Batman: Arkham Knight — Complete Guide

A player's handbook for Rocksteady's Arkham finale: FreeFlow combat and stealth fundamentals, the Batmobile, upgrade priorities, Most Wanted side cases, the Riddler's 243 challenges, the Knightfall Protocol endings, DLC and PC notes.

Researched September 2026 — Arkham Knight is a finished 2015 release with no further content updates (WB's current Batman news is LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight). Check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

• Counter is king. When an enemy's head shows the blue warning lightning, press Counter. Multiple indicators? Press it once per attacker.
• Never stop moving in stealth. Grapple between vantage points, use floor grates and ledges, and pick guards off when they are separated.
• Take the Batmobile everywhere. It clears militia tanks, solves puzzles, and is your mobile safe spot. Tap its button to summon it.
• Upgrade armour early. Batman's body armour and the Batmobile's armour are the upgrades that make the whole game easier.
• Interrogate green-highlighted thugs. Riddler informants reveal Riddler trophy locations on your map. Leave them for last in a fight, then interrogate.
• Do Most Wanted cases as they unlock. Some chains are only available during parts of the story; others expire or change as the night progresses.
• Detective Mode is for scanning, not walking. Use it to spot guards, weapons, drones and weak walls, then turn it off.
• Mix combat. Varied moves (strikes, cape stuns, gadgets, takedowns) build combos faster and earn more XP.

Combat Fundamentals

Action | What it does

Strike | Basic attack; press toward an enemy to target them

Counter | Blocks and punishes incoming attacks (blue indicator)

Cape Stun | Stuns enemies, especially shields and armoured thugs

Evade / Jump | Evades and vaults over enemies; essential against weapon swings

Beatdown | Rapid hits that break shields and armoured enemies' guard

Takedown | Instantly neutralises downed or combo-charged enemies

Special Combo Takedowns | Unlocked by combo meter; instant knockouts (Batswarm, Multi-Ground Takedown, Weapon destroy)

Environmental Takedown | Use walls, fuse boxes and objects when the prompt appears

Fear Multi-Takedown | In stealth, take down several unaware enemies in slow motion (upgradeable)

Dual Play | Tag team with allies (Robin, Nightwing, Catwoman) in some fights

Enemy types and answers

Enemy | Answer

Knife and blade | Counter (upgrade lets you break knives); do not strike while they swing

Shield | Cape stun then beatdown, or jump over them

Stun baton | Never strike from the front; cape stun them or jump over and hit from behind

Armoured and brutes | Cape stun and beatdown, or multiple counters

Medics | Take them out early; they revive and electrify allies

Gun thugs | Disarm quickly with a Batclaw pull or Disruptor

Gadgets you should use

• Batarang — interrupts and knocks down.
• Batclaw — pull enemies or objects, disarm shield thugs.
• Explosive Gel — breaks weak walls and floors; sets traps.
• Remote Electrical Charge (REC) — powers machinery and zaps enemies' weapons.
• Disruptor — sabotages guns, drones and mines remotely.
• Voice Synthesizer — commands militia members.
• Freeze Blast — stops enemies in place.
• Remote Hacking Device — hacks terminals and drones.
• Line Launcher — crossing gaps and ziplining.

Stealth (Predator) Tips

• Clear vantage points first. Grapple up, check the room, then pick your first target.
• Break line of sight after every takedown. Enemies will investigate the body.
• Watch for sentry guns, drones and medics. Disable them first with the Disruptor or gadgets.
• Use ceiling hangers, inverted takedowns and vent takedowns. They keep you out of patrols' vision.
• Fear Multi-Takedowns are your "reset button" when three or more are grouped.
• Leave brutes for last unless you can take them down in one move.

The Batmobile

Mode | Use

Pursuit mode | Fast driving; ramming vehicles to take down enemy drivers

Battle mode | Strafing, turret aiming; destroying drones and tanks

Power Winch | Pulls walls and objects; used in puzzles

Vulcan and 60mm cannon | Standard drone and tank weapons

Missiles | Lock-on missiles; upgradable for multi-target salvos

Riot Suppressor | Non-lethal rounds against people

Immobilizer | Stops fleeing cars

Tank battles: dodge enemy red target lines, prioritise heavy tanks, and use missiles when the meter fills. Cobra tanks can only be hit from behind — flank them.

Upgrade Priorities (WayneTech)

• Suit armour — survive more hits in combat.
• Batmobile armour — tank fights become much safer.
• Critical strikes and special combo upgrades — faster combos, more XP.
• Fear Multi-Takedown extensions — stealth becomes much easier.
• Batmobile weapons (missile salvos, Vulcan upgrades).
• Gadget upgrades as you need them for Riddler content.

