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Some of the joys of being a comic book fan is the never-ending debate among your peers as to who would win between two unlikely characters. This is a struggle that at the end of the day plagues a lot of comic book fans since they are religiously devoted and they will do anything to defend the characters that they love most. These hypotheticals can be discussed for hours without anyone necessarily winning the argument and emerging victorious. However, once in a while, a matchup arises that always has a clear answer and a definite winner.

What about Black Panther and Batman? Well, both these characters have a lot in common, and to a keen eye, they would actually come off as the same person. Both these characters dress in black and take it upon themselves to protect their homes. Batman, as well as the Black Panther, are highly skilled and trained vigilantes. However, after a careful review of skills, combat techniques, and wit, T’Challa is a better super hero compared to Bruce Wayne. While this could be due to the new Black Panther Movie premiering, we have compiled a list of 16 reasons why Black Panther would totally whoop Batman’s butt!

He Is A Good Guy

Well, we all know the saying, nice guys finish last. Bruce Wayne has trust issues. He’s basically an enigma, which makes him a rather hard nut to crack. He is always closing himself off to people who are rather close to him. Everyone is usually at arm's length, and he will hide a lot of things from his buddies at Justice League, which often makes him come off as disrespectful and very irritating. T’Challa is also a serious person. However, it never comes at the expense of his relationships with those that are around him. He is an outsider to most of his friends, but this fact never lets him close himself off. He gets respect and gives it back with both hands. He has even been seen to admit his wrongs, when he offered protection to Steve Rogers and his friends after fighting them in Captain America: Civil War.

His Tech Is More Advanced

Well, if you come from Gotham, you know that Batman isn’t short of the infinite amount of special weapons that help him fight crime within the city. With all his money, he could easily get what he wants. His Batmobiles, electric discharge guns, batwings, metal suits, there’s clearly nothing that isn’t at his disposal. However, most of this gadgets are disposable. They have limits and weaknesses, and they can be destroyed. Black Panther has his own tools, considerably less though. He’s got claws, and a stealth jet that lets him trail Iron man undetected. This is because all that King T’Challa has in his arsenal is made out of a very powerful metal known as Vibranium, which is an extremely durable material that’s seemingly indestructible and shock-absorbent. This is something that Batman’s arsenal can’t get through, no matter what he decides to hit it with. With this Black Panther would totally defeat Batman.

He Has The Power To Lead Entire Nations

The Black Panther has the resources and the people of Wakanda to back him up. They love and respect him making T’Challa capable of a myriad of things, and the least is being able to defy entire nations when he is not in agreement with them. In "Secret Empire", where Captain America led the Hydra to seize the US, T’Challa, as the King of Wakanda, was the first to reject Hydra’s authority while the UN watched. He stood by his sentiments. In Captain America: Civil War, he decided to safeguard Bucky Barnes, while he was aware that he was wanted for criminal charges. He even went ahead and challenged anyone to dare come get him. Batman is undoubtedly an eternal fighter. However, T’Challa is a unique power, that doesn’t emanate from his paws, but down from his feet. He is known to stand his ground, like a true leader.

Black Panther Doesn’t Need To Hide His Identity

At the helm of the Batman mythology, there is the duality between the Dark Knight and Bruce Wayne. You will notice there is a mask that hides his identity, and like Spiderman, this is a secret that he hides from everyone apart from very close individuals within his circle. It would be peculiar to see Batman take off his mask in broad daylight. We hope his insecurities one day will help him achieve trust. But, on the other hand T’Challa is both sovereign and the protector of Wakanda. He is the hero and the king while in and out of his costume. He is not afraid to show his identity as was seen in Captain America; Civil War when he unmasked in front of government officials. He doesn’t need to hide his real identity because there is no use for it. While hiding his face doesn’t necessarily make him less powerful, it makes him more vulnerable.

