Suppose you haven’t seen the newest Batman. In that case, you probably don’t know how the Riddler strings Batman (Robbert Pattinson) along all over Gotham City with the most confusing riddles switching the storyline towards detective rather than live-action like the previous movies had every step of the way. 

The movie starts with the assassination of the Mayor and moves toward more high-profile citizens, targeting people who are aware of the source who helped bring Salvatore Maroni down. Riddler is mindful of how everything is false and knows that all the corrupt cops are still behind it and working on the side. Gotham City has been a record for many years, and with every Batman movie, we know how people have just been taking and looting from it. But this time, Riddler wants Batman to learn about Renewal and how people have used it to launder their money and become even more prosperous.

With his small riddles, he makes Batman run all over Gotham; while some are just cryptograms, others lead him to the actual truth. If you have seen the movie, these riddles might make the second attempt even more understanding, but if you haven’t, there are quite a few spoilers ahead. Still, you can use this article during the movie and whenever a riddle appears so you know the gist of it and what it means.

So let’s dive into the Riddler’s world and discover what he led Batman towards!

Riddler Riddles the Batman With the Following Riddles 

1. What Does a Liar Do When He’s Dead?

What it means: He lays still and his lies remain. 

Let’s begin with the famous riddle in the movie, starting with the first body of Don Mitchel, where The Riddler begins his mysteries; now, the answer to this riddle is, ‘he lies still.’ No matter what, a dead body will lie still doesn’t matter who it is when it’s alive and breathing. But at the same time, their lies will remain until the truth has been uncovered. In the Mayor’s instance, the Riddler accuses him of making false statements to the people of Gotham City for years and drawing a veil over the corruption in the city. The effect of his lies is still ongoing until Batman or Gordon finds out all that’s been going on, on the side, uncovering the corruption and finding out the truth. 

The Riddler accuses the Mayor of lying to all of Gotham, and he bashes his head, cuts off his thumb, and then wraps his head in the duct tape to lay the clues for his first Riddle sequence. 

2. Follow the Maze Until You Find the Rat

The actual riddle is follow the Maze until you find the Rat. Bring him into the light, and you’ll see where I’m at. 

What it means: Disclose the police source to the general public, and the Riddler will give up the location of his hideout. 

This is crucial out of all the riddles because it leads Batman’s search for the Riddler. They discover the puzzle in the rat’s lockup, which has been used to execute Pete Savage, the Police Commissioner, who is the second victim of Riddler. According to Batman and Gordon, they first think the snitch is Penguin, but it turns out that Carmine Falcone, Catwoman’s father, is the actual suspect.  Later, they discover how most of the corruption in Gotham is because of the crime lord, whose role isn’t limited to being a police informer. He’s the orchestrator behind all the chaos in the city, mainly because the city leaders are obligated to him. 

The minute brings Falcone into the light, the Riddler assassinates him, while all this time he had been working in the Iceberg Lounge overlooking all that has been happening. 

3. You are El Rata Alada 

What it means: www.rataalada.com

This riddle left by the Riddler doesn’t have a direct message; in fact, it has a cipher message and can be exclusively resolved by finding out which letter is equivalent to which symbol. When Batman and Gordon find the message, they presume the hint means Winged Rat in Spanish, believing it’s pointing towards Penguin as they have wings. 

When Gordon and Batman confront Penguin, he explains how the Rata Elada is preceded by la, not el. Now this helps Batman reevaluate the entire message, and he concludes that You are El is a homophonic way of saying URL, which means a website. Gordon and Batman then use the platform to reach out to the Riddler. He then proceeds further by giving Batman another riddle to resolve the second he discovers that he still hasn’t summarized anything. The puzzle remains unsolved!

4. It Can Be Cruel, Poetic, Or Blind

The actual riddle is it can be cruel, poetic, or blind. But when it’s denied, it’s violence you may find. 

What it means: It means Justice. 

Riddler uses words and explains how Justice comes in multiple varieties, but when denied, especially concerning how things have been in Gotham, he points towards the aggressive response. This is the first riddle that points toward Gil Colson and how the right answers will unlock the bomb that Riddler has fastened around his neck.

 Batman finds the answer, but it doesn’t help because the combination code is unlocked anyway. 

5. What is the Price for your Blind Eye?

The entire riddle is, If you are Justice, Please do not Lie. What is the price for your blind eye?

What it means: Bribe 

Riddler points toward bribes, highlighting how silence comes with a price that can be paid off quickly in the form of bribes. In this situation, however, Colson and the other police informers were bribed and paid to keep the identification of the double agent a secret, and the price was paid for ‘his blind eye.’ To remove the bomb around his neck, he is pressured to answer these three riddles, the second being the amount used to silence him. 

Batman pushes Colson to discover his price and discovers that someone wealthy paid him $10,000 to keep the mole’s name a secret. 

