The Joker is one of the most instantly recognizable villains in media, but despite his long history with Batman and the Bat Family, Joker doesn't appear as a villain within Gotham Knights. Despite this, there are still references to Batman's nemesis sprinkled throughout the game. Developers WB Games Montréal introduce players to its new take on the DC universe that's separate from other games such as Batman: Arkham, at a time when its version of Batman has just ed away. As a result, the Bat Family is well established within this new universe, with many s across a variety of other superhero teams, and a past with Batman's infamous Rogues gallery.
[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Gotham Knights.]
At a San Diego Comic Con prior to Gotham Knights' release, the game's creative director Patrick Redding was asked by a fan whether the Joker would appear in the title. Redding told the fan that the Joker would not be making an appearance, and teased Harley Quinn's arrival instead. At the time fans were skeptical, particularly following past misdirects from Rocksteady and Warner Bros. surrounding the Joker's appearance in the Batman: Arkham series, particularly with its last entry, Arkham Knight, taking place following the character's death at the end of Batman: Arkham City.
Of course, with Gotham Knights now released, fans know that Redding was telling the truth. Despite his absence, Joker's presence is certainly felt throughout the game, with his past deeds - particularly the murder of Jason Todd - having a lasting impact on several of the characters. It's because of this that none of the characters actually refer to Joker by name, instead calling him "monster" or other monikers to give the iconic foe a kind of boogeyman-type quality. It's a testament to Joker's reputation across almost all adaptations that even the most casual of fans will still likely know which of Batman's villains Gotham Knights' heroes are referring to.
Harley Quinn And Joker Have Split Prior To Gotham Knights' Story
Redding's other comment about Harley Quinn appearing in Gotham Knights was confirmed in trailers prior to the game's release, showing the former psychiatrist as one of the title's many villains. Through conversations and Harley's appearance in the game, players learn that she and the Joker have gone their separate ways sometime following Jason Todd's death and that since then Harley did what the Bat Family referred to as "some Government thing" - likely a reference to Amanda Waller's Task Force X - before working with Batman to go undercover at Blackgate Prison to assist the Dark Knight with what would ultimately become his final investigation. It would seem as though Joker's departure from Harley's life led her down a better path, but unfortunately, upon hearing of Batman's death, Harley seems to return to her villainous ways.
Gotham Knights doesn't appear to resolve what happened to the Joker before its story starts, but it's indicated that the Clown Prince of Crime has not been sighted in a while and may have even disappeared, although there's no evidence that indicates a more permanent fate. Many adaptations of the Joker portray his relationship with Batman as obsessive on both sides, with a "yin and yang" dynamic between the two arch-rivals where they need each other to help grant them a sense of purpose. With word of Batman's death spreading, it's possible that Joker just feels like he has no reason to return to Gotham. Although Gotham Knights doesn't need Joker to tell its story, with a focus on the Bat Family's grief at the loss of their mentor taking precedence, it would be interesting to see how Batman's main foe is coping with the death of the Dark Knight, and how it could potentially change him as a character for any potential Gotham Knights sequels.
