Batman: Arkham Knight - 10 Ways The Season Of Infamy Is A Mixed Bag
3. Dissecting Batman's Morality Lacked Nuance
The culmination of the 'Shadow War' side-mission ends with Bruce having to make a choice: either cure a clearly physically and mentally ruined R'as, or destroy the life support he's dependent upon to survive. Why is this such a problem? Well, let me explain. The question is posed as a test of Batman's morality in that it asks to stretch his 'no killing' prerogative, but the ramifications of the question ultimately boil down to technical definitions of murder and whether or not you (the player) feel that destroying the machine presents a direct causal link between the act itself and Al Ghul's eventual death. Of course it doesn't, but I digress. What makes this so ineffective as an analysis of Batman's morals is that the logical argument is presented to the player quite immaculately by Alfred. R'as is the literal embodiment of the undead, and has been dying ever since he first bathed in the Lazarus pit. Each time he has returned he has done so more deranged, determined, and violent - a cycle perpetuated by Bruce's moral fallacies. R'as cannot be killed for he is already dead - this argument would have applied in Arkham City as well. The problem is exacerbated by the fact it is presented to us here - where R'as is clearly mentally and physically incapable of thought or action - and not in any prior engagement. This thus brings with it connotations of assisted dying and the moral debate surrounding that, but without getting too political the choice is plain and clear to be made. I've seen counterarguments from others urging players to save R'as under the belief that destroying the machine corrupts Batman's morals, but Rocksteady would never offer the choice of carrying out an action antithetical to the concept of the character itself, as this would be immersion-breaking and defy the point of the Arkham games altogether. Whilst it's an interesting premise to explore, it should've been given the appropriate time to do so.
