Hello again, everyone! I’m back! Last week, I published a ranking of all 16 episodes of the “Indie Era” of Death Battle, and your response to it has been most welcome. Thanks for weighing in and sharing your own fun memories and feelings about these episodes. Now, though, I’m about to dig into a key element of what makes Death Battle so special: its tracks. Granted, at first, they couldn’t make custom music for their episodes, but they’ve come a long way, and with the first “indie year” done, it’s time to break down “The Best Death Battle Tracks Ever!”
Now, yes, I acknowledge that’s quite a statement. How does one compile a list of “The Best Death Battle Tracks Ever,” when there’s a LOT to listen to since they started making custom beats? So, before I start, here are a few “rules/criteria” for the list:
- While I am the one structuring the list and “putting them in certain spots,” especially the top listings, this list was heavily influenced by the Death Battle community. I went onto multiple channels (including ones on Discord and YouTube) to get their picks/selections, and the variety of suggestions was impressive.
- The song itself has to stand on its own. What does that mean? It means that the track is so good that you’re willing to jam to it even WITHOUT seeing the battle animation. This is about the tracks, not the episodes they’re attached to.
- If they DID elevate the episode/fight animation, that gets them bonus points.
- Given that certain tracks were “remastered” later on (as some of these picks are from older seasons), the remasters can be taken into consideration over the OG tracks.
All good? Sweet. Before we start, I do want to give a shoutout to the tracks that DIDN’T make the cut…
HONORABLE MENTIONS
As I said, I polled the DB community to see what tracks they loved the most. I already had an idea of some of the tracks that I would put in, but once I asked the community, I had a LOT of tracks I needed to listen to once more to see if they would “make the cut” or not.
While I didn’t get to add every community mention, I will give a shoutout to the ones that didn’t make the main list here, so you can have some extra music to listen to!
Community Shout-Out Picks Include: Neon Ash, Requiem For A Thief, All-Consuming, Mega Mania, Change X of X Heart, Chorus of Carnage, God’s Hand, Strongest Alive, Dragon Dance, Hearts of Light, Skin Deep, That’s No Moon, and Solid State Invincible.
SPECIAL HONORABLE MENTION!!!! – Discordant Decipher
*Checks notes* Wait…I didn’t have this on the list…what’s going on here???
*Todd gets possessed by Bill*
Bill Cipher: “Ahahahahaha!!!! We’ll take it from here, you hack!”
*Discord shows up*
Discord: “Indeed! It’s not our fault that your so-called “polls” didn’t have our incredible rap track, “Discordant Decipher” on here! This is an all-time classic song, and battle, after all…not the least of which is because of my epic disses of my triangular rival…”
Bill Cipher: “Oh, can it! We all know the REAL reason this should be on this list is that it’s unlike anything Death Battle has done before, or since! We did backward lyrics! The track art is ever-changing! Plus, we did an actual rap battle as a battle track!”
Discord: Well, “we” might be a bit strong, as it was Mr. Brandon that did the singing for you… Did you have to make a deal to make that happen? *evil laughter*”
Bill Cipher: “That’s it!”
*Bill leaves Todd and attacks Discord, opening a portal and sending them away.*
Ow… What’s going on? Oh, right, let’s start the official “Best Death Battle Tracks Ever” countdown!
#15 – Alive
I’m going to start this list with one you probably didn’t expect, even though it’s arguably one of the most important tracks in Death Battle history, if not THE most important. Why is that? That’s because this is the track where we got introduced…to Brandon Yates.
During and before the period of Goku vs. Superman 2, to my knowledge, at least, Death Battle never really did custom tracks. They sourced whatever music they could, or even used already published music that they felt “fit” the battle animation itself. It worked, for the most part. When GVS2 hit, they decided to bring in Brandon (who knew animator Torrian Crawford), and everything changed.
Another irony of this one is that, technically, you never fully heard “Alive” in the battle, as they only did certain sections for the battle itself. However, recently, Brandon put out the 10th anniversary edition of “Alive,” and the thing is freaking peak. That’s the version above. Plus, this is the track that got us the classic line “Watch Me Come Alive,” which was used in NUMEROUS tracks later on.
In fact, the song itself was so amazing that it got Brandon Yates not just one job…but several.
If you didn’t know (or didn’t see certain ads on key Death Battle episodes), Brandon does custom tracks for the DB Community. I even had one commissioned a long time ago.
Some have even been so incredible that they themselves got “remixed” into an official track once the fan-suggested battle happened.