Story Structure (spoiler-light)

Arkham Knight takes place over a single night across Gotham's three islands (Bleake Island, Miagani Island and Founders' Island). Main villains include Scarecrow and the Arkham Knight, with Harley Quinn, Penguin, Two-Face and the Riddler in the mix. The story is linear with a lot of freedom to do side content between missions. You unlock new islands, gadgets and allies as the story progresses.

Most Wanted Side Cases

Most Wanted cases are side chains with their own villains. They include:

• Arkham Knight militia tasks — checkpoints, watchtowers, minefields and armoured convoys.
• Penguin's weapon caches and arms dealing (with Nightwing).
• Two-Face's bank robberies.
• Firefly's fire station arson.
• Man-Bat.
• Professor Pyg murders.
• Hush.
• Deacon Blackfire.
• Azrael.
• Deathstroke (tank battles).
• Riddler's Revenge — the big Riddler chain, completed after solving all the Riddler challenges.

Tips: Several cases are only open during certain story segments, and many are prerequisites for Knightfall. Check the Case File menu often.

The Riddler's Challenges

There are 243 Riddler challenges: trophies (some need gadget solutions or Batmobile puzzles), riddles (scan a location), breakable objects and races. Rewards scale as you progress through Riddler's Revenge. Tips:

• Interrogate green informants to reveal locations.
• Batmobile trophies often need the Power Winch or timing puzzles.
• Riddles usually require scanning a landmark or object with the right angle.
• Races are in Riddler's underground tracks; upgrade the Batmobile first.

Endings

• Standard ending: finish the main story.
• Knightfall Protocol: once you have finished the main story and enough Most Wanted cases, you can initiate Knightfall for an extended ending. The game tells you when the option is available.
• Full ending: requires completing every Most Wanted case — which includes Riddler's Revenge and therefore all 243 Riddler challenges. This "100 percent" requirement was controversial at launch. AR challenges are not part of it.

Achievement and Completion Tips

• Aim for 100 percent of Most Wanted in one save. The full ending requires it, so track Most Wanted, Riddler challenges and side content from the Case File menu as you go.
• Upgrade the Batmobile before Riddler races — several need upgraded boost and handling.
• AR challenges unlock through the story and side content; they are also where combat and predator achievements come from.
• New Game Plus starts after the credits; nothing important is lost by finishing the main story first, but finishing side content before the final missions means you see the Knightfall content sooner.
• Combat challenge tip: variety multiplies score. Use gadgets, environment takedowns and special combo takedowns rather than repeating the same strike.
• Predator challenge tip: fear multi-takedowns and silent gadget takedowns are faster than cautious one-at-a-time play once you know the room.

DLC

DLC | Content

Season of Infamy | Four story missions (Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, Ra's al Ghul, Mr. Freeze)

Batgirl: A Matter of Family | Prequel set at Seagate Amusement Park with hacking-focused gameplay

Story packs | Short playable-character missions (Red Hood, Harley Quinn and others)

Challenges and skins | AR challenges, race tracks and skins

The Premium/GOTY edition bundles most DLC.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mashing Strike. Timing and rhythm build combos; mashing breaks them.
• Neglecting Batmobile upgrades. Tank battles and chases get much harder.
• Ignoring green informants. You will be hunting Riddler trophies blind.
• Rushing the story. Some Most Wanted cases require you to act before certain story beats.
• Detective Mode everywhere. It makes navigation harder and makes you miss details.
• Skipping stealth planning. Rushing into sentry-gun rooms gets you shot.

Advanced Tips

• Critical strikes (tapping strike right when the previous hit lands) boost combo speed.
• Special combo takedown chains reset whenever you land another one — build combos to unlock them repeatedly.
• Environment use (fuse boxes, walls) gives instant takedowns.
• Challenge maps (AR and combat challenges) are good practice for high-level combos.
• New Game Plus and Knightmare unlock after completion for the hardest runs.
• The hardest modes reduce or remove counter indicators and hit much harder; learn enemy wind-up animations before attempting them.

FAQ

How many Riddler challenges are there? 243 in the main game.

How do I unlock the full ending? Complete every Most Wanted case, including Riddler's Revenge (all Riddler challenges), then initiate the Knightfall Protocol.

Is the PC version still broken? The 2015 launch was temporarily withdrawn from sale for fixes. The current Steam release runs well on modern hardware, but lower-end systems may still need texture and effect settings tweaked.

Do I need the DLC? No, but Season of Infamy adds four strong villain missions.

When does New Game Plus unlock? After finishing the main story.

Is there a Knightmare mode? Yes; it is the hardest difficulty and becomes available after you complete the game (check the main menu). Like New Game Plus, it removes counter indicators.

Where do I find Riddler informants? They are highlighted green in Detective Mode among thug groups. Knock out everyone else first, then interrogate the informant.

Sources

• Batman: Arkham Knight on Steam
• Batman: Arkham Knight Steam news
• Batman: Arkham Knight — Wikipedia