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Characters / Batman: Arkham Series – Rogues Gallery (Origins)

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Members of Batman's Rogues Gallery who, in the Batman: Arkham video game series continuity, first appeared in Batman: Arkham Origins.


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The Assassins

    Copperhead 

Copperhead

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/copperhead_arkham_origins_6293.png
"I killed you. And in a few more minutes, your body will realize it."
Voiced by: Rosa Salazar Other voice actors

Copperhead is an internationally known assassin suspected to operate out of Guatemala whose identity is shrouded in mystery. Reports of both male and female Copperheads have surfaced, leading to the authorities believing that it is either a group operating under a single name or a floating moniker. What all the reports agree on is that Copperhead is deadly and skilled, leaving a trail of victims dead by asphyxiation, broken necks, and exotic poisons. Early in Batman's career, a female Copperhead was one of eight assassins who accepted a 50 million dollar bounty offered by Black Mask to kill the vigilante on Christmas Eve.


  • Adaptational Attractiveness: This Copperhead is probably the hottest version of the character.
  • Adaptational Badass: Most incarnations of Copperhead are incompetent villains who lose easily. This version is a skilled tracker and fighter.
  • Affirmative Action Girl: Perhaps one of the reasons for the Gender Flip: if Copperhead were to remain male, then Shiva would be the only female in the group.
  • Ambiguously Human: It's unclear whether her reptilian eyes are some sort of genetic mutation, or whether they are simply colored contacts.
  • Animal Motifs: The snake, naturally.
  • Break the Haughty: After spending most of her screen time acting like a Smug Snake, Batman overcomes her poison, beats her, and captures her in a crate left for the police, putting an end to her assassin career.
  • Canon Immigrant: This Copperhead was bought over to the comics as part of DC Rebirth.
  • Comic-Book Fantasy Casting: Copperhead looks a lot like Miley Cyrus.
  • Contortionist: In keeping with the comics version and her She-Fu style.
  • Dark Action Girl: She's quite deadly, to say the least.
  • Evil Laugh: When Batman starts hallucinating from the poison, her apparition does this to toy with him.
  • Femme Fatalons: Logic aside, her razor-sharp, poison-tipped talons are her go-to method while murdering.
  • Gender Flip: Copperhead is traditionally male, but is seen here as a female, though Batman notes how the reports are of a male, hinting that this Copperhead is a Legacy Character.
  • Gratuitous Spanish: Not to the same extent as Bane, but she occasionally hurls insults in Spanish at Batman, calling him "Pendejo" ("Pubes", though contextually "dickhead"), and "Cabrón" (meaning literally "male goat", but contextually "asshole").
    • One of her Game Over quotes is almost entirely un-translated Spanish.note 
  • Hell-Bent for Leather: Adding to the overall snake theme.
  • I Work Alone: Like Deathstroke, she doesn't have any henchmen.
  • Legacy Character: Batman himself notes that all the information he has is on the male Copperhead, lampshading that this Copperhead is a new villain.
  • Ms. Fanservice: She appears to be this trope at first. Her snake tongue, creepy eyes, and primal instinct ruin it for most players, but not all.
  • Murderous Thighs: The very first thing she's shown doing in Penguin's security footage is leaping onto her would-be captor, snapping his neck and arm with a hard jerk. She can also ensnare Batman during combat, though he has the ability to break free.
  • Navel-Deep Neckline: Her outfit has a plunging neckline that just barely reaches her midsection.
  • Poisonous Person: She can secrete poison from her claws that causes powerful psychotropic hallucinogens before death. As seen on a workbench in the Ace Chemicals factory in Knight, Scarecrow somehow got his hands on a vial of it and synthesized the isolated hallucinogenic component, as an addition for his refined Fear Toxin.
  • Prison Escape Artist: According to available data, the individual known as "Copperhead" has 14 escapes on their record, though how many can be attributed to her in particular is unknown. She certainly seems to have no trouble getting out of handcuffs.
  • Professional Killer: She's an internationally renowned assassin.
  • Race Lift: Copperhead is white in the comics. This version is Latina.
  • She-Fu: A contortionist who utilizes her skills in combat.
  • Sir Swears-a-Lot: She frequently uses Spanish obscenities.
  • Smarter Than You Look: While she's somewhat feral in her mannerisms, she naturally knows a great deal about poisons and their effect on human physiology, including the symptoms of necroptosis. She's also clever enough to realize that despite Roman's offer to pay her for killing Batman, any influence he once had has been waylaid by the Joker's scheme.
  • Smug Snake: Pun aside, she seems quite confident that Batman will succumb to her poison, and enjoys toying with him in his delirious state.
  • Snake People: She mostly looks human, but has a forked tongue, slit pupils, and venom.
  • Statuesque Stunner: She stands at 5'10", making her the tallest woman in Origins.
  • Stripperific: In one of the extortion tapes a thug is shown a picture of her and he remarks that "she's wearin' nothing but ink!"
  • Tattooed Crook: Copperhead sports several tattoos on her body.
  • Why Won't You Die?: Gets increasingly frustrated as Batman continues to resist her poison.
  • Wolverine Claws: Sports a pair on each of her wristguards.

    Deathstroke 

Deathstroke (Slade Wilson)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aodeaths_5748.png
"It appears the game is over before it even begins."
Voiced by: Larry Grimm (Arkham City Lockdown), Mark Rolston (Arkham Origins, Arkham Knight) Other voice actors

Deathstroke is one of the most lethal assassins in the world, and one of eight people hired by Black Mask to kill Batman on Christmas Eve.


