Each playable Bat Family hero in Gotham Knights sees different hallucinations in the Court of Owls Labyrinth based on that character’s fears. The story of Gotham Knights sees Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and Red Hood all overcome their own struggles in the wake of Batman’s death. These fears and issues bubble to the surface at various points in the story, and to slightly disturbing effect when the player makes their way to the Court of Owls’ labyrinth.

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[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Gotham Knights.]

Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, and Red Hood have different fears that are brought to the surface through hallucinations from being drugged in the Court of Owls Labyrinth. These visions help to distinguish how different Gotham Knights’ playable DC heroes are, emphasizing the level of attention paid to ensuring each scene is different depending on which character the player is in control of. Cutscenes play out differently depending on which character is selected, the labyrinth visions encapsulate how compelling an approach that is.

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Gotham Knights – Nightwing’s Hallucinations Make Him Relive The Loss Of His Family

As Batman’s first adopted son, it might not be surprising that Nightwing’s hallucinations center around the loss of both his biological parents – the Flying Graysons – and his adoptive parent, Bruce Wayne. One of the first scenes that Dick Grayson sees is Bruce’s grave, which fits the grief the Bat Family feels over Batman’s death. Like the other members of the Batman Family in Gotham Knights, Nightwing will also see a hallucination of Alfred, dead in a chair, and a different image of a table where members of the Court of Owls are sitting.

The last hallucination that Nightwing faces in the labyrinth is the one that is unique to each character, going back to a childhood tragedy for Dick Grayson. Before he was Nightwing, and even before he was Robin, Dick was part of a circus family as his parents were the Flying Graysons at Haley’s Circus. The last image Nightwing sees is his parents’ death, which occurred at Haley’s Circus after their set was tampered with. Gotham Knights thus shows Nightwing’s grief over losing parental figures more than once in his life.

Robin’s Hallucinations Show His Insecurities As Batman’s Third Robin In Gotham Knights

Gotham Knights spotlights Tim Drake as Robin – the third to take up the role of the Boy Wonder in both the game’s universe and in mainstream DC continuity. As is the case with every character who can end up in the labyrinth, Robin hears Batman’s voice expressing disappointment and his regrets at bringing him into the Bat Family. As the third Robin, Tim already had to prove himself, especially after Jason Todd’s death made the Dark Knight reluctant to accept another Robin, and the hallucinations he sees show how ingrained his insecurities run about not being good enough compared to Dick and Jason.

Robin’s unique hallucination is the Robin outfit on a mannequin surrounded by flyers with messages along the lines of there being a search for a new Robin. Robin then hears Gotham Knights’ Batman saying that anybody other than him would have been a better Boy Wonder. Although he proves himself to be strong in his own right through the use of his intelligence and stealth skills, Tim wonders if Batman truly felt he was unsuited for the role.

Batgirl’s Hallucinations Show A Fear Of Failing Jim Gordon In Gotham Knights

Barbara Gordon, daughter of GCPD commissioner Jim Gordon, reclaims her identity as Batgirl in Gotham Knights after being confined to a wheelchair and working as Oracle. One of the earlier hallucinations she sees is a Bat Signal that flickers out as she hears police officers wonder where Batman is, which could stem from fears that she isn’t able to fill the void left by his death. The labyrinth seems to reinforce Babs’ belief that she has a lot to prove as Batgirl in Gotham Knights, and this is especially seen through her unique hallucination scene.

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Batgirl’s hallucination features her father’s office, where she hears him talking about her. Gordon says things along the line of Batgirl being the worst hero in Gotham and that she does more harm than good. Then, when he’s talking about crime being up in Gotham, he says that Batgirl has abandoned the city. Players are then able to play another tape that’s sitting on the desk, which is an officer calling for help because Gordon has been shot. In this way, Gotham Knights shows both Batgirl’s fear of not being good enough to fill the role of a hero, and her fear of not being there when her father needed her.

Gotham Knights – Red Hood’s Hallucinations Resurrect His Fear Of Not Being Himself

Red Hood has magic powers in Gotham Knights, but the source of those powers stems from a dark part of both his and Batman’s past. Red Hood was Robin before Tim Drake, but his time as the Boy Wonder ended with him dying at the Joker’s hands. The trauma of being killed, being brought back against his will, and becoming a murderous vigilante opposed to Batman is brought to the surface by the hallucinogens given to Red Hood by the Court of Owls.

Red Hood’s unique hallucination is of a Lazarus Pit, which was used to resurrect him before the events of Gotham Knights, and he is fighting Batman in it. He hears Batman’s voice telling him that he’s a killer, referencing Red Hood’s past of being the only member of the Bat Family to use lethal methods against enemies. During this scene, a member of the Court of Owls encourages Red Hood to kill, to which he responds that he isn’t that person anymore. Red Hood’s hallucination shows not only a disdain for the Lazarus Pit, but also a fear of not having control over himself like he did when he first returned.

The Court of Owls doesn’t often take the stage as the main antagonist in Batman stories, but their labyrinth gives Gotham Knights a game section that has the atmosphere of a horror title. The Bat Family is imperfect, and each member has their own flaws, but the labyrinth shows that their grief and some of their feelings overlap. Regardless, Gotham Knights is filled with villains, and the Bat Family keeps moving forward to honor Batman and continue his work. The hallucination scenes in Gotham Knights give depth to the Bat Family, but they also show resilience and determination as they fight for what they believe in.

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