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In the Dark Knight Rises, we are introduced to the character Miranda Tate, who becomes physically involved with Bruce Wayne.

During their tryst, we see a peculiar scar shaped like an upside down 'U' on her back. Bruce traces it with his finger, but he doesn't comment on it or otherwise realize what it is.

Later we discover that

Miranda Tate is Talia Al'Ghul, daughter of Ras Al'Ghul and member of the League of Shadows. I initially thought the scar was a League of Shadows mark, but if so, why wouldn't Bruce have noticed that earlier?

What did that scar really signify?

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  • Could she have been one of the league in Batman Begins when Bruce is doing his final training surrounded by all the ninjas in full garb? R'as cuts him (I think his arm) so he does the same to a few others, maybe he didn't catch them all in the same spot?
    – user8052
    Commented Jul 31, 2012 at 21:43
  • Another aspect of the scene is Miranda says "it was a mistake" ..wonder if it points slowly to an addtional line of story ripe for another movie
    – user11390
    Commented Dec 16, 2012 at 20:26
  • did anybody else pick up on the fact that she says to bruce do what is necessary which is something that raz alghol says to bruce in the first film
    – user12709
    Commented Feb 22, 2013 at 23:04
  • Related: What was the significance of the branded tattoo on Miranda?
    – TARS
    Commented Jun 16, 2016 at 13:50

4 Answers 4

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I think it's more of a literary device to signify that there is more to Miranda/Talia than just the pampered rich woman that we initally see. I believe there was another device used in her dialogue where she said something along the lines of "I wasn't always rich".

As far as an in-universe answer, I would speculate that it is the scar from the removal of the League of Shadows brand. Talia, knowing that she would be in close contact with someone intimately familiar with the League and their trappings, would almost assuredly have the brand removed.

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  • My only issue with that is again, why wouldn't Bruce notice that, when the movie explicitly showed him noticing the scar?
    – Gabe Willard
    Commented Jul 26, 2012 at 17:17
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    But my theory is that he wasn't noticing the scar from the brand, but the scar from the removal of the brand. I'm no expert in such things, but I would assume the scar from a skin graft wouldn't resemble the original brand. Bruce probably assumed a childhood injury or something, which is probably the exact response Talia had hoped for.
    – Ryan
    Commented Jul 26, 2012 at 17:26
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This is from the novelization:

"I lost someone once," Batman said. A hint of sorrow infiltrated his raspy growl. "Since then I break into their homes when they're sleeping and implant a tracking device on the back of their neck."

Right, Blake thought, chuckling. Then he reached back and felt the nape of his own neck. Was it just his imagination or was there a tiny lump of scar tissue there?

My guess is that the original script had this interesting (albeit creepertastic) moment put in, but then was later removed. I'm guessing Miranda's scar, which is kinda shaped like a bat, might be from an implant put in by Batman to track her. I don't ever remember that symbol being used in reference to anything League of Shadows related.

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  • Interesting. Although that was a huge scar if it was for a tracking device.
    – Gabe Willard
    Commented Aug 2, 2012 at 15:24
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It's the brand of the League of Shadows. In Batman Begins (minutes before Bruce attacks the League) we see Decoy Ra's al Ghul holding a branding instrument that bears that exact mark. Beats me as to why Talia never had it removed.

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  • Or why batman, who trained with LoS, wouldn't recognize it?
    – Rob
    Commented Dec 17, 2012 at 16:17
  • Or why they would need to brand themselves in the first place.
    – Jakob
    Commented Jun 13, 2014 at 12:48
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I may be wrong because it was so quick, but I think Miranda's scar shape reappeared later in the movie when the police are marking the "decoy" trucks carrying the bomb (it looks like an "m" shaped stick bird, you know, the kind kids draw, like the McDonald's symbol stretched out). Miranda is a decoy. A decoy is defined as "A means used to mislead or lead into danger." I can't find any screen shots to be sure, but the minute I saw them write the decoy sign in chalk on the truck, I knew Miranda was a Decoy Damsel.

I think the scar is more about Nolan giving a clue to his audience about Miranda being bad and less about her actual background story.

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    No, the scar definitely isn't a decoy. The mark that Gordon and the rest were drawing in chalk on the wall was the Batman symbol, the same that the kid in the orphanage was drawing on the bench.
    – user8599
    Commented Sep 1, 2012 at 17:49

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