One of the many reasons I love the web series Death Battle is that in almost every episode, there’s a “moment” that really sticks with you. Even if the episode itself doesn’t hit for you, or if you think it’s the best episode ever, there will be something you like about the episode that you look forward to every time you come back around to it. So, to continue my various features/lists about the show, I decided to make a ranking of “The Most Epic Death Battle Moments Ever!” The title alone may raise questions…so allow me to add context once again.
First and foremost, as with my rankings of the Death Battle tracks, I polled the DB community and had them weigh in on this topic. The response was massive! Just as important, they understood that “The Most Epic Death Battle Moments Ever” didn’t necessarily mean a specific animation or fight, but anything that happened within the episode that clicked with them. It could’ve been a joke in the analysis, a line of dialogue that highlighted how well the team understood a character, or a beat in the animation that took the fight to the next level!
Anything from any part of ANY episode is up for grabs here, and some moments will be “linked” in one entry to further heighten their epicness. I think you’ll be surprised by what gets shown here…and how MANY moments I’m showing here…as the community truly gave me a lot to consider, alongside my own favorite moments that I had to add in. So, shall we start the list?
Honorable Mentions
I really wasn’t kidding when I said that the response to this list was huge. I could’ve easily gone to 30 listings, or more! But I capped it at 25, because that feels like a good “rankings” number. However, I have not forgotten what else was suggested, so here are some of the more numerous picks that the fans made for “The Most Epic Death Battle Moments Ever” list:
- Obito “Saving” Anakin From His Pain (Vader vs. Obito)
- “I AM THE IMPOSSIBLE!” (Beerus vs. Galaxia)
- “I ain’t done!” (Balrog vs. TJ Combo)
- Buffy and Blade Wiping Out The Vampire Rave (Blade vs. Buffy)
- Galactus and Unicorn “Old-School Dialogue” (Galactus vs. Unicron)
- “The Moral Victory?” (SpongeBob vs. Aquaman)
- “Give Him Covering Fire!” (Power Rangers vs. Voltron)
- “I’m no monster, but tonight… I’ll make an exception.” (Jon Talbain vs. Saberwulf)
- Cole Calling Out Alex (Cole MacGrath vs. Alex Mercer)
- “You’re not a man. You’re a pig…so let me hear you squeal!” (Ganondorf vs. Dracula)
- “The Eyes” of Sauron and Lich King (Sauron vs. The Lich King)
- Raiden’s Death (Thor vs. Raiden)
#25 – “What The Hell Are You…?”
If you’re still not “clear” on what I mean by “The Most Epic Death Battle Moments Ever,” I’m going to make that clear right now by talking about one word: Aura.
I hear that word SO MUCH nowadays, and in Death Battle, there are plenty of characters that exude it in the fight animations. However, the one I want to focus on here…is Alucard. Dio vs. Alucard was one of the most anticipated fights of the year when it got confirmed, and the team went full-tilt with the animation, the visual style, the voice acting, and more. For me, though, the thing that nailed the fight was when Alucard started to actually get under the skin of Dio Brando, who had clearly never seen anything like him before.
So, he asked the question… “What the hell are you…?” And then this happened…
THAT…ladies and gentlemen, is aura. And yeah, it’s a moment that sticks with me to this day, despite my not having seen the full episode in a while. Alucard showing “who he really is” for Dio was a treat, and even though he met his demise later on…he showed who was boss in that moment.
#24 – Homelander…DIES!!!
One of the elements of Death Battle as a whole is that people will inevitably be rooting for certain characters/sides of a match. For many, these are the characters that they look up to, idolize, and hold in the highest esteem. No one WANTS to see their favorite characters die in brutal fashion, but we accept that it happens, and we hope that it is at least done a LITTLE tastefully… (Looking at you, Red and Charizard…)
However, if there was ONE CHARACTER that pretty much everyone was happy to see die… it was this guy…
YES! HOMELANDER!!! MAY HE BURN IN HELL!!!!
Homelander may have been a “niche” character in the comics run he was born in, but once The Boys got made on Amazon Prime, EVERYONE knew who he was…and why he had to die painfully. If only we had someone to do that… Maybe someone from a show also on Amazon Prime…and happened to ALSO be a comic book character…maybe…?
Yeah, Omni-Man! He’ll do!
Everyone in the community knew that Homelander was screwed, and we waited with bated breath to see how he would go down…and Nolan decided to “feed him his own heart,” and it was truly beautiful.
…I didn’t want to show the really gory part, so just watch it yourself!
“Catharsis” is a word we don’t use enough in this life, but seeing Homelander humiliated, beaten down, and then destroyed utterly was great, and The Boys’ final season has a huge mountain to climb if they want to top this.
