Haunted by his parents' brutal murder, Bruce Wayne travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice. His quest leads him to a mysterious group called the League of Shadows, led by the enigmatic Ra's al Ghul. Bruce trains under the tutelage of Ra's and his second-in-command, Ducard, in various physical and mental disciplines. However, Bruce rejects the League's ethos of meting out severe, fatal justice, which causes a rift leading Bruce to sever ties with the group. With his training complete, he returns to Gotham City, determined to clean up the corruption that has strangulated the metropolis.

Stepping into a new persona that preys on the fears of criminals, he begins his quest to restore balance to Gotham. With the assistance of his family's loyal butler, Alfred, and Lucius Fox, a resourceful company employee, he develops the tools necessary to fight the city's crime syndicates. As he battles the organized crime entities, he encounters the city's compromised legal system including the idealistic Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes and the honest but beleaguered police officer Jim Gordon. Bruce realizes that the corruption in Gotham runs deeper than he anticipated, and the appearance of a sinister new figure starts to throw the city into turmoil.