A Macabre Batman Villain is Itching for Their Own Arkham Enemy Faction

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home April 6, 2025 25 Views 5 Min Read
A Macabre Batman Villain is Itching for Their Own Arkham Enemy Faction



Enemy factions in the Arkhamverse have always been a bit more interesting or involved narratively rather than offering much in the way of dynamic gameplay opportunities. Indeed, between Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham Shadow, there have always been staple enemy variations: unarmed thugs, knife-wielding thugs, shield-wielding thugs, and stun baton-wielding thugs, as well as enemies padded with armor.

Batman: Arkham Knight would forgo Titan-infused brutes for large mercenaries in the Arkham Knight’s militia, which also introduces medics who can resuscitate incapacitated colleagues or charge them with electricity, but the militia lacks the personality to go along with these upgrades.

Batman: Arkham Shadow debuted the Rats, a faction that is loyal to the Rat King and surprisingly sympathetic. They remain just antagonistic enough to make sense as viable punching bags when Batman isn’t taking out TYGER guards, and yet their plight is admirable when mirrored in Shadow’s resounding themes and Bruce Wayne’s own reconciliations. However, the Arkhamverse deserves to explore the opposite side of that spectrum via an enemy faction that could be grisly and malicious, and the ideal villain for such a mob to follow would be Victor Zsasz.

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Arkhamverse Enemy Factions are Commonly Villain-Bound and Humorous

Enemy factions materialize naturally around villains who can lead them in nefarious exploits, and that’s certainly evident in Batman: Arkham City. Arkham City’s super-prison lets all manner of villainy ensue within its walls and it’s here where Two-Face, Penguin, and Joker have all staked claim with rivalries established between them.

Gang rivalries are one of the more excellent facets of City because they illustrate what those characters’ relationships are and also make for endearing and hilarious conversations to eavesdrop on. Likewise, it’s neat to see who has a hold on which part of the city and when, such as how Two-Face’s gang eventually takes over the museum after Penguin’s been defeated while Joker’s steel mill is left uncontested.

Two-Face’s Solomon Wayne Courthouse base is iconic, too, with a split aesthetic for the courthouse and the gang to match Harvey Dent’s own duality. Moreover, Batman: Arkham City’s Abramovici twins are two of the most captivating mini-bosses in the series, and it’s doubly brilliant that they find themselves on opposing gangs with distinct appearances: Mr. Hammer in Joker’s gang and Sickle in Penguin’s.

Why Zsasz Would Make for a Wonderful Batman Game Enemy Faction

Now, not every iconic villain needs their own enemy faction and nor should they. But, considering how nearly every faction thus far has been a faceless horde of identical minions if not a lighthearted and funny group, an enemy faction for Zsasz could finally introduce a bit of horror and gruesomeness into that mixture, especially because the Arkhamverse is in dire need of an enemy faction that’s actually intimidating.

Zsasz has been around in multiple Arkhamverse outings and is particularly memorable for being the first villain players subdue as Batman in Batman: Arkham Asylum. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see him have a loyal following himself, perhaps as a cult-like group who share his penchant for knife-etched markings in their flesh, and it would be superb to see a Zsasz enemy faction be portrayed somewhat similarly to Days Gone’s Rippers, for instance.

Therefore, whether it’s in a prequel or sequel game, any future Zsasz reappearance shouldn’t bother concerning itself with his origins or trying to dissect him further. There are plenty of Arkham antagonists whose misguided motivations or traumatic geneses are sympathetic, but it’s also important that the Arkhamverse preserves characters whose nihilism, malice, or brutality allow villainy and horror to thrive in Gotham City and actually legitimize the need for a Batman.

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