There are very few superheroes as iconic as Batman, and one of the character’s most important tenets is his pact never to kill. Batman’s no-kill rule has been a regular feature of his stories for ages, and it has come to define not just the character but the wider expectations of superheroes. Much like Batman himself has helped shape modern pop culture and the superhero genre, so too has his dedication to preserving life while fighting crime. However, every live-action version of Batman is slightly different, and this usually translates even to something as central to the character as his famous no-kill rule.
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Some fans consider breaking the rule a major Batman movie mistake, while others feel that following it sometimes holds back Batman stories on the big screen. Divisive though the idea may be, Batman has actually killed people in his live-action movies on many occasions, breaking the rule far more often than he sticks to it. With that in mind, here is every live-action movie Batman to date, ranked by approximately how many people we’ve seen them kill.
7) George Clooney – 0 Kills
Some consider George Clooney’s casting one of the worst things to happen to Batman movies, but he did at least manage to take down his enemies without using lethal force. Appearing in 1997’s Batman & Robin, he is able to thwart Poison Ivy and Mr Freeze without killing either of them, and throughout the movie, he manages to leave even their many thugs and cronies alive and well. Considering how despised Clooney’s turn as Batman is, it seems managing not to kill might be his greatest achievement.
6) Robert Pattinson – 0 Kills
Though Robert Pattinson was initially a controversial casting decision for The Batman, his debut in the role was widely acclaimed. Not only did many appreciate The Batman‘s gritty noir approach to the character, but Pattinson’s Batman also managed not to dole out any death in the movie. There are a few moments that potentially could have led to a death, but we’re pretty sure Pattinson’s Batman deserves the benefit of the doubt, as his methods appear to be consciously non-lethal.
5) Adam West – 1 Kill
Adam West’s take on the Dark Knight is known for using some of the best gadgets in Batman movies, but despite the clean, wacky nature of his stories, he was shown breaking the hero’s iconic no-kill rule. 1966’s Batman: The Movie saw Adam West’s Batman inadvertently kill one of Penguin’s henchmen. As part of a convoluted scheme, the Penguin attacked the hero with thugs rehydrated using heavy water, and a single kick from the Caped Crusader is enough to destroy the criminal’s unstable atoms, instantly killing him in one of the most bizarre Batman movie deaths of all time.
4) Val Kilmer – 7 Kills
Val Kilmer’s tenure as Batman was as short as it was divisive, featuring in just a single movie of debatable quality. Batman Forever saw Kilmer’s Batman responsible for seven deaths, with the first six coming during a car chase in which he leads Two-Face’s henchmen into an alleyway where they die in a fiery wreck caused by the hero. The last is Two-Face himself, whom Batman kills by throwing a handful of coins, deliberately disorientating the villain and sending him plummeting to his grisly death.
3) Christian Bale – 16 Kills (Estimated)
Christian Bale’s Batman is partly known for the shocking method acting behind his superhero movie performance, but also for his on-screen dedication to the no-kill rule. Even though he voices the rule in the Dark Knight trilogy, he’s shown as being responsible for an estimated 16 deaths. These include various unnamed criminals, but most notably Two-Face, whom Batman pushes to his death, and Ra’s al Ghul, whom Batman declines to save and famously leaves to die.
2) Michael Keaton – 17+ Kills
Tim Burton’s two Batman movies painted Michael Keaton’s Batman as a stone-cold killer, making no attempt to adapt the hero’s no-kill rule to the movie continuity. Many of his kills are of unnamed henchmen, with some truly gruesome fates being met at Batman’s hands. Additionally, he is responsible for the Joker’s death, totally an estimated 17 kills over just two movies. He also appears to kill multiple prison guards and Kryptonian invaders in The Flash, although their deaths aren’t ever confirmed in the movie.
1) Ben Affleck – 25+ Kills
By far the most prolific killer in Batman’s movie history is Ben Affleck, as Zack Snyder’s vision for the character deliberately eschewed his most sacred rule. The DCEU’s Batman was shown killing at least 25 people over his time in the franchise. The fast-paced nature of his fight scenes means that there are many injuries he causes that are potentially fatal but can’t be confirmed, meaning that Affleck’s Batman may actually be responsible for more movie deaths than all the other live-action Batmen combined.
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