One Amazing Suit

How many suits do you think Batman has? Well, if you have been following keenly he has one suit for every occasion. Whether it’s visiting the Apokolips, going into the heart of a volcano or even when fighting a bunch of undead talons. With this trend, Batman almost has as many suits as Ironman, and we all know it’s not a couple. So how many suits do you think Black Panther needs? In case you are curious, not a lot, just one. King T’Challa does not need to have a million variations of his suit to be a good fighter. The Black Panther doesn’t need to prepare for anything because his journey to the throne has taught him always to be prepared. To be precise and clear, King T’Challa doesn’t need a closet of fancy suits, he just needs one suit, his Virbanium suit and he is good to go. His suit is simple and elegant.

Zero Trust Issues

Batman is famous simply because of one reason; he is always prepared for whatever might befall him. He is fearless, agile and super aggressive. He has a weapon for every enemy or superhero he encounters. It won’t matter if it is Superman, Spiderman, The Hulk, Flash or even Mr. Freeze, Batman always has a plan to deal with them. He is a very calculative character, which explains why he hardly ever loses a fight. If you have read Endgame, you understand Batman can take down every single member of the Avengers. This hinges on his cynicism and trust issues. On the other side, Black Panther knows how to trust, and his allies can trust him too. He is known to trust, whether it’s his family or allies in the Avengers. This makes him a much better leader, and ally. Black Panther believes in making connections, while at the same time trusting your assets. This has proven useful in all his missions.

Black Panther Is Not Petty

Well, if you haven’t met Batman, get this from me, he is the king of infighting and squabbles. He will fight anyone at the slightest provocation. Don’t ask me how I found out, he likes his privacy. He once had to break Guy Gardner's face (he definitely deserved it) or there's his enmity with Hal Jordan. Batman has an ego problem that sadly at times gets in the way of what is really important. In Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther had to side with Tony Shark, not because they are the best of buddies but because he had to achieve his objective; it was a means to an end. Disputes between the Avengers didn't bother him, he was only focused on avenging his father’s death. His focus is his key asset and he doesn’t hesitate to use it.

The Infinity Gauntlet

Both Batman and Black Panther have amazing skills and techniques, both of them have saved the world countless times, and both of these superheroes defeated daunting villains when the odds were stacked against them. They are both leaders in their own class, and frankly, most people would rank them as equals. However, that’s just chitchat, when it boils down to it, no one comes close to Black Panther. If you have read "Secret Wars", T’Challa proved that he could be trusted with the Infinity Gauntlet, which was saved from the remnants of a destroyed universe. While such a weapon in the wrong hand is used for world destruction and corruption, Black Panther is the only character that has used it to fight against the God Doom. If it came to it, Black Panther wouldn’t even have to use the Infinity Gauntlet to finish Batman.

 The Batman Family Vs. Dora Milaje

Batman, as well as Black Panther, are surrounded by a team of allies who they occasionally fight side by side. In the comic world, having allies is a positive thing. Don’t get confused, we are not referring to the Avengers or the Justice League, but the Bat family that consists of Robin, Batgirl and Nightwing. Black Panther has the Dora Milaje, who are the female warriors that make up the King’s Guard, and a bunch of fierce African warriors that rank among the best in the world. The Dora Milaje are devoted to their King, and while the Bat-family would give them a run for their money, the Dora Milaje are stronger and more powerful compared to the Bat family. The Mijale warriors are born to fight, and every bit of their DNA is forged for combat, while the Bat Family would perish in seconds if they had to face the Milaje.

Earned Titles Through Trials

It’s obvious that Bruce Wayne created the persona of Batman, spending a lot of years abroad training and learning all his skills. He traveled the world, absorbing every bit of knowledge he could use on his conquest. Once he had acquired all that he desired he returned home to Gotham City to start fighting crime and protecting the people of Gotham City. On the other hand, King T’Challa also had to go through rigorous training, but he did not go off to create his own persona. The Black Panther is just a title in his country of origin, and to earn his title he had to go through many Wakanda rituals and trials. The Black Panther title wasn’t his birthright, he had to fight for it. Otherwise it would have fallen on anyone. Instead of sneaking from one place to another, King T’Challa stood his ground and earned the name he deserved, the Black Panther.

