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I noticed a logo tattooed on a Blackgate thug's foot in a Batman: Arkham Asylum (PC) predator challenge. Does it signify some organization in the DC universe, or is it something else entirely? I was thinking the League of Assassins, but I can't find a logo for that, and this fellow seemed entirely too inept to qualify.

A Blackgate thug falling in challenge mode

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  • Interesting... To me, it looks like an Illuminati symbol, but also very similar to the Neverwinter Nights logo.
    – Michael Frank
    Commented Oct 21, 2013 at 3:09
  • Hm, maybe it's the Quake 3 and NWN logos combined.
    – Twon-ha
    Commented Oct 21, 2013 at 7:44
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    It's the Arkham Asylum branch of the Church of the FSM.
    – JohnP
    Commented Nov 12, 2013 at 19:23
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    It looks super familiar to me, but maybe I'm just thinking of some variant on the Sheikah symbol from Zelda: zeldawiki.org/Eye_Symbol
    – Paul
    Commented Feb 1, 2014 at 16:25
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    They really did put a lot of detail into that game.
    – Paul D. Waite
    Commented Feb 1, 2014 at 22:42

1 Answer 1

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As per Paul's comment above, the symbol on the character's foot appears to be a stylised version of the Sheikah Symbol repeatedly used in the Zelda game series.

Sheikah Emblem enter image description here

Adding weight to this theory is an interview given by Sefton Hill (Game Director for "Batman : Arkham Asylum") in which he describes his key influences as being Metroid and Zelda.

There are some influences from other games in Batman: Arkham Asylum. You said you didn't necessarily look to other Batman titles, which was probably a good idea for the most part. But can you comment on the specific influences? I see a little bit of BioShock, and a little bit of Eternal Darkness. Can you comment on any of the game influences that you have had in design?

SH: Like the rest of the design world, I'm a big fan of Zelda and Metroid games, going back for years. They were definitely big influences. I like that sort of approach to design -- giving you a number of different gadgets and abilities that you can use and combine in different ways, and the way that combines and the feeling of being in this complete other world. Those games were definitely a big influence. I played Eternal Darkness and I really liked that. Those guys did a great job with that. They had a sanity system in there that freaked a lot of people out. It was a nice idea.

Zelda Sheikah

Zelda Sheikah 2

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    I think Michael's got a point too, about it being a lot like the Neverwinter Nights logo. It's even got the eye looking up.
    – Twon-ha
    Commented Feb 8, 2014 at 17:44
  • I'm not seeing it. Yes, it's an "eye" but that's largely where the similarity ends; upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7a/…
    – Valorum
    Commented Feb 8, 2014 at 17:47
  • It's looking up, and there's three extrusions at the bottom. They don't match up with the zigzags in the tattoo though, while the three triangles of the Sheikah symbol match up better with the squiggles up top.
    – Twon-ha
    Commented Feb 8, 2014 at 17:55
  • @Twon-ha : That's true, but I see no out-of-universe connection, nor does the NWN logo have any lightning coming out of it. It's superficially similar (because it's an eye) but that's about it.
    – Valorum
    Commented Feb 8, 2014 at 18:52

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