10 Best Fighters in The Batman Family, Ranked (2024)

The Bat Family isn't a typical superhero team, but that doesn't make them any less successful. Bruce Wayne losing his family opened up a hole in him, one that would cause him to create a new one. Batman, and his surrogate father, Alfred, began with Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon, and they were far from the last members of the Bat Family. Over the years, more Robins, Batgirls, Batwomen, and many others have joined the surrogate Wayne family.

The Bat Family isn't just a way for Bruce Wayne to have a family he otherwise wouldn't have had, but also an efficient crime-fighting unit. Each member of the Bat Family brings something unique to the table, but one thing they all have in common is their fighting skills. The Bat-Family has top-rank hand-to-hand combatants, and being the best in the Bat-Family makes them the best fighters on the planet.

10 Catwoman Has A Unique Fighting Style

Selina Kyle grew up in and out of orphanages on the mean streets of Gotham. She had to do anything to survive and trained herself to fight people much bigger than her. Eventually, she became a cat burglar and donned a costume as Catwoman, following the trend of other Gotham criminals. Catwoman developed a high-flying, acrobatic fighting style, one that included her use of razor-sharp claws. Batman and Catwoman became allies and lovers, and she became a member of the Bat Family.

• Catwoman's fighting style is very unpredictable, mostly because she has very little formal training
• Batman went to her after Bane defeated him in City Of Bane so she could teach him how to be unpredictable as well
• Catwoman's bullwhip gave her ranged attacks and allowed her to swing through the city

Catwoman isn't the most well-trained combatant in Gotham, but she makes up for it by being a very smart fighter. She's always moving, striking her enemies and not giving them a chance to counterattack. Catwoman isn't the strongest person in the city, but her smart fighting style can easily take down enemies much stronger than her.

9 Barbara Gordon Has Lost A Few Steps But Is Still Tough

Barbara Gordon became Batgirl when she was a teenager, fighting alongside Batman and Dick Grayson. Barbara became an amazing fighter, but her life was changed forever when she was attacked by the Joker. Barbara was shot and lost the use of her legs, ending her days as an active vigilante. However, it wasn't the end of her time as a superhero, as she became Oracle. Oracle helped found the Birds of Prey and joined the Justice League, using her hacking abilities and information-gathering skills to become the best tech support in the superhero community. Eventually, she regained use of her legs and became Batgirl again.

• Barbara kept her upper body in amazing shape and mastered stick fighting so she could continue to defend herself
• Barbara's second stint as Batgirl saw her get back into the saddle with few hitches, but this wouldn't last
• While Barbara can still walk and sometimes put on the costume, she doesn't fight nearly as much as she used to

Barbara is still a great fighter, but she has to be more careful now. She still can fight in a high-flying acrobatic style, but she can't go out every night and patrol. She's taken to working with Nightwing, something she's been doing since he was the first Robin and the two of them continue to make an amazing team. Barbara has combined her Batgirl and Oracle lives, fighting when an extra hand is needed but mostly supplying her allies with all the information they need. However, anyone who thinks Barbara is a pushover now has another thing coming.

8 Batwoman Is Tough As Old Leather

Kate Kane was a military brat and followed her father into the service. Kate trained as hard as any two soldiers, becoming a highly skilled cadet at West Point. She completed training at the Air Assault School and the U.S. Army Airborne School. However, she was forced out of the service because of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. She traveled the world to find herself, training in multiple martial arts and combat disciplines before becoming Batwoman and eventually joining the Bat Family.

• Kate studied gymnastics when she was younger and is a highly-trained gymnast
• She studied karate, Krav Maga, muay Thai, ninjitsu, tae kwon do, stick fighting, and wing chun
• Kate is proficient in traditional weapons, as well as improvising weapons of all kinds

Batwoman has proven to be ridiculously tough in battle. Her training at West Point made her a disciplined and intelligent combatant, and she's taken the lead in the Bat-Family several times. Batwoman has faced Gotham's worst and persevered, beating everything thrown at her.

7 Huntress Is A Great Mix Of Her Mother And Father

Huntress is a venerable name in the history of the Bat Family. The first Huntress was Helena Wayne, the Earth-2 daughter of Batman and Catwoman, taking her parents' place in defending Gotham after they got too old. Crisis On Infinite Earths wiped her from existence, but Huntress was still around as Helena Bertinelli. However, recent years have seen another Helena Wayne appear, the future daughter of Batman and Catwoman. This new Huntress led the Justice Society in the future and came back to the present to stop Per Degaton from destroying the legacy of the Justice Society throughout time.