He Is Not Vengeance Oriented

How was Batman born? Well, Batman was born when Bruce Wayne was just a child, and his parents were murdered in a dark alley. For him this was a chance at vengeance that propelled him to fight crime all his life, his vengeance is a fire that fuels his every move, a need that he simply cannot let go of because that is what his tragic loss made him into. Black Panther also suffered such a loss. His dad, T’Chaka, was killed on a revenge hunt. However, when it was time to avenge his father’s death on Captain America: Civil War, he chose to let it go and spared Zemo, a man who was responsible for the death of his father. He stood his ground and did not let vengeance consume him. Well, that is something that Batman would never do.

Walks In Daylight

Batman is nocturnal, or for lack of a better word, a creature of the night. He operates under cover of darkness, and he uses his greatest asset, shadows, to strike fear on his enemies and criminals. Makes me wonder sometimes who fights daylight crimes in Gotham. There are a few occasions when Batman has been seen during sunset, but you had to find him perched up on a skyscraper at noon like the gargoyles. Black Panther, on the other hand, doesn’t have this kind of limit. He is a creature on the hunt, and it doesn’t matter what time of the day it is. He will serve and protect his interest at whatever time of the day or night. He has no limits, making him a much better fighter and character as compared to Batman. Batman is undependable, secretive, nocturnal, with trust issues, he can never match up to Black Panther with such qualities.

He Is Powerful During Combat

Whether it’s the “one rule” that was established in The Dark Knight or the absolute code that he abides by in the comics, Batman never kills criminals. And it doesn’t matter what they have done, he simply won't do it, no matter the situation. What he preaches is that killing his enemies doesn’t make him any better. We all know the Joker will break out of Arkham and go on another killing spree, thanks to the “one rule.” However, Black Panther has no such rule, and if were up to him, the Joker would be dead. He even judges it to be the safest way to deal with your enemies. He will not hesitate to end a life when provoked. This is a line that he is willing to cross, Batman needs to borrow a leaf if he doesn’t want to live his life looking back on his shoulders.

Black Panther Is Not Infallible

If you have been a fan of Batman over the years, then you know by now that he is one of the very few undefeated comic characters. In fact, he is undefeated. Batman could almost get out of any situation; he has been made into a sort of Bat-God. He is indestructible, making him invisible to his fans all over the world. Ask any Batman fan and they will tell you he could win against God. Explains why he doesn’t kill criminals, he might be looking for his match. That is both commendable but also rather hubristic, which might lead to his demise. Black Panther, on the other hand, is far from infallible. He definitely has weaknesses and is able to lose to his enemies, which makes him real. He once lost control of his entire kingdom. This actually makes Black Panther a much better character as compared to Batman.

Avid Hunter And Fighter

Looking through a whole list of comic book characters, Black Panther clearly stands out as an accomplished fighter in Marvelverse, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s in movies or even in the comics. He can hold his own when it comes to Doctor Doom, and even gets the best out of Namor, and well, we all know he poses a great threat to Captain America. Being a panther gives him a variety of skills that include hunting, tracking, and fighting. This skills should come in handy if he ever were to go against Batman. And while Batman would also be as prepared as he can, T’Challa poses a greater threat to Batman than Black Panther does. His accurate tracking skills would no doubt have the element of surprise on Batman. Batman is no doubt a strong fighter, but Black Panther is faster and more agile. There’s no way a bat will win a fight against a cat.

Black Panther Is The King

Whether he is wearing his suit or not, T’Challa is King. Therefore, whether he has his title stripped from him or not, he is still king. His focus is to fight for Wakanda above everything else, for its beauty and the loving people. He will not care if most of his Kingdom turns their back on him, he will still fight for them. On the other hand, Batman is not a king; he is a vigilante. He may be as powerful as any god-like superhero in the Marvel Universe, but at the end of the day, he has no throne, but a bat cave to hang in. As much as he is the protector of Gotham City, The Black Panther is a sovereign ruler of the Wakanda people. Batman cannot compare himself to the sovereignty of such a king.

Sources: time.com, cbr.com,  themarysue.com