100% Knightfall Ending Discussion (Spoilers)

[JonDiaz]

Does anyone get what happened here? I got the 100% Knightfall ending and I got no clue. Wayne fakes his death (like in the most obvious possible way) and goes to who knows where. Then we get a couple thugs in an alley trying to rob an exact replica of the Wayne family from when Bruce was young and they see a hallucination? Fear Toxin? New person taking up the mantle maybe? It doesn't make any sense. Was this a big let down to anyone else? Maybe they shoulda just left it at everyone knows he's Bruce Wayne and he beat Scare Crow and saved the city.. roll credits... I dunno.

Luckily the game world they created was fun enough to run around in that I didn't mind getting 100% but if I had pinned any hopes at all on revealing an awesome ending I would be completely unsatisfied/irritated with this completely nonsensical ending.

Anymore unlocks in NG+ that might shed some light on what happened? Maybe I missed something in the extras or the showcase? I kinda browsed through but I didn't see anything.

[JKeift]

Though it is an ambiguous ending, there are many clues throughout the game. In my opinion, it is none other than Batman himself at the end.

First, no one really took up the mantle. Azrael gave up trying to succeed Batman after learning of his manipulation by the Order of St. Dumas and went after the people who did that to him. From the DLC, you also learn that, after the events of the main game, Robin is still Robin, the Arkham Knight turns into the violent vigilante Red Hood, and Nightwing returns to Blüdhaven after dealing with the Penguin. So the only choice left at the end is either a completely unknown person replacing Batman or, most likely, Bruce Wayne returning.

Second, after everyone learns of Batman's identity, Wayne feels he has lost the element of fear against his opponents and tells Catwoman (after defeating the Riddler) that Gotham needs "a legend more powerful than [he] can be right now... something worse." So he proceeds to "kill" Wayne in the public eye by staging that explosion. Eliminating that part of him not only allows Batman to protect those close to Bruce Wayne, but also to fully commit himself to the role of Batman. And he comes back with a vengeance.

Now, regarding the "hallucination" at the end, one theory is that the new Batman is using a modified version of Scarecrow's toxin to instill fear among his enemies, the fear he had been unable to muster after everyone learned he was Bruce Wayne. This theory of a modified toxin is supported by an early conversation where Oracle tells Batman that she was able to crack down the toxin's formula. When Batman said Gotham needed someone "worse," I interpret it not as a more violent or evil vigilante, but as someone scarier, more menacing. Enter the new Batman.

Hope this clears it up for you. It's just a theory, though, obviously. We won't have anything official until someone from Rocksteady comes out and clarifies the ending or a proper sequel is someday released.

[Mag]

Read the Dark Knight Returns novel, in which they clearly show that Batman and Bruce are two different persons. And even though Bruce has been in retirement for many years he still struggles to surpress the Batman in him, and eventually he returns.
Later in that story he uses the fear toxin on a Two-Face henchmen, who then relive their worst nightmare (in the animated movie of this story they see Batman as a red eyes monster).

To me the ending is very obvious; Batman takes over completely from Bruce Wayne, to become something 'more'.

[Something Hank]

Originally posted by JKeift:

From the DLC, you also learn that, after the events of the main game, Robin is still Robin, the Arkham Knight turns into the violent vigilante Red Hood

I thought that Red Hood epsiode took place before Arkham Knight?

Either way, comic buffs have been stating it could be Asriel easily too, so. I just kinda hope the ARkham series ends here. It's a good end.

[Mag]

Originally posted by Bipedal Hank:

Originally posted by JKeift:

From the DLC, you also learn that, after the events of the main game, Robin is still Robin, the Arkham Knight turns into the violent vigilante Red Hood

I thought that Red Hood epsiode took place before Arkham Knight?

After

[JKeift]

Originally posted by Bipedal Hank:

Originally posted by JKeift:

From the DLC, you also learn that, after the events of the main game, Robin is still Robin, the Arkham Knight turns into the violent vigilante Red Hood

I thought that Red Hood epsiode took place before Arkham Knight?

