Harvey Dent is an important character in the Dark Knight Trilogy, appearing in the trilogy's second instalment, The Dark Knight. He is portrayed by Aaron Eckhart and is more faithful to the comic book version of the character than the one from Batman Forever, while at the same time giving the character a fresh new approach. This version of Harvey Dent is not so fixated on duality, though he does display an affinity toward the force of chance.
History[]
As the up-and-coming District Attorney for Gotham City, Harvey is campaigning to rid Gotham of organized crime, making him a target for the Falcone crime family and the Joker. He is also romantically involved with Bruce Wayne's childhood friend Rachel Dawes and hopes to marry her. The Joker targets Harvey and makes several attempts on his life, but it is only after the madman is captured that Dent falls victim to the crazed clown's machinations. He is escorted by police officers that have been bought off by Salvatore Maroni to an abandoned warehouse and is tied up next to a series of oil drums that have been rigged to explode. A radio has been placed nearby through which he hears Rachel's voice, who has also been placed in a similar situation to Harvey. Harvey tries to reassure Rachel that everything will be all right and that help is on the way, though he's not sure if he believes it himself. He tries to free himself, but falls down and knocks over an oil barrel, soaking half of his face in gasoline. Moments later, Batman arrives to save Dent and gets him out of the warehouse, but when the warehouse explodes behind them, the oil on Harvey's face ignites and he is left scarred and deformed.
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With his face horribly mutilated and Rachel dead, Harvey completely breaks down and is consumed with anger and grief. Despite the pain he is in, he refuses to accept skin grafts. Commissioner Jim Gordon offers his apologies to Dent, but Dent only responds with rage and bitterness.
Later, the Joker threatens to blow up a hospital if the public don't kill a corrupt lawyer who may know Batman's identity. All the hospitals in Gotham are evacuated, but the Joker pays a visit to Gotham General where Harvey is recuperating. Disguised as a nurse, the Joker visits Harvey and apologises for Rachel's death, but deflects the blame onto Gordon, his corrupt officers and also Batman. He offers his life to Dent, but at the same time makes a point to him that he follows a path of chaos, which he states is fair and unbiased. Dent seems to agree and picks up his lucky two-headed coin which is burned on one side, deciding that the Joker will live or die based on the outcome of the coin toss. The toss comes out in the Joker's favour and both he and Harvey go their separate ways just before the Joker detonates the bombs he's planted around the hospital.
With a new twisted sense of purpose, Dent starts seeking out everyone involved in Rachel's death. He hunts down the traitors within Gordon's Major Crimes Unit, he goes after Maroni, then sets his sights on Gordon and Batman himself.
Death[]
He abducts Gordon's family and takes them to the place of Rachel's death. Gordon is summoned there and Batman follows Gordon after the Joker has been apprehended (again). Batman tries in vain to negotiate with Dent, but the former DA is hell-bent on passing down judgement to all of them. He shoots Batman in the stomach, then holds the gun to his own head, but the coin comes up good heads and so he spares himself. He then turns his attention to Gordon and his young son, but Batman - whose body armor protected him from the gunshot - lunges at Dent and the two plummet off the overpass. Batman survives but Dent's neck is broken from the fall, killing him instantly.
Legacy[]
With Dent dead, the murders he committed would likely have destroyed all of the progress he had made to dismantle organized crime in Gotham and cause the people to lose hope. In order to preserve Dent's public image, Batman decided that he would take the blame for Dent's death.
In The Dark Knight Rises, Harvey's death inspired the creation of the Dent Act, in which a criminal that was arrested would be denied parole, thus allowing the streets of Gotham to be clean of crime. His death also led to "Harvey Dent Day" where the city celebrates the honor of their former White Knight. Eight years after his death on Harvey Dent Day, Jim Gordon attempts to tell the people about the truth behind Dent's death, but felt that they were not ready and resolved not to. However, Gordon's speech was stolen by Bane, who read aloud the paper he holds about the "madman" that tried to kill Gordon's son, causing all the inmates of Blackgate Prison to become angry and inspire them to help Bane take over the city.
After Batman's sacrifice and the League of Shadows' defeat, Batman was honored as Gotham's true savior, while the Dent Act was eliminated and Dent's legacy tarnished do to his corruption.