The identity of the titular villain in Batman: Arkham Knight is infamously predictable, and Rocksteady already had a much better villain that could've been used instead. The third entry in Rocksteady's superhero trilogy sees Batman protect Gotham from destruction for one last night. Scarecrow serves as the main villain, with a ghostly visage of Joker and a masked figure called the Arkham Knight adding to the chaos. An Arkham Knight plot twist reveals that the murderous figure is actually Jason Todd, one of Batman's former sidekicks, but this twist is far less interesting than another possibility.
The big twist in Batman: Arkham Knight puts an original spin on Jason Todd's transformation into the violent vigilante Red Hood, which has become a staple of the Batman mythos. Rather than being killed at the hands of The Joker, Batman: Arkham Knight shows the killer clown fake the second Robin's death while slowly torturing him within the halls of Arkham Asylum. This trauma leads to Jason's transformation into the Arkham Knight, a cold-blooded killer with the singular goal of killing Batman. While some consider Jason Todd to be one of the best Batman: Arkham villains, many were able to predict this twist years before the actual release of Arkham Knight.
While the Arkham Knight is a divisive member of the Batman: Arkham rogues gallery, the series' treatment of Hush is almost universally loathed. One of Batman: Arkham City's most in-depth side missions, "Identity Theft," sees the villainous Thomas Elliot murder various inmates and steal parts of their face to transform himself into Bruce Wayne. The quest ends on a cliffhanger with Elliot escaping Arkham City, leading many to suspect that Hush would be a major villain in the sequel. Unfortunately this isn't the case, with Hush's story being unceremoniously concluded in an incredibly brief Arkham Knight side mission titled "Friend in Need." The Batman: Arkham Knight Hush mission is very disappointing, especially because Hush would have been the perfect candidate to act as the game's titular villain.
Batman: Arkham Knight Should Have Put Hush Behind The Mask
Batman: Arkham City set up Hush's plot to destroy Bruce Wayne, and having the brilliant villain become the Arkham Knight would've been the perfect payoff to that story. Thomas Elliot has wealth and resources to rival Bruce Wayne, which would've allowed him to assemble a military force and high-tech gear. The villain is also obsessed with mirroring Bruce Wayne, which could've led to the creation of the Arkham Knight persona if he discovered that Bruce is actually Batman. While the scene where Jason is unmasked as the Arkham Knight is memorable, the scene would've been even more powerful if Batman saw his own face looking back at him from behind the villain's cowl.
Many fans saw the reveal of Jason Todd in Batman: Arkham Knight coming, so having Hush as the Arkham Knight would be a perfect twist. This would allow Hush to take his rightful place as a major villain, and the nightmare sequences of Jason's death could still be useful to throw off fans and create a red herring. Scarecrow and Hush even have a working relationship in the comics, which would have made this alternate Batman: Arkham Knight twist even more perfect.