How Batman: Arkham Shadow’s Rat King Lore is Kept Neat and Tidy

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As a seasoned admirer of the Arkhamverse, I must say that the introduction of the Rat King in Batman: Arkham Shadow was nothing short of a thrilling wild goose chase. The creators cleverly wove a complex narrative that had us all guessing who this mysterious new antagonist truly was.

When it became known that the new adversary for Batman: Arkham Shadow, called the Rat King, was being introduced to the Arkhamverse, it was natural for fans to question his true identity. The Arkhamverse is built on a foundation of intricate lore that develops and expands from its initial origins in Batman: Arkham Asylum. For instance, the fact that the revelation of Jason Todd as the main villain in Batman: Arkham Knight wasn’t met with immediate disappointment might be due to the ambiguity surrounding whether there had ever been a Jason Todd character within the Arkhamverse, aside from the enigmatic dreamscape depicted in Batman: Arkham VR, where Joe Chill also made his debut.

It’s equally apparent that Jason is indeed the Arkham Knight when Batman and Robin gather Albert King, Christina Bell, and Johnny Charisma. However, if we had known for certain that he existed beforehand, it would have been too obvious. It seems that Rocksteady intentionally took advantage of this potential loophole in the existing narrative to create intrigue.

In Batman: Arkham Shadow, we encounter a brand new antagonist whose name is unfamiliar in the Arkhamverse, and this was quite a daring move. This could have meant one of two possibilities: either the Rat King meets his demise within the game’s storyline or it transpires that someone else assumes the Rat King identity, living on beyond its original title. As it happens, the latter comes to pass, and it’s even more thrilling to witness as the Rat King persona undergoes development throughout the narrative.

Batman: Arkham Shadow’s Rat King is a Wild Goose Chase

In the narrative of “Batman: Arkham Shadow,” numerous intricate elements cloud the identity of the Rat King, keeping his true self hidden. Unlike trying to uncover who he is, Batman focuses more on locating the Rat King. Driven by anger, he scrutinizes and probes various individuals confined in Blackgate Prison, among them Carmine Falcone, Otis Flannegan, Lyle Bolton, and Dr. Jonathan Crane. The focus shifts from District Attorney Harvey Dent as the Rats assault him at Solomon Wayne Courthouse, coming close to setting him ablaze—an ordeal he narrowly escapes later in the tale.

Indeed, it’s been found that the ‘Rat King’ character is connected to Harvey’s dissociative identity disorder. There’s a poetic twist in that Harvey, much like Batman chasing his adversary, is equally relentless in his pursuit. In the final scenes of Batman: Arkham Shadow, Harvey essentially transforms into Two-Face, abandoning Rat King to embrace a more overt duality. This duality is something Harvey is aware of and repels him, but the ‘Rat King’ persona doesn’t disappear from Harvey completely.

Batman: Arkham Shadow Retires Its Rat King with No Loose Ends

Due to an incredibly precise prediction about the birth of the Rat King within Blackgate Prison, Irving “Matches” Malone became associated with the Rat King character. This connection ended when he mysteriously vanished from the prison, allowing the Arkhamverse to distance itself from the name and convincingly avoid mentioning it again in the series. The narrative hints at this throughout, as Malone was born into the prison system and had no other identity, and Bruce’s actions as Malone seemed to fulfill the prophecy about the Rat King by overcoming the police, courts, and criminal justice system.

Rescuing Bruce (Batman) from a gas chamber was crucial, as the Rats chose Malone as their king and were willing to fight Bolton for this cause. However, Malone perishes in the game. It’s intriguing to consider how the Rats would react to his death. If the Rats disappear after “Batman: Arkham Shadow,” they might assume the Rat King persona and their minimal influence on the Arkhamverse may be forgotten as well.

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2024-12-20 16:05