Gotham Knights Ending and Secret Ending Explained

This article contains spoilers for Gotham Knights.

Gotham Knights is shaping up to be one of the year’s most divisive games, to say the least. While some simply wish that Gotham Knights featured more Arkham-like gameplay, others are more upset by elements of the game’s story and lore. Truth be told, that red-hot debate isn’t going to be cooled by the game’s controversial and bold ending.

Gotham Knights tasks Batgirl, Red Hood, Robin, and Nightwing (as well as the player) with saving Gotham City in the wake of Batman’s death. Much of the game sees the Knights trying to solve a series of mysteries that seem to be related to the final case Bruce was working on before he died. The more they learn about that case, the more they realize that Gotham is in more trouble than anyone thought.

Here’s what you need to know about the stunning events of Gotham Knights‘ ending and secret ending.

Talia al Ghul, Jacob Kane, and The Court of Owls

Throughout much of Gotham Knights, players are left to wonder who is pulling the strings in Gotham’s underworld following Batman’s death. Talia al Ghul seems like the most obvious suspect, but she initially seems more interested in putting the past behind her. There are times when she even seems interested in helping our heroes (or at least getting out of their way). 

Eventually, the Gotham Knights learn that the Court of Owls (a secret society operating within Gotham) is behind many of the city’s recent woes. While the Court’s members aren’t in a hurry to reveal themselves to the people of Gotham, they do see Batman’s death as a chance to solidify their power. Specifically, they believe they can build an army of soldiers who will “replace” Batman and dispense justice in their own name. 

Eventually, we learn that Jacob Kane (CEO of Kane Industries and a former friend of Bruce) is actually the Court of Owl’s leader (or at least the society’s chosen “voice”). The Knights feel betrayed by that reveal and fear that it may be impossible to bring the Court and Kane to proper justice. Even still, they decide to do what Batman would have done and turn Kane in to the police with the evidence they have gathered. 

Just as Kane is being arrested, though, he is killed by an assassin’s arrow. We soon learn that Talia not only killed Kane but has been using the Knights to help take down the Court of Owls so that the League of Shadows can claim Gotham for themselves. Soon thereafter, the League begins its assault on Gotham. The Knights know they must stop Taliam though they’re about to learn that won’t be easy. 

How Batman Is Resurrected In Gotham Knights

The Knights eventually track Talia down and confront her near the Lazarus Pits. At that moment, Talia reveals that she has found the perfect general for her army: Bruce Wayne. Yes, Talia has not only managed to use the power of the Lazarus Pits to resurrect Bruce Wayne but has manipulated him into thinking that he must lead the League of Shadows in order to save Gotham. 

This is obviously a part of the game that is upsetting a lot of fans at the moment. Gotham Knights was practically marketed around the idea that Batman is truly dead, which makes his return at the end of the game come off as something of a narrative betrayal. Obviously, the game is suggesting that Bruce has basically been zombified by Talia but this will still be a controversial plot point, to say the least. 

In any case, the player is soon forced to fight the resurrected Bruce Wayne. During that fight, the player tries to subdue Bruce multiple times and talk some sense into him. The dialog scenes are slightly different depending on which character you’re playing during the fight, but the results are roughly the same. A combination of punches and logic eventually brings Bruce back to his senses. 

What Happens to The Court of Owls, Talia al Ghul, and Bruce Wayne at the End of Gotham Knights?

Disappointed by the recent turn of events, Talia tries to kill the player’s character herself (after stabbing Batman with a sword, naturally). She not only fails to kill your chosen Knight, but is soon confronted by the remaining members of the Court of Owls and their new “voice.” While the Court and Talia are obviously enemies, both sides are unfortunately united against our heroes. They’re also prepared to kill your chosen character in order to secure the Lazarus Pits and Gotham. 

Talia manages to escape, but the Court isn’t done with you. Just as the Court’s goons are descending upon our hero, though, we see that Bruce has managed to climb into a nearby, crash-landed Batplane. He uses the plane’s radio to inform the player character that the Knights are stronger together than Batman could ever be by himself. He also lets the Court know that the corrupt rich of Gotham always scared him more than the city’s criminals. With his last ounce of strength, he crashes the Batplane into the Lazarus Pits, destroying both the pits themselves and (presumably) everyone nearby. 

That’s an odd moment for several reasons. While we don’t actually see that all of the Court of Owl members were killed by the blast, it’s heavily implied that at least some of them did die in the explosion. A mysterious glow in Bruce’s eyes suggests that his actions may have been partially motivated by the lingering effects of the Lazarus Pits, but it’s obviously a little…unusual to see Bruce decide to kill himself and others. Again, there’s a lot to read into this moment, but it’s more than a little strange even if you’re willing to accept some of those reads.

We soon learn from the player’s character (again, they’ll be different depending on who you’ve chosen to play as) that the “Court of Owls has gone to ground” and that Talia has escaped as well. While their fates and futures remain a mystery, there’s no ambiguity about Bruce’s fate following the incident. Your character says that they found Bruce’s remains in the wreckage. He is finally truly dead and seemingly not coming back this time. Then again, who knows what will happen given this game’s turn of events…

How Gotham Knight’s Ending Sets Up A Sequel

Gotham Knights ends with the character you just beat the game with broadcasting a message to the people of Gotham through various devices spread across the city. Your chosen Knight says that the Court of Owls is still at large and that the days of nobody talking about them (or doing anything about them) are over. Your character pledges to root out the remaining Court of Owls members and finally ensure the people of Gotham can live without fear. Their message seems to inspire some of the remaining members of Gotham’s legal and justice system, though it remains to be seen what the city’s new generation of protectors do next. 

That’s roughly where we leave Gotham Knights. The obvious implication is that The Court of Owls and Talia are still in power (or in a position to return to power relatively quickly). They’re seemingly being set up as the main villains for whatever future Gotham Knight sequels or DLC story updates we may get, which is obviously a little odd given that Bruce Wayne died twice for these villains to remain in power. 

Regardless, Gotham Knights’ ending solidifies the idea that the city must now truly move on from Batman. However, those who discover Gotham Knights’ secret ending will actually get one last moment with Bruce.

How to Unlock Gotham Knight’s Secret Ending

To unlock Gotham Knight’s secret ending, you first need to beat the game and let the final scene mentioned above play out. From there, you’ll unlock the “post-game” content. Once you’re able to control your character again in the post-game, go to the Belfry and look for a portrait of the Knights with Batman (it should be hanging on the wall to the right of the Belfry’s entrance). Interact with that portrait, and you’ll unlock the game’s secret ending. 

That “secret ending” is actually a flashback to Bruce recording his final message to the Knights in the event of his death. We soon see the Knights sneak into the background of the recording, which is odd given that we didn’t see that happen at the beginning of the game when Bruce’s final message plays out. It appears that Bruce actually recorded numerous versions of his final message (one for just about every possible cause of death), and the Knights are just trying to get him to come to dinner. 

After some back-and-forth ribbing, Bruce relents and decides to join everyone for dinner. He ends his recording with a smile to the camera and the words “You’re always looking out for me.” We then see that the present-day Knights are watching this footage play out in a really bittersweet moment. 

This ending is closer to an Easter egg than anything else, though it certainly strikes an emotional chord and almost makes you wish we could have seen more scenes of Batman and the Knights having these little moments together. Maybe there are more of these little recordings somewhere out there.