  • Adaptational Early Appearance: In the comics, Deathstroke debuted during the New Teen Titans era and thus when Dick is in college. This version first appears when Bruce is in his second year as Batman.
  • Adaptational Nice Guy: This version of Deathstroke likes the Manipulative Bastard Card-Carrying Villain tendencies of comic book Slade, who is a vile repulsive man who has Kicked the Dog from here to the exosphere multiple times. Here, Deathstroke is just an Affably Evil mercenary who is Only in It for the Money.
  • Adaptational Wimp: In most incarnations, Slade is a dark, serious villain who is too hard to take down. He is stated to be and clearly show as superhuman who is at least 10 times stronger than an average person with enhanced senses, a Healing Factor, Acquired Poison Immunity, and other physical enhancements that put him above and beyond normal people. In Origins, he loses is defeated by a rookie Batman (although he's easily the hardest boss in the game) while it's implied that the experiment that enhanced him only pushed his body to the peak of human ability like the comic version of Captain America. In Knight, he's hit with this even harder when he's taken down in one blow after his tank is destroyed.
  • Affably Evil: In Knight. When interacting with the other main villains in the holding cell, he is the most friendly and least confrontational of the lot. He tells Firefly of the beauty of napalm at night, gives Penguin some fighting tips, barely reacts to Riddler's boasting, and tells Pyg of a man he think he'd get along with. That last one is especially notable, as no other character in the game reacts to Pyg with anything other than revulsion - even the Joker hallucination thinks he's irreparably nuts.
  • And Your Reward Is Clothes: His alternate costumes in Origins include his classic comic book costume and his Injustice: Gods Among Us costume.
  • Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: He's quite confident in his abilities, with good reason. While he's generally respectful toward Batman, he makes it clear that the mooks he goes up against in challenge mode are far beneath him.
  • Ascended Extra: Makes an appearance as a single short boss opponent in Arkham City: Lockdown. He appears in Batman: Arkham Origins with a more plot heavy role including The Stinger, where he's seemingly given an offer by Amanda Waller to join the Suicide Squad, as well as being a playable character in challenge maps.
  • Beard of Evil: As seen when he's unmasked, he sports a bushy goattee.
  • Berserk Button: Batman effectively sucker-punching him unconscious as he leaps out of his tank following his boss fight in Knight absolutely infuriates him, to the point he outright demands Batman let him out of the Batmobile so they can "finish this properly". The act pisses him off so much he immediately declares It's Personal and that he'll be going after Batman for no bounty in the future, though he does admit the Bat is a Worthy Opponent if you talk to him in lockup afterwards.
  • Blood Knight: While his primary motivation is money, some of his comments imply that he enjoys combat for its own sake.
  • Boom Stick: He initially appears to have a simple staff, but it doubles as his rifle.
  • Consummate Professional: In Knight, despite the fact that the Arkham Knight is dealt with by the time you meet him, Slade states that since he took payment in advance, he's professionally obligated to fulfill his contract to kill Batman.
  • Cool Mask: As is tradition, wears his iconic half-orange half-black mask, though he loses it during the boss battle.
  • Cool Sword: Wields two custom katanas.
  • Costume Inertia: Despite the ten year gap between Origins and Knight, Deathstroke wears the same black and orange armor in both games, making him the only character in the Arkhamverse to appear in multiple games without undergoing a costume change (unless you count Lockdown as canon). The only visible differences being that A) Both ribbons on the back of the mask are orange in Knight note . B) The mask is visibly damaged from where Batman busted it during their fight on the Final Offer, and C) The armor doesn't fit him as well, likely because Slade would be 55 at this point and likely shrunk a bit due to his old age.
  • Double Tap: In one of his death screens, Deathstroke commends Batmans prowess but also boasts about himself being stronger before taking aim with his pistol to his face, implying he's about to confirm his kill on Batman before the screen fades to black.
  • The Dragon: He becomes this to Scarecrow in Arkham Knight after the Arkham Knight pulls a Heel–Face Turn.
  • Duel Boss: He fights Batman one-on-one, with no mooks interfering at any point of the battle, nor does he use any fancy gimmicks outside of his own arsenal, which is comparable to Batman's.
    • Flunky Boss: In Knight however, he's backed up by several drones that you must take out before you can safely deal with Slade himself.
  • Empowered Badass Normal: The files state he was an able mercenary, before he partook on the military experiment which made him a match for Batman
  • Eyepatch of Power: Downplayed, but it's evident by his mask that he's, like his comic counterpart, willing to show his status as having one eye by only making one eyehole.
  • Gone Horribly Right: As Batman notes in Origins, Slade got his unique skill set via a "failed military experiment". He notes this whilst he and Alfred watch footage of Slade in action showing him acrobatically taking down an entire group of men all in a single strike within seconds.
    Alfred: "Failed" you say?
  • Gun Nut: If his dialogue with Azrael in Arkham Knight is anything to go by.
    Azrael: You kill for money, old man. I kill for God!
    Deathstroke: M4 Carbine. 9 inch barrel assembly, high res optical scope with rail interface. That's my god.
  • Handicapped Badass: Only having one eye doesn't make Deathstroke any less dangerous.
  • Healing Factor:
    • Has a minor one as part of his metabolism. During his boss fight in Arkham Origins, some of his health will regenerate if you go a while without damaging him.
    • If you listen to to certain comments by the Arkham Knight militia they mention that whilst Slade might get injured occasionally during sparring sessions with the troops (though usually dealing far more than he receives), unlike them, Slade's injuries healed up in next to no time.
  • Hollywood Atheist: Downplayed. Slade's rather dismissive of Deacon Blackfire and Azrael and the dialogue makes it clear that he does not believe in gods, but he doesn't outright insult their beliefs like Riddler does.
    (To Blackfire): "My soul doesn't need saving, preacher man. I sold it a long time ago."
    (To Azrael): "M4 Carbine, 9 inch barrel assembly, high-res optical scope with rail interface. That's my God."
  • Hypocrite: He tells Batman how "the man I fought didn't hide in a car", but during his boss battle he drives a tank. He also shows some disrespect toward the Arkham Knight for acting out of personal reason alone, but after he's beaten he tells Batman that he won't need payment next time, because now it's personal.
  • I Work Alone: Unlike most of the other major villains in Origins, Deathstroke has no henchmen to back him up while he hunts Batman down. This isn't the case in Knight as he has The Arkham Knight's militia under his command.
