The Batman: Caped Crusader season 1 ending brings a series of surprises across the span of episode 10, all while setting up for the already-confirmed second season of the DC release. Given the hopes that Caped Crusader would follow in the footsteps of the ever-beloved Batman: The Animated Series show, it’s safe to say the show had big shoes to fill from the moment it was announced as an upcoming DC release. Thankfully, Batman: Caped Crusader season 1 does just that, reimagining the world and lore of the Dark Knight in new and fresh ways while staying true to its core themes and concepts.

With much of the first season focusing around many different villains, adding a substantial finale to Batman: Caped Crusader season 1 also seemed like a task that would be complicated to pull off effectively, needing to provide an overarching ending to this chapter while also ensuring season 2 got an effective set-up. But by unveiling a major character death, a huge moment for its DC hero, and the introduction of the Dark Knight’s biggest villain, the Batman animated show manages to pave its way to an exciting future even as it closes the book on this era of its story.

Why Harvey Dent Sacrifices Himself For Barbara Gordon (& What It Means For Batman’s Future)

Harvey Dent’s Death Is A Major Moment For Batman: Caped Crusader Season 1

Batman: Caped Crusader season 1, episode 10 mainly focuses on Harvey Dent dealing with the aftermath of half his face being burned by acid following him not following the terms of his agreement with Rupert Thorne after accepting his help to try and become mayor. Having suffered a breakdown of sorts, Dent finds himself in Arkham Asylum, where he becomes deeply jaded about his part in the corruption of Gotham’s judicial system and government.

Corrupt detectives Flass and Bullock free Harvey from Arkham, only to reveal that Thorne had orchestrated this break out in order to kill him. While Barbara Gordon is able to rescue Dent and then call Commissioner Gordon and Batman to help her save him, Barbara’s efforts prove to not be enough to fully protect Harvey, who eventually dies after jumping in front of a bullet aimed at her.

This works to both cement Harvey Dent as perhaps the most complex figure in the Batman: Caped Crusader cast thus far, and to encourage Batman to commit to his cause in a different way. In the scene after Harvey’s body is shown, Alfred Pennyworth and Batman talk about the complicated figure he was, with Alfred surmising that Bruce saw a lot of his own journey in Harvey’s struggle. However, Alfred also states that Batman isn’t like Harvey, and that the DC hero’s humanity has been more and more visible to him.

All in all, this appears to encourage Batman to be willing to have allies, and to consider his ties to others less of a hindrance and more of a help to his fight – potentially seeing how Harvey’s bond with Barbara saw him lay down his life for her, perhaps because some core part of him still believed in her hopes for Gotham and its citizens, despite calling her naive. Since this scene closes with Batman thanking Alfred and referring to him by his first name, it seems this could be the first major step in his teased show redemption arc.

Batman: Caped Crusader’s Season 1 Ending Reveals Its Version Of The Joker

A New Joker Brings Plenty Of Story Potential To The DC Show And Its Second Season

The Batman: Caped Crusader season 1 ending reveals the Joker in its absolute final moments, just as audiences had likely begun to believe that the Clown Prince of Crime either wouldn’t be in the show, or simply would appear in a later chapter. After the last shot of Batman lurking in the night, the episode then cuts to a small remote shack, revealing a series of unfortunate victims who appear to have been injected with some form of Joker’s laughing gas so that the criminal can investigate the results.

Interestingly, this points towards a much different version of the iconic Batman antagonist compared to his traditional depictions. The chemistry sets in the background of the Joker’s experiment suggest a more scientifically-focused villain, and his low, quite serious-sounding voice and wardrobe match up with this concept, overall teasing a potentially less jovial iteration of the character. It’s possible this take on the Joker may lean more into the idea that his perpetual smile is the result of a chemical mishap instead of also suggesting it altered his nature – though this may have simply been a toned-down introduction to prepare audiences.

Batman Almost Breaks A Dark Knight Rules In The Caped Crusader Finale

Batman’s Reaction To Dent’s Death Sees Him Almost Use A Gun To Kill

Other than the Joker’s debut and Harvey Dent’s death, perhaps the most important moment in the Batman: Caped Crusader season 1 finale is when the Dark Knight appears to consider shooting Flass with his own gun after the crooked cop kills Harvey. Batman picks up the gun and appears to very genuinely consider killing the detective in revenge, only to instead repeatedly shoot around his head.

It’s arguably the closest Batman has come on-screen to breaking his no killing rule without actively doing so, and the visual of the hero picking up and aiming the gun carries all the more weight as a result of this. Bruce’s bond with Dent means choosing to not kill Flass is not only Batman overcoming his desire to avenge Harvey, but also him committing to the longer, more grueling task of trying to fix the system that led to his demise without simply getting rid of everyone who played a role – which leads to Batman’s final scene in the first season.

How Batman: Caped Crusader Season 1’s Ending Sets Up Season 2

Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2 Is Already Looking To Have More Than One Exciting Storyline

Batman being shown throwing a batarang at Rupert Thorne in his last scene in Batman: Caped Crusader season 1 appears to make it relatively clear that season 2 will explore the Dark Knight’s efforts to bring Thorne to justice after a seeming long life evading seeing any repercussions for his illegal and immoral dealings. While Thorne’s criminal empire is set to present some real challenges for this – namely that he seems to have ensured the legal system is in his pocket to some degree – the fact that Batman is targeting Thorne in part to seek justice for Harvey Dent suggests he will succeed.

Naturally, the tease of the Joker also means that Batman: Caped Crusader season 2 looks primed to bring the Dark Knight’s most famous nemesis to the forefront of the show. Given Caped Crusader has tended to not focus on any one Batman villain for too long, it will be interesting to see if this Joker is similarly an episodic villain or used for a longer storyline in the same vein as Harvey Dent. The Clown Prince of Crime’s return should also prove especially interesting given Harley Quinn is already well-established in this universe, and is still at large after fleeing Gotham following her fake-out death.