Deathstroke vs. Batman (Batman: Arkham Origins)
In addition to being a master detective and manipulator of fear, Batman is one hell of a martial artist. It’s to be expected, given that he trained under Ra’s al Ghul, but the Arkham games have gone a long way to making his martial arts prowess come through. It’s equal parts gracefully balletic and brutal when watching him punch a thug’s head in, then spin kick over to someone on the other side of the room before delivering punch after punch to another thug’s ribs and finishing him off with a headbutt. A lot of the enemies he goes up against can’t hold a candle to him unless they ape him in size, and those that do match his martial skills eventually fall. Nowhere is this more apparent than when you fight Deathstroke.
If the name Deathstroke sounds familiar, it’s because you may know him better as Slade from the Teen Titans cartoon, or from the second season of Arrow. You know the drill, he was a soldier that underwent military experiments that basically turned him into one of the deadliest killers on the planet (and gave him a rocking beard and eyepatch combo). Since being a killing machine doesn’t offer many job prospects outside of maybe customer service or being a cop, Slade Wilson decided to become a gun for hire instead.
When Batman: Arkham Origins was first revealed, it was done so with a trailer that primarily showed off Batman and Deathstroke going toe to toe with each other. There’s no real winner, since Deadshot interferes long enough for Batman to escape, but it definitely gives players an idea of what to expect when they pick up the game.
Sure enough, Deathstroke is the first real assassin you go up against in the game (Killer Croc doesn’t even fall within the definition of the word, and Electrocutioner is just kind of embarrassing). “The game is already over before it even begins,” Deathstroke says coolly. “I’m not playing games, Slade,” Batman replies. The Bat and the Assassin face off, and while it isn’t as fast and furious as the trailer, it’s still pretty effective. Deathstroke certainly shows why he’s one of the best assassins in the world, especially on higher difficulties. Defeating him doesn’t just gain you the Remote Claw, it helps you feel like you can take anything on that Gotham throws at you. You’re Batman, dammit.
