Arkham Island North serves as the primary hub connecting several major facilities in Arkham Asylum. It is a space defined by verticality, featuring high watchtowers, crumbling ruins, and the imposing entrance to the Intensive Treatment center. For completionists, this area contains 11 specific Riddler trophies, along with several riddles and environmental challenges that require a mix of late-game gadgets and keen observation. Navigating this rocky terrain can be repetitive if you do not have a clear path, so understanding the layout is the first step toward clearing the map.

Essential Gadgets for Arkham North

Before attempting to collect every trophy in Arkham North, it is practical to ensure your utility belt is fully upgraded. While some collectibles are sitting in plain sight, others are gated behind specific mechanical requirements.

  1. Explosive Gel: Necessary for several breakable floors and walls scattered around the watchtowers and ruins.
  2. Cryptographic Sequencer: Used to drop security barriers in the guard booths and ruins.
  3. Line Launcher: Required for a specific trophy that sits on a distant ledge accessible only from the watchtower.
  4. Batclaw / Ultra Batclaw: Useful for pulling down high-altitude walls and reaching vents.

It is often more efficient to wait until the final third of the story before doing a full sweep of this area. This prevents the frustration of finding a trophy but being unable to interact with its environmental lock.

The Secrets Map: Your First Priority

The Secrets Map for Arkham North is the most valuable item in the zone because it highlights the approximate location of every other collectible on your in-game map.

You can find this map in the small security building located between the two watchtowers near the center of the map. However, the front door is blocked by a security barrier that cannot be hacked initially. Instead, climb to the roof of this booth. In Detective Mode, you will see a structural weakness. Use your Explosive Gel to blow through the ceiling. Drop down into the office to find the map sitting on a desk. This also grants you access to an interview tape and a trophy inside the same structure.

Detailed Breakdown of the 11 Riddler Trophies

Trophy 1: The Distant Ledge

Head to the top of the southern watchtower. Looking toward the northern cliffside, you will spot a distant, isolated ledge that seems unreachable by gliding alone. Use the Line Launcher to zip across the gap. The trophy sits on the rocks, overlooking the ocean.

Trophy 2: The Hidden Wall near the Entrance

Near the transition point to Arkham West, look for a damaged section of a building near a large tree. Switch to Detective Mode to identify a breakable wall. A simple application of Explosive Gel will reveal the trophy hidden in a small alcove.

Trophy 3: The Sub-Floor Secret

On the ground level, situated between the two main watchtowers, there is a seemingly solid section of the concrete floor. However, Detective Mode reveals this is a breakable surface. Use the Explosive Gel to detonate the floor; the trophy is tucked away in the shallow cavity beneath.

Trophy 4: The Northwest Ruins

The ruins in the northwest corner of the map are a multi-layered environment. On the ground floor of these ruins, near the southern inner wall, you will find a trophy tucked behind some rubble. This one does not require gadgets, just thorough exploration of the corner shadows.

Trophy 5: The Locked Ruins Tower

Within the same ruins area, there is a small, elevated guard tower structure. The entrance is protected by an electronic barrier. You must use the Cryptographic Sequencer to hack the terminal and drop the field. The trophy is inside on the floor.

Trophy 6: The Intensive Treatment Courtyard

Move toward the courtyard located to the right of the main Intensive Treatment building. As you pass through the gated area, look up. There is a high ledge that you can grapple to. The trophy is perched on this exterior parapet, offering a view of the path you just walked.

Trophy 7: The Arkham West Transition Ledge

When standing near the tunnel that leads to Arkham West, look toward the facade of the Intensive Treatment building. High up on the ledge, just above the tunnel entrance, sits a trophy. You will need to grapple and shimmy along the edge to reach it.

Trophy 8: The Eastern Cliff Plateau

Navigate to the easternmost edge of the map, where the terrain turns into steep rock faces. High up on a stone plateau, accessible by a series of grapples from the lower paths, you will find a trophy sitting in the grass. This provides a great vantage point for scanning the horizon for riddles.

Trophy 9: The Passage Wall

Head back to the courtyard area near Intensive Treatment. Follow the passage toward the back where an Arkham Chronicle is located. Just past the stone tablet, there is another breakable wall. Blow it open with the gel to reveal the trophy.

Trophy 10: The Watchtower Peak

This one is simple but easy to overlook if you aren't looking up. Grapple to the very top roof of the southern watchtower. The trophy is sitting right on the edge of the roof tiling.

Trophy 11: The Secret Tunnel Ledge

Near the passage leading toward Arkham East, look for a small door leading into a transition area. Above the door frame, there is a small vent or ledge you can grapple to. Following this short crawlspace leads to the final trophy of the North district.

Solving the Environmental Riddles

Unlike trophies, riddles require you to scan specific objects or align your perspective in Detective Mode.

Riddle: "Now I see it, now you don't!"

This is a perspective puzzle located near the northwest ruins. You must find a large green question mark painted on the environment. The "dot" of the question mark is usually on one surface (like a pillar), while the "hook" is on a wall behind it. Stand in the ruins and look toward the southern wall in Detective Mode until the two pieces align perfectly to form a complete "?", then hold the scan button.

Riddle: "Let's face it, there are two dents on the wall."

Go to the small security building where you found the Secrets Map. Inside the office, look for posters related to Harvey Dent (Two-Face). Scanning these posters solves the riddle. It’s a bit of foreshadowing for the sequel, but a vital part of the Asylum collection.

Riddle: "Tweedledum and Tweedledee saw it, can you see it?"

Head to the northeast corner of the map. You will find a small, abandoned playground area with a see-saw. Scan the see-saw to solve this riddle, which references the classic Wonderland-themed henchmen.

Additional Collectibles: Teeth and Tapes

While hunting trophies, you will likely hear the chattering of Joker Teeth. There are 10 in total within Arkham North:

  • 3 near the Intensive Treatment entrance.
  • 3 near the transition to Arkham East.
  • 2 near the transition to Arkham West.
  • 2 on the watchtowers.

Destroying these provides a significant XP boost and is required for the 100% completion of the Riddler's challenges.

Additionally, the Patient Interview Tapes provide deep lore for the Joker. The first is inside the security booth (the one with the breakable roof), and the second is on a table inside one of the watchtowers. These recordings offer a chilling look into the Joker's initial arrival at the asylum and his interactions with the staff.

Chronicles of Arkham

There are two stone tablets hidden in Arkham North that belong to the "Spirit of Amadeus Arkham."

  1. Ruins Tablet: Located on the second floor of the ruins in the northwest. It’s on a wall behind some iron bars; you may need to grapple up to the balcony to see it clearly.
  2. Courtyard Tablet: Found on a ledge in the passage to the right of the Intensive Treatment building, near where Trophy 9 is located.

Tactical Recommendations

Arkham North is often filled with patrolling thugs, some of whom may be armed with rifles later in the game. It is advisable to clear the area of enemies before attempting the more complex perspective riddles. Using the rooftops for stealth is highly effective here, as the watchtowers provide excellent sightlines for the Grapnel Gun.

If you find yourself stuck on a trophy location, always double-check Detective Mode for "structural weaknesses." Many players miss the floor-based trophies because they spend too much time looking at the walls. The combination of the Secrets Map and the visual cues provided above should allow you to clear Arkham Island North in a single efficient run, bringing you one step closer to putting Edward Nigma behind bars for good.