Without “Alive,” we don’t have Brandon Yates, and without Brandon Yates, some of the most incredible tracks ever don’t get made. Thus, it’s only fair I put it on this list to start out, because its impact is still being felt.
#14 – Four Fist Death Punch
…am I putting “Four Fist Death Punch” because I had Goro vs. Machamp on my last list of “Best Death Battle Episodes?” Well…it helps, but it wasn’t the only reason. A LOT of people in the community suggested this track, and after re-listening to it, I fully remembered why it was so awesome.
This track was made by the other key composer for Death Battle, Therewolf Media, and they’ve crushed it on numerous tracks, including many you’ll see in the entries to come.
What separates this one from the pack is that Therewolf perfectly blended the styles of Pokémon and Mortal Kombat together to make a fast-paced, no-holds-barred beatdown of a musical ensemble that you’ll want to keep going. I loved all the references to the Pokémon games, while also doing some serious beats when it was Goro’s time to shine.
I also feel the track is a good one to show off simply because this is solely an instrumental track, versus many others on this list that have lyrics. Both Brandon and Therewolf have done great instrumental tracks (including some you can hear in the “Honorable Mentions” section), and those deserve just as much respect.
This remains one of my favorite episodes ever, and I’m glad that its track has gotten a lot of love from the community, too.
#13 – Infection Perfection
One thing I wanted to highlight in this list isn’t just the great music that has been made by Brandon and Therewolf, but that they’ve been making bangers since pretty much when they started. One that you might have forgotten from Brandon’s arsenal is “Infection Perfection,” which was done for Ultron vs. Sigma.
The song hits hard and perfectly fits the “robotic aesthetic” that the fight was all about in both the beats and the lyrics. The line “Product Of A Digital Mind” gets stuck in your head very easily, and the rest of the lyrics build upon that, highlighting the desires of Ultron and Sigma to rule everything.
Arguably, my favorite part of the song is the heavy “bom bom” riffs that hit in key sections. It lets you know that things are really going down.
A lot of Death Battle fans still dig this song…and Brandon…if you’re reading this…they’d love a remaster…
#12 – Hedge Of Tomorrow
Yeah, this is a classic among the DB community, and while I personally forgot about this track, it took only one listen to make me see what everyone else heard with it.
This track was for Dragon Ball Heroes Trunks vs. Archie Silver. Trust me, it makes sense when you watch the episode.
What’s special about this track compared to the three I’ve already shown you is that this is the first (of many) tracks where Brandon brought in an extra vocalist to help jam out with him. Logan Adams (with Brandon as the backup voice) totally crushed this song, and when you really hear the lyrics, you’ll see that this is arguably one of the saddest tracks in Death Battle history.
It’s very much about how Trunks and Silver are from doomed timelines and that they’re willing to risk it all, even themselves, to try and make a better future for all they know and love. It’s a beautifully tragic track that clearly spoke to viewers, and that makes it worthy of this list.
#11 – Ikari
I am a proud fan of the Hulk vs. Broly Death Battle, and as I noted in a previous all-time list, one of the reasons that fight rocked so hard was because of the track “Ikari.” You might have thought that since the battle was about “angry boys” that they’d do something incredibly loud, like death metal.
Instead, Ikari was done very much in the style of anime, with it having an ebb and flow to the intensity of the moments and beats. Plus, the whole thing is almost entirely Japanese, which adds a certain “flair” to it that only certain other tracks in DB history have done.
In many ways, you could argue that the song isn’t about anger, but about the building of it. After all, the point of Hulk and Broly’s strength isn’t just that they’re “naturally strong,” but that they get stronger the angrier they become. The song plays on that, and the battle animation works perfectly with the song because of it.
#10 – Hell’s Angels
*Spawn appears* “Welcome to Hell, motherf–”
No, none of that here, Mr. David! We all saw what happened on YouTube when you said that line. *ahem*
As I enter the top ten, it’s fair to say that every track that’s left goes that “extra level” to stand out from everything that came out before it. “Hell’s Angels” is an excellent example of that because this song…just GOES SO HARD!!!
The beat alone is enough to get you jamming, but then you add in Brandon’s lyrics and see why this ascended up the list. (Get it?)
I personally loved the line, “I’m a ghost spawned from the darkest black!” as well as the various references to how Ghost Rider and Spawn are mirror images to one another, and that they’re going to keep doing what they’re doing…because they know what they’re doing is right…even if it hurts them in the process.
Truly, this is a song I could play on repeat and not get bored, and that line of thought continues as we go to our next tracks.