6. Which Vermin Are You Paid to Protect?

In this case, the complete riddle is, Since your Justice is so select, please tell us which vermin you’re paid to protect.

What it means: The rat

In Gotham, Colson isn’t the only one who is corrupt, there are so many people in power who are using it for their benefit, and the DA is one of them. The riddle points to justice being very selective, serving only those who provide it with rewards. This shows how corrupt the justice system is and how it can easily be bought at a favorable price. Regarding the word vermin, it means Colson and people like him have been hired to safeguard the rat. The which before the vermin is Riddler’s way of emphasizing the name of the rat and how its identity should now be revealed. Colson denies and does not agree to reveal his identity. Since Riddler does not receive the answer to the third riddle, he blows up the bomb, which kills Colson and knocks Batman out. 

7. Do you know what I am?

The complete riddle begins like this: I grew up from 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?

Meaning: An Orphan

The riddle makes it quite evident that the Riddler is lost and is unaware of where he is from, similar to Bruce Wayne, who, like the Riddler, lost his parents. The Riddler is still determining whether he comes from luxury or poverty. The term “a slum and a mansion” has a more profound meaning; Batman claims that the Gotham Orphanage, which previously resided in the Wayne manor, is referred to in these words. Bruce Wayne’s parents tragically died after the Wayne home was burned by fire; as a result, the orphanage lost funding and degraded into a slum. 

8. See you in Hell

What it means: It is pointing toward the Arkham Asylum

At this point, the Riddler has shifted from politely requesting Batman’s help to forcefully demanding it, using dangerous riddles as a means of coercion. This becomes evident when a bomb detonates in Wayne Tower, injuring Alfred, who is hospitalized. Despite Batman’s best efforts, he cannot solve the puzzle, and the Riddler visits him at Arkham Asylum to explain the situation. 

The purpose of The Riddler’s complex riddles is to enlist Batman in his war against Gotham City’s corrupt officials. It becomes apparent that the Riddler personally invited Batman to Arkham Asylum, which he views as a living hell, when he remarked, “See you in hell.” As Batman tries to understand the Riddler’s evil scheme and the damage that was done to his beloved friend, Alfred, the situation is anxious and emotional.

9. The Sins of My Father

What it means: The Crimes that Bruce Wayne’s father was involved in

After the clues that Batman has gathered till now, he lays them all out including all the riddles, crime scene pictures, and even the spray-painted illustration on his floor. Alfred is like family to Batman, and he is very upset about the bombing accident which had lead Alfred to the hospital. He focuses on the writings Riddler had left in the orphanage, but the clue that he hadn’t focused on before was the phrase The Sins of My Father, and this helps him conclude that, in fact, the next victim will be Bruce Wayne, who will be paying for the sins of his father’s mistakes that he made in the past. 

10. What’s Black and Blue and Dead All Over?

What it means: You!

Batman isn’t sure about the map he discovered in the villain’s hideout, and he is still trying to figure out the meaning of it. But at the same time, the Riddler sings Ave Marie while the surrounding seawalls of the city explode, pouring in all the water. This helps us to conclude that by blue, he didn’t mean the corrupt police, but the term had a broader and deeper meaning to it. 

The Riddler then points directly at Batman with  ‘You!’ but his course of action isn’t apparent regarding how he wants to flood the city isn’t apparent. Batman later figures out that he’s pointing towards his black costume and how Gotham City will flood with water, which elaborates the meaning of blue. The dead all over means how with the flood, Riddler wants to cause complete damage to the people of Gotham City and not just the corrupt but the innocent too. 

11. A Real Change

What it means: It is related to the Mayor-Elect, where Real will give a speech. 

When Batman returns to Riddler’s hiding place after his arrest, he realizes the Mayor’s murder weapon is also there; he uses the tucker to lift the Riddler’s flooring, which then uncovers the map of the downtown area, with A Real Change written on it. This phrase tells Batman how the final event will occur wherein Gotham Square Garden, Bella Real, will be speaking to the people of Gotham. 

12. Riddle Me This

What it means: Friend/Companion. 

The riddle is the less of them you have, the more one is worth. It clearly states that the lesser friend one has, the more significant one becomes. The Riddler indicates that he did not have any friends, except a  fellow captive points this riddle to him. He says how that prisoner is the Joker, who does appear for a few minutes in the end, giving rise to the movie’s sequel. 

Bottom Line

As we come to an end to the riddles, one thing is certain; the Riddler was indeed a master of his craft! He has used minor details, and his choice of words has changed even the simplest of words to puzzles that have Batman running around Gotham. We recommend you see the movie so you have an idea of what each of these riddles means, and with the scenes playing right in front of you, you’ll get a better insight. Let’s hope the sequel has fewer riddles and more action like the previous Batman movies!

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