• Huntress was trained by both of her parents
• She is a successful team leader and understands team tactics
• Huntress is a crack shot with her crossbow

Huntress isn't technically a member of the Bat Family - she doesn't fight alongside them or protect Gotham - but she is, in a very real way, a member of the literal Bat Family. Huntress is an amazing fighter who helped bring the Justice Society back to prominence. The Justice Society is a high-level superteam, and Huntress's position as the team's newest leading light shows how formidable she is in battle.

6 Red Hood Is More Skilled Than He Was When He Was Robin

Jason Todd became the second Robin after Batman caught him trying to steal the wheels off the Batmobile. Todd made a pretty good Robin, but he was always in the shadow of Dick Grayson. Jason fell into a trap laid for him by the Joker, one that used his absent mother as bait. The Joker beat him with a crowbar and then blew him up, killing him. Jason would eventually return to life and was found by Talia al Ghul. Talia retrained the young man, and he went back to Gotham as the Red Hood, out to get revenge against Joker and Batman. Red Hood was an enemy of the Bat Family for a while, but eventually, he rejoined them and became the violent black sheep.

• Red Hood's training with Talia made him even more formidable
• Guns were his main weapon for a long time, and he's a crack shot
• Red Hood is proficient in the use of many types of weapons and has taken to carrying a crowbar in defiance

Red Hood hasn't always followed the "rules" of the Bat Family, making him the group's most feared member. Red Hood's training—by Batman and Talia al Ghul—made him much more dangerous than before. Red Hood has cooled down in recent years, but just because he's not ultraviolent doesn't mean he's any less dangerous. Red Hood still knows a thousand ways to take someone down non-lethally, and they all hurt a lot.

5 Damian Wayne Is The Perfect Scion Of The al Ghuls And Waynes

Batman and Talia al Ghul have had a rather interesting relationship that eventually resulted in the birth of Damian Wayne. Talia knew that Damian would be special, as he was a union of the al Ghul dynasty and the Batman legacy. Damian's training began as soon as he was physically able, mastering multiple martial arts, learning how to use all kinds of weapons, and getting tutored in science, literature, and the arts to PhD levels. Damian eventually joined his father, first becoming Robin when Dick Grayson took over as Batman and holding that mantle ever since.

• Damian is in amazing physical condition for his age, able to fight adults who have been training all of their lives with little trouble
• Damian can use many weapons but is especially deadly with swords, an al Ghul specialty
• Damian has led the Teen Titans and is a good leader and strategist

Damian Wayne can be very arrogant about his abilities, but that's actually warranted. Damian has taken all the lessons his mother taught him and what he's learned working with his father and Dick Grayson to become the best of the best. Damian has all the skills of his families combined in a package that will one day make him one of the foremost heroes in the world.

4 Azrael's Training Made Him Into An Inhuman Fighting Machine

Azrael was raised by the Order Of St. Dumas and crafted into their perfect killing machine. His body and mind were brought to the height of human perfection and beyond, and he was trained in various fighting disciplines. He became the Order's avenging angel, Azrael, and eventually fought Batman. He could hold his own against the Dark Knight, earning the hero's respect. Azrael was given the mantle of Batman after Bruce Wayne had his back broken by Bane. Still, his overly violent style of crimefighting caused a rift in the Bat Family, one that would be mended when Bruce returned and wrested the mantle of Batman away from him. Since then, Azrael has rejoined the Bat Family.

• Jean-Paul Valley's Batman suit was armored and full of weapons, taking advantage of his more lethal skillset
• Azrael is strong enough to hold his own against Artemis the Amazon
• He has been able to hold off Batman and Cassandra Cain at the same time, which is no small feat

Azrael has redeemed himself from his much more violent past, but he's no less dangerous in battle. Azrael is one of the few people in the world who have held the mantle of Batman, which says it all about his skill level. He didn't stop being Batman because he wasn't good enough; in some ways, he was too good at it, especially when hurting people. Azrael is a brilliant hand-to-hand combatant and has put the fear of God into the criminals of Gotham.

