"The Dark Knight" Trilogy is composed of three films, all directed by Christopher Nolan, and starring Christian Bale as the titular role. "Batman Begins" (2005), "The Dark Knight" (2008), and "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012), all take the classic D.C. comics character Bruce Wayne/Batman, and tell the stories of his heroic adventures saving Gotham City.

On the surface, these films are violent, showing the exploits of villains like Scarecrow, the Joker, Two-Face and Bane, as they wreak havoc on the citizens of Gotham. The vigilante Batman then has to save his city from the terror of these villains, ultimately sacrificing himself to save the people that he so readily protects. Implicit Christian images are riddled throughout Batman’s story, telling a much different story than what is explicitly there. "The Dark Knight" Trilogy follows the narrative that is presented about Jesus in the Gospels, as well as the predictions made in the Book of Revelations.

Bruce Wayne — the wealthy playboy of Gotham City — and his alter ego Batman, can be taken as the Christ figure on the series of films. In the beginning of "Batman Begins," a young Bruce Wayne witnesses the murder of both his parents at gun point. After 14 years in prison, the man who murdered the Bruce’s parents is released, and subsequently murdered by a member of the Gotham mafia. Bruce, who was present at the release, was tempted to murder the man himself, but ultimately decided against it.

After losing the chance to avenge the death of his parents, Wayne goes into exile in the country of Bhutan, where he decides to train in the ways of the Temple of Shadows. While there, he comes to discover that the Temple of Shadows is planning to purge the corrupt city of Gotham, and they have an expectation that Bruce will assist in destroying the city. Bruce comes to term with his fate of being the savior of Gotham, resisting the temptation that the temple is putting on him. He destroys the Temple of Shadows, saving Gotham, for the time being, and returns home in order to become the Batman.

This temptation and exile is reminiscent of the exile and temptation of Christ presented in Mathew Chapter 4. After his baptism, Jesus is led into the desert in order to be tempted by Satan. After fasting for 40 days, Satan attempts to tempt Christ into showing that he is the son of God. After several tests to see if Jesus would give into the temptations, Satan is banished by Jesus. Though Bruce is training to become a vigilante, he exiles himself like Christ. To further this allegory, Bruce is tempted by the Temple of Shadows, and banishes them, much like Jesus’ temptation and banishment of Satan. Bruce/Batman is tempted several more times throughout the course of the trilogy, each time, turning down the tempter. The idea of Batman as a Christ figure is hard to take in with his violent actions. Yet, when looking at the story presented by Nolan, it is possible to see, though other characters roles will help back this up.

While Batman shows many other qualities of a Christ figure, the villains who roam the streets of Gotham also take on biblical roles that counter Christ and the church. The most prominent of these villains appears in the second of the three films, "The Dark Knight." The Joker, played by Heath Ledger, is one of the most well-known villains in the Batman Universe. His soul duty throughout any Batman story is to counter the moves of Batman, and bring chaos to the streets of Gotham. “… Gordon suggests that with the advent of a superhero representing order, it is inevitable that there will appear a supervillain representing chaos …” (Nichols, 246). In "The Dark Knight," the Joker is more evil than any of his previous incarnations, leading some scholars to compare him to Satan. “Some scholars have commented, regarding John Milton’s poem 'Paradise Lost,' that Satan is the most interesting character, much more so that Adam, Eve, the angels or Christ. In a similar way, the Joker is clearly the most interesting character in 'The Dark Knight,' and he is obviously a figurative version of Satan,” (Bellinger).

The viewer is given, from the beginning of the second film, a villain who is interesting, charismatic and immoral, peaking many peoples interest. Ledger’s Joker, of all the characters in "The Dark Knight" Trilogy, fits the criteria presented as a Satan figure. Take the idea that Satan can transform himself, or shapeshift. Throughout the course of the film "The Dark Knight," the Joker is able to transform himself several times. In his first scene, we see him with a clown mask as he works with other criminals to rob a bank. Once he has finished, he then transforms into his normal state, with green hair, white makeup and scars that form a smile around his mouth. He is also able to transform himself to look like a normal person, dressed as a police officer. Finally, while tempting Harvey Dent into a life of crime, the Joker has disguised himself as a nurse at the hospital where Dent is a patient.

Normally, a nurse is considered someone similar to an angel; their job is to help people, even save them. Yet, the Joker takes this image of an angelic person, and uses it for his own evil. This follows a scriptural verse presented in 2 Corinthians that is one of the few descriptions of Satan in the Bible. “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light,” (King James Version, 2 Cor 11:14). The color white is associated with light; the fact that the Joker is dressed as a nurse in a white uniform is symbolic of him being the Satan figure. Satan, who, in Genesis, is presented as taking the form of a serpent. For the Joker in "The Dark Knight" Trilogy, “Heath Ledger introduces a disturbing tic: his Joker’s tongue is frequently in motion, licking his lips, or darting out of his mouth. The affectation may call to mind the way a snake uses its tongue and snakes are, of course, associated with Satan,” (Porter, 15). Along with the multiple appearance that Ledger’s Joker is seen with throughout the film, he is extremely well dressed. “His high-quality purple suit and green vest are expensive, as several other characters note during the film,” (Porter, 15). It is more than just appearance that has lead scholars to view the joker as the Satan figure of "The Dark Knight" films.

