Oswald Cobblepot

Lore & Background

Cobblepot's behavior is defined by a willingness to kill anyone standing in his way while remaining methodical and premeditated. His character arc explores complicated feelings for fellow criminal Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), described by Taylor as 'a romantic, yearning need to connect' rather than strictly sexual interest, though the series marks the first version with queer implications. He operates through intricate schemes where every move serves a specific end. While often eager to kill, he balances this ruthlessness with patience. Throughout the series, his relationships are transactional or volatile; he allies with mobsters like Fish Mooney and Carmine Falcone only to turn on them when advantageous, instigating a mob war that leaves him in control after killing Maroni, while Mooney survives Season 1 and returns in later seasons.

In Their Own Story

In Season 1, Cobblepot starts as an informant for the GCPD working under Fish Mooney. When discovered, Mooney breaks his ankle, creating the waddle associated with 'Penguin.' After Gordon lets him live, he allies with Falcone and Sal Maroni, eventually killing both rivals to become Gotham's crime lord. Season 2 sees him forced to serve corrupt mayor Theo Galavan after Tabitha kidnaps his mother; when Gertrud is killed anyway, Cobblepot destroys Galavan's empire and kills him alongside Gordon. Imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, he suffers psychological torture by Hugo Strange but regains his edge upon meeting his biological father, Elijah Van Dahl. After the Van Dahls murder Elijah and enslave him, Cobblepot slaughters his stepsiblings, cooks them into a pot roast for their mother Grace, and inherits the fortune. He later kills the resurrected Galavan (Azrael) with Butch Gilzean using a missile launcher. In Season 3, he runs for mayor but loses to Nygma's revenge scheme; Nygma shoots him at the docks, leaving him for dead until Ivy Pepper heals him. He returns to kill Nygma and freeze him in ice as a warning against weakness.

Reader's Guide

Cobblepot thrives on manipulation and strategic alliances that he betrays when necessary. In Season 4, he licenses crime with Mayor Aubrey James's sanction but faces war from Sofia Falcone after she manipulates his trust in the mute boy Martin. When arrested for Martin's apparent death, Jerome Valeska humiliates him until Cobblepot beats Jerome into respect. Nygma aids his escape by having the 'Riddler' persona break him out of Arkham. A plan to defeat Sofia involves Leslie Thompkins and Victor Fries encasing Cobblepot in ice for delivery to her, though a timer melts it before completion. His leadership style is absolute; he demands no crime occurs without his 'license.' He forms partnerships with Ivy Pepper and recruits muscle like Victor Fries and Bridgit Pike. His defining trait is adaptability: whether cooking family members, freezing former friends, or surviving assassination attempts, he always returns to seize power, viewing emotional connections as weaknesses to be exploited or discarded.

Did You Know?

• Robin Lord Taylor drew specific inspiration from Danny DeVito's interpretation for his portrayal.
• The character is the first version of the Penguin to feature queer implications regarding his feelings for Edward Nygma.
• In an alternate comic story, Cobblepot inherited his father Elijah Van Dahl's fortune after cooking his stepsiblings into a pot roast and feeding them to their mother, Grace, but this is not part of mainstream DC canon.
• His limp is due to a congenital condition, but it is temporarily worsened when Fish Mooney breaks his leg.
• The series marks the third live-action portrayal of the Penguin, following Burgess Meredith and Danny DeVito.