I Can’t Believe I Forgot About The Most Brutal Moment In The Dark Knight’s Ending & It’s So Much Worse 16 Years On

The Dark Knight‘s ending is suitably epic but bleak enough to be resonant, with one moment pertaining to the latter being forgotten amid the other brutal moments of the story’s conclusion. I will admit that I still believe Th e Dark Knight to be the best Batman movie of all time, primarily because of its, well, darkness. While I may think Matt Reeves’ The Batman is a better depiction of the DC Comics character, The Dark Knight simply shines in its execution, realism, and bleak yet exciting story that is driven by one of the best DC movie villains ever.

This grittiness is what allows The Dark Knight‘s best elements to thrive, from the themes of rising above this and fighting for what is right to the memorable depictions of its villains. It is not only Heath Ledger’s Joker that makes the second movie in Nolan’s trilogy the best Dark Knight film but also Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent. The ending of The Dark Knight focuses more on Harvey Dent/Two-Face, rounding out the film with a somber conclusion that, despite glimmers of hope and heroism, is suitably dark. Underneath all this overt darkness, an understatedly brutal moment can be found.

Alfred Burning Rachel’s Letter Is The Most Brutal Cherry On Top Of The Dark Knight’s Ending

Alfred’s Action Is A Truly Heartbreaking Moment

The scene in question is Alfred burning Rachel’s letter to Bruce. In this letter, Rachel explains to Bruce that she is choosing a life with Harvey Dent as opposed to one with the former, something Alfred becomes privy to. However, without telling Bruce, Alfred burns the letter in the final act of The Dark Knight. For many reasons that I will explore later, this moment is a brutal one that sits atop the other dark elements of The Dark Knight‘s conclusion that I will explore.

One of the aspects that makes The Dark Knight‘s ending so bleak is the fate of Harvey. Harvey is presented as Gotham’s incorruptible paragon of justice throughout the film, helping Batman and Jim Gordon keep the city safe as an incredibly effective District Attorney. As we all know, this changes with the onset of Harvey Two-Face and his subsequent fall from grace, from threatening Gordon’s family to his ultimate death. To top this off, Batman decides to take the fall for Dent’s actions, reinforcing the bleakness of the story’s ending for the audience.

Rachel’s Letter Concludes The Tragedy Of Four Different Character Arcs

As I alluded to, these sad plot points that end The Dark Knight‘s story are only worsened by Rachel’s letter. The contents of Rachel’s letter and Alfred’s decision to burn it make four character arcs infinitely more tragic than they already were, starting with Rachel herself. The letter drives home the sadness of Rachel’s death from earlier in the movie, as it reveals how excited she was to have her life with Harvey Dent. Simultaneously, it highlights the somewhat unrequited love Rachel feels for Bruce given that, while Bruce loves her back, they cannot be together.

Then there is the sadness of Harvey’s arc that is made worse via Rachel’s letter. Rather than have Rachel as his loving partner with whom he could live a happy life, he is left alone, scarred, and mentally traumatized enough to devolve into Two-Face. Of course, the sadness of Rachel’s letter is felt in Bruce’s arc, with the film and its predecessor making clear how much he loved Rachel; not only did she choose Harvey, but she died, meaning Bruce will never see her again.

Finally, Alfred’s decision to burn Rachel’s letter is a heartbreaking one, as it takes away Bruce’s closure despite coming from a place of love. In light of the more overtly, explicitly dark elements of The Dark Knight‘s ending explored earlier, Rachel’s letter is often forgotten by audiences, myself included. However, when really delving into the ending of Rachel’s character arc, it makes that of Bruce, Harvey, and Alfred even more upsetting, especially when placed alongside The Dark Knight‘s already grim tone.

Alfred Burning Rachel’s Letter Makes The Dark Knight Rises’ Ending Even Better

Alfred & Bruce Eventually Find A Sense Of Redemption

All this being said, Rachel’s letter and Alfred’s decision to burn it eventually spiral into a feeling of hope by the time of The Dark Knight Rises’ ending. The Dark Knight‘s ending is very sad, as I have pointed out several times, yet The Dark Knight Rises’ conclusion is almost a complete mirror of this. Throughout the latter film, Alfred tries to help Bruce see that there could be a life beyond Batman, one that he could have lived with Rachel, but that is not too late to achieve.

In The Dark Knight Rises‘ ending, this is proven to be true. Alfred encounters Bruce in Florence in one of the film’s final scenes, sitting alongside Selina Kyle and living a life of peace and luxury. Alfred, after burning the letter to save Bruce from the pain of knowing Rachel’s true feelings, sees the man he calls his son with a woman he loves and free from the burden of Gotham. Not only does this make Alfred’s character arc significantly happier than it is in The Dark Knight‘s ending, but Bruce’s too.