The Gotham Knights pilot episode proves that the Batman in this alternate universe disobeyed his traditional rule and killed The Joker. This carries on a recent trend in Batman adaptations, where the use of fatal force by the Dark Knight is intended to distinguish it from more conventional readings.
Yet, it also heightens the conflict between the two main characters in Gotham Knights. Bruce Wayne adopted Turner Hayes after his parents were brutally murdered in the original Gotham City, where the Gotham Knights television series is based.
After learning that Bruce Wayne was Batman after discovering his father’s body while donning the Batman cowl, Turner is stunned to learn the truth. Despite this, Turner is suspected of planning the crime after the GCPD finds that his bank account was used to pay the alleged murderers.
As a result, Turner is taken into custody and held in the same facility as the youths charged with killing Bruce Wayne, where he learns that one of them might have had a motivation for killing Batman other than money.
Batman Killed The Joker In Gotham Knights
Duela Doe, considered The Joker’s daughter, is one of Batman’s alleged murderers. Duela, who was born in Arkham Asylum, reportedly spent her whole childhood in and out of juvenile court.
Harvey Dent, the district attorney, soon suggested that The Joker was slain in a battle with Batman to dismiss the possibility that Duela had pursued Bruce Wayne to exact revenge on her father. Duela later confirmed that Batman killed the Joker in a conversation with Turner Hayes but laughed off the idea that she’d try to avenge him, claiming that:
“Papa J ditched me and my mom in Arkham before my first tooth came in.”
Why So Many Adaptations Have Batman Kill Joker?
Batman did not kill the Joker in the first live-action adaptation, Gotham Knights. In the Batwoman season 1 episode 17, “A Close Escape,” Luke Fox told Kate Kane how the Arrowverse Batman killed the Joker, noting that the GCPD pretended he was still detained at Arkham Asylum.
In the third season of Titans, Batman also killed the Joker in retaliation for the Clown Prince of Crime killing Jason Todd’s Robin. This repetition is necessary since Batman is known for abstaining from murder in the comics.
Thus having him break this one rule is an easy (though lazily done) method to up the stakes in any Batman adaptation. Another smart approach to guarantee that The Joker won’t reappear later is to confirm that Batman killed him.
You will find several links that, when clicked, will take you to additional information on Gotham Knights below:
- Gotham Knights Release Date: PC System Requirements, Review Embargo & More
- Gotham Knights will still launch in 2022 WarnerMedia CEO Confirmed
While The Joker’s appearance in Batwoman or Titans is unlikely to occur in Gotham Knights due to the character rights being tied up in the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux, the topic of whether The Joker will appear in either series kept cropping up until the program rejected the notion.
This is for the best, as bringing out the Clown Prince of Crime without a Dark Knight to challenge him seems pointless.
