Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Knightfall
Produced By: DC, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Runtime: 79 minutes
Rating: R
Release Dates: Digital – Aug. 25, 2026; 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD – Sept. 8, 2026
Synopsis: DC, Warner Bros. Animation, and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment have announced that Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall, based on characters from DC and the DC Comic Book Event, is available on digital and physical media. Launching a three-part movie event that brings to life one of the most iconic and beloved sagas in Batman comics history. When the mysterious behemoth known only as Bane frees Batman’s entire Rogue’s Gallery from Arkham Asylum, the Caped Crusader is pushed to his mental and physical breaking point.
Special Features:
Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall Physical and Digital will include the following special features:
-Breaking the Bat: Adapting the Knightfall – Go behind the scenes with the long-awaited animated adaptation as the filmmakers reveal their process for breaking down the epic story; designing and animating the action; and breathing life into one of the darkest sagas in the Dark Knight’s history.
-Batman Needs a Robin – Many incarnations of Robin have helped Batman fight his war on crime. The filmmakers reveal the vital role Robin plays in the Batman mythology (with an emphasis on Tim Drake), in the iconic Batman: Knightfall series and in the animated adaptation.
By James Harvey
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment bestows Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Knightfall a top-shelf HD presentation, but once again short-sheets the release when it comes to special features. Once again, the studio’s 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release is the optimum presentation for this awesome animated adventure, easily outshining all other editions. Even so, the slight amount of extras for such a high-profile adaptation is a bit of a (predictable) letdown.
Digging into the disc first, it’s clear right off the bat that Warner Bros. has given Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Knightfall a fantastic video presentation. The native 2K video looks pretty much flawless, the colors looking full and vibrant and blacks looking deep as can be. There are no real signs of compression, banding, blocking, or any similar-type issues to be found. The same can be roughly said for the audio, as the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio is crisp and clear with satisfyingly solid surround support.
Falling a little below expectations, though not surprisingly so, are the bonus features for Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Knightfall, which are the same across all platforms save for DVD (which comes with no extras). Up first is “Batman Needs A Robin (7:01),” which sees writer Jeremy Adams, former DC animation director Mike Carlin, producer Jim Krieg, DC archivist Benjamin Le Clear, and supervising producer Rick Morales discuss the history and importance of Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake, both as their own unique characters and their impact on both Batman and the comics. On top of interview clips, this featurette includes clips of Robin from other media and imagery from the comics.
After that comes “Breaking the Bat: Adapting Knightfall (10:17),” which provides a pretty good look at the film’s production despite the short run time. Adams, Carlin, Krieg, and others return to discuss the original 1990s Knightfall comic event, which ran for nearly two years across multiple Batman comic titles. There’s some interesting comic-to-storyboard comparisons, concept art and character designs, plus a little bit of footage of actor Pablo Schreiber voicing Jean-Paul Valley. It’s a nice look (though far too brief) at the film’s production, which is something we don’t see that much with these bonus extras typically.
Also included is a digital copy code, which about wraps up the title’s additional content. There’s no slipcover or multi-disc SteelBook edition this time around, either. It’s a fairly basic 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release, but it’s unquestionably the best way to experience the film. The regular Blu-ray is a serviceable alternative, as is the digital edition, although apparently not every digital release includes the bonus extras.
An intriguing kick-off to the three-part adaptation, Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Knightfall is best experienced on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. While the bonus features may be a little light on the 4K disc, the extras are the same across the other formats, so it really comes down to presentation – and this 4K release has the others beat. The regular Blu-ray and digital editions are fine alternatives if needed, but fans looking to add this first Knightfall installment to their collection should definitely go with the superior 4K disc edition. Recommended!
Click here to read The World’s Finest review of the Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Knightfall animated feature!