The Batman sees the Riddler taunting the Dark Knight with a string of riddles, but what do they mean? Here's each of the Riddler's riddles explained.
Warning! SPOILERS for The Batman.
The Batman sees the Riddler taunting the Dark Knight with a string of riddles, but what does each one mean? Directed by Matt Reeves from a script he wrote with Peter Craig, The Batman is more of a detective story than any previous live-action Batman movie. It sees Batman (Robert Pattinson) and Lt. Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) working to catch the Riddler (Paul Dano) while also unraveling a conspiracy that links together several of Gotham's most high profile citizens.
Beginning with the murder of Gotham's mayor, the Riddler is targeting anyone with information about an informant who helped the Gotham City Police Department bring down the mob boss, Salvatore Malroni. The drug bust of Malroni is being lauded as the biggest win in GCPD history, but the Riddler knows it's all a lie. The operation hasn't actually been shut down, it's just now being run by the crooked cops of Gotham. This sort of corruption is nothing new, as the most powerful in Gotham have been stealing from the city for years. Most notably, they've been using a charitable program called Renewal that was started by Bruce's father, Thomas Wayne, to launder money and get rich.
This is the corruption the Riddler wants Batman to uncover, and he leads him along the path to discovery with a series of riddles. Some are simply a clever play on words and whose answers lead Batman closer to the truth, while others are confusing cryptograms that only make sense once more of the Riddler's plan is revealed. Here's every riddle in The Batman and what it actually means.
Riddle #1: What Does A Liar Do When He's Dead?
The Riddle: What does a liar do when he's dead?
The Answer: He lies still.
A dead body, no matter who it was when alive, will "lie still" and no longer move. A dead liar, however, won't just "lie still" in that sense - they'll also "lie still" in that their lies will continue until the truth is found out. In the case of the murdered Gotham City mayor (at whose crime scene Batman is given this riddle), the Riddler is accusing him of lying for years to cover up the city's corruption. Even now that he's dead, he'll continue to lie until Batman and Gordon can uncover the truth.
Riddle #2: Follow The Maze Until You Find The Rat...
The Riddle: Follow the maze until you find the rat. Bring him into the light and you'll find where I'm at.
The Answer: Reveal who the police informant is to the public, and the Riddler will reveal where he's been hiding.
This may be the most important riddle since it helps drive Batman's search for the Riddler. It's discovered when examining the cage of rats used to murder Riddler's second victim, Police Commissioner Pete Savage. Initially, Batman and Gordon believe Penguin is the rat, but when that lead turns out wrong, they then rightly suspect Carmine Falcone. Ultimately, the mob boss is revealed to be not just the police informant, but the mastermind behind much of Gotham's corruption, with several city leaders indebted to him. When Batman turns Falcone over to the police, however, and brings him "into the light," he's assassinated by the Riddler, who's been working out of an apartment overlooking the Iceberg Lounge the whole time.
Riddle #3: You Are El Rata Alada
The Riddle: You are el rata alada.
The Answer:
Along with riddles, the Riddler leaves messages in code for Batman. These messages use a cipher and can only be solved by figuring out what letters correspond to the symbols. The most noteworthy of these cipher messages is "You are el rata alada." At first, Batman and Gordon assume the clue is the Spanish translation of "rata alada," or winged rat, believing it's referring to the Penguin because penguins have wings and Copplepot is their chief suspect. When they confront Penguin over this, he points out the Spanish is incorrect since "rata alada" should be preceded by "la" and not "el." This has Batman rethink the message and realize "You are el" is a homophone for "URL," essentially meaning a website. They pull up and chat with the Riddler, who gives them another riddle when he realizes Batman still hasn't put all the pieces together.
Riddle #4: It Can Be Cruel, Poetic, Or Blind...
The Riddle: It can be cruel, poetic, or blind. But when it’s denied, it’s violence you may find.
The Answer: Justice.
A play on words as justice can come in many forms, but when justice is being denied (as Riddler believes it is in the case of Gotham's elite answering for their crimes), the response is very often a violent one. This is the first of three riddles posed to District Attorney Gil Colson and to which correct answers will unlock the bomb the Riddler has strapped to his neck. Batman is who actually supplies the answer, but the first combination code is unlocked all the same.