  • It's Personal: He initially only goes after Batman for the money in Origins, and tells him as such that he won't be coming after him again unless someone pays him. In Knight, however, he's not only being paid to kill Batman once again, but he's taken a special interest since discovering Batman's fighting skills, saying after his defeat that once he grows to "respect" an opponent, he needs no other incentives to try to destroy them; he even claims that the next time he comes after him, it'll be of his own accord.
  • Jerkass: He’s one huge douchebag. In his boss fight in Arkham Origins, he spends most of his time taunting Batman about his inferior fighting skills. In Arkham City Lockdown, he hints having Bad Boss tendencies to his Mooks, as seen when he used one as bait, and killed him once he’s lured Batman. In Arkham Knight, he’s no different as he still constantly taunts Batman and acts like a Sore Loser when the Dark Knight defeats him and sends him to GCPD.
  • Lack of Empathy: He'll kill anyone as long as he's paid for the deed.
  • Lightning Bruiser: He is as strong as Batman and possibly even faster.
  • Master Swordsman: He's very good with those blades of his.
  • Mix-and-Match Weapon: His staff in Arkham Origins also functions as a silenced rifle.
  • Multi-Melee Master: Even excluding his gadgets, he's an excellent gunslinger and wields with equal skill both a staff and a sword.
  • Old Soldier: By the time of Arkham Knight he's approaching his late 50s and still physically active, being decades older than Batman.
  • Only in It for the Money: Makes it very clear he's only interested in the bounty in Origins; when they meet again at Blackgate, his cell door unlocked but shut, he outright states he's not interested in fighting, unless someone else puts another bounty on Batman's head. Part of the reason he didn't return before Knight is that it took this long for someone to amass enough money to be worth his time.
  • Pragmatic Villainy: At the end of Origins. When Joker takes over Blackgate and causes widespread rioting and destruction, Slade just stays in his cell and quietly works out. He doesn't care about the conflict because he can't profit from it and tells Batman that he has nothing to worry about from him anymore.
  • Professional Killer: Comes with being an assassin.
  • Promoted to Playable: He's initially a boss in Arkham City: Lockdown, and becomes playable in the challenge mode in Origins.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: In Origins after he is defeated and imprisoned in Blackgate, he doesn't bother trying to take advantage of the prison riot to even leave his cell. In his words, since the bounty on Batman turned out to be fake, he has no reason to fight him anymore.
  • Redemption Demotion: While he's hardly redeemed, the DLC's playable Deathstoke lacks much of the arsenal the boss version has, losing lethal weapons like his sword and guns. He's still effective without it, and this was likely a balancing issue as combat maps would have been a cakewalk if he could just stab and shoot his way through everyone. Likely justified In-Universe as his way of showing he doesn't need his lethal weapons to be successful.
  • Rogues' Gallery Transplant: While he's always been Nightwing's Arch-Enemy, he's usually a Teen Titans villain, and lately a Green Arrow one. The latter is referenced in the debut trailer for Origins, as the Incredibly Obvious Bomb he uses is in a box labeled "Queen".
  • Sadist: States that he’ll slit Batman’s throat and watch him bleed to his death.
  • The Sociopath: He is definitely one by Arkham Knight, there is one instance where he threatens to slit Batman's throat and watch him bleed to death.
  • Super-Soldier: Used as a military test subject to physically enhance his strength, speed and reflexes. It worked and afterwards Slade went freelance.
  • Super-Strength: Downplayed, but still present in his challenge maps. Unlike other playable characters in the series who need to put physical effort into removing grates so they can use vents, Deathstroke is capable of just tearing them off without even trying.
  • Tank Goodness: In Knight, he has a tank of his own to deal with the Batmobile.
  • The Vietnam Vet: Like his comics incarnation, this version of Deathstroke served in Vietnam in special forces. This is mentioned prominently in 'Knight'', when he compares Batman to a particularly troublesome Vietcong member.
  • Villain Decay: In Origins, Batman defeated him within his first two years as a vigilante, but he still put up a good fight, whereas in Knight, he was knocked out with a One-Hit KO. This even gets a lampshade.
    The Joker: So at what point does "World's Greatest Assassin" become false advertising?
    • Possibly justified by his mini-story available in the game: Deathstroke's loss to Batman back in Origins left him suffering recurring nightmares, involuntary muscle spasms and a nervous twitch. Bluster all he likes, Slade is still scared of Batman.
  • Villain Forgot to Level Grind: How he's soundly beaten in Knight. While Batman has improved his fighting ability and gear over the years, Slade mostly retains the same skills and paraphernalia from the beginning.
  • Villain Protagonist: He's a downloadable character for the challenge mode in Origins.
  • Villainous Breakdown: During the final phase of his Origins boss fight, he screams "DIE!!!" just before unleashing his flurry attack.
  • Wake-Up Call Boss: Killer Croc is manageable and The Electrocutioner is a Zero-Effort Boss and Curb-Stomp Battle. Deathstroke murders impatient players who try to spam their attacks and haven't mastered countering.
  • Willfully Weak: In Arkham Origins, Deathstroke doesn't seem to take Batman seriously until the third phase of his fight, seemingly to test how skilled his opponent is. Unfortunately for him, by the time that he starts fighting seriously, he's already on the backfoot.
    Deathstroke: Didn't you spot the opening I gave you?
  • Worthy Opponent: If you talk to him in prison after defeating him in Knight, he states that he's always relishing a chance to fight Batman. He also states that as one of the few who have his respect, it now means that he'll stop at nothing to kill him.
  • Would Hit a Girl: Unlike Batman, whose takedown animations for ninjas consist only of flips or strikes, Deathstroke has no compunctions about breaking arms and legs.
  • You Could Have Used Your Powers for Good!: Inverted. He feels that Batman's skills would be much better used for evil.
  • You Fight Like a Cow: Constantly spitting one-liners about Batman's no kill rule as well as the flaws in the Caped Crusader's technique during the boss fight, no matter how well the player is actually doing.
    Deathstroke: You fight like a young man. All emotions and no discipline.
    • Curiously, he does the exact opposite in Arkham Knight, claiming that Batman's getting old and asking where the old fury went.
  • Younger Than They Look: His in-game biography, during the cinematic introducing the assassins, lists him as being 45 years old. His grizzled countenance and snow-white hair makes him look a good 10-15 years older.

