Gotham Knights has already stirred loads of speculation about whether Bruce Wayne is truly dead or not. Because of how frequently characters’ lives are at stake or how often characters’ deaths are reversed in comic book media, it is best to keep an open mind and engage with the material at face value to experience the story the way it is intended. Unfortunately, many players are still not sold on Bruce’s death in Gotham Knights, and for good reason. Either way, Gotham Knights’ primary focal point will hopefully still be Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood.
However, there is a clue buried in Gotham Knights’ announcement trailer that seems to reveal more than it lets on. Jason Todd, Barbara Gordon, Tim Drake, and Dick Grayson all receive Bruce’s encrypted Code Black message. The message is a video diary log Bruce recorded to impart final words to the Bat Family and rally them as Gotham City’s last hope in his absence. So if it is to be believed that Bruce knew his life was in danger, there is one important question to be derived from the Code Black message: why did Bruce Wayne not warn the Bat Family?
Bruce Wayne Likely Knew His Death Was Imminent in Gotham Knights
One key piece of dialogue from Gotham Knights’ cinematic announcement trailer seems to directly infer that Bruce knew he was going to die, or that his death would have to be faked. Bruce mentions that the Code Black message was automatically triggered when he “destroyed the cave and everything it contained.” Bruce could have plausibly recorded many similar messages in the event of his unprecedented death, but if he knew to preemptively destroy the Batcave to preserve his identity and erase his resources, then he must have known his life was in some sort of imminent danger.
Bruce would seemingly have no reason to destroy the cave otherwise. Batman’s role in Gotham Knights’ canon will be interesting to unpack when more is learned about his legacy in Gotham, but there are clues to what is already established in this unique continuity. For example, a couple different shots briefly showcase a scientific laboratory in Gotham Knights’ announcement trailer with monitors that read “STAR LABS.” This undeniably references the Flash, and could therefore insinuate that Batman’s storied career in Gotham included an affiliation to the illustrious Justice League.
Because his role is not clearly defined, such as if he is still an active crime-fighter in Gotham, the extent to which he had a relationship with Jason, Barbara, Tim, and Dick individually is unclear. Gotham Knights shows the Bat Family suiting up in lieu of Bruce’s death, and this may even be the first time in a while that these characters have had to do so.
Each of Gotham Knights’ playable protagonists appear startled by the news of Bruce’s death, and the narrative may revolve wholly around their investigation of his death until the Court of Owls is discovered. If Bruce had looser connections to these characters, then a part of this narrative could involve learning secrets that Bruce kept all these years and withheld from his vigilante crime-fighting family.
Bruce Not Warning Gotham Knights’ Bat Family Seems Like an Oversight
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Multiple reasons could suggest why Bruce would not have warned the Bat Family, but his decision not to quite plainly seems like an oversight on the Dark Knight’s part. Bruce’s death may have been inevitable and uninterruptible, but if he knew about Gotham Knights' Court of Owls or knew how his untimely death would soon come about and neglected to tell his crime-fighting cohorts, then it appears as if an inconvenient plot hole has been created.
The Code Black message seems privately communicated to the Bat Family, but maybe it is also being monitored somehow, and any explicit warnings may have put them in danger as well. However, because the Gotham Knights will be facing them anyhow and uncovering their secrets, it seems like a futile excuse. Moreover, Bruce’s warning could have prepared them for the Court of Owls, yet he leaves them to ignorantly learn about the Court of Owls elsewhere.
If Bruce had time to record a message shortly before his supposed demise, it is strange that he did not think to warn the Bat Family of what that threat was before, during, or after the message was produced. If it is assumed that Bruce was killed by the Court of Owls, and he was aware of its existence, then not warning the Bat Family seems incredibly egregious and negligent.
In one of Gotham Knights’ latest trailers, Nightwing is seen inquiring about the Court of Owls to Penguin and demonstrates that Batman’s vigilante sidekicks are oblivious to Gotham’s clandestine organization. One excuse that would be tired is if Gotham Knights tries to explain Bruce’s lack of a warning as a self-sacrifice in order to protect the Bat Family. Indeed, Bruce notifies the Bat Family that the outdated Belfry headquarters is available to them and that he wants them to thwart the inevitable surge of crime in his absence.
Bruce clearly wants Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood to save the city, so it would make sense to warn them about one of the city’s greatest threats. It can be assumed that Bruce does not know who attacked him in particular, but he also fails to even mention the idea of an attack on him at all, as if Gotham Knights' Wayne Manor explosion truly was some freak accident.
The Particulars of Bruce’s Death May Be Purposely Shrouded in Gotham Knights
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The last consideration to be made here, which is again a huge assumption, is the idea that this Code Black message may be longer and more detailed than fans have seen, with content cut from it that would enter into spoiler territory for Gotham Knights’ narrative. It is entirely possible that Bruce does name-drop the Court of Owls and prepares the Bat Family fully with all the information he is privy to, but that will be undetermined until such context is revealed in-game.
Until then, WB Games Montreal may be purposefully picking and choosing what hints and clues are shared in an effort to rouse such suspicion. For example, the body found in the mansion’s debris is claimed to be Bruce, but it is possible that this is incorrect or that the body was made to be identifiable as Bruce without it actually being him.
One arguable theory is that Bruce has been kidnapped by the Court of Owls and indoctrinated as a Talon, which would make for a climactic boss fight in Gotham Knights against Bruce himself. Rather, Bruce could be definitively deceased and his final words to the Bat Family could very well be what was recorded in the Code Black encryption, but that would ultimately feel like lackluster and irresponsible behavior from the Bat Family’s mentor and guardian.
Gotham Knights releases on October 25, 2022, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.