Ben Affleck returned as Batman in 2023’s The Flash to help guide Barry Allen. Batman displayed his fighting prowess early in the film when he dropped into an armored vehicle and violently took out the villains. The memorable scene highlighted the cinematic Batman’s fighting skills, but it wasn’t the only time the DC hero impressed fans.
Fans have unfortunately witnessed ridiculous fight scenes like the ice skate battle that occurred in 1997’s Batman & Robin. However, different versions of The Dark Knight have starred in truly memorable fight scenes that showcased his years of training. From Bruce Wayne taking on the League of Shadows to The Batman raging on a street gang, these movie fights stood out to fans.
10 Batman vs. Joker vs. Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
While fans have enjoyed a few different animated adaptations of the character over the years, only one version took a starring role on the big screen. In 1993, the success of Batman: The Animated Series led to the release of a feature-length animated movie called Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.
Mask of the Phantasm introduced the titular new threat, explored Bruce Wayne’s earliest outings as a vigilante, and further worked Joker into the history of Gotham City. In the final climactic scene, Phantasm tracked Joker down to Gotham City’s abandoned World of Tomorrow. Batman fought against futuristic drones while Phantasm and Joker tried to kill each other.
9 The Batman vs. Street Gang
The Batman (2022)
The first appearance of Robert Pattinson as the new Dark Knight in Matt Reeves’ The Batman became an unforgettable moment for fans. The scene played with the dark corners of Gotham City and the legend of The Batman that had criminals scared of the shadows. When a face-painted gang on a subway threatened an innocent civilian, they found their own dark corner to fear.
As the gang tried to intimidate their chosen target, Pattinson’s new take on Batman slowly walked out of the shadows to make his presence known. He beat the first thug who challenged him into submission, calling himself “vengeance” in the process. The Batman made short work of the gang, which perfectly demonstrated his fighting skills and the capabilities of his new costume.
8 Batman vs. Scarecrow’s Goons
The Dark Knight (2008)
Christopher Nolan’s sequel to the hugely successful Batman Begins continued the legend of The Dark Knight in 2008. Christian Bale reprised his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and he appeared early in the film’s opening moments to stop Scarecrow and his hired thugs from selling drugs laced with his Fear Toxin.
While vigilantes inspired by Batman launched the initial attack, he soon arrived to save them from harm while also taking out Scarecrow and his goons. After quickly taking out Scarecrow’s armed guards and trained dogs, Batman dropped from the top of a parkade onto a fleeing van to end the chase. He captured the villains and even delivered a message to stop the amateur vigilantes.
7 Batman vs. Joker’s Gauntlet
Batman (1989)
Micheal Keaton recently reprised his role as Bruce Wayne in 2023’s The Flash. However, his first appearance as the Dark Knight came in 1989’s Batman from director Tim Burton. Keaton’s Batman wasn't afraid to get a little bit nuts when he fought back against Jack Nicholson’s Joker for control of Gotham City’s streets.
After Joker shot down Batman’s high-flying Batwing, he retreated to the top of a cathedral and stationed his guards throughout the building. After he pulled himself from the wreckage, Batman worked his way through a gauntlet of Joker’s goons before he finally faced the Clown Prince of Crime. The resulting battle ended in Joker’s death as he fell laughing from the roof of the tower.
6 The Batman vs. The Riddlers
The Batman (2022)
Pattinson’s Dark Knight from Matt Reeves’ The Batman faced the reimagined threat of the Riddler for the first time. After murdering some of Gotham City’s corrupted elite, Riddler set his sights on Bruce Wayne and The Batman. However, he also inspired others to follow in his footsteps and play a role in the final moments of his master plan to destabilize Gotham City.
With the real Riddler in prison, Batman headed to the flooded City Hall to save the new Mayor, Bella Reál. Riddler’s incited militia armed themselves and prepared to take fire, though Batman arrived just in time to stop them. Batman's fight carried him across the rafters and pushed him to the limits, forcing him to inject a steroid enhancer to save Catwoman and end the fight.
5 Bruce Wayne vs. The League of Shadows
Batman Begins (2005)
Nolan’s debut entry in his iconic franchise explored Bruce Wayne’s origins and his earliest outings as a masked vigilante before he became Batman. 2005’s Batman Begins followed Wayne’s journey across the world to find the training he needed to avenge the death of his parents and save Gotham City. He found a group known as the League of Shadows, headed by Ra’s al Ghul.
Ra’s al Ghul, in his disguise as Henri Ducard, trained Bruce Wayne as the potential next leader of the League of Shadows. However, Wayne refused the title after Ducard asked him to kill a criminal from a nearby village. Bruce Wayne struck back, took down the League of Shadows, and faced his mentor before destroying the compound in an explosion that served as his final graduation.
4 Batman vs. Catwoman
Batman Returns (1992)
Michael Keaton returned to the role of the Dark Knight in Tim Burton’s 1992 sequel, Batman Returns. He faced Danny DeVito’s Penguin and Christopher Walken’s corrupt corporate businessman Max Shreck in the Christmas-set film. However, he also met and fell for Michelle Pfeiffer's Selina Kyle/Catwoman after a steamy rooftop fight scene that highlighted their mutual attraction.
Batman and Catwoman met each other during a riot incited by Penguin's Red Triangle Gang. They traded blows across Gotham City's rooftops and tested each other’s capabilities while subtly flirting. Catwoman is one of the few villains capable of catching Batman off-guard, which left them both wanting more after the fight ended.
3 The Dark Knight vs. The Man Of Steel
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Lex Luthor secretly organized the titular bout of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice by manipulating events in both heroes' lives. Superman disproved Batman’s brutal methods while the Dark Knight distrusted the Man of Steel and his incredible alien powers. This led DC’s most popular heroes into an epic confrontation that fans had been waiting to see on the big screen for years.
The fight loosely adapted the same battle from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Batman used a heavy-duty suit of armor and kryptonite gas-laced shells to give him an edge in the battle. However, Batman’s greatest secret weapons couldn’t stop Superman. Batman almost went too far and killed Superman with a Kryptonite spear before he realized what he was doing.
2 Batman vs. Bane
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
While Batman had faced iconic villains like Scarecrow and Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight films, he finally met his physical match in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises. The masked terrorist known as Bane was the new leader of the League of Shadows, and he set his sights on bringing down both Batman and Gotham City to get revenge for the death of Ra’s al Ghul.
Bane was incredibly powerful and had League of Shadows training like Batman. He tricked Batman into entering a modified fighting ring in the sewers under Gotham City. There he proceeded to beat down the Dark Knight while the League of Shadows watched. Bane revealed his plans to take over Gotham before he brutally broke Batman’s back in one of the franchise’s best fight scenes.
1 Batman vs. Luthor’s Goons
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Following Batman’s titular battle with the Man of Steel, the pair joined forces to stop Lex Luthor’s plans. Luthor captured Superman’s mother and used her to control the Man of Steel. Batman agreed to save her while Superman stopped Luthor. With the help of one of the best live-action Alfred variants, Batman found the warehouse containing Martha Kent and attacked Luthor's goons.
The warehouse fight stood out to fans of the Batman: Arkham series which featured celebrated fight mechanics. Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight effortlessly flowed between groups of enemies while utilizing his various weapons and gadgets to keep them off their guard. He brutally took down the entire warehouse in one of DC’s best-choreographed live-action fight scenes.