The Batman: Every Riddler Riddle, Ranked By How Genius It Was
Batman shines his detective light on Gotham in a way he never has before in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. The first iteration of the character to truly embody the heart and soul of the Bat, this reboot gives a much-needed nod to its predecessors as well as imagining so much of what’s fresh. It takes great care in balancing that which is old with this freshness gracefully. Batman’s detective work in solving the Riddler’s anti-corruption killings finds its way to the big screen in this new movie. It’s based on Batman’s ability to solve riddles and ciphers through crime scene investigations. With that being said, here’s every Riddler riddle, ranked by how genius it was –
It Can Be Cruel, Poetic, Or Blind. But When It’s Denied, It’s Violence You May Find
Up first in the Riddler’s riddle series, “It can be cruel, poetic or blind, but when denied it’s violence you’ll find.” Judged by the meaning of the words themselves, justice is most certainly the correct choice. Cruel and poetic also suggest this answer.
ANSWER: Justice
Related: Why Deleting The Batman Arkham Scene Makes More Sense
Follow The Maze Until You Find The Rat. Bring Him Into The Light And You’ll Find Where I’m At
The Riddler gave a straightforward riddle when he told Batman, “Follow the maze until you find the rat”. This riddle was referring to Gotham City and at first, it sounds like he is wanting Batman to look through the whole city but then again he wants everyone to hear his message so for that to happen he needs someone from Gotham who everyone knows which was Carmine Falcone at the time since he was one of the biggest crime bosses in Gotham.
What Does A Liar Do When He’s Dead
One of the first bodies to be discovered in Gotham City is that of Don Mitchell, the mayor. He was found dead with a fatal head wound, his head wrapped in duct tape and missing one of his thumbs. The culprit has left behind a multitude of riddles supposedly accusing the mayor of having put a stop to various city plans by concealing corruption. The answer to such riddle is “He lies still,” signifying that even when dead and unable to move because his head was forced down, the truth didn’t die with him; it rose like bile to reveal all he concealed.
ANSWER: He Still Lies
Related: All The Comics From Which The Batman Was Inspired
See You In Hell
This was very confusing, not because it’s hard to solve but because it seems more like a threat than a clue. Batman knows that isn’t the Riddler’s style and that this message must be another piece of a much larger puzzle – so he decides to investigate it once Alfred is hospitalized.
Since Your Justice Is So Select, Please Tell Us Which Vermin You’re Paid To Protect
It was the third riddle that Batman must solve to save Colson. Sadly, he has chosen not to and after the timer hits zero, the bomb will go off. Batman then falls unconscious as a result of his injuries sustained in the explosion. The Riddler refers to Colson’s justice being “select” – unlike many politicians who only choose to serve those people who have something to offer them or their agenda – because his actions are similar to other corrupt politicians whose decisions are based on what benefits them and their power base, rather than serving everyone equally under the law.
Related: The Batman 2: Villains That Should Be In The Sequel
I Grew Up As A Seed, As Tough As A Weed. But In A Mansion, In A Slum, I’ll Never Know Where I Come From
Following the death of Colson, Batman has a feeling that Alfred was the target behind one of the riddles left by the Riddler. He manages to decipher that while he was born in Crime Alley, which is essentially a slum, to begin with, he was raised in comparatively opulent surroundings (like an orphanage and mansion), so therefore he concludes that Alfred’s place of residence could be the city’s famous Wayne Manor.
ANSWER: An Orphan
If You Are Justice, Please Do Not Lie. What Is The Price For Your Blind Eye
If Colson wants the bomb remotely detonating around his neck removed, he must solve some riddles, one of which is something we should all be able to relate to reaching an impasse in life that requires us to do some soul searching. Batman realizes The Riddler is asking why Colson kept the informant’s identity a secret and gives the correct answer by examining what happened. No one knows the answer to this riddle other than Colson, who is holding out on the information that would provide a complete explanation. Batman eventually gets it out of him and it is found that he was paid $10,000 for keeping quiet about Martin’s rat identity.
ANSWER: Bribe
Related: The Batman: This Deleted Scene’s Dialogue Proves Batman’s Past With Joker
You Are El Rata Alada
This riddle was found in the prison house. Riddler gave this to Batman. But, the message was Spanish. The meaning of this riddle is “you are el rata alada.” But Batman feels secure that Penguin is going to be the rat. But Penguin questioned that it could not be English so there should be ‘la’ before ‘rata alada’. And then Riddler said that he had made a mistake in his code because he meant to put “you are el .com”.
ANSWER: www.rataalada.com
What’s Black And Blue And Dead All Over
Once Batman finally captures The Riddler and takes him to Arkham, he can’t help but wonder what the villain’s endgame is. He has this needling hunch that it has something to do with the map he found in The Riddler’s hideout, but he doesn’t know exactly how or why just yet. The Riddler mocks him and taunts Bruce Wayne while Gotham City’s seawalls explode. “You’re black-and-blue, dead all over,” he says, somewhat obscurely; perhaps referring to a time when Batman was severely injured during his fight with Ra’s al Ghul back in Arkham Origins.
ANSWER: Batman
Related: The Batman Flaws We Chose To Blindly Ignore
The Less You Have Of Them, The More One Is Worth
As the end credits rolled on Matt Reeve’s long-awaited The Batman, viewers were keen to know more about what would happen next. It was understood from this movie that a certain other villain imprisoned in Arkham with the Caped Crusader would be behind some of what went down. As it turns out, there was an unnamed inmate played by actor Barry Keoghan who had done his part and showed up for some scenes.
ANSWER: A Friend
