Batman Beyond introduced a new incarnation of Batman, Terry McGinnis, who takes the on the mantle under the mentorship of an older Bruce Wayne. Throughout the show, we got a pretty unique rogues’ gallery that Terry took on. A lot of the fights were brutal and challenging, with an impressive use of gadgets and old tech and weapons from the original Batman: The Animated Series.
Since the release of the HD Remastered Blu-ray last year, Batman Beyond has gained new viewership and fans. While we definitely hope the show gets another season in the future and perhaps an introduction of Terry McGinnis to the silver screen, here are the top 10 fight scenes in the series.
Batman Vs Willie Watt - “Revenant”
Geeky teenage villain Willie Watt makes a return in this episode, now with telekinetic powers. This scene sees Batman struggling to even get close to Willie, as he’s just constantly throwing things at him. Even when Batman finally is able to grab Willie, he still can’t stop him. He’s a lot more powerful than in their previous encounter. Willie, unfortunately, knocks himself out with his powers and finds himself back in jail. It’s a tragic story that closes out an arc that began in season one where Wyatt was really just acting upon his father’s mental abuse towards him. Willie has turned into an irredeemable, but still sympathetic, character.
Batman Vs Blight - “Ascension”
In the season one finale, we see Terry take on the man who killed his father, Derek Powers. This episode kind of paints Terry as a bad guy, as Blight seems to be trying to stay off the grid and is minding his own business when Batman comes to torment him. Still, we can’t blame him for wanting to seek out revenge after finding out this man is still alive and on the loose.
Blight just wants to be left alone at this point, but either way, he’s still a criminal and is responsible for many deaths. Terry causes Powers to go critical and explode. While it’s not much of a fight, it is quite satisfying to see Powers so intimidated by Batman who toys around with him in this scene.
Batman Vs Curaré - “A Touch Of Curaré”
In this action-packed episode, Terry goes up against a vicious assassin named Curare. Her backstory is quite mysterious but her mission is not, as she’s on the hunt to kill Babara Gordon’s husband. Batman is forced into an intense close combat fight against Curare and her razor-sharp sword. His tech proves fairly useless as Curare is able to dodge and predict his strikes. This fight sees Terry getting his butt kicked pretty badly, but with the help of the former Batgirl, he’s able to stop Curare. The fight is pretty intense and definitely one of the most memorable in the series.
Batman vs Superman - “The Call, Part 2”
In this fight, we get to see Terry take on a mind-controlled Superman. While sure, he doesn’t stand a chance against Superman, it’s awesome to see Terry try his hardest. His skills have definitely improved since earlier seasons, and he’s able to help Superman return to his former self.
Terry even uses Kryptonite against Superman which takes him down for a little while. He ends up winning by ripping the mind-controlling alien Starro off of Superman. He’s then able to defeat the evil Superman and save the Justice League. It really shows how Terry is beginning to become as strong and resourceful as his mentor and could even be a worthy member of the league. It’s also great to see a payoff from events teased in Superman: The Animated Series.
Terry vs Batman - “Lost Soul”
What’s Terry without the Batsuit? This episode answers that question as Terry is forced to fight against his suit when it’s possessed by the soul of a computer genius. While being choked, he’s able to outsmart the suit with a power surge and regains control over it. The fight is a ton of fun to watch as we finally get to see the new Batman have to use his own strength and mind to overcome such a powerful piece of technology. It shows just how powerful Terry has become throughout the series, and that he’s truly a superhero with or without the suit.
Batman Vs Shriek - “Shriek”
Shriek is a pretty unique villain that would be another great villain to see on the big screen if we ever got a Batman Beyond film. In this fight, Batman takes on an employee of Powers that uses a suit that manipulates sound. He uses the suit to take away Batman’s ability to rely on sounds around him. He’s still able to stop him with the help of Bruce Wayne’s pup, Ace.
Batman uses Shriek’s sound wave manipulation against him with a trusty Batarang. It’s a unique fight that could have gone extremely badly had Ace not been around. It’s one of the few episodes that feature him.
Batman Vs Spellbinder - “Spellbound”
Another villain that would be great to see in a Batman Beyond film, Spellbinder is an evil psychologist who manipulates kids into doing horrific things. In their battle, Spellbinder is able to manipulate Batman into fighting against virtually created things. Bruce is able to help him fight against what he cannot see until a rock knocks out the camera in his suit. Using his fast reflexes, Batman avoids a rock to the head and is able to apprehend Spellbinder. It’s a quite dark fight with a pretty messed up backstory for the villain.
Batman Vs Talia/Ra’s Al Ghul - “Out Of The Past”
In this very strange episode, Batman fights against Ra’s al Ghul, who has inhabited the body of Talia al Ghul. With the intention of taking over Bruce Wayne’s body, Ra’s manipulates Bruce. He poses as Talia to get Bruce right where he wants him and strikes (even kissing him to try to sell the act).
Using trusty Batarangs and the training he’s received from Bruce, Terry’s able to defeat Ra’s and sets his lair in flames. This puts an end to the Demon’s Head for good. It’s one of the darker episodes in the series but has a pretty unique plot.
Batman Vs The Joker - “Batman Beyond: The Return Of Joker”
Technically this isn’t the Joker, but in a way it sort of is? Confusing but actually sort of cool. In Batman Beyond: The Return of Joker, Terry learns that Tim Drake, the former Robin, has fallen victim to a plot to revive the Joker using his body. In their encounter, Terry is able to get under Joker’s skin by using jokes against him. He’s able to separate himself from the identity of the old Batman by fighting dirty and prying deep into the Joker’s mind. This allows him to put a stop to the clown once and for all. It’s a fight that was fun to see as there aren’t too many classic villains in the series and this one brought a unique spin to the familiar character.
Batman Vs Inque - “Black Out”
Inque, a shapeshifting woman WHO transforms into a liquid almost reminiscent of the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgement Day, was one of the first major villains introduced in Batman Beyond. She’s nearly impossible for Terry to beat and even gets the best of the elder Bruce Wayne. Unable to fight her in close combat and only able to dodge her attacks, Terry gets beat a bunch in this scene. He’s FINALLY able to take her down in style, using Mr. Freeze’s Freeze Gun from the original series. She does appear again in future episodes but this one is definitely more memorable.