#9 – Fireborn
This next track is very special to me, and for a very simple reason: I’m in it. Yes, really.
You see, The Chosen Undead vs. Dragonborn (aka Dark Souls vs. Skyrim) had been requested for a long time, and when Brandon Yates got the tap to do the track, he wanted to really make it “invoke the feeling” from both games. So, he called upon the Death Battle Community to come together to make a choir that would sing the track alongside him.
I was lucky enough to be a part of that choir…
^see? There I am, among the many other great members of the Death Battle Choir. It was truly a blast to sing this with everyone, and Brandon did a great job compiling all of our voices (as we all had to record separately for logistics reasons) to make us sound like a truly unified group.
Then, there’s just the “vibe” of the song. “Fireborn” really feels like a track that would be sung as a retelling of the clash between these two. Something you would serenade others with around a campfire. Like certain other songs on this list, it doesn’t feel like any other track Death Battle has done before, and that makes it special.
Every time I listen to it, I’m filled with the desire to do something epic, and like with many of the great DB tracks I’m listing here, I can easily picture the fight, even without seeing the animation.
This was a true honor for everyone in the choir, and we did have a “return” of sorts via “Halo To Hell,” where we did the “oooooo” chorus. Hopefully, we’ll get to come back for a third time and wow you all once again.
(Also, if you want to hear our voices better, here’s the A Capella Version!)
#8 – The Devil Inside
Heading into the Top 8, you’ll see several songs from the last two full “seasons” of Death Battle, and the reason for that is simple…they cooked REALLY HARD with a lot of these tracks. Starting that trend off is “The Devil Inside,” another absolute banger from Brandon Yates that arguably went WAY HARDER than it should’ve…just like the entire episode of Dante vs. Clive. (Seriously, if you haven’t rewatched that episode recently, or haven’t seen it at all yet, do yourself a solid and do it!)
I could literally gush about this for a while, and make a case for it being a Top 5 track, but like I said, the community’s voice matters here, too, so I’m lowering its ranking just a bit.
A great song, though, is one that can get stuck in your head easily, and “The Devil Inside” does that on many levels, including with its main chorus:
“My mind keeps on sinking deeper
Revenge bringing hell to heel
A weapon that controls its wielder
Prepare to face the weakness of your will
So good!!! The music perfectly flows with Brandon’s words and vocals, and that’s just one part of the song!!! Another thing I dig is that the track plays with the tempo quite a bit. It starts really slow, then cranks up the speed, slows down for the chorus, cranks it back up, and almost leaves you breathless as you go through the changes.
When you add this incredible beat to the insane animation that Torrian and his team did, you can see why this was a standout battle of the “Indie Era.”
#7 – Mighty
As I noted in my “Best Episodes Of The Indie Era” list, you sometimes have to let Death Battle surprise you with the matches it does, especially for their season finales. All Might vs. Might Guy might not have seemed like a “Season Finale Worthy” episode at first, but once the animation played, and “Mighty” was heard, we all knew it deserved that honor.
A key thing about this episode is that this was one of the times where Therewolf Media & Brandon Yates teamed up to make an even cooler track! So, what kind of “Best Death Battle Tracks Ever” list would this be if we didn’t honor their legendary collab?
Aside from being a totally fun beat to listen to, “Mighty” stands out because it really is a positive track about two heroes who know that they have the “weight of the world on their shoulders,” and they’re willing to carry that load for the next generation. Plus, it also highlights their acknowledgement of how they’re both on “borrowed time” in different ways…but that won’t stop them:
“There’s an era approaching when I’ll
When I’ll have to pass on the torch
When you’ll follow in these steps
On the path that I’ve scorched
There’ll come a time when I’m wearing down
But you can rest assured
That isn’t now!”
By the time you get to the end, which goes full instrumental, you’re already pumped to oblivion, and then you go “PLUS ULTRA” for a little bit more.
Best arm wrestling contest song, ever!
#6 – Millennial Monsters
What’s that? Two epic collaboration tracks back-to-back? Why not? I know some of you will be mad that “Millennial Monsters” isn’t in the Top 5, and trust me when I say a LOT of community members noted that this track is “Peak,” and that’s why it got so high on this list, and yes, you could easily swap around from the top six listings and no one would fault you. Some may cry out “recency bias” for it being so beloved, since Ash vs. Yugi was the recent “finale” for 2025’s lineup, but just because it’s recent doesn’t mean it doesn’t rock hard.