    Firefly 

Firefly (Garfield Lynns)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/75dec408f2b0976442b918ee1ec3e0c3.jpg
"Gotham's gonna BURN!"
Firefly in Arkham Origins
Voiced by: Crispin Freeman Other voice actors

Garfield Lynns, known as the villain Firefly, is a friend and ally of crime lord Black Mask, and one of the few super criminals to avoid being locked up in Arkham City. A former pyrotechnician for the floundering Panessa Studios, he was subsequently fired in the wake of company downsizing, and began a new career as a hired torch for the mob, constructing a jet-propelled flying rig and protective suit to aid him in his crimes. He makes his debut appearance in the games in Arkham Origins; in Arkham Knight, he joins Scarecrow's Villain Team-Up.


  • Ax-Crazy: Definitely the most unhinged of either Black Mask's team of assassins or Scarecrow's assembled supervillains; he's not even interested in money or power — he just wants to destroy everything he can, including anyone who stands in his way.
  • Bad Boss: His men openly admit they can't trust a psychopath like him, and worry that they won't be able to get clear of the bombs before he just decides to destroy the bridge for fun. As one goon mentions to Branden, the only way they know he hasn't already is because the explosive caches are large enough to be heard across town.
  • Bald of Evil: His head is so completely burnt that scar tissue has replaced all of his hair follicles.
  • Body Horror: He has burns on 90% of his body. In Knight, we see how severe those are. Look at his arms and the parts of his head that's not covered by his helmet in the picture above. That's his skin.
  • Burn Scars, Burning Powers: Firefly is a Pyromaniac armed with a flamethrower, and as you can tell once he wears a more skin-baring outfit in Arkham Knight, the majority of his body is covered in third-degree burn scars.
  • Chewing the Scenery: The scenery will BUUUUURRNNNN!!!
  • Climax Boss: Surprisingly, in Origins. His hostage situation on the Pioneer Bridge has massive effects on the remainder of the game, to the point where starting the mission is the game's Point of No Return. Not only is it the incident that finally causes Batman and Gordon to start trusting each other, but it also distracts Bruce long enough that he's not around to personally secure the Batcave, allowing Bane to break in and leading to Bruce's Darkest Hour during the events of that night.
  • Cool Helmet: As part of his Powered Armor.
  • Covered in Scars: Burn scars, to be specific.
  • Deep South: Crispin Freeman voices Firefly with a Texas drawl.
  • Double Tap: In one of his death screens, he declares that Gotham is going to burn to the ground now that Batman is out of the way before taking aim with his flamethrower to his body as the screen fades to black.
  • The Dragon: The Arkham Unhinged comic revealed that he's Black Mask's right-hand man.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: In a sense, as while he's not present in Arkham Asylum, an early Riddler riddle involves searching and identifying a newspaper clipping of Firefly, which then unlocks his biography.
  • Evil Laugh: Is absolutely ecstatic whenever he is burning and destroying.
  • Explosive Cigar: A very twisted variation on the theme — when Lynns was fired from Panessa Studios, he offered a match to light his boss's cigar... and then spat a mouthful of nitroglycerine he'd drunk from his hip flask in preparation, across the flame and right into the old man's face.
  • Expy: Replace his fighter jet pilot-like mask with a space helmet, and he's a dead ringer for The Fury from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. While Firefly as a character is much older than The Fury, his modernized look in Origins is certainly inspired by him.
  • Fire-Breathing Weapon: As always, Firefly's weapon is a flamethrower.
  • For the Evulz: When he confronts Batman during Origins, Joker's been put in prison, meaning it's very unlikely that Firefly could cash in the bounty if he won the fight. He doesn't care, since he just wants to cause destruction.
  • Gadgeteer Genius: His jetpack and flamethrower are self-made. Batman even mentions in Knight that the accelerant in his flamethrower is petroleum-based napalm, with polyisobutene, a synthetic rubber, as the gelling agent, suggesting that Lynns also has some aptitude in chemistry.
    • In Knight, his backstory reveals that he was a skilled pyrotechnics expert, apparently doing special effects at Panessa Studios before being fired by his corrupt boss.
  • "Get Back Here!" Boss: In Knight, Firefly's "fights" has Batman chasing him around in the Batmobile until his jetpack runs low on fuel, allowing Batman to propel himself out of his car and beat him around for a while before he escapes.
  • Good Scars, Evil Scars: 90% of his body is covered in scarring from first-, second, and third-degree burns caused by his own fires, and his profile states he actually derives pleasure from burning himself. While only hinted at in Origins (what little we see of his face after Batman cracks his visor shows his left eye surrounded by scar tissue), he sheds most of his armor in Knight, and the results are gruesome.
  • Jet Pack: Part of his arsenal.
  • Kill It with Fire: His modus operandi.
  • Large Ham: As expected from Crispin Freeman.
    Firefly: "How do you wanna die? The quick, incinerating flash of an EXPLOSION!? Or a nice, SLOW BUUURN!?"
  • Laughably Evil: He's so over-the-top it's hard not to crack a smile.
  • Laughing Mad: Especially when he sets something on fire.
  • Loves the Sound of Screaming: "Scream for me!"
  • Mad Artist: Invoked in boss banter:
    Firefly: You say arsonist, I say arsoniste
  • Mad Bomber: Rigs the Pioneer Bridge to explode along with everyone on it in order to lure Batman to him.
  • Person of Mass Destruction: Although Batman and the GCPD defused his bombs, he on his own managed to set over half of the bridge on fire, nearly completely destroying it.
  • Powered Armor: Mainly to protect him from being burned by his own flamethrower.
  • Psycho for Hire: While $50 million is nothing to sneeze at, he's just looking for an excuse to blow things up.
  • Pungeon Master: Almost every other word out of his mouth is some kind of fire pun.
  • Pyromaniac: It borders on religious fervor in Knight, where he raves about Gotham being "purified" by fire, and claims that the flames speak to him with images and voices.
  • Sleeves Are for Wimps: His costume in Knight leaves the burned skin on his arms exposed.
  • The Sociopath: Batman even profiles him as one in Arkham Asylum.
  • Technicolor Fire: His jetpack emits purple flames.
  • Vader Breath: In Knight, he appears to have developed lung problems, probably from smoke inhalation.
  • Villainous Friendship: With Black Mask, even before they adopted their supervillain personas.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: For City. He disappears after being sent by Black Mask to torch any place associated with Hugo Strange in one issue of Arkham Unhinged, and is the only one of Batman's rogues to be known to be outside of the City itself at that time. He's back in Arkham Knight.

