham has felt like a full Batman universe, packed to the brim with not just the trademark archvillains, but a bevy of lesser-known rogues as well. Many of these more obscure villains were first referenced via Arkham Asylum‘s Easter eggs and Riddles, and grew to become a larger part of the Arkhamverse in sequels and spinoffs. Batman: Arkham Shadow shines the spotlight on some of these characters.

Despite its VR exclusivity, Batman: Arkham Shadow is a fully-fledged, canonical Batman: Arkham game, with its story fitting snugly in the timeline between Arkham Origins and Asylum. This spot allows Arkham Shadow to feature a cavalcade of returning heroes and villains, some of whom take center stage in Shadow‘s story.

Every Returning Character in Batman: Arkham Shadow

Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow

One of the most popular villains in Batman’s rogue’s gallery, Dr. Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow) plays a prominent role in Batman: Arkham Shadow‘s story. In fact, the game acts almost as an origin story for the iconic villain. After going undercover as Irving “Matches” Malone, Bruce Wayne first encounters Dr. Crane during a group therapy session, where he condemns Dr. Quinzel’s lighter approach to Jungian theories.

Rather than get his patients to discuss their inner “Shadow,” Crane believes a chemical treatment is more effective, and decides to test his theory on unsuspecting “volunteers” from Blackgate. His chemical compound forces the patient to face their deepest fears, which causes the complete mental collapse of many in his care. Crane is eventually stopped by Batman, but not before accidentally inhaling some of his own fear-inducing chemicals.

Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn

Harleen Quinzel is a newly graduated therapist by the time Malone/Bruce arrives in Blackgate. She attempts to use group therapy to help her patients, but Dr. Crane tries to claim that she’s incompetent in a bid to steal her patients. Quinzel helps Batman to put a stop to Crane’s plans.

Harvey Dent/Two-Face

Even more so than Scarecrow, Batman: Arkham Shadow is a Two-Face origin story, with Harvey Dent’s backstory and rise to villainy taking up large portions of the VR game’s main narrative. It’s revealed early on that Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent spent a lot of time together as children following Bruce’s parents’ death. A few flashback sequences dotted throughout Arkham Shadow show Dent’s father abusing Harvey and Bruce during their childhood, with his violent outbursts being caused by a dissociative personality disorder.

Harvey Dent spends the majority of Batman: Arkham Shadow as the District Attorney, hell-bent on tracking down the mysterious “Rat King” that threatens to enact a “Day of Wrath.” Towards the end of Arkham Shadow, Bruce Wayne (disguised as the criminal Malone) is put on trial for the murder of an undercover cop hiding in Blackgate. During the trial, a shaken Dr. Crane tries to administer his chemical compound, and Bruce knocks it out of his hand. The vial smashes into Harvey’s face, causing severe acid burns.

In the final moments of Batman: Arkham Shadow, it’s revealed that Harvey Dent was the Rat King all along, albeit unknowingly, due to his dissociative identity disorder that’s now started to take form. As the Rat King, Harvey threatens to kill an inmate in front of Batman. In a last ditch attempt to save his childhood friend, Batman reveals his true identity, which causes Harvey to try and take his own life. Batman saves him, however, and Batman: Arkham Shadow‘s ending sees Dent lose control of his good half and become Two-Face.

Carmine Falcone

While Carmine Falcone has been mentioned countless times in the Batman: Arkham series, he makes his first mainline debut in Arkham Shadow, where he rules Blackgate prison’s criminal king. Before Arkham Shadow, it was said that Two-Face’s scarring was the work of Falcone, and that’s still technically true, as Malone is believed to be working for the crime boss at the time of the tragic trial.

Jim Gordon

A Batman staple, Jim Gordon appears multiple times throughout Batman: Arkham Shadow‘s runtime, working alongside Batman and Harvey Dent to stop the Rat King’s army.

Barbara Gordon

Jim’s daughter, Barbara Gordon also makes an appearance in Batman: Arkham Shadow, where she provides vital information that helps to track down an important Rat King follower. Barbara also provides useful information to Batman during his investigation in Blackgate, foreshadowing her role as Oracle in future Arkham entries.

It’s heavily implied that one of the Rats Batman subdues at the Monarch Theater is actually Dick Grayson, though this hasn’t been confirmed yet.

The Joker

While the Joker doesn’t make a physical appearance in Batman: Arkham Shadow, he does share a brief dialogue with Batman while he’s incarcerated in Blackgate solitary confinement. The Joker is the only one to see through Batman’s “Malone” disguise.

Arnold Wesker/Ventriloquist

First mentioned in Batman: Arkham Asylum‘s collectible tapes, Arnold Wesker gets a short origin story in Batman: Arkham Shadow as well. Wesker appears in group therapy, holding the wooden doll that his roommate, Donnegan, made from a tree near Death Row. After being subjected to Dr. Crane’s chemical experiments, Wesker becomes obssesed with the doll, believing that it talks to him. Wesker ends up murdering his cellmate for the doll, cementing his villainous mantle of Ventriloquist.

Joe Chill

Another character who’s mentioned several times throughout the Arkham series, Joe Chill is the man who murdered Bruce Wayne’s parents. Chill was first seen in Arkham Asylum and the same model appears once again in Batman: Arkham Shadow. In charge of the prison commissary, Bruce (as Malone) speaks with Joe Chill a few times during the story, not knowing he’s the man that killed his parents. This bombshell is eventually dropped by Harvey Dent right at the end of Batman: Arkham Shadow, but Batman decides to let Chill go.

Frank Boles

A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo, Frank Boles appears in Batman: Arkham Shadow as a Blackgate prison guard. Boles will go on to become a guard for Arkham Asylum, where he’ll join the Joker and eventually become one of the Clown Prince’s victims.