The Joker's personality and actions are truly what make him the Satan figure of The Dark Knight universe. First of all, he is associated with fire. During a scene where the Joker is blowing up a hospital, “two reverse-tracking shots allow us to see him walking down the hall and away from the building, with explosions and fire behind him,” (Porter, 15-16). Fire is associated greatly with Satan and hell. The goal of Satan is to torment and bring chaos to the world. The joker, like Satan, uses fire to bring chaos and torment people. He uses fire to kill Rachel Dawes, as well as maim District Attorney Harvey Dent. His love of chaos is exemplified when he takes a pile of money and sets it ablaze. His goal is not to take money for his own use, but to bring chaos and fire to Gotham. Throughout the entirety of The Dark Knight, the Joker is shown with images of fire, which will most definitely bring chaos to the streets of Gotham.

The Joker is smart, though, as he carefully plans his every move, in order to bring the chaos that he wishes to inflict upon the city. He is even able to bring chaos into the minds of the viewer, as he gives different stories as to how he got his infamous scars throughout the course of "The Dark Knight." We, as the viewer, are left to figure out when or if he is telling the truth. Like the serpent of Genesis, we are left to discern that his information is false, and will bring more trouble to whoever he was talking to. His intelligence is exemplified in chaos, particularly when he threatens to blow up two ferries in Gotham harbor. One of the ferries was filled with regular, everyday people; the other was filled with criminals being moved to a different jail. Within each ferry there was a bomb, with the button to destroy it in the other ferry. The Joker states that he will spare the ferry that pushes the button, as long as they do it before midnight. If neither ferry pushes the button, he will destroy both ferries. The Joker is intelligent in an evil way, linking him to the Satan description presented by Milton. He is very good at manipulating people into doing what he wants, rarely failing at his plans.

Maybe the most compelling piece of evidence that the Joker is an allegory for Satan appears in his use of temptation to do evil. Take first, the ferry scene, in which the Joker has presented both ferries with the choice of destroying the other ferry, and sparing their own lives. The Joker falls into a very Hobbesian ideology, where humans are basically evil, and will do bad to help themselves. The people on the ferries prove the Joker and Hobbes wrong by neither of them pushing the button. This would seem to show that human nature is inertly good, yet in the film, this is not always true. Harvey Dent, who the Joker maims in an explosive fire, is tempted into taking revenge on the mafia, whom the Joker blames for the death of Rachel Dawes, and his own disfigurement. He goes on a rampage, set off by the Joker, and kills several members of the mafia and police force, before succumbing to his own death. Dent, unlike the prisoners and civilians on the ferries, chooses to willingly do evil.

Even the Christ figure of the film is tempted by the Joker. When interrogating the Joker, Batman is told by the villain that they are almost one in the same. They both resort to violence in order to achieve their own personal goals. Batman, under this realization debates whether to give up his role as the savior of Gotham, once again like Jesus is tempted by the devil during his exile (Nichols, 246). So what then is the film trying to convey about human nature? Are humans evil, like Dent or the Joker, or are people naturally good, like Commissioner Gordon? The film present a very biblical perspective as to the nature of humans; human beings are neither good nor evil, but display free will. “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind …” (King James Version, 1 Pet 5:2). While the Joker and the other villains of Gotham City, as well as some of its civilians choose to do evil, humans as a whole in Gotham have a choice of whether to do good or evil.

The other villains of Gotham City take on their own roles in the biblical narrative. The other two villains that will be focused on is Harvey Dent/Two-Face and Bane. Look at Harvey Dent, the shining light in the corrupt Gotham justice system. He, like the Joker is very charismatic, but represents goodness and change for the city of Gotham. Yet it can be seen that Harvey Dent is really the “false prophet” described throughout the New Testament. When given the chance, he takes the credit for being Batman. Now, it can be easily perceived as Dent trying to keep the Batman out of jail so he can continue to help Gotham. But what about the fame and glory of being Batman. Dent knows that by taking the credit, he will get fame that Batman has accumulated. The idea of the false prophet is someone who takes the credit for being messiah, though they are not. Dent is doing exactly this by claiming to be the Batman. The Bible clearly describes the false prophet in Mathew, “beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves,” (King James Version, Mat 7:15). Dent constantly comes to the people in sheep’s clothing. He is the ray of hope for Gotham, yet when it comes down to it, is just as evil as the Joker. In his rampage against the police and mafia, he is willing to take the life of Commissioner Gordon’s child, just to seek revenge. So like the false prophet in Mathew, he is really a ravenous wolf. Bane, on the other hand is the beast described in Revelation, while Miranda Tate/Talia al Ghul is the “whore of Babylon”. Bane appears to the people as another savior to Gotham. Bane’s goal, at least on the surface, is to bring order and justice to Gotham, “we take Gotham from the corrupt! The rich! The oppressors of generations who have kept you down with myths of opportunity, and we give it back to you … the people. Gotham is yours!” ("Dark Knight Rises"). He though, is a puppet, bringing a message of hope and acceptance, while outwardly showing destruction. We find out that he is being controlled by Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter, another member of the Temple of Shadows, Miranda Tate. The “whore of Babylon” and the beast she rides on are a clear sign of the end of days. The goal of Tate and Bane was to bring an end to the city of Gotham, by blowing it up with a nuclear bomb. She uses the beast as a cover to make herself look better, when really, her true intentions were to destroy everything in her path.

