To say thatDC Comicspossesses a wide array of villains would be an understatement. Batman’s rogues gallery runs the gamut from the instantly recognizable to the downright forgettable. Although the Court of Owls, the Penguin, and Mr. Freeze have already been confirmed to appear inGotham Knights, it’s fun to speculate what other villains may make the cut.
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Gotham Knightsrepresents a golden opportunity to depict some of the more obscure DC villains. Granted, some of these entries are likely long shots. However, if a film likeThe Suicide Squadhas proven anything, it’s thatpreviously underutilized charactershave the potential to become memorable if given a chance to shine.
10Calculator
Not all DC supervillains are dummies. Many of them are actually quite smart, using their above-average intellects to get the better of Batman and his allies. The Riddler is one of the more famous and prolific examples of this type of Gotham criminal.
Fans, however, may never have heard about Calculator, a villain best described as the evil version ofBarbara Gordon’s Oracle persona. Using information as his primary weapon, Calculator represents an interesting alternative to the Riddler. He’s a criminal who is immensely intelligent, and isn’t shy about using his smarts and knack for technology for nefarious purposes.
9Cornelius Stirk
DC Comics isn’t afraid to explore dark and oftentimes downright terrifying characters. One villain that not too many fans may be familiar with is Cornelius Stirk, a criminal whose ghastly modus operandi is creative, to say the least.
In a similar vein to the Scarecrow, Cornelius Stirk is obsessed with the idea of fear. He’s a serial killer who, with the aid of hypnosis, is able to impersonate anyone he desires. Stirk uses this power to gain the trust of his intended victim before murdering them. To top it all off, he then consumes their hearts to sustain himself. Not a very stable human being, to be sure.
8Ratcatcher
In a rogues gallery filled with outlandish characters, the Ratcatcher is certainly underutilized. In a manner that invokes the movieWillard, Otis Flannegan possesses an unusual affinity with vermin, namely rats. As the Ratcatcher, Otis can command veritable legions of the furry pests to wreak havoc on Gotham.
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The Ratcatcher is definitely one of Gotham’s more bizarre villains. It would be interesting from a gameplay standpoint to see how the developers would depict the Ratcatcher’s powers. Gamers already know how dangerous swarms of rats can be, judging by how they were employed inA Plague Tale: Innocence. Squaring off against an opponent who can command rats isan idea with plenty of potential.
7Maxie Zeus
The criminals of Gotham City aren’t the most mentally stable group of people. One individual who doesn’t receive a great deal of limelight is Maxie Zeus, an unhinged organized crime figure who believes himself to be theactualGreek god, Zeus.
Interestingly, Maxie Zeus is referenced on several occasions throughout Rocksteady’sArkhamtrilogy. Despite that, the character has never received much prominence in video games.Gotham Knightscould change that by finally giving this unconventional villain the recognition he deserves.
6Gentleman Ghost
Not every DC villain is flesh and blood. There’s plenty of supernatural shenanigans that occur in the comic books, where Gentleman Ghost is one such example. Gentleman Ghost has been around since the 1940s, originally serving as one of Hawkman’s many foes. Since then, he’s tangled with the likes of severalother superheroes, including Batman.
Having to contend with a spectral enemy is yet another interesting idea thatGotham Knightscould explore. Although it seems unlikely the game will lean heavily on DC’s supernatural elements, it could be a great way to showcase this somewhat forgotten villain.
5Humpty Dumpty
Humphry Dumpler, better known as “Humpty Dumpty” due to his physical resemblance to the titular nursery rhyme character, is one of Batman’s lesser-known foes. Humpty Dumpty’s main strengths lay in his uncanny ability to disassemble and reassemble almost anything.
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However, it’s Humpty Dumpty’s pathological need to “fix” things that aren’t always broken that often leads to trouble. Like the rest of the entries on this list, giving this character a proper video game debut can help makeGotham Knightsstand out from other Batman-related titles.
4Great White Shark
A wide variety of criminal gangs have terrorized Gotham City at one time or another. Fans are no doubt familiar with the likes of Black Mask, Two-Face, and Carmine Falcone, along with their respective criminal organizations.
Nevertheless, one slightly more obscure gangster is the aptly named Great White Shark, formerly known as Warren White. An unfortunate encounter with Mr. Freeze left him deformed, leaving White with physical characteristics that resembled a shark, a persona he decided to embrace. Perhaps Mr. Freeze and Great White Shark could resume their feud inGotham Knights.
3Condiment King
Of course, not every criminal needs to be takentooseriously. In a list filled with no shortage of grim personas, there’s always room for more lighthearted characters. First appearing in the belovedBatman: The Animated Series, the Condiment King is proof that some villains can be positively silly.
Being able to square off against the Condiment King inGotham Knights, even in a minor encounter, could be a neat (and humorous) experience. Having this villain actually utilize his condiment-centric weaponry in battle is a sight fans likely wouldn’t forget for a long time.
2Prometheus
The casual DC fan may be forgiven if they’ve never heard of Prometheus. He’s a villain that gets easily lost in the shuffle, which is a shame. Prometheus has an intriguing backstory, one that serves as a twisted inverse of Bruce Wayne’s history. After witnessing the death of his parents by policemen as a child, Prometheus made it his mission to wage a vengeful war against all law enforcement officials.
A villain whose skills and abilities that are identical to Batman’s would make for an epic fight inGotham Knights. It could be an encounter that would require all of a player’s learned skills up to that point,similar to the Mr. Freeze boss battleinBatman: Arkham City.
1The Eraser
DC’s Silver Age didn’t lack creativity, that’s for sure. Some of Batman’s most eccentric foes made their debuts in this era. Unsurprisingly, some proved a bittoooutrageous for their own good. The Eraser is a perfect example, a villain that probablyonly diehard DC comic readersknew existed.
Leonard Fiasco (yes, that’s his name) is known as The Eraser due to his ability to “erase” evidence from a crime scene. He accomplishes this by way of his helmet, a giant pencil eraser. The likelihood of this obscure villain being included inGotham Knightsis amazingly slim — but what a missed opportunity that would be.
Gotham Knightsis set to release on PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2022.
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