Character Guide to Nolan's Dark Knight Empire

Three films, over $1 billion worldwide gross with the final chapter set to push that number higher. Let's take a look at the faces that have appeared in Christopher Nolan's Batman universe.

Alfred Pennyworth

Portrayed by Michael Caine, Alfred is Bruce Wayne's butler, guardian and above all, his friend. In Nolan's Batman universe, the emphasis has certainly been on guardian and friend as Alfred portrays a flair for sarcasm and fatherly advice.

Bruce Wayne

Fighting to uphold justice and honor in Gotham City, billionaire Bruce Wayne's secret identity is that of crime-fighting superhero, Batman. While it would be impossible to include every morsel of Wayne's life in Nolan's Batman series in this space, perhaps Batman says it best: "It's not what I am underneath, but what I do that defines me." Those words figure to hold weight in this final chapter.

Carmine Falcone

Otherwise known as The Roman, Falcone floods Gotham City with drugs and crime. He is above the law with most of Gotham's politicians and police on his payroll. He shared a prison cell with Joe Chill, who murdered Bruce Wayne's parents. With the help of a female operative, he had Chill killed, robbing Wayne of the chance to take his own revenge.

Gambol

One of Gotham City's crime lords and head of a Black mob in Gotham, his crew is in a turf war with the Italian mob, led by Sal Maroni and the Russian mob, led by The Chechan. Since the arrival of Batman, he formed a truce and an alliance with Maroni and the Chechan and acquired an immediate hate for The Joker, who ultimately topples Gambol's empire and kills him.

Gillian Loeb

The late Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, he had many enemies during his tenure but was dedicated to stopping crime and originally opposed the Batman. he was succeeded by James Gordon following his assassination by The Joker.

James Gordon

Portrayed by Gary Oldman, the trilogy is as much about Wayne as it is about James Gordon as he rises through the ranks of the Gotham Police force. Gordon did his best to comfort Wayne when his parents were murdered and Wayne later recognizes him as one of the few honest police offers in the city.

Harvey Dent aka Two-Face

The transformation of Harvey Dent into Two-Face revolves around a trick played by The Joker, which ultimately results in the death of Rachel Dawes. Batman must decide who to save; Dent, who has just been elected as DA of Gotham City or his childhood friend and Dent's girlfriend Rachel Dawes. Batman chooses Dent, half of his face being burned in the process. He finds his father's coin, one side charred, at his bedside at Gotham General Hospital and uses it to determine who lives and who dies.

Selina Kyle aka CatWoman

Portrayed by Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises, Catwoman aka Selina Kyle is an orphan who learned to survive on Gotham City's streets through thievery. She is trained in martial arts and an excellent cat burglar, though her criminal activities are tempered by reluctant altruism, making her an inconsistent villain and occasional ally to Batman.

Henri Ducard aka Ra's al Ghul

Henri Ducard, otherwise known as Ra's al Ghul, first acted as a mentor and teacher to Bruce Wayne, training him in every aspect of ninjitsu. According to the novelization of Batman Begins, Ducard has a daughter named Talia, which has long been rumored to be portrayed by Marion Cotillard in The Dark Knight Rises.

Joe Chill

Chill claims to have been driven to mug Bruce Wayne's parents because of an economic depression overtaking Gotham. He is arrested for killing Bruce's parents and years later, undergoes a hearing to be released from prison as part of a deal to testify against Gotham mob boss Carmine Falcone, in exchange for parole. During the hearing, he claims regret for his crime and is later killed by one of Falcone's assassins.

John Blake

A Gotham beat cop portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, many fans speculate that Blake is Nolan's version of Robin and will, at some point in The Dark Knight Rises, don the cape and join Batman.

The Joker

In an Oscar-winning performance, Heath Ledger's Joker is depicted as a maniacal criminal mastermind who terrorizes Gotham City. His goal is to create a world without rules. His conflict with Batman culminates in a tense standoff with a pair of ferries loaded with explosives. One ship is full of ordinary citizens, the other is full of criminals. In hopes of showing everyone how evil and corrupt they can be, he gave the passengers on each boat a detonator to the bombs and offers survival if they detonate the other ferry. If they don't choose by midnight, he'll blow up both ships.

