Rocksteady didn’t just change Oswald Cobblepot; they broke him down and rebuilt him into something genuinely terrifying. Before 2011, if you thought of the Penguin, you probably pictured Danny DeVito’s tragic sewer-dweller or the campy, quacking Burgess Meredith version from the 60s. Then Batman Arkham City the Penguin happened. He wasn't a joke anymore. He was a cockney gangster with a literal glass bottle shard shoved into his eye socket. It was gruesome. It was grounded. Honestly, it changed how we see the character forever.
The Brutality of the Museum
Walking into the Cyrus Pinkney National History Museum for the first time is a core memory for anyone who played the game back in the day. The atmosphere is thick. You aren't just fighting a guy in a suit; you’re entering a meat grinder. Cobblepot, voiced with incredible grit by Nolan North (who basically disappeared into the role), treats the museum like a personal trophy room.
He’s a hoarder. But he doesn't hoard stamps. He hoards people and history.
Remember the frozen cops? That was the moment most of us realized this version of the Penguin was a psychopath. He had GCPD officers frozen in blocks of ice, kept alive just so he could mock them. It showed a level of cruelty that the previous games—and even most comics at the time—hadn't fully leaned into. He wasn't just trying to get rich. He wanted to humiliate Batman. He wanted to own the city's soul.
That Glass Bottle Eye
Let's talk about the design. It's legendary. Character lead Dax Ginn and the team at Rocksteady decided that a monocle was too "gentlemanly" for a guy living in a prison city. So, they gave him a "bottled" eye. The lore says it was a bar fight injury where a broken bottle was jammed into his face, and surgeons couldn't remove it without killing him. It’s disgusting. It’s also brilliant character design because it visually represents his jagged, unrefined nature.
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He’s short, he’s round, but he isn't soft. He wears a fur-trimmed coat like a king of the gutter.
The War Between Penguin and Joker
One thing people often overlook when discussing Batman Arkham City the Penguin is the sheer scale of the gang war. This isn't just Batman versus the bad guys. It's a three-way turf war between Joker, Penguin, and Two-Face. Penguin is the one who actually feels like he’s winning for a good portion of the game. He has the guns. He has the fortress.
The Museum serves as a massive roadblock in the narrative. While Joker is dying from the Titan formula, Penguin is just thriving. He’s the most "sane" of the villains in the sense that his motivations are purely about power and spite, making him a perfect foil to the chaotic Joker.
- He controls the arms trade within the walls.
- He uses Solomon Grundy as a literal "ace in the hole" buried under the floorboards.
- He manages to capture Batman—something few villains actually pull off for more than five minutes.
The Solomon Grundy boss fight is a massive tonal shift. You go from a gritty detective story into a full-on supernatural horror show. And it’s all because Cobblepot is a strategist. He knew he couldn't beat Batman in a fistfight, so he fed him to a zombie. Simple. Effective. Kinda brilliant in a twisted way.
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Why the Voice Acting Mattered
If you didn't know it was Nolan North, you’d never guess. The guy who plays Nathan Drake and Deadpool turned into a raspy, chain-smoking Londoner. It added layers. This Penguin sounded like he’d spent decades screaming over the roar of East End pubs. There’s a specific "nastiness" to his dialogue. When he calls Batman a "muppet" or threatens to "gut him like a fish," it feels earned.
The performance grounded the character in a way that felt real. He wasn't a cartoon. He was a mob boss who happened to have a bird fetish.
The Legacy of the Iceberg Lounge
The Iceberg Lounge in Arkham City is basically the heart of the game’s middle act. It’s where the mechanics of the game really start to challenge you. You’ve got the heat-seeking rockets, the disruptor puzzles, and the introduction of the jammer backpacks. Penguin's thugs are better equipped than anyone else.
This made the gameplay loop more interesting. You couldn't just dive into a room and mash the strike button. You had to think. You had to use the environment. Dealing with Batman Arkham City the Penguin required Batman to be a detective first and a fighter second. That’s why that section of the game remains the favorite of so many speedrunners and lore hunters.
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Fact-Checking the Encounter
- Location: The Museum (The Iceberg Lounge).
- Key Gadget: The Disruptor (used to disable Penguin's stolen freeze gun).
- The Boss: Solomon Grundy, followed by a final showdown with Cobblepot himself.
- Outcome: Penguin is locked in his own display case, a poetic end for a man obsessed with collecting things.
Comparing the Arkham Versions
If you look at Arkham Knight, Penguin is still there, but he feels diminished. He’s a side mission. In Arkham Origins, he’s younger and more of a traditional mobster. But in Arkham City, he is the peak of his power. He is an obstacle that feels insurmountable.
The way he interacts with the broader Arkhamverse lore is fascinating. He hates the Waynes. He hates the Arkhams. He views himself as the true royalty of Gotham. That chip on his shoulder drives every interaction. It's not just business; it's a centuries-old grudge.
What You Should Do Now
If you’re revisiting the game or playing it for the first time in the Return to Arkham collection, pay attention to the environmental storytelling in the museum. Look at the displays. Read the plaques. Rocksteady put a ton of effort into showing how Penguin views history—as something to be caged and owned.
- Check the comms: Listen to the Penguin’s broadcasts on the radio while swinging through the city. They reveal his mounting frustration as you dismantle his empire.
- Scan the trophies: There are specific Riddler trophies in the Museum that require you to use the Freeze Blast, a gadget you only get after dealing with Cobblepot’s stolen tech.
- Look at the eyes: Seriously, zoom in on the character model for Penguin if you can. The detail on the glass bottle is still impressive by today’s standards.
The Penguin in Arkham City wasn't just a boss fight. He was a statement. He proved that even the most "ridiculous" Batman villains could be terrifying if you leaned into their obsession and removed their polish. He remains the definitive version of the character for an entire generation of gamers, and for good reason. He’s mean, he’s ugly, and he’s exactly what Gotham deserves.
To get the most out of your next playthrough, try to complete the Museum section without using a single "loud" takedown until the final arena. It changes the tension entirely and makes the eventual confrontation with Cobblepot feel much more like a personal reckoning. After you've cleared the Museum, make sure to head back later in the game; the dialogue from the remaining thugs changes significantly once their "king" is behind bars. This attention to detail is why the game still holds up over a decade later. Replaying the Solomon Grundy fight on New Game Plus is also a great way to test if you've actually mastered the combat flow, as the timing windows for the floor vents become much tighter. Enjoy the hunt.