In The Dark Knight Trilogy, Rachel is Bruce Wayne's (Christian Bale) childhood sweetheart and one of the few people who truly knows him, and inspires him to improve Gotham City.

Rachel was developed as a combination from three different characters originating from the comics, Julie Madison (a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne's who later becomes his love interest and aware of him being Batman), Silver St.

She also takes Bruce down to the slums and shows him that Falcone's criminal empire has worsened the poverty created by Gotham's economic depression, and states that every day more people just like Chill turn to crime out of desperation.

Rachel dedicates her life and career to eliminating crime in Gotham, in the process making enemies of Falcone and later Dr. Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy), Arkham Asylum's corrupt chief psychiatrist.

Shortly afterward, Falcone has a psychotic break in police custody, and Rachel believes he is faking it to avoid trial, unaware that Crane drugged him with his fear toxin.

Batman rescues her again, administers an antidote and tells her that Crane is working with the League of Shadows, a terrorist organization led by Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson).

She wakes up in her bed and delivers samples of an anti-toxin to Gotham City Police Department sergeant James Gordon (Gary Oldman).

Soon, the city is overrun by Arkham's inmates, whom the League has released, and Rachel and the boy are surrounded by lunatics led by Falcone's henchman, Victor Zsasz (Tim Booth).

By the start of the second film, Rachel is in a relationship with newly selected District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), creating a love triangle between him, herself, and Bruce Wayne.

At the funeral, the Joker attempts to assassinate Mayor Anthony Garcia (Nestor Carbonell), and leaves behind evidence indicating that Rachel will be next.

Batman speeds off, believing that he is traveling to Rachel's destination, while Gordon and several GCPD officers head to what they think is Dent's location.

Both Rachel and Dent are tied up in rooms surrounded with gasoline drums and remote-controlled explosives, with phones attached so they can talk to each other.

The loss of Rachel, in addition to his own disfigurement, drives Dent insane and after the Joker's convincing, he becomes the murderous vigilante Two-Face, seeking revenge on those he holds responsible for her death.

Additionally, a picture of her appears in Wayne Manor (Maggie Gyllenhaal’s archival portrayal of the character in The Dark Knight only).

Despite being dejected over his loss, Bruce meets and attracts to two women who resemble Rachel: Wayne Enterprises CEO Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) and cat-burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway).