Batman has a strict no-kill rule, although he has come close to breaking it more than once. One of the biggest complaints about Batman comes from the fact that he keeps arresting people like Joker, locking him up in Arkham Asylum, and then watching as he escapes and murders more people. However, that is what makes Batman the hero he is. He will always do the right thing and not lower himself to his villain’s level. Sadly, that often means many Gotham City residents could consider Batman to be the reason their loved ones die when yet another one of Batman’s deadliest villains escapes and kills again.
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However, some Batman villains have either gotten one too many opportunities or are just too overpowered and deadly to deserve to live, even if they do keep coming back.
7) Joker
When there is one person who always comes up in conversations about Batman’s no-kill rule, it is always Joker. Batman always tries to lock Joker away in Arkham Asylum, refusing to kill the villain, and the bad guy always escapes and kills more and more people. It is easy to say that Batman is responsible for hundreds of deaths because he wouldn’t end Joker’s threat for good by just killing the villain.
Ironically, Batman almost killed Joker the first time they ever fought, but DC realized how popular the villain was and had him survive. Joker also almost died more than once in later battles, but it was never because Batman actively tried to kill him. Even when Joker killed Jason Todd and paralyzed Barbara Gordon, Batman held back, but most people agree that Joker needs to die to save the future of Gotham City.
6) Bane
Bane is an interesting Batman villain, and easily one of his deadliest. While he has a tragic backstory, which added a sympathetic touch to his character, he is still someone who has no problem killing people and has done more to hurt Batman than almost anyone. His most significant moment is coming in the new 2026 Batman movie, and one hopes it will do a lot to bring the true might of Bane to an audience who doesn’t read the comics.
That said, he is someone who just keeps getting put away and then coming back to do more damage. Yes, Bane does have his own code of honor, but he is also someone who has hurt way too many people, Batman included, and Gotham City might be safer if the big man is put in the ground once and for all.
5) KGBeast
Batman almost killed KGBeast once, and that was because the Caped Crusader knew he couldn’t stop him, and there was no other choice. Batman also tried to do this in a way where he wouldn’t have to actually “kill” him. Instead, Batman trapped him in an underground bunker, sealed in, which should have eventually caused KGBeast to starve to death. According to Batman, he was serving “justice.” This was still technically a murder for Batman, so DC retconned it later.
However, Batman should have killed him because KGBeast returned for vengeance and shot Nightwing in the head. Nightwing survived, and Batman left KGBeast to die again, breaking his neck in their fight and leaving him alone and unable to move in the snow. However, again, KGBeast survived and proved he could still kill anyone and everyone who gets in his way, except Batman and Nightwing, who still seem to let him live.
4) Killer Croc
This pick might be a little controversial because of recent storylines. That is because Batman found Killer Croc in the tunnels, and he asked to talk to him. Waylon Jones asked Batman to help him because he couldn’t stop hurting people, and when the Arkham people showed up, they took him in and caringly said they would continue to help the man.
This Killer Croc deserves to live because he is someone who knows he is bad and wants help. However, the truth of the matter is that Killer Croc is unable to control his bloodlust, and he will never find freedom or redemption because he will never keep his control long enough. He is sadly a monster, and his best chance at peace might be in death, but Batman will never take that step and will always see a chance for the monster.
3) Darkseid
Heading into the DC villains who will never, ever find redemption, Darkseid is near the top of that list. That is because Darkseid is a conqueror, and his only goal in life is to conquer every world and bend all individuals’ wills only to serve him with the Anti-Life Equation. He was once mistakenly called the God of Evil, but his actual title is the God of Tyranny, and he will never stop until he has conquered all of creation and rules the multiverse.
This is one case where Batman actually seemed to break his no-kill rule when he shot the tyrant with a Radion bullet while Darkseid fired his Omega Beams at Batman. While it appeared Batman died on the spot (he was sent back in time), Darkseid survived the attack, wounded. Darkseid is a character who will never stop until he is dead, but at the same time, no superhero seems powerful enough to kill him, even if they wanted to.
2) Barbatos
Barbatos is a newer villain, but he seems to have been responsible for every bad thing that has happened to Batman in his life. Known as the Bat-God, Barbatos was created by the World Forger to consume all universes that fall back into decay. He claims he was the bat shape Bruce Wayne saw as a young man, which led him to become Batman. Barbatos has been around since before the Multiverse, and his actions are what seem to have created the Dark Multiverse.
Barbatos might be the most powerful being that Batman has ever had to fight, even more so than Darkseid. He claims he was responsible for every Crisis event in DC Comics, underscoring his immense threat to the universe. However, he is invulnerable and has cosmic awareness. He is also immortal, and there is likely no way he can ever die, although until he does, his path of destruction will never end.
1) The Batman Who Laughs
The Batman Who Laughs is one of Batman’s deadliest villains because he is Bruce Wayne from the Dark Multiverse. This version of Batman killed Joker to stop the madman’s murder spree, but this released a toxin that turned Batman into the new Joker. With Batman’s brain and Joker’s nihilistic ways, he killed most of the Bat Family, Superman, Wonder Woman, and everyone else who stood in his way in his world before setting his eyes on the rest of the Multiverse.
While Batman killing Joker could solve a lot of problems in Gotham City, The Batman Who Laughs is deadlier and more dangerous than even this world’s Joker, and he presents the greatest threat of all. Batman finally beat this villain, but, as always, he won’t kill. As a result, this is another villain who could return against and again, and every murder he commits is further blood on Batman’s hands.
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