Judging from the promotional material up to its release in October 2022, Gotham Knights doesn't seem to be short of intriguing villains, iconic locations, and stalwart heroes. The Court of Owls has a limited history in DC Comics, but the overbearing organization's presence will be felt in the upcoming WB Montreal project. The Court of Owls has quickly become one of the company's most exciting new enemies, finding fans after its debut in Scott Snyder's Batman run in DC's New 52. That's not to say that other villains of the Caped Crusader can't be utilized, though, and there are countless characters that are primed for an appearance in the Batman-less game.
From the unpredictable intentions of Catwoman to the tricky tactics of the Riddler, Batman has a rogue's gallery of bad guys that all have radically different origin stories, motivations, and desires. Gotham Knights can take advantage of them, and its place outside the Arkham canon means it can go in an array of compelling directions without worrying about established lore. One character who is very important to Gotham is Harvey Dent, whose descent to villainy is perhaps the most tragic of all.
Harvey Dent is Gotham's Second-Favorite Son
More commonly referred to by a different name, Harvey Dent is far more than the sum of his evil deeds. Fans know him as Two-Face, a coin-flipping, decision-making former District Attorney with a penchant for crime. He wasn't always this way; before he suffers his physical disfigurement and the wrath of Batman, Harvey Dent has been portrayed and written as a political darling with an actual plan to help Gotham recover from its derelict and crime-dominated ways. Pearly white teeth, perfect hair, a smile to die for, and all the political aspiration to make a real positive change, Harvey Dent was destined to be one of the biggest players in Gotham's revival.
His chemistry with Batman and Jim Gordon makes for many fantastic narrative moments as they all come from different angles, but share the common goal to make the city safer. As fans know, this never seems to come to fruition, and Harvey Dent always seems to arrive at his villainous destiny before he can help make Gotham better. Two-Face is hugely different from the man he replaced, as crime takes over his aspirations. He's one of Batman's greatest failures as his unrelenting political potential is completely wiped away. Two-Face isn't as eccentric as Joker or as powerful as Ra's Al Ghul, but his complicated history and two-sided nature could make him a great Gotham Knights villain.
Harvey Dent's Role in Gotham Knights
Gotham Knights takes place at a time when Batman and Jim Gordon are no longer around. The city is instead patrolled by Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Robin, and while they all have unique personalities, there will surely be a hole left by the Caped Crusader and the GCPD Commissioner. Harvey Dent could fill that role perfectly. Jim Gordon is often restricted by the establishment he works for, and has always been by-the-book with his approach to preventing and fighting crime. Harvey Dent's political career would make him a valuable ally to the Bat Family, as their vigilantism is no longer supported by the police commissioner and the most powerful philanthropist in Gotham.
Dent could be the wildcard of the game, collaborating with the Bat-Family to help prevent Gotham from collapsing in on itself after Batman's death. Aside from Jason Todd's frequently unlawful approach to crime control, the playable characters of Gotham Knights are unlikely to be tempted by villainy. Dent's destiny as Two-Face is inescapable, however, and using his fall from grace in Gotham Knights could being a new flavor of villainy the game's fairly standard 'good guys fight bad guys' superhero narrative.
Gotham Knights releases October 25, 2022, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
