"You just take off your little mask and show us all who you really are." The words spoken by the Joker in The Dark Knight envelop one of the greatest crises Batman can face: the world discovering his identity. Over the years, Batman's cinematic journeys have emphasized (to various degrees) the importance Bruce Wayne places on his mask, its symbolism, and the protection it affords others.

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There have been multiple instances on film where Bruce's identity has been revealed, both through choice and against his will. Unmasking the Dark Knight serves the stories that are being told through incorporating conflict as well as catharsis, making it a powerful tool at a screenwriter's disposal.

Vicki Vale - Batman

Tim Burton's Batman didn't exactly shy away from controversy, from changing Batman's origin to demonstrating his willingness to kill. Long-time fans were also understandably perplexed when they saw Bruce's trusted butler, Alfred, willfully let Vicki Vale into the Batcave.

Co-writer Sam Hamm explains it wasn't his choice to put the scene into the movie, saying "that's Alfred's last day of employment at Wayne Manor," but that the tightening production schedule necessitated the addition. The scene follows Bruce's earlier attempts to confess to Vicki that he's Batman, and it would've carried more weight had Vicki appeared in the sequel, where the reveal could've incorporated some conflict into the story. That never came to pass, however, leaving the moment as an unfortunate black spot on Alfred's resume.

Coleman Reese - The Dark Knight

It's actually a little surprising that more members of Wayne Enterprises hadn't deduced Bruce's secret identity in the Dark Knight trilogy, considering his continued usage of his company's extensive toys.

Company employee Coleman Reese ends up making this deduction and takes his findings to Lucius Fox. He threatens to blackmail Bruce and Wayne Enterprises, which Lucius hilariously points out is an unwise move. He calmly reminds Reese that the man he's accusing, if his accusations are correct, is one of the most powerful men in the world who spends his nights beating up criminals to a pulp. Reese wisely retracts his blackmail proposal and leaves, only to later make an even more foolish move by putting himself in the Joker's cross-hairs.

Edward Nygma - Batman Forever

Jim Carrey as Edward Nygma

Batman Forever doesn't get much love on Batman-related lists, which isn't surprising considering there are far better movies featuring the Caped Crusader. Yet one thing it earnestly attempts to do is explore Bruce's dark psyche, something director Joel Schumacher wished he could've done more of.

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Throughout the story, Bruce examines his fears and his childhood with Dr. Meridian and asks fairly existential questions about being Batman. When he becomes a victim of "The Box," the item Edward Nygma/The Riddler creates to infiltrate people's minds, Nygma is delivered the image of a giant bat. He naturally derives Batman's secret identity from this and uses the information to go after the Dark Knight.

Lucius Fox - Batman Begins

After Bruce returns to work at Wayne Enterprises, he befriends Lucius Fox and starts coming to him with some "unusual requests." Lucius quickly picks up on the fact that Bruce has something big up his sleeve but happily supplies him with the gear he needs.

Knowing his involvement could imply culpability, Lucius implores Bruce not to tell him what he's planning so he can maintain plausible deniability, but he warns Bruce not to think of him as an idiot. Bruce agrees and the pair form a respectful partnership throughout the Dark Knight trilogy, making Lucius' deduction of Bruce's endeavors pragmatic and necessary to expand the story.

John Blake - The Dark Knight Rises

John Blake in The Dark Knight Rises

Before he was a cop on Gotham's police force, John Blake lived in an orphanage as a young boy. One day, the orphanage was visited by Bruce Wayne, and Blake recognized the anger Bruce hid behind his billionaire facade, which he shares with Bruce in the future after Commissioner Gordon's near-death experience.

Blake likens hiding his anger behind a smile as "putting on a mask," further exploring the concept of the mask as a symbol that the movie delves fairly deep into. Over time, Bruce learns to see the idealism in Blake, something he once possessed, and attempts to mentor him along the way about the importance of protecting loved ones by maintaining secrecy.

Barry Allen - Justice League

Bruce Wayne Barry Allen

Ezra Miller's Barry Allen was one of the more popular aspects of Justice League, incorporating humor and heart into the bleak cinematic universe established by Zack Snyder. One of his best moments comes when he is paid a visit to his home by none other than Bruce Wayne.

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While Bruce examines Barry's hideout, Barry attempts to deflect Bruce's questions about his superpowers, tiptoeing around everything from Bruce's suspicions of his capabilities to the inquiries into Barry's Flash outfit. Suddenly, Bruce whips a Batarang towards Barry and Barry immediately shifts into his lightning-fast mode. He stares at the Batarang as it dawdles past him, then glances at Bruce in disbelief. He catches it and exclaims his excitement of learning Bruce is the Batman.

Bane - The Dark Knight Rises

Audiences could tell from the moment the teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises hit that Batman was in for something harsh. Their fears were only amplified when Alfred attempts to dissuade Bruce from taking on the hulking figure on his own.

When Bane greets Batman in Gotham's sewers with the chilling "Let's not stand on ceremony here, Mr. Wayne," suddenly it wasn't just Batman's physical self that fans were concerned for. Having already seen Bane's destructive capabilities, the implications of the havoc Bane could reap on Bruce's life and reputation were surely present on many people's minds the moment he disclosed his knowledge of Bruce's identity.

Rachel Dawes - Batman Begins

Rachel Dawes represents more to Bruce than simply being a love interest; she's his emotional conscience and connection to his childhood, who explains to him that he's better than just being a vigilante.

After Bruce returns to Gotham and takes up the mantle of Batman, he sees Rachel for the first time in several years. Eyeing his sports car and scantily-clad dates, Rachel presumes he's nothing but a spoiled, rich socialite. He attempts to explain he's more than what she sees, and she responds that it's not who he is underneath, but what he does, that defines him. Bruce recounts this lesson back to her as Batman later in the film, demonstrating his care and respect for her.

Selina Kyle - Batman Returns

The best scene in Batman Returns takes place as Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle meet at Max Schrek's lavish party. In addition to the excellent acting on behalf of Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfieffer, the quieter, emotional moment that's allowed to play out is punctuated by their mutual revelations of each other's masked identities.

After quarreling over Selina's wish to kill Max, Bruce attempts to calm her down and the pair repeat the phrases each had said to one another earlier as Batman and Catwoman. Upon realizing there's more to their relationship than they previously knew, they stare disbelievingly into each other's eyes until they decide it's best to leave the party towards an uncertain outcome.

Jim Gordon - The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises may be an imperfect closing act to the Dark Knight trilogy, but one heart-string it touchingly plucks is how it closes the relationship between Batman and Commissioner Gordon. As Batman prepares to fly the bomb away from Gotham, Gordon tells Batman that people should know the hero who saved them. Batman tells the Commissioner that heroes can be anyone, even someone doing something as simple as comforting a traumatized child whose parents had just died, to remind them that the world hadn't ended.

Gordon is stunned as he recalls the moment he met Bruce. Considering their professional relationship began with Gordon wanting to know Batman's identity, it comes full circle when Blake commiserates with Gordon in the end that Gotham-ites will never know who saved their city. Gordon smiles and responds with "they know. It was the Batman."

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