Riddle #5: If You Are Justice, Please Do Not Lie...
The Riddle: If you are justice, please do not lie. What is the price for your blind eye?
The Answer: Bribe.
If you want to keep a secret, a bribe is how you buy silence. In this case, the secret is the identity of the police informant. Colson and others were paid bribes to keep this secret - the "price" for his "blind eye." After answering the riddle, Batman presses Colson for how much and learns he was paid $10,000, meaning it's someone very wealthy who wants the rat's identity kept a secret.
Riddle #6: Since Your Justice Is So Select...
The Riddle: Since your justice is so select, please tell us, which vermin you're paid to protect?
The Answer: The rat.
Clearly, Colson is corrupt like so many of those in positions of power in Gotham. Their "justice" is "select" because they only really serve those who have something to offer them. As for the "vermin" Colson and others have been paid to "protect," that's obviously the rat. Specifically, the Riddler asks for "which vermin," meaning Colson must reveal the rat's identity. Colson refuses, and since the Riddler doesn't receive the full answer to his final riddle, he explodes the bomb, killing him and knocking Batman out.
Riddle #7: I Grew Up From A Seed, As Tough As A Weed...
The Riddle: I grew up from a seed, as tough as a weed. But in a mansion, in a slum, I'll never know where I come from. Do you know what I am?
The Answer: An orphan.
An orphan is someone whose parents are dead, and the term generally refers to someone who lost their parents at a young age - growing up without knowing where they "come from." There's more to this riddle than that, though, because Batman deduces "in a mansion, in a slum" refers to the Gotham Orphanage housed in the old Wayne "mansion." The building has since burned down, but it was in disrepair even before then as it had lost funding following the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents, effectively becoming a "slum."
Riddle #8: See You In Hell
The Riddle: See you in hell.
The Answer: Arkham Asylum.
This riddle reads more like a threat than a clue, which makes sense since it comes from the scene of a bombing on Wayne Tower that sends Alfred to the hospital. Batman doesn't actually solve this one, either, and it's only explained to him by the Riddler when he confronts the villain at Arkham Asylum. Originally, Riddler believed Batman would join him in his crusade against Gotham's corrupt officials, even imagining that Batman would be locked up in the asylum as well. "See you in hell" wasn't really a riddle or a threat but more like an invitation, with "hell" meaning Arkham Asylum.
Riddle #9: What's Black And Blue And Dead All Over?
The Riddle: What's black and blue and dead all over?
The Answer: You!
The "You!" in this case is Batman, but it's not made immediately clear how he is the answer until the Riddler's ultimate plan to flood the city is revealed. Batman is already "black" thanks to the costume he wears, and once Gotham is flooded he'll also be "blue" due to the water and eventually "dead" because of Riddler's army of copycat killers. Luckily, Riddler's plan doesn't end with Batman's death, but the Riddler manages to wreak widespread damage across Gotham all the same.
Riddle #10: Riddle Me This...
The Riddle: Riddle me this: The less of them you have, the more one is worth?
The Answer: A friend.
The less friends one has, the more important each individual friend can become. The Riddler has no friends in Arkham, but he makes a new, very important friend when a fellow inmate poses this riddle to him. That inmate is the Joker, who appears in a small cameo near the very end of the film that's a fun Easter egg and also potential setup for a The Batman sequel.
Riddler's Rataalada.com Riddles
As part of The Batman's marketing, fans can visit answer some of Riddler's riddles on their own. Answering them all correctly unlocks a final message from the Riddler, hinting that while he may be locked up in Arkham, fans haven't seen the last of him. Here are the riddles featured on
- The Riddle: What was new, is new again. Rebirth. Restoration. Reformation.
- The Answer: Renewal.
- The Riddle: Fear he who hides behind one.
- The Answer: Mask.
- The Riddle: I am first a fraud or a trick. Or perhaps a blend of the two. That’s up to your misinterpretation.
- The Answer: Confusion.
