One climactic fight betweenBatmanand Nightwing proves that Bruce Wayne truly is one of the best fighters in the DC Comics universe. In addition to earning his title of World’s Greatest Detective by mastering criminology and honing his skills of deduction, a key part of Bruce Wayne’s origin story is also his master of martial arts, making him one of the finest hand-to-hand fighters in DC’s pantheon.As the adopted father and mentor of Dick Grayson, Batman imparted his expertise to him,making Grayson nearly his equal as the originalsidekick to use the Robin moniker.
Dick Graysonwould become the independent superhero Nightwing in his adult years, using his training and experiences as Robin to protect Gotham City as well as its twin city Blüdhaven. Nightwing would remain an ally of Batman’s, of course, but the two notably clash in the 2016 animated movieBatman: Bad Blood. Suffering from the effects of Mad Hatter’s brainwashing, Batman and Nightwing battle, and their brief but epic melee showcases why Batman truly is one of the greatest martial artists in the DC Universe, despite Nightwing being a formidable combatant in his own right.
Batman Uses Nightwing’s Own Agility Against Him
Batman Knows Nightwing’s Weaknesses
Early on in their fight, Batman and Nightwing appear evenly matched, with the two throwing nearly identical punches and kicks and dodging or blocking each other in equal measure.It is only when Nightwing begins using more elaborate moves and employing his agility that Batman truly counters him, throwing his former sidekick to the ground and forcing Nightwing to alternate between his basic punches and kicks and falling back on his acrobatic skills. Naturally, given that Batman trained him, Nightwing and his former mentor would have the same basic strikes, but Dick Grayson’s acrobatic abilities are superior to Batman’s.
Batman Bad Blood: 10 Quotes That Say The Most About The Bat Family
The Batfamily is gaining prominence in popular culture, and the DCAU’s Batman: Bad Blood tells viewers a lot about how the family operates.
In Dick Grayson’s iconic origin story, he was a circus acrobat who became an orphan when mobster Tony Zucco sabotaged his parents’ trapeze, resulting in them falling to their deaths. In his debut, Dick Grayson’s acrobatic skills impressed Batman during their training, with Bruce Wayne noting that they were far superior to his own considerable abilities. Unsurprisingly,Nightwing attempted to use these skills to gain an edge over Batman, who in turn predicted this strategy and countered Grayson’s acrobatic moves accordingly, forcing Nightwing to alter his tactics, searching for another advantage.
Batman Ups The Ante When Nightwing Uses Weapons
Nightwing’s Mentor Stops Pulling His Punches
As Robin, Dick Grayson typically fought with his fists and feet, deploying his gadgets as needed.As Nightwing, however, Grayson began using a pair of escrima sticks as his signature weapons. In some DC Universes, such as theBatman: Arkhamvideo games, the sticks have built-in weaponry, with theArkhamfranchise making them electrified. In his fight with Batman inBad Blood,Nightwing begins using his escrimas against Batman, and they are effective at first, with Nightwing landing several damaging strikes on his mentor, but this too proves to be ineffective.
Robin fought a brainwashed Batman in another 2016 animated film:Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders. Their battle was fought with gadgets rather than martial arts, however.
Batman strikes, dodges, and counters Nightwing far more aggressively once Grayson switches to his escrimas, unleashing an onslaught of devastating strikes before injuring Nightwing’s arm.It quickly becomes clear that Batman had been holding back before, even while brainwashed, and Nightwing’s strikes led him to stop pulling his punches. Even with only one usable arm, Nightwing’s training and tenacity keep him in the fight as he avoids Batman’s attacks, though Batman uses one more trick to ensure his victory.
Batman Allows Himself To Be Predicted…& Then Changes The Game
The Dark Knight Lulls Nightwing Into A False Sense Of Security
Leaping from the top of a staircase,Batman uses his cape to glidetoward Nightwing,letting his former protégé think he knows where Batman will land, only for Batman to end up behind Nightwing. Batman then launches another onslaught of strikes to defeat the weakened Nightwing. Batman disarms Nightwing, striking him with his own escrima, before using his injured arm to subdue him.
Nightwing is by no means a poor hand-to-hand combatant. His training under Batman rendered him one of DC’s finest fighters in his own right, but it was Batman’s familiarity with his sidekick’s strengths and weaknesses – as well as having more experience – that allowed him to win. Moreover,Batman was not in his right mind, having been brainwashed by Mad Hatter and thus having few to no qualms about harming his adopted son. Nightwing, on the other hand, would be less inclined to fight at his full potential in a battle withBatman, giving the latter yet another advantage.