Lucius Fox

Played by Morgan Freeman throughout the Nolan trilogy, Lucius Fox is a research head and friend of Thomas Wayne. He is demoted by Wayne Enterprises CEO William Earle to overseeing the supplies of Wayne Enterprises' aborted research projects and prototypes and ultimately strikes up a friendship with Bruce. He proves to be an invaluable source, supplying Bruce with the Batsuit, Batmobile and provide a cure for the Scarecrow's fear toxin.

Martha Wayne

Well-known and respected in Gotham, Martha is Bruce's mother. She shared her husband's charitable nature and was dedicated to her son's upbringing. Her death inspired Bruce to eventually become Batman.

Mayor Garcia

Mayor Anthony Garcia was the Mayor of Gotham City during The Joker's reign of terror. He was chosen to be personally assassinated by The Joker during Commisoner Loeb's memorial service. Lt. James Gordon pushed Garcia out of the way and was struck in the back. For his bravery and diligence, Garcia promoted Gordon to commissioner.

Miranda Tate

Miranda Tate is a Wayne Enterprises board member eager to help the still grieving Bruce Wayne resume his father's philanthropic endeavors for Gotham. Many fans have speculated that Tate is secretly Talia al Ghul, seeking revenge for her father's death.

Mr. Lau

A Chinese crime lord and CEO of Lau Security Investments Holdings, he is burned alive on a mound of U.S. dollars by the Joker.

Rachel Dawes

A childhood friend of Bruce Wayne, Rachel Dawes is portrayed by Katie Holmes in Batman Begins and Maggie Gyllenhaal in The Dark Knight. The two would often play together on the grounds of Wayne Manor, but after Bruce's parents are murdered, Rachel's mother seeks other employment and leaves Wayne Manor with Rachel. They remain close, but their friendship is never the same.

Sal Maroni

Son of Italian crime lord Luigi Maroni, Sal is embroiled in a power struggle with The Russian, Yuri Dimitrov. He takes over Carmine Falcone's mob and recieves help from a Chinese mob accountant named Lau, who hides their money in Hong Kong. He is interrogated by Batman for Joker's location while being held off the side of a building on a fire escape landing. Maroni arrogantly says the fall would be non-fatal, to which Batman replies, "I'm counting on it," and drops him, breaking both of Maroni's legs.

Dr. Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow

A psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, Dr. Crane conducted experiments on inmates using an identity known as Scarecrow. He develops a hallucinogenic fear toxin which he uses in secret alliance with Ra's al Ghul and Carmine Falcone.

Bane

Portrayed by Tom Hardy, Bane is a terrorist who comes to Gotham with the intent of destroying it. He wears a mask that pumps gas into his body that makes him impervious to pain. Hardy describes Bane as 'brutal. He's a big dude who's incredibly clinical. It's not about fighting, it's about carnage. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it's nasty.'

The Chechan

Gotham City's Chechnyan mob boss, his name is never revealed in Nolan's films. He was born and raised in Chechnya but parents who he believed were "poor and ignorant" and witnessed many atrocities in his youth. He picks up pieces of Carmine Falcone's fallen criminal empire and gradually gains power before The Joker takes over and has him killed.

Thomas Wayne

Father to Bruce Wayne, husband of Martha Wayne, a well-known philanthropist and CEO of Wayne Enterprises, Thomas is portrayed as distant and stern toward his son prior to his demise in modern interpretations from the likes of Frank Miller and Jeph Loeb. He was also once suspected of being Bane's father, but DNA testing proved this to be false. Bane's real father was revealed to be King Snake.

Victor Zsasz

Zsasz is a homicidal killer and one of Carmine Falcone's thugs. During a court hearing, Dr. Jonathan Crane testifies that Zsasz is legally insane and should be moved to Arkham Asylum for rehabilitation. He is later released from Arkham and attacks Rachel Dawes during Ra's al Ghul and Scarecrow's reign of terror. He remains at large.

William Earle

CEO of Wayne Enterprises, Earle was the head of the company after the murder of Thomas Wayne. He told young Bruce that he would wait for him to grow up and run the company, but when Bruce left Gotham, Earle had him declared dead and took the company public. He later demoted and fired Lucius Fox and made heavy weapons manufacturing the cornerstone of Wayne Enterprises.