Batman Ninja gave DC Comics and anime fans a very new take on the Dark Knight and his fellow denizens of Gotham City, hero and villain alike. For its sequel, we’re about to see a brand new villainous interpretation of the Justice League as the Yakuza League will be front and center. While an evil iteration of the likes of Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Green Lantern is a big enough threat on its own, the latest trailer for Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League shows that there is someone in the background pulling the strings.
The first Batman Ninja featured the Joker as its big bad, which should come as no surprise since the Clown Prince of Crime is regularly featured as the scarred side of the Dark Knight’s coin. While there has been promotional material that has confirmed Joker and Harley Quinn will return to this new sequel with new looks to boot, the clownish pair isn’t responsible for this new evil Justice League. Alongside the new trailer with the major villain reveal, Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League has confirmed that it will be arriving next year. While the sequel isn’t set to hit the silver screen, it will hit home video and continue Warner Bros’ foray into the anime world.
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Yakuza League’s Demon Head
In the latest trailer, Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League confirms that Ra’s Al Ghul is apparently working to benefit from the nefarious Justice League’s arrival. Considering the Demon’s Head has always run a league of his own, the League of Assassins, it makes sense that Ghul would be attempting to capitalize on an evil collection of superheroes. While this “big bad” question has been answered, the origins of the Yakuza League remain a mystery and it has yet to be revealed if an evil Superman will be making an appearance in the sequel.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Demon’s Head, Ra’s Al Ghul isn’t quite like many other Gotham villains like Joker, Riddler, Penguin, or Scarecrow. Ghul is an immortal mastermind, using the power of the Lazarus Pits to cheat death. The long-running Batman villain is one who wants to change the world so making him the big villain of this sequel makes sense, especially considering his status as the grandfather to Damien Wayne, aka Robin.
Warner Bros’ Anime Initiatives
It’s no secret that anime is becoming a hot ticket item in the entertainment world and Warner Bros shared the fact earlier this year that they were all-in on the medium. The Suicide Squad Isekai was the first time that Task Force X received their own anime series, finding success in throwing the supervillains into an isekai world. WB collaborated with Wit Studio on this project and the latter has stated that they would love to explore more DC heroes and villains in the future. Certainly, while not confirmed for a second season, Suicide Squad Isekai’s first season finale is one that sets the stage for Harley and company to return.
For Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League, Warner Bros teamed up with studio Kamikaze Douga on the upcoming sequel. If you’re unfamiliar with the production house, the studio has worked on the likes of Pop Team Epic, Sand Land, and Star Wars: Visions. On top of returning following their work on the first Batman Ninja, Kamikaze Douga is also responsible for creating intro scenes for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Gatchaman. As CG animation becomes more prevalent in the anime world, it will be interesting to see how this Dark Knight sequel stacks up to the original years after the fact.
Want to stay updated on the Dark Knight and his fight against the twisted anime version of the Justice League? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
