DC Comics has made Batman into a household names over the decades. The character has grown from the dark avenger of the night, fighting to make sure that no one in Gotham City has to go through what he did, into Batgod, the all-powerful hero who can figure out a way to beat anything with enough prep time. Bats has always been formidable, but he’s been taken to insane levels, especially since the ’90s, when writer Grant Morrison put him into JLA as the team’s tactical god. The Dark Knight is one of the best fighters out there, having trained his body and mind to human perfection, and even without his bevy of technological tricks and his unbeatable plans, no one wants to face him in a dark alley.
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As potent as he is, though, he’s not the best fighter out there. Over the years, DC has introduced other characters who have grown into hand to hand specialists, heroes and villains alike, and some of them are better fighters than Batman. They’ve gone further than he ever did and a fair fight against any of them would reveal his skills aren’t what he thought they were. These five DC characters are better fighters than the Caped Crusader, able to drop him like a bad habit if it came down to it.
5) Bronze Tiger
The Suicide Squad is one of DC’s most formidable teams, for numerous reasons. The team was brought together by Amanda Waller and she’s stacked it with some of the most skilled and powerful villains she can get her hands on. The team isn’t all bad, though; Waller usually brought on people she could trust to ride herd on the villains, including Bronze Tiger. While he isn’t exactly a hero, he’s never been a villain either. He was a spy and assassin, working for the highest bidder and earned a reputation as one of the most fearsome martial artists out there. His time with the Squad saw him become a more heroic person and eventually he’d meet and befriend Batman. Bronze Tiger proved himself to the Dark Knight, and Gotham’s greatest vigilante realized something almost immediately – the tiger was more skilled than the bat. Since then, he’s become one of the Caped Crusader’s go-tos whenever he needs someone who can outfight him and anyone else out there.
4) Big Barda
Big Barda was born on Apokolips, raised in Granny Goodness’s Orphanage and becoming her most skilled student. Barda would get recruited into the Female Furies and soon took leadership of the group, her massive strength making her already formidable fighting abilities ever greater. She led the group in battle numerous times, always accomplishing their mission and doing the bidding of Darkseid. However, meeting Scott Free, the future Mister Miracle, would change all of that. The two of them fell in love almost immediately, their passion for each other overcoming the trauma that Granny Goodness used to control them. They escaped and have become New Genesis’s best duo, a two-person fighting unit that can get into and out of anywhere, all while smashing whatever is in their way. Barda is one of the most formidable fighters in the entire universe and is easily better than Batman. He learned to fight from teachers; she learned to fight because if she didn’t, she was dead. While she isn’t some fancy pants martial artist, she has it where it counts.
3) Aquaman
Aquaman has become one of DC’s newest powerhouses, but he’s always been one of the best fighters out there, despite his reputation for decades. Arthur’s unique physiology gives him vast superhuman strength and durability (dude has lifted continental shelves and towed supertankers on his own) and he’s more than taken advantage over that. After learning about his royal heritage, he was trained in combat to lead his nation and soon became the most feared fighter in the seven seas
He’s a master of numerous weapons and can fight in three dimensions because of his training underwater. He is Atlantis’s greatest warrior, a powerful fighter who can take down anyone. Batman has always respected Arthur’s fighting ability; he knows that if it came down to it, Aquaman would be able to put him down without any of his usual tricks. He’s always been more than meets an eye and everyone who has doubted his fighting ability has paid for it dearly
2) Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is one of the most formidable characters in the DC Multiverse. As a member of the Trinity, along with Batman and Superman, she’s been on the forefront of the greatest battles in history, which is right where she belongs. Diana was molded from clay by her mother Hippolyta and given life by the gods, blessed with amazing strength, speed, and durability. She was trained by the Amazons of Themyscira and became their greatest warrior, which is saying something. She was the recipient of thousands of years of experience, mastering the sword and shield, spear, cestus, bow and arrow, and lasso. She became so formidable that no one else on the island could hold a candle to her and she won the chance to become Wonder Woman. She and Batman have fought side by side many times and he’s admitted that she is his superior, many times. While her strength and power help, it’s mostly because she’s such an amazing fighter. She’s trained numerous heroes and can outfight gods of war. She’s one hundred percent better than Batman.
1) Karate Kid
The Legion of Superheroes is full of powerhouses. The 31st century teens come from across the universe, inspired by the example of Superman to use their own native powers to protect all of creation. The team is home to several of the best in their field, including one of the greatest, if not the greatest, martial artists ever – Karate Kid. Val Armorr was the son of Japan’s deadliest crime lord and didn’t want to follow his father’s example. He mastered every martial art he could, including ones from other worlds, and became the Legion’s best fighter. He’s a master of both armed and unarmed fighting, and has learned to incorporate the abilities of his Legion flight ring with his martial arts, making him even more formidable. He’s considered a level 15 fighter, which is the highest level anyone had ever reached. Batman is a 12. The two of them have fought several times over the years; Batman was usually only able to hang with Val because he cheats. However, in a straight up sparring match, no tricks, Armorr’s skill will overwhelm those of the Dark Knight.
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