Why the Eco-Terrorist Ra‘s al Ghul Chose Gotham‘s Dark Knight as His Successor

Ra‘s al Ghul has haunted Batman for years as the Demon‘s Head guiding the League of Assassins towards chaotic global cleansing. But why does this brilliant strategist believe the Caped Crusader himself is qualified to eventually command his forces? As a passionate gamer unraveling key stories in the space, I‘ll analyze the specs to explain Ra‘s "Dark Knight succession" master plan.

A Legacy Centuries in the Making

Before appointing an heir, Ra‘s embedded fail-safes across the globe to protect his legacy. Per comics, Ra‘s maintains a network of Lazarus Pits to revive himself from fatal wounds or age. Though the pits induce temporary insanity, their healing factors allow Ra‘s to persist for 700+ years while amassing knowledge as a martial artist, scholar, and strategist.

Leading the League of Assassins for over a century, Ra‘s has engineered coups, viruses, and terrorist attacks that have claimed thousands globally. His signature attack – unleashing biological agents to wipe out populations – echoes our real-world fears around manufactured pandemics.

Weighing Options for a Successor

When scanning for an heir, Ra‘s values intelligence, combat ability, aligning ideology, access to resources, and a successor‘s long-term loyalty. While Ra‘s daughters Nyssa Raatko and Talia al Ghul possess superb League training, Ra‘s likely prefers a successor without direct blood ties to avoid nepotistic challenges from within.

Bane‘s combat prowess and tactical mind impressed Ra‘s initially, culminating in Bane‘s induction into the League. But violations of League principles around killing innocents and using Venom against Ra‘s wishes have lowered Bane‘s standing. Ultimately, Bane‘s ambitions for personal power rather than advancing Ra‘s legacy limit his appeal.

The Dark Knight Rises to the Top

In canon sources like Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Begins, Ra‘s himself trains Bruce Wayne after seeing latent potential in the angry orphan. Their bond strengthens after Bruce saves Ra‘s life during climatic icy combat. But Bruce rejects Ra‘s genocide plans for Gotham, burning Wayne Manor to the ground while declaring Ra‘s has "lost perspective."

As an obsessed gamer, I‘ve played the Batman Arkham series and can confirm Batman‘s attack/defense ratings would exceed other known Ra heirs. His wallet holds billions in assets surpassing others as well. And Batman has backdoor access to government groups, satellite surveillance nationwide, and advancedronghold countermeasures.

Heir Rating Comparison

Numbers aside, Batman has the mental and physical gifts to take the League to another level. And Ra sees kindred spirits in Bruce‘s devotion to his moral code above all else. As ComicVine users highlight, both men have hijacked city transportation for mass hostage scenarios.

The Ultimate Contingency Play

While Ra‘s hopes to convert Batman into his successor, he likely has contingency plans if Batman refuses to become the Demon‘s Head. These could include:

• Exploiting DNA from Batman‘s blood or tissue samples for human enhancement experiments
• Kidnapping Robin or other allies for leverage
• Uniting iconic rogues like Joker, Scarecrow and Poison Ivy into a cohesive Legion of Doom against Batman
• Leaking Bruce Wayne‘s identity to devastate his public persona

Considering Ra‘s genius and cruelty, pitting Batman‘s friends and values against him would serve to either break Bruce‘s resolve or distract him from Ra‘s‘ larger goals.

So in summary, Batman represents Ra‘s ultimate arcane play – develop a successor with unparalleled skills wired to fight the good fight at all costs. Whether Batman aligns with his agenda remains unclear. But Ra‘s al Ghul‘s gambles have paid off for 700 years, making Batman‘s exploits required reading for this gamer.