While the villains add to the biblical narrative, the good people of Gotham add to this narrative as well. Take for instance James Gordon, John Blake, Alfred Pennyworth, Lucius Fox and Rachel Dawes. Throughout the three films, they become the disciples of Batman. First of all, they all believe in his cause. He wants to rid Gotham City of all the crime that it has endured, and Batman will do anything to stop it. These people that surround him, like Gordon and Pennyworth, have become his disciples, risking their own lives, jobs and wellbeing to oppose the injustice that it Gotham’s government and supporting Batman. One of Batman’s disciples, Rachel Dawes, like the disciple Peter, gave their life to promote the message that the savior was attempting to do. We are also presented with a character similar to Mary Magdalene, who Jesus is able to convert to his message. In The Dark Knight Rises, we are presented with a new antihero — neither a villain nor a good guy — Selena Kyle/Catwoman, a burglar who is out for her own agenda. When Wayne confronts Selena, he “encourages her, however, that there is more to her than meets the eye,” (Endicott, 5). Selena, like Mary, has the choice to join the good, or continue in her own sins. As with the rest of "The Dark Knight" Trilogy, Selena has her own free will, but inevitably chooses to do the right thing in the end.

It may now seem clearer that there is indeed a biblical narrative occurring in "The Dark Knight" Trilogy, yet what about all the attributes of a Christ like figure. It can already be seen that Wayne/Batman attracts disciples, has been exiled, and is tempted many times by the Satan like figures around him. A Jesus-like figure, however, should also have conflict with authority, as well as becoming the scapegoat of his people. This goes along with the Girardian theory of culture. In his theory, we as humans have natural desires, such as hunger. If we see a commercial for a Big Mac, and feed our hunger with a Big Mac, then that desire has become socially mediated. This theory can be applied to the Bible, as well as "The Dark Knight" Trilogy.

Starting in the second film, Batman is no longer exclusively a hero to the people Gotham. They start to place blame on Batman, making him the scapegoat. They start to see that what the Joker blames his actions on is the Batman, and so that must mean that Batman is evil. When Commissioner Gordon is presumed dead, his wife yells into the darkness that Batman brought the evil upon Gotham, even though it had already been there for years. The people of Gotham are ready to prosecute Batman as a villain for the Jokers actions, much like how Jesus was persecuted for the evil of others. The interrogation room, where the Joker tries to tempt Batman into joining into the chaos, also holds an interesting prediction from the Joker. “They need you right now. When they don’t, they’ll cast you out like a leper. You see their code, their moral, it’s a bad joke,” ("The Dark Knight"). The Joker knows that the batman will be their savior no matter if they use him as a scapegoat or not. Along with the blame, much of the law enforcement in Gotham is against the Batman. The original police commissioner wants the Batman behind bars, as he is doing the job of the police. Similarly, Jesus was arrested by the Romans, because he was causing problems for the government in Jerusalem.

The major requirement of a Christ figure is that they sacrifice themselves in order to save the people. The third film in the series, "The Dark Knight Rises," comes to a head when Batman does just that. During the movie, Bane and Talia al Ghul steal a nuclear reactor core that, when detonated, will destroy the entirety of Gotham. When fighting them in order to return the core to its rightful place, where it cannot hurt anyone, Bruce realizes that it would never make it back into its spot safely, and takes the core out over the bay in the Bat Plane, and it explodes, seemingly killing Batman, and saving the people of Gotham from their sins. Batman is honored after his death as the hero of Gotham, much like Jesus who died on the cross for our sins, and eventually was praised as the messiah of the Christian faith. In the Bible, Jesus is resurrected after his death to save our sins; Bruce Wayne is similarly resurrected. After his death, Alfred is on a trip to Venice, where he sees Bruce and Selina sitting at a café. Even though he appeared to die, Bruce is alive, and showing himself to his disciples.

"The Dark Knight" Trilogy presents itself with the narrative of the New Testament. From the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John, to the Book of Revelation, there are many similarities in the stories. Though his use of violence counters his Christ like attributes in a way, Batman still fits the traits of a Christ figure through his goals and other actions. Batman takes on the role of the savior of his people, no matter if they want him to or not, much like Jesus is the savior, no matter if he is wanted or not. “Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So, we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian,” ("The Dark Knight").