How Gotham Knights Could Improve Batman: Arkham’s Riddler

Riddler is one of the many villains included in the Batman: Arkham games, but he could be a much better character in Gotham Knights. While Riddler offered some difficult challenges in the Batman: Arkham series, there were a few things he lacked to make him a great villain. Riddler is not confirmed to be in Gotham Knights, but it would be interesting to see what sort of riddles and challenges he might come up with for Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Red Hood now that his arch-nemesis is no more.

Riddler’s Batman: Arkham debut was disappointing, as he didn’t make an actual appearance in Batman: Arkham Asylum. This was slightly rectified by Riddler’s role in Batman: Arkham City, but he still wasn’t given a compelling storyline. Even in Batman: Arkham Knight when he kidnaps Catwoman, the mission to defeat him and set her free seems more like a chore than a true threat, especially when compared to Scarecrow covering the city in a cloud of fear toxin. Most of Riddler’s content came from collectibles, but he can be greatly improved for Gotham Knights if he’s included in the game.

To include a great Riddler, Gotham Knights could potentially take inspiration from some of his darker comics. Since Bruce Wayne is dead in Gotham Knights, Riddler also has the chance to shine through and climb the ranks of Batman’s worst villains in Gotham without being shackled by his obsession with outsmarting the Dark Knight. Without Batman around, it’s likely many of his adversaries will try to claim power in Gotham, and a more threatening Riddler amongst them has potential for a dark but great storyline.

Riddler Was Mainly About Collectibles In Batman: Arkham

Throughout the Batman: Arkham titles, Riddler was used as a way to add collectibles, with the Dark Knight having to find hundreds of Riddle trophies over the course of Rocksteady’s main trilogy. In Batman: Arkham Asylum each villain challenged Batman in person, but Riddler only appeared in dialogue over Batman’s radio. There were some side missions outside of finding the trophies and solving riddles for Riddler in Batman: Arkham City, which improved on Arkham Asylum in some ways. However, these short events were overshadowed by the hundreds of collectibles that needed to be found to unlock them. In Batman: Arkham Knight, Riddler’s challenges were used as a way to include race tracks for the newly introduced Batmobile.

In Gotham Knights, Riddler can be a villain that isn’t tied to any collectibles in the game. Giving Riddler a complicated storyline based on difficult riddles and intricate puzzles would be much more satisfying to play through. In the Batman: Arkham games, Riddler is a secondary villain that lacks a solid storyline. If Riddler is included in Gotham Knights, he can go much further than leaving trophies around the map or requiring Batman to find breakable objects.

Gotham Knights Can Make Riddler More Threatening

Riddler puts various people, including police officers and Batman: Arkham‘s Catwoman, in deathtraps designed to test Batman’s intelligence. Although the situations are life or death, the way they’re presented in the Batman: Arkham titles doesn’t feel that dire. Since Batman is in contact with Riddler every step of the way, and often instructed by him, the challenge of defeating him is more like a practice test for heroics than a truly threatening villainous plot.

In the comics, there are plenty of stories that show Riddler’s dark side, including Dark Knight, Dark City and Zero Year. In both of these storylines, Riddler is much more sadistic than his video game counterpart. Riddler is also portrayed as a darker and more menacing character in the new film The Batman, which Gotham Knights could take inspiration from as well. The deathtraps in the Batman: Arkham games were imaginative and, at times, overly elaborate, but there was also no sense of urgency. Riddler’s captives were always an optional objective, and although he was impatient, he would wait for Batman to show up before putting on his show – which he would usually have to, given how urgent the main storylines of the main three Batman: Arkham games were. If Riddler was a central villain in Gotham Knights, the missions to save people from him could be much more intense.

Gotham Knights Can Show How Riddler Moved On From Batman

Although he targets a handful of individuals, Riddler is completely obsessed with proving how much smarter he is than Batman throughout the Batman: Arkham series. After riddles are solved or his deathtraps are dismantled, Riddler goes off on a rant about how Batman is cheating and he could never truly beat him on his own. Riddler also often boasts about his intellectual superiority and treats Batman like a test subject rather than a worthy opponent, leading to hilarious meltdowns where he realises he’s been bested again. Batman’s death in Gotham Knights could give Riddler the room he needs to evolve as a villain and move past his unhealthy obsession with the Caped Crusader.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Riddler becomes even more smug and insulting when facing off against Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, or Red Hood in Gotham Knights. Riddler may even think the heroes are beneath him, which could be a big vulnerability if he lets down his guard from believing he can’t be caught – especially when Tim Drake and Dick Grayson are two highly intelligent detectives in their own right. However, instead of antagonizing them as he does with Batman, Riddler can focus more on his puzzling crimes and create much more chaos than he did in the Batman: Arkham games. Although it’s unclear if he’ll appear in Gotham Knights, Riddler has the chance to break free of his need to prove himself and focus on some truly dastardly plots.

Gotham Knights Can Connect Riddler To The Court Of Owls

The Court of Owls can be seen in the trailer for Gotham Knights, and the members are known for their elite status and corrupt decisions. In various continuities, Riddler uses his intelligence and his affinity for riddles to go after the corrupt and powerful citizens of Gotham, for instance – his former boss in Batman: The Animated Series. Whether it be revealing damning secrets about them or directly harming them, Riddler has a reputation for causing the deaths of some of Gotham’s most prominent figures. If Riddler digs deep enough into the corruption of Gotham in Gotham Knights – perhaps similar to his angle in Matt Reeves’ The Batman – he may have a run-in with the Court of Owls at some point.

If Gotham Knights included the Riddler as a villain, he could potentially figure out who members of the Court of Owls are before the heroes do, which would weave him into the main story and perhaps provide him with more of an anti-hero role, akin to when he briefly reformed in the comics. For all his whining and losing to Batman, Riddler is a very intelligent criminal with a lot of complex plans and dark intentions. Including a better and more prominent version of Batman: Arkham‘s Riddler in Gotham Knights could make for a great story while showcasing his true capacity for evil.

About The Author