Despite being aimed at a younger audience and famously being labeled as ‘Saturday morning cartoons’ by a few detractors, Batman: The Animated Series featured some of the most nuanced story arcs and a few surprisingly dark, poignant moments in the course of its entire run. However, Fox Kids—the production company—was strict with their censoring, resulting in major omissions of some of the unique ideas showrunners Bruce Timm and Paul Dini wanted to explore. One such idea was introducing the character of Nocturna/Natalia Knight as a vampire, as it goes without saying how strongly gothic horror elements suit the lore of the Dark Knight. When Fox strongly advocated against the idea, Timm and Dini tried to convince them by mentioning they would try to find a way to present the character within restrictions, but Fox remained adamant in their decision.
After three decades, without any restraints or interventions, Bruce Timm has managed to implement his vision by bringing Nocturna/Natalia into Batman: Caped Crusader, in the darkest episode of the series’ first season titled “Nocturne.” The episode is significant in a number of ways, as is Nocturna’s character in the context of the Batfamily, which we would like to highlight in a brief discussion.
Spoilers Ahead
Natalia and Her Powers Led To The Darkest Scenario
In the eighth episode of Caped Crusader, Natalia is introduced as a mysterious teenager, sister to a carnival showman, Anton Knight, who assists her brother during his performances. However, there is a sinister side to this seemingly innocent kid, as she is shown to abduct children from Leslie Thompkins’ orphanage, namely Jason, Dickie, and Stephie—and draw the life essence out of them. Natalia suffers from a condition that doesn’t allow her to move in the sunlight; she possesses superhuman physical abilities, fangs, and needs to keep herself rejuvenated by consuming the life essence of others. While these are the telltale signs that convey Natalia is a vampire, it almost seemed that the showrunners didn’t want to imply that so directly, even while having the complete freedom to do so. Instead, they went a roundabout way to highlight her afflictions as being akin to those of a vampire, to show that it indeed could have been done even within Fox’s restrictions, which emphasizes the creative approach in the process. In doing so, the scenario of a kid consuming life essence from kids of her own age becomes way too frightening than it would have been if Natalia were directly portrayed as a vampire.
Natalia and Batman’s Connection Almost Recreated A Tragic Moment From JLU Epilogue
Additionally, Natalia Knight’s inclusion in the story allows Bruce’s humanity to shine. While searching for the missing kids of Leslie’s orphanage, Batman confronts a fatally injured Anton, who reveals the truth about his sister Natalia, whose appetite for life essence has become unquenchable. Bruce tries to stop Natalia from harming others, but at this point she has become too unhinged to be reasoned with, and Bruce nearly dies in his efforts to stop the kid. Bruce ultimately breaks the tragic news that, in her uncontrollable state, Natalia had unwittingly caused her brother Anton’s death. A grief-stricken Natalia breaks down in tears; finally her senses return to her, but at the same time, dawn breaks and sunlight starts burning her. Bruce protects Natalia, despite Carrie, a kid from the orphanage who was a victim of Natalia’s assault, deeming the girl to be an irredeemable monster. Bruce knows better than that; he knows Natalia was a victim of circumstances; it was not her fault that she was made this way, and she, like anyone else, deserves a second chance in life. The series has majorly painted Batman as a stoic, emotionally distant, taciturn figure in most of his interactions with others, but the fact that Batman at his very core is an idealist, a humanist, is perfectly showcased in this particular moment.
Batman saving Natalia almost feels like a callback to one of the most tragic moments of the final episode of Justice League Unlimited, titled ‘Epilogue’, where Bruce decided to accompany the hapless kid, Ace, in her final moments. Experimented on throughout her life, exploited by criminals—all because of her psychic powers—Ace never got a normal childhood or chance to turn a new page. Eventually, her powers grew stronger, and she began to warp reality on an uncontrollable level. With Ace nearing her life’s end due to a brain aneurysm, in her final moments she could have annihilated everyone. Batman, who was acquainted with the kid, was given a device to deliver a painless, quick death—to ensure Ace’s final moments end in peace. Rejecting that, Bruce decided to simply be there for the poor kid, comfort her broken soul with his presence, and let her pass away peacefully. The world feared and rejected Natalia and Ace, while Bruce was able to sympathize with the scared, broken kids—perhaps he had found kindred spirits among them.
Depending upon the iteration of the character, Natalia/Nocturna has a rather strange connection with the Batfamily in comics. In the pre-crisis storyline, Natalia had a romantic relationship with Bruce and became Jason Todd’s adoptive mother. Alternatively, in later story arcs, Natalia becomes an emotion-manipulating metahuman and forms a strong bond with Stephanie Brown, aka Spoiler. It remains to be seen whether Natalia returns in future seasons of Caped Crusader, but what is certain is that, staying in Leslie Thompkins’ care, she will surely find balance in her life.