So, what makes this track so great in fans’ minds? Well, it didn’t hurt that Brandon Yates spent literal MONTHS trying to get the one and only Jason Paige to sing the song! Yes, THAT Jason Paige. The guy who sang the all-time classic OG Pokémon theme song! We got him in Death Battle!!! What a world we live in.
I’ll break it down like this : this track speaks to my childhood…and to many community members’ childhoods. There was a reason that Ash/Yugi was one of the most requested fights in DB history, and so the song had to sing about them, while honoring all they did, and that’s exactly what the trio cooked up, like with this verse that definitely speaks for both Ash and Yugi:
“Been at the top of this game so long
They’ve carved my name in every hall of the strong
Walk on the path that prophecy foresaw
(Those proven worthy to fight alongside the gods)”
…followed up by this great verse…
A master of my legacy
Legendary, I know you know me
Are you still seeking that power inside?
And every hard won victory
Every word you heard made history
Who on earth could challenge me?
Still searching far and wide
Yeah, they crushed this song, and they cut it perfectly for the battle animation so that the song would back up the key moments to add even more impact.
These two really were “The voice of a generation,” and while only one was crowned king, this song helped create the best duel ever.
Also, shoutout to AwesomeEthan48 for the cover art for this epic track (his first official one for the Death Battle team!), and for giving this list a look! I loved our chats about the songs!
#5 – Spiral of Emotion
For those “in the know,” I teased this song early in this list, and now, at last, it’s time to talk about it. As I mentioned, Brandon Yates has done a LOT of commissions over the years, and one of the ones he did was “Will of the Drill.” The battle was for Simon the Digger vs. Kyle Rayner, and from the moment the song came out, many considered it one of Brandon’s best tracks. Thus, he not only did a music version, a vocal version, and the 10th anniversary edition that I linked earlier, but when we finally got the Death Battle to happen, EVERYONE knew that “Will of the Drill” had to be used. Or, at least, some version of it.
So, naturally, Brandon took his prized song, remixed it, expanded the lyrics…and made an arguably even more epic track. Seriously, the song speaks for itself, and it’s honestly really inspiring, including using Simon’s and Kyle’s lines for the audience not to give up on themselves, like with:
“Have faith in the you that believes in yourself”
…and later on with…
“Where there is life, there is hope”
Don’t get me wrong, the song also highlights the incredible power that these two have, including “aiming higher than you can conceive,” as these two break all manner of realities with their powers.
In many ways, this is a track that was “destined” to happen, and the community, with Brandon’s help, willed it to happen. So, the next time you’re feeling down and hopeless, pop this track on…AND LET’S SEE YOU GRIT THOSE TEETH!!!
#4 – Death In Bloom
…why are you asking me if I’m crying…? Yes, I am, dang it! I love this song!
“Death In Bloom” is special on many fronts, even compared to all the tracks that I’ve broken down so far. First off, it was for Ruby vs. Maka, which was the 200th episode of Death Battle. Second, the song was made by Brandon Yates, but it was sung by Casey Lee Williams and Mirea Sheltzs. That first name might sound familiar to some of you, as Casey was the vocalist for many famous RWBY tracks!
That, mixed with the fun jumping between English and Japanese lyrics, gave the song a style that I’d wager can’t be matched by any other track on this list. Finally, and this is something I noted on my last list, I feel that this track was a true tribute to Monty Oum, highlighted by the line that indeed makes me cry:
“I wish that you could see me now!”
Yeah, that always gets me, as do the rest of the lyrics, trying to weave the delicate line between hope and uncertainty, which is a key thing in both RWBY and Soul Eater. Now, if you’re listening to the track and go, “Wait, why does this feel different from the battle?” That would be because there was a piano added to the battle track to go along with Soul playing during the fight. That’s the “Adagio Edition,” which you can hear below:
Personally, I dig the Adagio Edition a little more for the extra “kick” the piano track gives. Either way, it’s an epic track, and I’m glad the song shines just as brightly as the episode itself.
#3 – Wings Of Iron
Yes, I know many of you were waiting on this one. No list of the “Best Death Battle Tracks Ever” would be complete without “Wings of Iron,” if for no other reason than the Death Battle crew itself has stated numerous times over that this may be their favorite track, and they often use the song to open up their Cast whenever possible.
It also shows the staying power of this track, when you consider that Optimus Prime vs. Gundam was made over 7 years ago! So, why is this track so high when both Therewolf Media and Brandon Yates have clearly cooked in the many years since then?
