Hello! Justin here and welcome to the Otaku Mind where today we’re celebrating Death Battle who just completed 200 death battles. For years the team behind Death Battle have given us memorable battles featuring our favorite heroes, villains, game and anime characters. Even if you don’t fully agree with the outcome there’s no denying that the fights are fun to watch, have great animation and music, and interesting analysis. The group just seems to be getting better with each video, and ever since they’ve gone independent the quality of their videos has improved greatly. A few years ago I celebrated their 100th battle by doing a list naming my top 11 so why not do it again for battles 101-200? I’m Justin and it’s time for death battttttttllllllle~ top 11 list, again.
Honorable Mentions
Before getting to the list here are a few honorable mentions that were just shy of making the list but still deserve a shoutout: Roshi vs Jiraya, Weiss vs Mitsuru, Gray vs Esdeath, Obi-wan vs Kakashi, Danny Phantom vs Jake Long, Sauske vs Hiei, Heihachi Mishima VS Geese Howard, Yoda vs King Mickey, Magneto vs Tetsuo, James Bond vs John Wick, and Guts vs Dimitri. Alright, let’s get to the list and I’ll do my best not to spoil any fights.
#11. Omni-Man vs Homelander
At a time when depicting superheroes in realistic settings were on the rise, Invincible and The Boys stood at the top thanks to not being afraid to get down and gory and present us with two characters who wanted to see get their asses kicked. These two Superman clones may be the most violent people in their universes and aren’t afraid to inflict that violence on each other and kill in the most brutal way possible. While the winner is predictable it’s still a fun fight to watch and it’s nice to see one of them get what they deserve. Also, it was funny seeing both Twitter accounts of Invincible and The Boys root for Omni-Man.
#10. Winter Soldier vs Red Hood
Back in the day, Death Battle experimented by using live-action death battles. While there’s only been two so far and it seems like there are no plans for more, the second one is by far their best work. The cinematography and choreography of this fight is amazing with both actors playing their roles excellently and looking like the characters from the comics. They never take their foot off the pedal when it comes to the tension and as the fight goes on both characters battle not only each other but their past trauma as well. The only real downside is the ending is weak. They were doing everything right until that ending.
#9. Master Chief vs Doom Slayer
A rematch from one of their earliest videos. The comparison between Chief and the Slayer has been going on for years. While the first battle seemed a little rush and of low quality, this battle gives both fighters a chance to go all out and leave no room in anyone mind’s who the superior fighter is. Once again, this is another fight that’s predictable but still good to see because of the arsenal these two have access to and how much we love both characters.
#8. Beerus vs Sailor Galaxia
Two iconic characters from two iconic shows going at it because one destroyed the other’s favorite snack. What more could you expect from world destroyers. While the fight has its fair share of humorous moments it doesn’t forget to show just how powerful and dangerous these characters are and why they’re so feared in their respective shows. It’s a fight that feels like it could have gone either way on the surface, but when you analyze what each one is capable of doing and the training they’ve gone through to reach the level their at, it becomes clear who the strongest is and why they won.
#7. Sanji vs Rock Lee
A battle between the two of the Big 3 is always going to end in controversy, but I don’t think anybody can deny the results of this death battle. The fight is fast and furious as these two let their feet do the fighting for them and give us a hard hitting fight. What makes this fight even more mucky is that it’s using old data. A month after this fight came out we saw Sanji get two powerful upgrades that not only made him stronger but solidified that even if they were to run this fight back, the results would not only be the same but the fight would be a lot quicker. I love Rock Lee with all my heart, but Sanji is my man. Don’t ever diss another man’s cooking.
#6. Gojo vs Makima
It’s always funny when two fandoms can put their differences aside and come together for a character’s downfall. One of death battle’s craziest fights sees these OP characters go at it in a short but awesome clash. It’s Makima’s arsenal of devils and powers vs Gojo’s abilities and charisma and it doesn’t disappoint on going all out on the craziness that only these two characters can give us.
#5. Joker vs Giorno
Persona and Jojo have a lot of similarities with each other and this battle sees two of their most iconic characters go at it. The soundtrack for this battle is great and has good back and forth between the characters. Just when you think one has the upper hand, the other one is able to use their abilities to counter and gain momentum. In this battle, it’s not about who’s the fastest, strongest, or smartest; it’s about who can stump the other person’s abilities that decides who the winner is. A fun and exciting match where the ending has you on the edge of your seat and you’ll never see it coming.
#4. Ruby vs Maka
It’s a fight we’ve all been waiting for. People have been crying out for this fight for years. Monty Oum himself asked for this fight. When RWBY first debuted, fans instantly made the comparison between Ruby and Maka and wanted to see these two young ladies go at it. Even though we had to wait, it was worth it as we got a great death battle between two scythe-wielding fighters with exceptional skills, and who we got to see grow before our very eyes. The results are what a lot of people expected to happen, but it still shows a great love, understanding, and appreciation for both characters and what they can do.
#3. Freiza vs Megatron
Ruthless villains bent on universal domination. Freiza and Megatron couldn’t be more alike but different at the same time. It was a battle that was a lot closer than I expected and went way harder than it had any right to. The voice acting in this battle is amazing, a great soundtrack, good CGI, and a fight that exceeds all of my expectations. I was expecting a one-sided affair, but they gave both fighters a chance to show their skills. I’d be open to revisiting this fight down the line.
#2. Ghost Rider vs Spawn
Holy shit, this fight is so 90s. Once again, the fight has phenomenal voice-acting and lines that you would expect each character to say in this situation. The fight does a good job showing off both characters and how powerful each other truly is. There’s also a lot of good fake-outs too. Just when you think one character is done for, they use another power, and when you think one character has the edge, they manage to counter it. The fight is just exciting from beginning to end with cool lines, visuals, and an ending that feels earned. These two may be agents of Hell but by God are they cool to watch.
And number one. . .
#1. Bowser vs Dr. Eggman
Two of the most recognizable villains in videogame history and it’s not just them, it’s their respective armies and allies. This battle gives us the best analysis from the Death Battle team as they go in-depth on both characters, their armies, and abilities to figure out who has the edge in this battle. They also reveal attributes of each character I didn’t notice before, and gave me a new perspective on them. The animation is also fantastic here. It’s a full-on animated fight that deserves all the praise it’s received from everyone online and then some. I honestly like this fight more than the Dante vs Bayonetta fight. It had everything you wanted to see and even showed alternate scenarios showing that even if this character did this it still wouldn’t have changed the outcome in the end. This was one of the fights the team did just as they were going independent, and it’s this fight that convinced me that they’ll be okay and able to stand on their own feet.
And that’s my list. What’s your favorite death battle from 101-200? Let me know in the comments below. Once again, congratulations to the Death Battle team on 200 battles. Thank you for your hard work and dedication and hopefully down the line we can get a character from Shadow Eye on the show. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.