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Character Role Analysis

Harvey Dent

Harvey's never quite the hero that Batman is, even in the beginning. He doesn't get a cool costume for starters, and his actions to halt the spread of crime in Gotham are kept largely off-screen until he's made significant progress. The Dark Knight is less interested in his heroics than with his status as a foil for Bruce Wayne. He's rivals with Bruce for Rachel, he challenges Batman to help him finish putting the mob away, and he has his own ideas for bagging the Joker—like setting himself up as bait in that police caravan—that he doesn't necessarily clear with Bats beforehand. That sets him up as a very clear foil: someone who challenges and pushes the hero to be better, even if that sometimes means butting heads.

His impromptu make-over at the hands of the Joker changes all of that. Suddenly, his inner demons have come out to play, and rather than pulling the city back from the edge of insanity, he wants to show everyone how to swan dive off of it. Batman has to put him down before he undoes everything, which cements his not-so-wonderful journey from heroic foil to flat-out antagonist.