Best Fighter in DC [Poll]

[BatmanJones]

Where's Wildcat? He teaches so many of the DC superheroes how to fight.

[hairys]

You've got jokes. love how Karate Kid isn't even on this list. Also wasn't Duke training Cass recently?
The fact that you deliberately left off the best fighters because there is no contest shows that you should rename this to good fighters in the DC since the ones are excluded.

That's bad writing if true and can be ignored. Agree on Karate Kid, though.

[lemonpeace]

You've got jokes. love how Karate Kid isn't even on this list. Also wasn't Duke training with Cass recently?
The fact that you deliberately left off the best fighters because there is no contest shows that you should rename this to good fighters in the DC since the ones are excluded.

while I think Duke definitely should be in the conversation one day (especially since he's trained with 4 of the people on the list), he hasn't demonstrated the same level of martial arts proficiency as the top tiers yet. i kinda wish Williamson would've tapped Duke to pop up in the tournament over in Robin too, that would've been a golden opportunity to really flex what his mentors have taught him.

although I do agree this list is kinda iffy. I'd probably put Canary higher on the list for sure, and Bruce would go lower.

Karate Kid is weird to me. maybe I just don't know enough about him but IIRC he typically isn't opportunity in the same landscape as the others (being in the future) and he's working with 3000 years worth of martial arts knowledge, likely including info on everyone on the list and beyond. to me that makes it kinda hard to adequately scale him to the others. I guess since he is still a human relying on skill would have to be a top spot contender but I think he needs updated showings against contemporary figures to better scale him.

[lemonpeace]

That's bad writing if true and can be ignored. Agree on Karate Kid, though.

they have it the other way round, Cass has been sparring with and training Duke since their time on Outsiders together.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Lets just pretend that Karate Kid has had several hundred years of eugenics to make him peak human :P

[Ra-El]

Karate Kid is weird to me. maybe I just don't know enough about him but IIRC he typically isn't opportunity in the same landscape as the others (being in the future) and he's working with 3000 years worth of martial arts knowledge, likely including info on everyone on the list and beyond. to me that makes it kinda hard to adequately scale him to the others. I guess since he is still a human relying on skill would have to be a top spot contender but I think he needs updated showings against contemporary figures to better scale him.

You know who also have over 3000 years worth of martial arts knowledge? Hawkman and Hawkwoman! They should be on the list, it just made so much sense for them to be on it.

Unfortunately, there not much to support it in regard of feats, but I hope someday, some writer will see the sea of opportunities the Hawk's resurrection cycle provides.

[Frontier]

You know who also have over 3000 years worth of martial arts knowledge? Hawkman and Hawkwoman! They should be on the list, it just made so much sense for them to be on it.

Unfortunately, there not much to support it in regard of feats, but I hope someday, some writer will see the sea of opportunities the Hawk's resurrection cycle provides.

It probably doesn't help that the Hawks are more like to bash something over the head with a mace than fight hand-to-hand.

[Ra-El]

It probably doesn't help that the Hawks are more like to bash something over the head with a mace than fight hand-to-hand.

In the current life or in the medieval one, but what about the feudal Japan Hawkman? Wasn't he a samurai? Or about the Hawkwoman from the Amazons pre-Themiskyra?

[Aramis]

As it should be, Cass and Shiva are above Bruce now..

But I think Bruce is still a little too high considering Dinah, The Dragon and Bronze Tiger are there. Maybe even Dick!

[Frontier]

In the current life or in the medieval one, but what about the feudal Japan Hawkman? Wasn't he a samurai? Or about the Hawkwoman from the Amazons pre-Themiskyra?

Samurai Hawkman with an Nth Metal Katana .

[Agent Z]

You've got jokes. love how Karate Kid isn't even on this list. Also wasn't Duke training Cass recently?
The fact that you deliberately left off the best fighters because there is no contest shows that you should rename this to good fighters in the DC since the ones are excluded.

All of the characters on the poll have been established as exceptional fighters and the ones who stand apart from all others in the DCU. No one who belongs on this list was left out.

[Sutekh]

Lets just pretend that Karate Kid has had several hundred years of eugenics to make him peak human :P

His knowledge of martial arts is more or less superhuman anyway, since Levitz established in the '80s (IIRC) that the world he grew up on, Lythyl, had extradimensional pockets within it that existed outside of normal spacetime, and allowed people to spend virtual years learning stuff or doing stuff (or just hiding out from the authorities) while no time at all passed in the outside world, and, since time was wonky, they didn't get any older! So he was able to master decades worth of fighting skills, while still a teenager.

It was a clever way to justify his abilities (since it can take a lifetime to master even one martial art, let alone dozens!).

But, as for the folks on the poll, I'd put Richard Dragon or Lady Shiva at the top, just because they are hyper-focused, while many of the others on that list, like Batman, have a lot of other stuff going on / more demands on their limited attention.

Top tier heroes would be (Karate Kid), Batman, Black Canary and Bronze Tiger, with Dick and Jason ranking lower.

(Karate Kid isn't on the poll, and I'm fine with that. Legion characters are best served kept the hell away from modern-day comparisons, characters and events, IMO.)

[Superfan90]

My ranking

Richard Dragon
Lady Shiva
Bronze Tiger
Bruce Wayne (when he isn't jobbing to put Cassandra over)
Cassandra Cain
Dick Grayson
David Caine
Deathstroke

[Aahz]

I went for the Joke answer. Jason Todd. Lmao why is he there? If 10 year old Damian can beat you. You have no place on this list.

Last time they fought Damian was beaten to pulp.

Jason should be at least be pretty evenly matched with Dick, but for some reason a lot of writers don't seem to give him much credit for his abilities. He gets often really terrible showing in Batfamily events, and is often used as a jobber or to prop other characters up.

And he has (at least if you include the new 52) a pretty impressive list of trainers (Batman, Shiva, Bronze Tiger, Cheshire(irc),the All Caste ...), and is supposed to be a pretty good student and a quick learner.

[Captain Nostalgia]

Traditionally speaking Richard the Dragon has historically been DC's most astute fighter after the passing of the sensei, followed by Lady Shiva, though she was defeated in combat by Cassandra.

After that Black Canary is often cited, but Bronze Tiger and Connor I imagine are on par.

Vic Sage (The Question) should be on the list. He would probably mop the floor with Jason Todd. Huntress is pretty good to, she could probably hold her own against Nightwing, but falls short of being a contender for DC's best fighter. Finally, don't rule out Ted Grant (Wildcat)