Especially In Arkham Knight - Tumblr Posts
//little side post while i get replies done in the middle of doing Arkham Origins, but
something i think i never really realized i loved so much about Riddler and the dynamic he brings is just how much his obsession to prove himself better brings about his downfall. there are many things that can be said about Edward Nygma, but he is ABSOLUTELY one hundred percent as smart as he claims to be. He is an absolute genius and that's not even up for debate.
the horrible part is that Eddie cannot perceive a world where there is anything beyond intellect - he is the biggest believer in brains over brawn, without realizing what that entails. he takes it to an extreme, because all his life he has felt belittled, especially by his father. being a genius isn't good enough. he has to be the best. and you know what? so does Bruce.
Bruce doesn't ever truly try to tell Eddie that what he's doing is stupid, or that he's good enough and that he respects him, because that may just be too easy. Bruce has an addiction to his work, and even if he will never admit it, I firmly believe there's a large part of Bruce that LOVES Eddie's riddles and games. For Bruce, they really ARE the "amusing diversion" that Eddie claims they are.
The biggest difference, however, is that while Bruce indulges in his pride, he has worked hard to hone not only his mind but his body as well. he doesn't suffer the same need to participate in these intellectual contests as Eddie does, though he does enjoy them. It's the difference between knowing when to stop, versus having it define your life.
Another tragedy is Edward's need. It's a psychological compulsion to KNOW, not just to be better. One of the questions he asks most is "how did you do it". And then his obsession over the "how", over how somebody could possibly outsmart him, drives him mad.
he will scream out that none of this was how he planned. he will insist that the batman cheated, that there's no way he could have done it. he will sob and screech to the high heavens and to everyone in arkham, asking how the bat could have possibly escaped his traps.
and he keeps going. because he has nothing else.
ultimately eddie is one of the most tragic figures in my honest opinion. also, most of my knowledge of him admittedly comes from the arkham games, the animated series (specifically "Riddler's Reform), and Matt Reeve's The Batman, so i apologize to my beloved eddie specialists ( @riddlethat and @brokentoys ) if this comes off as weird.
idk i just. really like him as a character.