    Shiva 

Shiva

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shiva_1_15.jpg
"What do you know of justice? Behind bars or beyond them, these people never change. As long as they live, Gotham is stained."
Voiced by: Kelly Hu Other voice actors

A deadly martial artist, Shiva is one of the assassins hired to kill Batman on Christmas Eve.


  • Adaptation Name Change: Very minor, but she drops the "Lady" from her name. Her real name is also not used or referenced.
  • Adaptational Early Appearance: Even when she was an enemy of Richard Dragon, she still made her debut after Barbara Gordon became Batgirl. This Shiva first fought Bruce during his training years and additionally, first fought Bruce as Batman during his second year as the Dark Knight.
  • Adaptational Wimp: To an extent. While Shiva is still a formidable martial artist, Batman has very little trouble taking her down, whereas in the comics, Batman isn't much of a match for her. Granted, this is still fairly early in her career and she likely wasn't giving it her all.
  • Affably Evil: She's actually quite courteous towards Batman, all things considered.
  • Contralto of Strength: She has a pretty low-pitched voice for a woman, befitting her status as one of the deadliest fighters in the world.
  • Dark Action Girl: Considered the greatest martial artist in the DC universe, to the point that not even Batman can defeat her in a fair fight.
  • The Dragon: She's implied to be one for Kirigi in Initiation through her appearance as the Final-Exam Boss and the scenes shown in inter-challenge screens. In Origins, she is implied to be this to Ra's al Ghul.
  • Dragon Lady: One of the most archetypical examples.
  • Final-Exam Boss: In the Initiation DLC, she fulfills this role in-story, being the final challenge of Bruce Wayne's training, and having the resilience of an armored enemy and the expertise of a martial artist.
  • Flunky Boss: She fights you with a pack of ninjas as backup in both Origins and Initiation.
  • Glass Cannon: Compared to most bosses, she can't take a punch that well; her strength as an opponent lies in her ability to evade Batman's blows and her ninja allies to help wear him down, but it only takes a few direct blows to defeat her.
  • Hell-Bent for Leather: She sports a biker-esque outfit, complete with a leather jacket.
  • Ink-Suit Actor: While not a perfect match, Shiva does somewhat resemble Kelly Hu.
  • Just Testing You: It's referenced multiple times that she's not really trying to kill Batman in Origins, but rather to test him for someone else, heavily implied to be Ra's al Ghul. This is proven in Initiation, where she is actively trying to kill him, and is much tougher to defeat.
  • Karma Houdini: Escapes from Gotham at the end of her side mission, being the only assassin to get away.
  • Knight Templar: She repeatedly refers to Gotham as corrupt and deserving of destruction, which makes sense, considering that she serves Ra's al Ghul.
  • Made of Iron: Despite having very little combat armor, her boss battle in Initiation shows that she is as resilient as a Heavily Armored Mook.
  • Male Gaze: The intro-cutscene to her fight with Batman opens with a loving shot of her backside clad in leather tights.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: Her real name, Sandra Wu-San is not used in-game and her identity is listed as "unknown" in her character bio.
  • Optional Boss: Dealing with her is an optional sidequest, similar to Deadshot.
  • Professional Killer: Comes with the territory of being an assassin.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: She doesn't hold any animosity towards Batman, choosing instead to test him and claiming that the reward money is just a consolation prize if he fails.
  • Secret Test of Character: She sets up tests to see if Batman is a Worthy Opponent before confronting him. She also seems to be testing him on behalf of Ra's al Ghul, to prove he would be a worthy successor.

    The Electrocutioner 

The Eletrocutioner (Lester Buchinsky)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buchinsky_lester_8805.png
"I'm-a kill you, then I'm-a jump start your heart, and kill you again!"
Voiced by: Steve Blum Other voice actors
"Just think of me as a bat zapper. Now, come to the light."

Lester Buchinsky, known also by his title of "Electrocutioner", is one of the eight assassins hired by Black Mask in Arkham Origins.


  • Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: See Braggart Boss.
  • Braggart Boss: He certainly talks a big game, to say the least.
  • Bullying a Dragon: Taunting Batman also earned him a lunge kick to the face. Also, he really should have thought twice before insulting the Joker, a man who's noticeably unstable. His one question as to who he is (partly in response to ruining his Asteroids game) got him kicked out of a window of a penthouse.
  • Butt-Monkey: Things just don't go his way.
  • Chekhov's Boomerang: The Shock Gloves, once Batman obtains them from his corpse. Not only do they manage to function as a defibrillator to save Alfred's life after Bane attacks the Batcave, but they're also used to stop Bane's heart temporarily to prevent Joker from killing himself and Gordon in a deathtrap. And Batman restarts Bane's heart again afterwards.
    • They also help gain access to some datapacks that would otherwise be inaccessible without them. Giving Batman an edge over Enigma.
  • Chekhov's Gunman: The funniest, hammiest, and easiest assassin to beat is the sole reason Batman triumphs in the final boss fight. See Chekhov's Gun above.
  • Curb-Stomp Battle: Batman knocks him out with a single kick during their fight, ending the fight with contemptuous ease after his constant bragging.
  • Destination Defenestration: The Joker throws him through the window of the penthouse of The Royal Hotel.
  • Dies Differently in Adaptation: He gets pushed out a window to his death by the Joker instead of being stabbed and hacked to death by Roy Harper.
  • Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: Has the balls to do this to Batman, with his consequence being a kick to the face. He later does the same to the Joker and gets kicked out a window for his troubles.
  • Didn't Think This Through: A Justified Trope since the people he does this with aren't well known yet. Taunting Batman? Sure. Only a kick induced injury for that. Standing up to the Joker because he interrupted your Asteroids game? That's a horrendously stupid idea.
  • Facial Horror: Not nearly as bad as Dent, but he's almost halfway there.
  • Foreshadowing: Unlike the other assassins, he's known as a "street tough" with Shock Gloves in his introduction, and his profile lists his job as "pit fighter". Predictably, he's not nearly on the level of the other assassins, and goes down in one hit in both of his appearances. Also his comment about jump-starting your heart, since that's what you do to (a briefly dead) Bane.
    • Even more telling that he is a joke is that while all the other assassins are shown in the middle of action while grabbing Black Mask's file from his goons, if you look closely Electrocutioner slides show him punching the guy delivering the letter. Punching the mailman doesn't make you that tough when the other guy is shown killing five guys with one bullet.
  • Genre Blindness: One look at most of the entries shows he's very blind. And he's Killed Off for Real early because of it.
  • Harmless Villain: Compared to the other assassins, he's practically nothing, even with his Shock Gloves. The fact that he goes down in a grand total of 2 hits in the span of his lifetime (a One-Hit KO from Batman and a Destination Defenestration from Joker) just adds to this.
  • Husky Russkie: Subverted. He's a tall, muscular, Slavic street thug with two Power Fists, but Batman is able to defeat him with one kick in their first and only confrontation.
  • Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: After being kicked through a window of Royal Hotel, he finally dies by crashing on a chandelier.
  • Informed Ability: He is of the eight assassins "Black Mask" hires to kill Batman with his own shock gloves but yet he is a complete joke as he got OHKOed by Batman without putting up any fight during their confrontation. He even gets easily killed by Joker without even having any rematch with Batman. Heck Batman uses his shock gloves much more effectively than Electrocutioner ever did. Of course, it could simply be that Joker thought it would be funny to hire such an obvious loser.
  • Killed Off for Real: Dies when Joker pushes him out of a window at the Gotham Royal Hotel.
  • Large Ham: Especially during his introductory cutscene, where he plays up his entrance into Penguin's arena as if he were a professional wrestler.
  • Legacy Character: Another Electrocutioner comes to Gotham City in the prequel comic to Arkham Knight to challenge Batman. Like his predecessor, he's also quickly defeated by Batman after wasting his time talking rather than acting, and is summarily killed by the disguised villain in the game — in this case, the Arkham Knight.
  • Magical Defibrillator: Claims to have one. As shown in-game (see Chekhov's Gun), he's right.
    Electrocutioner: I'm-a kill you, then I'm-a jump start your heart, and kill you again!
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Batman uses the electromagnetic signature of his gloves to figure out where the assassins are meeting. Those same gloves allow Batman to save Alfred's life, and later subvert Joker's no win scenario as well.
  • Not-So-Small Role: Much like Bane was in the first Arkham Asylum game, he gets only a few moments to shine during the story. Play through the game twice and you realize his Shock Gloves give him a huge impact on the plot.
  • One-Hit Kill: He jumps into the ring with all the other goons cheering him on, himself cackling about how he's going to kill Batman with ease, and bellows "ARE YOU READY?!" to the crowd as the music swells. Take a wild guess what happens.
  • Paper Tiger: He's a tall, buff street thug with electrified gloves. Sounds threatening, right? Turns out his bark is much worse than his bite.
  • Power Fist: His Shock Gloves.
  • Plot Device All Along: The Shock Gloves. Game-Breaker when fighting Mooks, Chekhov's Gun while fighting Bane.
  • Sacrificial Lamb: He's pushed out of a window mid-way through the story and killed, showing how monstrous Joker really is.
  • Shock and Awe: His preferred way of dealing with enemies, courtesy of his Shock Gloves. They don't call him Electrocutioner for nothing.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: A conversation between Mooks mentions that despite all his posturing, his claim to fame is having tasers on his hands. He's about as dangerous as that would indicate.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: He's pushed out (through a window, no less) of the story pretty early. His Shock Gloves are the catalyst for the finale, and reviving Bane after temporarily killing him.
  • Smarter Than You Look: His in-game profile notes that the fact that he could develop his gloves points to him being smarter than he acts. However, it also suggests that he may have had someone else build them for him.
  • Static Stun Gun: His Shock Gloves. He uses them for decidedly more lethal purposes, though. In Batman's hands, the electricity is cranked down enough to function as a combat power-up instead. Oh, and reviving Bane after briefly killing him.
  • Suicidal Overconfidence: Taunting Batman isn't the best of ideas if you're a street thug.
  • Super Weapon, Average Joe: He's characterized as little more than a thug with highly advanced technology.
  • Spanner in the Works: His bragging, see Magical Defibrillator, came in awfully handy against Bane.
  • Two-Faced: He's not affected quite as badly as Harvey, but he's still got a gruesome burn on his left side - a Lichtenberg figure, in fact, which suggests he's accidentally zapped himself in the past, or won (or stole) them from somebody after getting hit by them.
  • The Unfought: Well, ok, technically you could say you have a boss battle with him, but he just stands there taunting you, and the first time you land any attack, it switches to a cutscene of Batman One Hit KO-ing him with a jump-kick (which is a little jarring if you were in the middle of throwing a punch.)
  • Villains Out Shopping: One scene shows him playing Asteroids on his phone.
  • Walking Spoiler: Talking about Electrocutioner is easy. Talking about his Shock Gloves without spoiling what they do and how they impact the game is not.
  • You Have Failed Me: Gets chastised by the Joker for failing to kill Batman. Then gets shoved out a window to his death as punishment.
  • Younger Than They Look: His file lists him as being only 24 years old. His voice, scars and attitude give him the impression of being at least a decade older.
  • Zero-Effort Boss: Run up and attack. Cue laughter.

