Is Batman Psychotic? The Dark Knight Theory That Would Change Everything

Fortifying the theory originally made by u/slugboi, u/VikingSlayer made the suggestion that Batman’s longtime nemesis, The Joker, isn’t the crazed Clown Prince of Crime we know him as. Instead, he’s “that one doctor who’s trying to reach Bruce through jokes and a friendly demeanor,” assisted by Doctor Harleen Quinzel. Adding to this, u/newnowmusic suggested that a flurry of other characters that Batman had fought for years are also regulars at Arkham, just not in the way we’ve known them to be.

Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane is a therapist who uses aggressive forms of therapy to help Bruce Wayne. At the same time, The Riddler is a doctor who addresses Bruce’s issues in detailed medical jargon that the youngster struggles to decipher. As for his on-and-off flame, Catwoman? She could just as easily be a fellow inmate at Arkham who sometimes succumbs to the medical staff there, with the facility being monitored by its two security guards, Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock. 

While the much-loved concept has never made its way into comics or other forms of media Batman has appeared in, there have been stories that share equal attention to Bruce’s mental health.

Fortifying the theory originally made by u/slugboi, u/VikingSlayer made the suggestion that Batman’s longtime nemesis, The Joker, isn’t the crazed Clown Prince of Crime we know him as. Instead, he’s “that one doctor who’s trying to reach Bruce through jokes and a friendly demeanor,” assisted by Doctor Harleen Quinzel. Adding to this, u/newnowmusic suggested that a flurry of other characters that Batman had fought for years are also regulars at Arkham, just not in the way we’ve known them to be.

Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane is a therapist who uses aggressive forms of therapy to help Bruce Wayne. At the same time, The Riddler is a doctor who addresses Bruce’s issues in detailed medical jargon that the youngster struggles to decipher. As for his on-and-off flame, Catwoman? She could just as easily be a fellow inmate at Arkham who sometimes succumbs to the medical staff there, with the facility being monitored by its two security guards, Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock. 

While the much-loved concept has never made its way into comics or other forms of media Batman has appeared in, there have been stories that share equal attention to Bruce’s mental health.