Who is the greatest martial artist in the Rebirth U?

[Anthony Shaw]

Yeah, no one in the 21st Century can compete with Val in terms of skill. I always find it hilarious when people try to underplay him by bringing up the time Bruce stalemated him. Much like Tim one-shotting Cass and Jason one-shotting Shiva, this was PIS.

I love the Bat-family, but damn.....

I think Val would beat Slade, too.

[Assam]

I love the Bat-family, but damn.....

I think Val would beat Slade, too.

In a straight fight, Val definitely takes it, not even close. ( Although if allowed more than H2H, Slade could potentially win a few out of ten.) Because really, the only way to beat Val is either to outsmart him or to disable him in some way. You don't beat Karate Kid head on, as Silver Age Superboy, as well as the Daxamites, have learned.

[K. Jones]

It's ALWAYS Richard Dragon.

[Black Angel]

I always had karate Kid has that no matter what but hey if i'm wrong tell me plz

[Graphic Autist]

Nobody said Batman yet? He's invincible.

[Assam]

Nobody said Batman yet? He's invincible.

Please don't purport that idea. Some people actually believe it.

[gwangung]

In a straight fight, Val definitely takes it, not even close. ( Although if allowed more than H2H, Slade could potentially win a few out of ten.) Because really, the only way to beat Val is either to outsmart him or to disable him in some way. You don't beat Karate Kid head on, as Silver Age Superboy, as well as the Daxamites, have learned.

Disable him BEFORE the fight. Because he's smart and cunning enough to not allow a foe to disable him during a fight...

[Anthony Shaw]

In a straight fight, Val definitely takes it, not even close. ( Although if allowed more than H2H, Slade could potentially win a few out of ten.) Because really, the only way to beat Val is either to outsmart him or to disable him in some way. You don't beat Karate Kid head on, as Silver Age Superboy, as well as the Daxamites, have learned.

We on the same page with this.

[silly]

karate kid needs to show up again.

[Lorendiac]

I don't read anything outside of Batman and Harley Quinn, is Richard Dragon, Bronze Tiger, Conner, or even Shiva around yet in Rebirth? Just wondering who the top dog is in the martial arts now.

I've participated in similar discussions, over the years, going back to well before "New 52" was a thing, and my attitude has long been that I don't think there is any one non-superpower-augmented character who can honestly be called "the top dog in the martial arts" in the DCU.

Instead, I've long favored a "tiered" approach. As in: "Top Tier characters are the ones whose fighting skills are each so close to perfect that, if two of them engage in a fair fight without anyone else interfering, anything might happen. Perhaps it would all depend on which one got more sleep last night, or which one has lower blood sugar right now, or which one gets the sun in her eyes for a moment, or any other silly variable you care to name. If the same two characters had a rematch a few weeks later, it could just as easily go the other way the second time around! On the other hand, anybody who's Top Tier is likely to beat any opponent who only belongs in the next tier down (or any lower level beyond that)."

I haven't been collecting "Rebirth U" stuff, but traditionally I've felt it went something like this:

Top Tier:
Batman (Bruce), Cassandra Cain, Lady Shiva, Richard Dragon, Bronze Tiger, White Canary, etc.

Second Tier:
Black Canary, Connor Hawke, Jean Paul Valley, the Twelve Brothers in Silk, Dick Grayson, Damian (allowing for the fact that when he's all grown up he'll probably be Top Tier), etc.

[JackDaw]

karate kid needs to show up again.

And when/if he does he can put down some relevant feats...he's done naff all as of now in present continuity.

[whiterabbit]

If Karate Kid is not the greatest hand-to-hand fighter in the DC Universe then what is the point of his character and name? This guy has so much skill that he was allowed to be on a team where it's obligatory to have superpowers. But until his return, we can assume Cassandra Cain and Lady Shiva are the best.

[lucius121]

The answer is Cassandra Cain, she's not invincible by any means but she is the best martial artist in Rebirth.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Karate Kid is the undisbutable best, but I think that being from the future ""sort of" disqualifies him. He has access to techniques that haven't been invented yet. It's like pitting a 10th century judo master against a modern brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

[Krypto's Fleas]

I've participated in similar discussions, over the years, going back to well before "New 52" was a thing, and my attitude has long been that I don't think there is any one non-superpower-augmented character who can honestly be called "the top dog in the martial arts" in the DCU.

Instead, I've long favored a "tiered" approach. As in: "Top Tier characters are the ones whose fighting skills are each so close to perfect that, if two of them engage in a fair fight without anyone else interfering, anything might happen. Perhaps it would all depend on which one got more sleep last night, or which one has lower blood sugar right now, or which one gets the sun in her eyes for a moment, or any other silly variable you care to name. If the same two characters had a rematch a few weeks later, it could just as easily go the other way the second time around! On the other hand, anybody who's Top Tier is likely to beat any opponent who only belongs in the next tier down (or any lower level beyond that)."

I haven't been collecting "Rebirth U" stuff, but traditionally I've felt it went something like this:

Top Tier:
Batman (Bruce), Cassandra Cain, Lady Shiva, Richard Dragon, Bronze Tiger, White Canary, etc.

Second Tier:
Black Canary, Connor Hawke, Jean Paul Valley, the Twelve Brothers in Silk, Dick Grayson, Damian (allowing for the fact that when he's all grown up he'll probably be Top Tier), etc.

Really like your thinking with the tiered approach but how is Slade not in either?