Putting it simply, it feels like it belongs in The Transformers Movie. Ben Singer and Chad James asked Therewolf to go “full ’80s” with the track, and Therewolf took that to the farthest possible reaches, going “peak” in the process.
Honestly, when you hear the high notes of the track, you know you’re listening to something peak. Sure, it’s not as “lyrically deep” as some of the other tracks on this list, but not all tracks have to have the deepest lyrics, as I highlighted early on. This track got stuck in people’s heads, including the Death Battle team’s heads, and it’s been stuck there ever since.
#2 – Game Over
“BEHOLD THE KING!!!!!!!!”
Look, when Death Battle had that very scary “hiatus” after the fall of Rooster Teeth, even after the Kickstarter was successful, we all likely wondered just how “back” they were going to be. Just how much would they be able to “cook” with just the funds that fans gave them, and whatever sponsors they could get in their new “indie era.”
The first two episodes, Omni-Man/Bardock and Joker/Giornio, were good, if not great, with great tracks to match. But once we got Bowser vs. Eggman, we all knew that everything would be okay, and “Game Over” helped solidify that.
This track was just straight-up Brandon and his friends cooking up something special and not being afraid to crank it up to 11 and beyond. Seriously, this is probably my personal favorite Death Battle track because of how hard it hits. Unlike other tracks that try to give a certain “vibe” and speak about the characters in fun ways…Game Over is about two of the most egotistical villains in video game history saying they’re going to win and that the other is about to bow before them.
Behold the king,
Annihilating everything In a sea of flames!
With these machines,
Fabricate a new reality In resemblance of me!
That’s a great chorus, and the rest of the lyrics back up that intensity. When added to the incredible battle animation that Moro created, you can see why this was my No.1 episode of the “Indie Era,” and with almost 5.5 million listens on YouTube (I don’t even know how well it’s done everywhere else…but it’s likely just as huge!), it’s easily the most listened to Death Battle track.
… kind of makes you wonder what can top that, right?
#1 – Super
Eh, call this the “sentimental favorite,” but between me, the various community members I asked opinions of, and the DB crew itself, “Super” deserves the top spot because of what it MEANS to this show as a whole, and it deserves the top spot on the “Best Death Battle Tracks Ever” list.
On the surface, you might think it’s on there because it’s the “encapsulation” of the Goku vs. Superman rivalry, which helped elevate DB to new heights when the first two episodes in the trilogy came out. However, it’s a little more nuanced than that.
Ben Singer personally took the lead on this episode to ensure that EVERYTHING that could be taken into account would be. That was a monumental task for both him and the research team, including one member reading EVERY Superman comic ever to ensure they didn’t miss anything. Just as important, though, was to show that this fight had “evolved” from when they did the first two “takes” on the match, and the song reflected that:
“Just saiyan, it’s okay
Doesn’t matter who wins anyway
Test our selves, a bond in battle
Men of steel, we’re not that fragile!
This was a message not just for Goku and Superman, but to all of us. As Boomstick noted at the end of the fight, “they’ll be debating this forever.” So, why not go full-tilt to see who was the strongest at this point in time?
The lyrics told a fun tale of two guys who were put into complicated roles, and yet, when they’re facing one another, it’s just about what’s in front of them. They’re not afraid to cut loose now, and in the end, they’ll still keep going because they know there’s someone else like them out there, ready to push them even further.
Yet, there’s one more key thing that has to be addressed with “Super.” As admitted by various members of the team, when this episode was being made, they could see the “writing on the wall” that Death Battle, via Rooster Teeth, might be shut down. Thus, the entire team poured everything into the battle, and Brandon with the song, to make sure it was as peak as possible, so that THIS could be their true crescendo. Hence, the line…
In this moment there is no space or time
In this moment there is only you and I
In this moment we are free
Watch me come alive!
That beat is so powerful, and the song so important with it, that when Death Battle announced their Kickstarter well over a year ago, THIS was the track they used to announce it. Because in that moment, after so much uncertainty and wondering about the future…they were free…and for about 16 months now, we’ve watched them come alive in a whole new way.
…I’d say that’s enough to earn this track the top spot, don’t you?
Thus ends this list of “The Best Death Battle Tracks Ever!!!” Did you like the list? Did YOUR favorite make the cut? What ones did YOU think should’ve made the list, or been ranked higher? Feel free to talk with me about it on Blue Sky or Twitter (or the Death Battle Discord, if you’re there!).
So, what’s next? That would be the “Most Epic Moments In Death Battle History!” If you have some you’d like considered for the list, let me know!
