Batman: Arkham Knight featured a Harley Quinn DLC that hinted at her involvement in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League as a playable character, and the potential her design and abilities posed as a game protagonist. Batman: Arkham frequently allowed players to control villains and antiheroes in Challenge Modes, DLC, and side quests, but Harley Quinn is a unique case. Since the corrupted psychologist maintains a regular presence in the Batman: Arkham series, it's unsurprising that she obtained a central role in the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League game. However, Harley Quinn's DLC isn't the only sign that she would later become a member of a superpowered team.
In the Batman: Arkham Knight Harley Quinn Story Pack, the Joker's former sidekick breaks into Bludhaven's Police Department to rescue Poison Ivy from containment. The DLC is a prequel to the Arkham Knight storyline, as Harley mentions taking Ivy to a Gotham Rogues meeting that Scarecrow called. Though Poison Ivy ultimately declines the invitation, Harley easily dispatches dozens of BPD guards and defeats Nightwing. Though Batman easily defeats her in several Batman: Arkham games, Harley consistently improves and becomes a decent threat as the series progresses. With Joker's death, Harley has the opportunity to grow beyond his abusive manipulation and become a more developed, independent character.
Suicide Squad: KTJL features Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark, and Captain Boomerang as the four playable characters. Each villain directly opposes one of the Justice League's members or has a connection to the Batman: Arkham series. Since Suicide Squad and Batman: Arkham share a universe/continuity, Rocksteady Studios has the opportunity to utilize familiar gameplay mechanics in different stories. Including Harley Quinn to ensure a smooth transition between IPs and gives players a sense of familiarity when shifting narratives from heroes to antivillains. Thankfully, Harley Quinn's Batman: Arkham Knight DLC held many signs that the character would excel as a playable character in the upcoming Suicide Squad game.
Harley Quinn's Batman: Arkham DLC Proves She Excels At Teamwork
Both Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy appeared in Batman: Arkham Knight, and the characters may reunite in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. However, their relationship is only one part of their teamwork. Many Batman: Arkham villains are selfish crooks that struggle at working with others, but Harley saved Poison Ivy with little persuasion from the other Rogues. Additionally, when Harley arrives to rescue Poison Ivy, a key dialogue exchange reveals this isn't the first time Harley prioritized her friends over selfish desires. Harley also doesn't cave to outside pressure, as shown through her interactions with Penguin throughout the DLC. This loyalty to her companions and aversions to outside leadership could bode well for the character in Suicide Squad.
Unsurprisingly, Amanda Waller commands the team in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, mirroring the hierarchy from the team's comic series. Available KTJL trailers revealed that - of its members - Harley Quinn spoke most openly against Waller. She routinely lies and manipulates the government agent for her own amusement, mainly for the good of her team and herself. However, the story's length was the biggest hint within Batman: Arkham Knight's Harley Quinn DLC that suggested the character would have a grander future. While the level design mirrored most buildings and missions in Batman: Arkham, Harley Quinn received a revolutionized kit of abilities that received approximately ten minutes of game time. This content's disproportionate effort and time immediately suggested Harley Quinn had a future beyond Arkham Knight.
Harley Quinn's DLC Features Abilities That Suicide Squad Can Use
Like most DLC characters in the Batman: Arkham series, Harley Quinn received a hybridized version of Batman's kit. Detective vision, acrobatic attacks, and stealth techniques appear in some form within Harley's kit. However, she also receives new abilities: Mayhem Mode and Loud Takedowns. Unlike Batman and his proteges' attack combos, Harley Quinn can utilize Mayhem Mode to perform instant takedowns with every blow. This enables the harlequin villain to eliminate swarms of enemies clustered together without alerting the rest of the level. In addition, Rocksteady further developed Harley's character by gifting her a "Loud Takedown" instead of the traditional Silent Takedown received by other characters. As stated by Harley herself, "quiet" isn't in the villain's vocabulary, allowing Rocksteady to expand on the iconic character through combat.
Unlike Batman's Detective Vision in Batman: Arkham, Harley Quinn launched with a mechanic called Psychosis Mode. While the function remains the same, Psychosis Mode also holds many Easter eggs for Harley's character. As many fans know, Harley Quinn once worked at Arkham Asylum as a psychiatrist and fell victim to Joker's manipulation. Players that remain in Psychosis Mode for long enough can experience a dialogue between Harley Quinn and Dr. Harleen Quinzel, the sane alter-ego still residing in Harley's mind. Additionally, the walls are scrawled with different phrases that change as players progress through the DLC. Loving, madness-filled rants shift to words like "help me" and suggest Harley can be redeemed. The in-depth development of this kit, combined with the unique animations and acrobatics made for this DLC, suggests Rocksteady had bigger plans for Harley Quinn.
Suicide Squad Could Mirror Batman: Arkham Knight's Missions
As a prominent villain in the Batman: Arkham games, Harley Quinn brings a new perspective to the in-game narrative. In Harley Quinn's DLC, players can experience combat against traditional "good guys" which is absent from Batman, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin's core gameplay. Fighting against local authorities and well-known heroes provided Harley Quinn with a unique DLC experience that stuck out from other stories in Batman: Arkham Knight's Season Pass. Its success likely signaled to Rocksteady that villains could take the spotlight in future projects, with the Suicide Squad's debut in the Arkhamverse already prepared with various Easter eggs throughout previous games. If Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League follows Batman: Arkham's style of missions, the Harley Quinn DLC's mission format could develop each villain uniquely and effectively.
Suicide Squad: KTJL and Batman: Arkham have many connections, but Harley Quinn's character provides an excellent opportunity for a new perspective in the universe. While Deadshot also appeared in the Batman: Arkham games, the mercenary didn't receive the same characterization as Harley Quinn. However, Captain Boomerang and King Shark are new additions to the in-game universe that can introduce unique stories. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League recently suffered a delay that pushed its release to 2023, with Rocksteady having yet to confirm a specific date.