In the recently uploaded sneak peek of Gotham Knights‘ gameplay, the developers included a shout-out to one of the best episodes of Batman: The Animates Series. Not only is this a fun callback for longtime fans, but it has a bit of symbolic importance as well. Although it can be easy to overlook at first, eagle-eyed fans will be able to spot it immediately.
Gotham Knights follows Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, and Red Hood as they take it upon themselves to watch over Gotham City in the wake of Batman’s death. They were all trained by Batman, who lives on as an inspiration even after death. Batman’s influence is even enough to get Gotham Knights‘ questionable choice of Red Hood to use non-lethal ammunition while fighting crime alongside the Bat Family in Gotham Knights. Funnily enough, this idea of Batman as an inspiration ties perfectly into the Easter egg in the sneak peek, although the circumstances are different.
In the Batman: The Animated Series episode “Beware The Gray Ghost”, viewers are introduced to the Gray Ghost. He was a TV character based on detective heroes from old TV and radio serials, and Bruce Wayne was a major fan of his. When a crime spree strikes Gotham that takes inspiration from an old Gray Ghost episode, Batman is ultimately assisted by the retired actor who played the Ghost on TV, reviving interest in the series. With Gotham Knights having the biggest Gotham City yet, it’s only fitting that it pays tribute to one of the cartoon’s best episodes somewhere.
Gotham Knights Pays Tribute To Batman’s Own Hero
In the prologue of Gotham Knights, the Knights’ investigation takes them into Dr. Kirk Langstrom’s lab, where the player receives a tutorial on Gotham Knights‘ detective mechanics. At Langstrom’s desk that the player is required to analyze, there is a poster of the Gray Ghost on the wall. The poster is irrelevant to the case, and no attention is drawn to it during the sneak peek. However, it does show that the Gray Ghost is still canon in the Gotham Knights universe. This is not the first reference to the Gray Ghost in Batman media, as it has also appeared in the Arkham games as well as Batman Beyond. Even if Gotham Knights isn’t part of the Arkhamverse, it’s good to know that the Gray Ghost hasn’t been forgotten.
The presence of the Gray Ghost poster feels rather symbolic considering the situation that the game takes place in. The Gray Ghost was a young Bruce Wayne’s hero, and one can imagine that he based some of his persona as Batman on the fictional hero. Meanwhile, in Gotham Knights, Batman is the role model of each of the main protagonists, even the rogue Jason Todd. Although Bruce was a mentor rather than an idolized fictional character, he fills a similar role to them as they vow to take up his mantle as Gotham City’s protectors. With Batman’s death in Gotham Knights still casting a shadow, it remains to be seen how well they can carry his legacy.
The Gray Ghost is not one of the most well-known elements of Batman lore, but it’s nice to see him get some recognition in Gotham Knights. The character and episode both managed to bring out a side of Bruce that viewers rarely got to see. Sharp-eyed Batman fans should be prepared when Gotham Knights is released to see what other references they can find.
