page_title: List of Gotham characters
section_title: Nathaniel Barnes / Executioner
hierarchical_section_title: List of Gotham characters / Main characters / Nathaniel Barnes / Executioner
caption_attribution_description: English: Michael Chiklis at PaleyFest 2014 for the TV show "American Horror Story: Coven"
context_page_description: Gotham is an American crime television series developed by Bruno Heller, based on characters appearing in and published by DC Comics in their Batman franchise, primarily those of James Gordon and Bruce Wayne. The series premiered in the United States on September 22, 2014 on Fox television network. The series stars Ben McKenzie as the young Gordon while Heller executive produces along with Danny Cannon, who also directed the pilot.
  As originally conceived, the series would have served as a straightforward story of Gordon's early days on the Gotham City Police Department, but the idea evolved, not only to include Wayne's "transformation" into Batman, but also to explore the origin stories of several of his villains, such as Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman and several others.
  The following is a list of characters who have appeared in the television series. In addition to directly adapted characters from DC Comics, many others are based on, inspired by and/or otherwise reference preexisting characters without sharing the exact same identities.
context_section_description: Nathaniel Barnes (portrayed by Michael Chiklis; season 2–3), a tough, no-nonsense martinet of a police captain at Gotham City Police Department after the death of Sarah Essen, he serves a strong ally to James Gordon, but will one day become Gordon's enemy. Unafraid to make such enemies, Barnes is a strict "law and order zealot". He first appeared where he dismisses Officers Pollard, Guthrie, Coulson, Drowler, Brooks and Hightower, and Detective Perez for corruption, bribery, drug abuse, racketeering, and extortion. Nathaniel promotes Gordon to his second-in-command as they start a Strike Team made up of the graduates from the Gotham City Police Academy.
  In "Rise of the Villains: A Bitter Pill to Swallow", it was revealed that Nathaniel once served in the United States Marine Corps. After Gordon becomes a fugitive for punching Theo Galavan in court after being found innocent, Barnes attempts to arrest Gordon after the battle with the Order of Saint Dumas but is knocked out by Cobblepot.
  After Cobblepot was apprehended and backed up Gordon's claim, Barnes told Gordon not to make a fool out of him. When Jim was framed for the murder of Carl Pinkney at the hands of Edward Nygma, Barnes believed that Jim committed the crime and the judge sentenced him to Blackgate Penitentiary. After Jim was proven innocent and Nygma was arrested upon the police being in the listening distance of Nygma's confession, Barnes apologised and told Jim he owed him a favour. He also gave Jim the remaining Wayne files and Lee's number. During Azrael's attack on the Gotham City Police Department, Barnes fought Azrael on the roof which led to Azrael's mask coming off and Barnes getting stabbed by Azrael. This led to Barnes being hospitalised.
  While still recuperating, Nathaniel initiates a manhunt for Fish Mooney and the Indian Hill escapees, which ends with Fish and Strange fleeing Gotham and the rest of the minions being burned to death by an angry mob.
  Later, Barnes is infected with Alice Tetch's poisonous blood that dropped onto him. He then goes on a vigilante spree killing criminals until he is subjected by James Gordon and remanded to Arkham Asylum while in a straitjacket. While incarcerated at Arkham, Barnes keeps screaming "Guilty!".
  Leslie Thompkins later talks to Nathaniel Barnes about the blood he is infected with that also infected Mario Calvic. Barnes calls it a gift and states that when he gets out of Arkham, he is going to bathe the corruption of Gotham City in blood starting with Jim Gordon's blood.
  Barnes is taken to a private lab owned by the Court of Owls where Kathryn had Hugo Strange extract Alice Tetch's poisonous blood from him. After James Gordon used Penguin to interfere with the Court of Owls' plans to use the weaponized blood on a Daughters of Gotham event, Kathryn cuts a deal with Nathaniel Barnes to dispose of Gordon. With a special outfit and an axe-tipped glove, Nathaniel Barnes targets James Gordon. During the fight at the Gotham City Police Department, Nathaniel Barnes beheads Kathryn and has his left hand shot off by James Gordon. Even though Barnes was detained, Alvarez told Gordon and Bullock that Barnes escaped from the Arkham Asylum transport upon killing the three guards.
caption: Michael Chiklis
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