It's definitely after. For example, in the first level of the Red Hood Story Pack, you can hear one of the goons say that a criminal was hospitalized (or something to that effect) by "the ghost", which is what they've been calling Batman ever since he reappeared in his more terrifying form.

[Mag]

Originally posted by JKeift:

Originally posted by Bipedal Hank:

I thought that Red Hood epsiode took place before Arkham Knight?

It's definitely after. For example, in the first level of the Red Hood Story Pack, you can hear one of the goons say that a criminal was hospitalized (or something to that effect) by "the ghost", which is what they've been calling Batman ever since he reappeared in his more terrifying form.

This, and also, in the Arkham continuity he didn't choose a red hood to imitate the Joker, the one who killed him, but the red hood was what was left of his "Arkham Knight helmet" after the fight with Batman.

[cannikin73]

I've thought it was a prequel since it delvs in to Black Mask and Penguin moving weapons that Batman and Nightwing eventually take down and explains why Black Mask is nowhere to be found in AK.

Can't find any official word. The timeline of the Red Hood story seems rather ambiguous.

[Mag]

Originally posted by cannikin73:

I've thought it was a prequel since it delvs in to Black Mask and Penguin moving weapons that Batman and Nightwing eventually take down and explains why Black Mask is nowhere to be found in AK.

Can't find any official word. The timeline of the Red Hood story seems rather ambiguous.

You can find the mask of Black Mask at the GCPD Evidence Room, he's probably in jail at the time of AK.

[cannikin73]

Originally posted by Mag:

Originally posted by cannikin73:

I've thought it was a prequel since it delvs in to Black Mask and Penguin moving weapons that Batman and Nightwing eventually take down and explains why Black Mask is nowhere to be found in AK.

Can't find any official word. The timeline of the Red Hood story seems rather ambiguous.

You can find the mask of Black Mask at the GCPD Evidence Room, he's probably in jail at the time of AK.

You can find Talia and Joker's belongings there too. They are dead.

[Mag]

Originally posted by cannikin73:

Originally posted by Mag:

You can find the mask of Black Mask at the GCPD Evidence Room, he's probably in jail at the time of AK.

You can find Talia and Joker's belongings there too. They are dead.

There's a lot of evidence there of both dead, locked up and wanted villains.

[cannikin73]

Originally posted by Mag:

Originally posted by cannikin73:

You can find Talia and Joker's belongings there too. They are dead.

There's a lot of evidence there of both dead, locked up and wanted villains.

Indeed. Thus the mask is not evidence that Black Mask is alive or incarcerated.

[Mag]

Originally posted by cannikin73:

Originally posted by Mag:

There's a lot of evidence there of both dead, locked up and wanted villains.

Indeed. Thus the mask is not evidence that Black Mask is alive or incarcerated.

The evidence was already delivered by JKeift and me, I was merely explaining why Black Mask didnt show up in AK.

[Stormspark]

Originally posted by Mag:

Originally posted by cannikin73:

I've thought it was a prequel since it delvs in to Black Mask and Penguin moving weapons that Batman and Nightwing eventually take down and explains why Black Mask is nowhere to be found in AK.

Can't find any official word. The timeline of the Red Hood story seems rather ambiguous.

You can find the mask of Black Mask at the GCPD Evidence Room, he's probably in jail at the time of AK.

Black Mask's mask is burned onto his face permanently by that point. It's just ONE of his many masks. His followers tend to wear the same masks also (not to mention his body doubles).

[Something Hank]

After a little internet browsing, looks like Red Hood DOES take place after Arkham Knight.

That kinda sucks. I really like the look of the Arkham Knight over Red Hood.

[cannikin73]

Originally posted by Mag:

Originally posted by cannikin73:

Indeed. Thus the mask is not evidence that Black Mask is alive or incarcerated.

The evidence was already delivered by JKeift and me, I was merely explaining why Black Mask didnt show up in AK.

You provided no evidence. You made an assertion.

Originally posted by Profitamole Hank:

After a little internet browsing, looks like Red Hood DOES take place after Arkham Knight.

That kinda sucks. I really like the look of the Arkham Knight over Red Hood.

You can select the Arkham Knight skin for the mission.