When Gotham returns for its fifth and final season, all bets will be off. For the past four years, the young Bruce Wayne has been moving ever closer to his destiny of becoming the Caped Crusader just as his beloved city has fallen deeper to crime and ruin.

Now, Gotham's bridges have been destroyed, its residents cut off from the rest of the mainland, and the city's most dangerous criminals have divided up the territory for control. It's up to Bruce Wayne, Jim Gordon and the rest of the heroes to wage a veritable battle for Gotham City's soul.

This being the final season means not only  that Bruce Wayne will finally become the Batman, but also that it's open season on the cast of the Fox series. In fact, TVLine revealed a new picture from Season 5 of the series that teases the death of one of Gotham's long-running characters.

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The picture itself isn't too revealing, showcasing Robin Lord Taylor's Penguin wielding a gun. Behind him, his goons offer support, as they protect a downed helicopter carrying what appears to be Wayne Enterprises supplies. The real revelation however, comes with the text that accompanies the photo.

Gotham-Season-5-Penguin-image

According to TVLine, the picture comes from a scene where Penguin "is in the midst of striking a deal for some seized cargo -- after having just slain a long-running character." And no, it's not the body seen in the background of the image, given that the website also specifies that the body of the character in question is out of frame.

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The series may be an origin story for Batman and his greatest villains, but over the years, the series has shown that it is willing to take some departures from the source material. While certain characters like Gordon, Riddler, Penguin and Catwoman may be safe from harm, others might not be as bulletproof.

Gotham's final season, subtitled, "Legend of the Dark Knight," will run for 12 episodes to bring the series' total to 100.

Airing Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox, Gotham stars Ben McKenzie as James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Robin Lord Taylor as Penguin, Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean, and Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth. The fifth and final season is scheduled to premiere on January 3.