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Gotham’s retired protector
Bruce Wayne / Batman
Eight years after taking the blame for Harvey Dent’s crimes, Bruce lives in seclusion and Batman has disappeared.
ClearStory FILM GUIDE · 2012
The Dark Knight Rises
Remember the past. Follow Bane’s plan. Keep the ending hidden.
What you need to know
Eight years after Harvey Dent’s death, Gotham is peaceful and organised crime has been crushed. The city still believes Batman murdered Dent, while Bruce Wayne has withdrawn from public life. A masked mercenary named Bane arrives with a plan that reaches beneath Gotham and back into Bruce’s past.
2 hours 44 minutesSuperhero thrillerFinal Dark Knight film
OPTIONAL REFERENCECharacters, places and useful termsContains story details. Open after watching.
BEFORE YOU WATCH
11 peopleWho is that character?
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The new threat
Bane
A powerful masked mercenary with a disciplined army. His mask helps control constant pain from an old injury.
SK
Cat burglar
Selina Kyle
A skilled and resourceful thief who steals from wealthy Gotham residents. She wants a way to erase her criminal record.
JB
Gotham police
John Blake
A young police officer who grew up in an orphanage. He trusts his instincts and still believes Batman was a hero.
JG
Police Commissioner
James Gordon
Gotham’s commissioner and Batman’s former ally. He carries the guilt of hiding the truth about Harvey Dent.
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Bruce’s closest adviser
Alfred Pennyworth
Bruce’s butler and father figure. He fears Bruce is returning to Batman because he no longer values his own life.
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Wayne Enterprises
Lucius Fox
Bruce’s trusted friend at Wayne Enterprises. He oversees the company and its hidden collection of Batman technology.
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Wayne Enterprises
Miranda Tate
A wealthy investor and philanthropist who supports Bruce’s clean-energy project and wants him to rejoin the world.
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Business rival
John Daggett
A wealthy businessman trying to gain control of Wayne Enterprises. He has hired Bane to help his plans.
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Nuclear physicist
Dr Leonid Pavel
A scientist whose knowledge of nuclear energy makes him important to Bane’s operation.
PF
Gotham police
Peter Foley
Gordon’s deputy commissioner. He is ambitious, cautious and more interested in capturing Batman than Gordon’s warnings.
DURING THE FILM
Recap as you go
Choose only a scene you have completed. If you are unsure, wait until you finish watching.
The simple way to follow it
Bane wants Bruce and Gotham to lose hope before they are destroyed. Bruce must rediscover why he wants to live before Batman can rise again.
AFTER WATCHING
Key story points
This section contains major spoilers, including the ending.
Content note: This film contains strong violence, threat, terrorism, injury detail, death, imprisonment, mass panic, executions and nuclear danger.
An unofficial, independently written viewing companion for the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Warner Bros., DC or the filmmakers. No official images, logos or film artwork are used.