Minor Rogues

    Anarky 

Anarky (Lonnie Machin)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anarky_arkham_origins_4444.png
"Oppressed citizens of Gotham, your cries for help have been heard! I am Anarky — voice of the people — here to save you from the plague of corruption that now infests this once proud city!"
Voiced by: Matthew Mercer Other voice actors

Anarky is a genius criminal who attempts to subvert the government and establish anarchism, believing it will improve society.


  • Adaptational Early Appearance: As noted under "Age Lift", he debuted shortly before Tim Drake took up the mantle of Robin in the comics (one month in real time). Here, he's active while Bruce is still in his second year as Batman.
  • Adaptational Villainy: In the comics, most of Anarky's actions were targeted at specific individuals, and although some of his actions put his targets in critical condition, he wasn't a killer and he would avoid collateral damage. In Origins, Anarky plans to blow up buildings connected to what he believes are the root problems of society, and he's unconcerned with who might get hurt in the process. He's also portrayed as somewhat less rational than his comic book counterpart. You probably wouldn't hear the comic Anarky ranting against soft drinks, for example.
  • Age Lift: In the comics, Anarky was 12 when he debuted and this was around the same time Tim Drake was 14 and just starting out as Robin. In the Arkham universe, he's a teenager during the events of Origins and by implication, should be older than Drake.
  • Anti-Villain: He genuinely wants to help Gotham, but he believes that it is possible to use any means to do so.
  • Black-and-White Insanity: He has a really quick way to judge who are evil, for example he believes Bruce Wayne own the city and his parents got killed by karma.
  • Broken Pedestal: For Batman, during the final confrontation.
  • Bomb-Throwing Anarchists: Has bombs set up at three key locations in Gotham, which Batman must disarm. Taken more literally when in the fight against him, since he spends most of the fight on a balcony lobbing Molotov Cocktails at Batman before leaping down to join the fray.
  • Character Filibuster: He just loves to give these — especially after he's apprehended.
  • Do Not Adjust Your Set: How he introduces himself to Batman. He even lampshades this at the end of his announcement, telling the populace that he'll let them get back to their regularly scheduled "propaganda and consummerist garbage".
  • Does This Remind You of Anything?: His design in Origins was specifically made to evoke images of the modern "street protester"; it's all topped off by an expressionless mask, much like the infamous Guy Fawkes mask popularized by V for Vendetta and Anonymous.
  • Evil Counterpart: To Barbara Gordon. Both of them are highly intelligent young individuals who vocally hate the corruption in Gotham, make efforts to fix it and admire Batman as a hero for doing the same. However, while Barbara just points Batman towards some illegal gun deals and eventually becomes Batgirl and later Oracle, Anarky becomes a full-blown terrorist and eventually rejects Batman's ideals.
  • The Ghost: Only has a mention in Arkham Knight where his trademark vest is on display in the evidence locker. According to Cash, he hasn't been seen since the events in Origins, and nobody knows where he's being kept, though Cash himself speculates that his terrorist bombing efforts led the federal government to intervene in his imprisonment. Some of the random thugs wonder if anyone has seen him around during the riot and say he’d love the chaos.
    Thug: Anyone see that Anarky guy? That kid'd love this.
  • Given Name Reveal: His name is listed as "unknown" in Arkham Origins, but in Arkham Knight his real name in the comics is revealed in Cash's audio logs.
  • Holding Out for a Hero: Accuses Batman of encouraging this in Gotham.
    "You keep cleaning up after everyone, Batman, and no one's going to learn to take care of themselves. The ones that don't hate you - they'll start to rely on you. Depend on you. And if something happens to you? If you get old, or bored, Or die? Then what?"
  • I Just Want to Be You: He confesses that he became Anarky to try and be like his idol, Batman.
  • Icy Blue Eyes: When Batman unmasks him, he gives him a Death Glare with cold, emotionless blue eyes.
  • In the Hood: He and his men all have hoods to help disguise themselves along with their masks.
  • Just a Kid: Batman calls him this when unmasked. However, he looks more like a teenager rather than a young kid.
  • King of the Homeless: He's known to be a protector of Gotham's homeless population, and it's mentioned that some of his men are vagrants recruited off the streets.
  • Malevolent Masked Man: A creepy white mask to help hide his identity.
  • Misaimed Fandom: In-Universe. Word of God describes him, aside from being an anarchist, as a Batman fan.
  • Mood-Swinger: Especially upon his defeat, where his constant changes in opinion make him seem to have borderline personality disorder.
  • Motor Mouth: He just seems naturally prone to making speeches lamenting the evils of consumerism.
  • Put on a Bus to Hell: In Arkham Knight, if Aaron Cash's theory is correct, Anarky was moved to Federal prison. Or somewhere much worse...
  • Red and Black and Evil All Over: Aside from his white mask and a white anarchy symbol, his outfit is red and black.
  • Shock and Awe: He joins the fight against Batman with an electric stun baton, seemingly as a reference to the electricity-firing golden scepter that he uses in the comics continuity.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: Anarky is referenced quite often in Arkham Knight despite the fact that he was never seen or heard from again following the events of Arkham Origins.
  • Teens Are Monsters: As Batman learns after apprehending him, he's just a teenager, despite all of his rhetoric involving anarchy and bombing tactics.
  • Vague Age: Although Batman says he's only a kid, he looks like a teenager, but the player can't tell exactly how old he is when looking at his face.
  • Villain Has a Point: During his Character Filibuster, Anarky makes some valid points about the state of Gotham and Batman's relationship with it... at least, until his mood swings kick in and he begins to contradict himself.
  • Villainous Breakdown: After Batman rejects his proposition, he becomes more than a little unhinged.
  • We Can Rule Together: Offers an alliance with Batman to clean up Gotham. After Batman refuses, cue Villainous Breakdown.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: He really believes tearing down the government and establishing anarchy would be a good thing. He's also gained a reputation as the protector of Gotham's homeless population.
  • White Mask of Doom: He and his men wear expressionless white masks.
  • Xtreme Kool Letterz: "Anarky", not "Anarchy". Justified, as he's a teenager.