3 Cassandra Cain Was Trained From An Early Age To Be The Best

Cassandra Cain is the daughter of the assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva. David Cain is on the short list of best-hired killers on Earth, and Lady Shiva is considered the greatest martial artist on the planet. Cass was trained by her father to join the assassin trade. David taught her the language of combat instead of words, and she could read people's body language perfectly. Cassandra became a deadly child, but after her first mission, she decided the killing life wasn't for her and left her father. She showed up in Gotham and became the second Batgirl, changing her life forever.

• Cassandra is usually considered the most highly trained fighter in the Bat-Family
• Cassandra was able to defeat her mother, Lady Shiva, which isn't something that most heroes can say they've done
• Cassandra is an expert with basically every weapon she can get her hands on

Cassandra's membership in the Bat Family has seen her finally have a semblance of a normal life, and she uses her skills to fight evil. After being replaced by Batgirl, she's taken up the name Orphan and has become the Bat Family's best martial artist. She may not look like it, but Cassandra can hold her own against basically anyone.

2 Nightwing Has Taken His Place At The Top Of The Superhero Community

Dick Grayson was raised in the circus, but all of that ended in tragedy when his parents were killed by a mobster who the circus owner owed money to. Bruce Wayne was there that night, saw a kindred spirit in the young man, and took him in. Grayson eventually became the high-flying Robin, working with Batman and learning the ropes of being a superhero. He co-founded the Teen Titans, leading the team against all enemies, and eventually left behind the mantle of Robin and became Nightwing. Throughout this whole time, he got better and better at fighting, and now Nightwing is considered just below the Trinity regarding his skills and position in the superhero community.

• Nightwing is in amazing physical condition, and his acrobatic fighting style has allowed him to defeat enemies with super strength, like Blockbuster
• Nightwing has regularly beaten Deathstroke in single-combat
• Nightwing's escrima sticks are an amazing weapon, allowing him to pack even more of a punch than he already does

Nightwing's had an amazing superhero career and has proven his bona fides as one of the best combatants on the planet. Nightwing doesn't have the training that some of the other members of the Bat Family have, but he has the experience that all of them lack. Nightwing is a very smart fighter, his reaction time and moves lighting quick. On top of all that, he's also proven to be amazing at leading teams into battle, his sense of tactics making any group under his command into a near-unbeatable unit.

1 Batman Is The Best

Batman is easily the best fighter in the Bat Family. While Cassandra Cain and Damian Wayne have trained from an early age, they don't have the experience that Batman does. Batman spent years studying everything he could to become the ultimate fighting machine, learning multiple martial arts and training his body to the height of human physical perfection. Batman is feared by everyone, hero and villain alike, because they know he can always figure out how to win.

• Batman has created his own fighting style from the many martial arts he's studied
• Batman's utility belt is stocked with a variety of weapons that he uses to get an advantage over his enemies
• Batman has fought his way through multitudes of foes, taking them out while taking very little damage in return

Batman doesn't technically have superpowers, but his fighting skills are next level. Batman has created a fighting style that can take down anybody given the right circ*mstances, and he's mastered the use of technology to make himself more dangerous. Batman operates at the highest possible levels, all because he's the best fighter. Batman is integral to the Justice League, coming up with plans that can beat anyone, and has kept Gotham as safe as possible for ages now, facing off against the worst criminals imaginable.

Batman

Batman is one of the oldest comic superheroes, with nearly a century of comics, TV-shows, films, and video games. The mild-mannered Bruce Wayne becomes Gotham City's caped crusader, protecting it from villains like The Joker, Killer Croc, The Penguin, and more. Batman is also one of DC comics' "Big Three" alongside Superman and Wonder Woman, and together the three help keep the earth safe as founding members of the Justice League.

Created by

Bill Finger , Bob Kane

First Film

Batman: The Movie (1966)

Latest Film

The Batman

Upcoming Films

The Batman – Part II

First TV Show

Batman

Latest TV Show

Batman: Caped Crusader (2024)

First Episode Air Date

January 12, 1966

Cast

Adam West , Kevin Conroy , Christian Bale , Robert Pattinson , Ben Affleck , Michael Keaton , Keanu Reeves , Josh Hutcherson , Will Friedle , Anson Mount , Will Arnett

Character(s)

Batman , The Joker , The Penguin , Mr. Freeze , Two-Face , The Riddler , Catwoman , Poison Ivy