Five Years Later: 10 Things You Learn Replaying Batman: Arkham Knight

When Arkham Knight was released, players were looking forward to a game without the Joker as the lead villain. Having dominated the first three games in the series, fans were ready to move on from the Clown Prince of Crime, especially following his impeccable death at the end of Arkham City.

Therefore, when Arkham Knight was released, and players realised that the Joker was once again one of the key villains in the game, Rocksteady were criticised for falling back on a character many felt had run its course.

Removed from this sentiment however, one can see that the Joker's presence in the story serves as a twisted commentary on the consequences of Batman. Acting as Batman's own devil's advocate, Joker provides horrifying alternatives to everything the Dark Knight does, while also playing on Batman's guilt over his death.

Furthermore, Arkham Knight is able to provide the true showdown between Batman and the Joker which the Arkham series hadn't been able to provide up to this point (that terrible battle at the end of Asylum doesn't count), through a battle of wits between the two within Batman's mind. In this, Rocksteady expose the fear in the Joker that he was never able to overcome, a fear which Bruce exploits to finally put his greatest foe to rest.

No other version of the Joker was quite so fundamental to the character of their Batman as this one, and therefore he needed to have some part to play in the caped crusader's final stand.