    Bird 

Bird (Angel Vallelungua)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/294bird.png
"Ah. The Bat. You have come as Bane said you would. Fly down from your perch, then, so I can kill you."
Voiced by: Christian Lanz Other voice actors

Bird is one of Bane's lieutenants and came with him to Gotham during the Christmas' Eve Incident. Little is known of his past, but rumors are that he was born and raised in Peña Duro like Bane.


  • Adaptational Dye-Job: He's blonde in the comics, but what hair he does have in Arkham Origins is brown.
  • Adaptational Early Appearance: Like Bane, his comic counterpart debuted after Tim Drake became the third Robin—and this version first fought Bruce in his second year as Batman.
  • Adaptational Ugliness: In the comics, Bird was a fairly decent looking man with long blond hair. In Origins, he's a homely, balding, tattooed brunette.
  • Bald of Evil: The top of his head is bald.
  • The Dragon: To Bane.
  • In Name Only: The Bird from the comics is a falconer with long blonde hair, whereas the Bird in Origins is a balding brunette in body armor.
  • Number Two: Implied, to Bane.
  • Race Lift: Previously depicted as a blond Caucasian and a former resident of Gotham City, this incarnation is a Hispanic native of Santa Prisca.
  • Tattooed Crook: He sports a design around his mouth of bullets arranged into wing patterns, with similar decals on his arms and head.

    Candy 

Candy

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/candy_8.jpg
"You suggested little Alberto over here-hey baby-... try to convince his father to take early retirement. He disagreed... And called you a... Let's see...'psychotic little bastard.'"
Voiced by: Masasa Moyo Other voice actors

Candy was raised on the streets, but managed to pull herself up and earn a business degree. Unfortunately, lean times and a contracting job market caused her to fall in with Penguin's Crowd. The recession has driven many well educated people to take desperate action to support themselves, but that's no excuse for criminal behavior. Her crimes are minor, however, making her an excellent candidate for rehabilitation.


  • Affably Evil: Aside from her sarcastic flirting with Alberto Falcone, she's quite considerate for one of Penguin's workers. Her character bio even suggests that she might have reformed her criminal ways some time after the events of Origins.
  • Black Boss Lady: As the second-in-command to Penguin (a position she shares with Tracey), she is in charge of Penguin's henchman when Cobblepot himself is not around.
  • Canon Foreigner: Didn't appear in the comics.
  • Co-Dragons: With Tracey for Penguin.
  • Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job: It's mentioned in her character bio that she works for Penguin because it's the only job she can get.
  • Little Black Dress: In contrast to Tracey's white one.
  • Ms. Fanservice: Seemingly one of her jobs, as evidenced by her flirting with Alberto Falcone while Cobblepot is torturing him.
  • Only One Name: Unlike Tracey, her last name is unknown.
  • Paid Harem: A member of Penguin's.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: She doesn't seem to enjoy watching Penguin hurt people, but does take account of how he does so and why.
  • Sassy Black Woman: Downplayed. While she does have some of the common characteristics of this trope—such as referring to Tracey as "sista" and sarcastically flirting with Alberto Falcone—she's not an overt stereotype of black women.
  • Sexy Secretary: Acts as Penguin's secretary, and serves in his Paid Harem, as shown in her last scene.

    Tracey Buxton 

Tracey Buxton

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/287tracey.png
"Mister Cobblepot ain't takin' new visitors and there ain't no way I'm lettin' you into the theater to see'em. So, you can be on your merry way."
Voiced by: Laura Waddell Other voice actors

Tracey Buxton is one of Penguin's allies during the Christmas' Eve Incident.


    Ricky 'Loose Lips' Leblanc 

Ricky "Loose Lips" Leblanc

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bocazas.jpg
"So, little boys-what do you want for Christmas? Oh wait. I already know."
Voiced by: Steve Blum Other voice actors

Ricky Leblanc is a arms dealer working for the Penguin during the events of Arkham: Origins.


  • Bald of Evil: His Santa hat falls off when Batman is dangling him off a gargoyle, and he has shaven his head due to male pattern baldness.
  • Butt-Monkey: Batman's so rough with interrogating him that he passes out. He wakes up and finds that Batman is dangling him off of a ledge for information, and then drops him on a Christmas tree. He ends up getting taken into police custody to be interrogated again, first by them and then Batman, while breaking into the building for access to their criminal database. It doesn't even stop there—Batman later beats him up and interrogates him about the location of a cryodrill for getting to Freeze in "Cold, Cold Heart". Leblanc begs him to not drop him off a roof again.
    Batman: Maybe next time. *Knocks him out*
  • Canon Foreigner: Ricky has no equivalent in the comics, but he still is given several appearances throughout the games with some degree of plot significance.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Though he's relatively nice to his customers, it's a front for an extremely abrasive attitude toward those who are not.
  • Signature Headgear:: His Santa hat makes him stand out among the rest of Penguin's men, making him easily recognizable to the player.
  • Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Smugly mentions to his interrogator, Marks, at the GCPD that he's got a cousin working at the Gotham Gazette who can expose their deals with Penguin.note  Marks doesn't seem to believe him, but refrains from calling evidence lockup all the same.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: Despite being nothing more than a common thug with Nominal Importance, Ricky "fancies himself a comedian and a ladies' man", according to Batman's files.
  • Smarter Than You Look: He elegantly compares the arms deal he's conducting to a wine tasting, and himself to a sommelier. None of his customers have any idea what he's talking about. Additionally, Batman notes that his list of contacts means that Ricky could potentially be an informant.

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