…and if you don’t believe me on the “a lot of people wanted to see him die ” front, the episode has over 15 million views, which is the highest view count for a single episode of the last several years.
“Merry Christmas.”
#23 – The Death Battle Community Becomes A Part Of The Show
That title might confuse you a bit, but I’m going to explain. Promise.
We, the members of the DB Community, have always been “part of the show” in our own way. We are there to watch the episodes and podcasts, to comment on the videos, and, in the case of the Kickstarter, literally bring the show back to life. However, twice before that, there were moments when the community got to “level up” in how the show honored them.
The first came from the Chosen Undead vs. Dragonborn episode, where Brandon Yates asked members of the community to come help him with the track “Fireborn,” and the “Death Battle Choir” was born. The song, needless to say, was epic, and as I noted in my tracks piece, I’m in that choir, and it was a huge honor.
However, that same season, we had another unique thing happen, where during the breakdown of Bill Cipher, the “real name” section of his slide kept “shifting around.”
As fans figured out later, longtime editor DJ Tiki decided to make “word scrambles” of people’s names/social media handles, and you had to freeze frame it to see who it was. It was a lovely Easter Egg that wasn’t expected, and as I was told after the episode aired (and confirmed by DJ), I was one of the ones selected for that as well.
Why this matters is simple: we as fans often wonder “what our impact is,” and whether these creators “actually see us.” Brandon didn’t HAVE to ask for help with the choir, and DJ didn’t NEED to put those fan names in the Billcord episode…but they did it, because they wanted to make us feel special.
Mission accomplished, guys. Thank you so much.
#22 – “You Can’t Touch Me…”
This is one I’m surprised no one else brought up, because this one has always stuck with me from the moment I saw it.
Ace vs. Natsu was the first time we saw One Piece or Fairy Tail in Death Battle, which made it cool on its own. Then, you realized that these are the two “fire wielders” who had insane abilities connected to their fiery powers. Ace was “made of fire,” and Natsu could “eat fire” to heal himself and recharge. So, the question was, “Who could endure the other’s tricks?”
The fight itself also featured animator Luis Cruz doing some full-on 2D drawing references to the anime, including recreating scenes and gestures. Yet, the spot that always gets me is when Natsu fires up (pun intended), goes after Ace, and “whiffs,” with the pirate proclaiming…
Natsu? Your response?
That simple moment resonated with me because it was so simple and elegant. Natsu is a smart fighter, and he knew that he had to get in close to ensure his lightning modes/attacks would kill Ace, and that’s exactly what he did.
On that note, Ace’s death is one of the more brutal ones in DB history. Nice touch, Luis!
#21 – Relying On Their Convictions
Let’s now go to a matchup I put on my first “best Death Battle episodes” list a few years back: Obi-Wan vs. Kakashi.
This matchup still holds up to this day, in my opinion, and remains one of my favorite matchups that DevilArtemis animated, as it highlights the styles and personalities of the two “masters” well. In fact, multiple people in the community requested a different moment from this episode, where Kakashi used his mind jutsu on Obi-Wan to make him think Vader was approaching. “Be mindful of your thoughts, Obi-Wan, they betray you…”
And that was a good moment! But once we get to the climax, where both sides know the end is near, an even greater moment can be found. Because instead of just relying on their powers and abilities, they speak aloud their personal convictions:
That really spoke to me, as it was another instance of Death Battle showing their understanding of the characters and how they’re more than just “action figures to smash together,” as Boomstick would say.
Those beliefs would power them through to the inevitable conclusion, which was just as epic as fans hoped for.
In the end, The Force won, and Obi-Wan’s belief carried him to victory…and with only a hurt rear end to deal with afterwards.
“So uncivilized…”
#20 – Leap Of Faith
Stepping away from dialogue (for now), let’s talk about something else Death Battle does really well: Memorable visuals.
Whether it’s sprite fights, 2D hand-drawn battles, or epic 3D clashes (which I’ve shown all of at this point in the list), the crew does its best to make every episode stand out visually, and yet, sometimes…they outdo themselves, such as in the visual spectacle that was Spider-Man vs. Deku.
As I covered on my rankings list for the indie era, this battle was done by Moro, who is an incredible animator that many fans are happy to see become a regular animator for Death Battle. When he did Miles versus Deku, though, he took things to the next level and delivered a…Marvel…of an animation that blows fans’ minds even now. Multiple members of the community suggested this moment to me, and I can’t blame them, for in the midst of their fight, Miles and Deku took a “leap of faith” at one another, and this was the result:
That’s…just beautiful… In fact, it was so beautiful, they made merch featuring it (and it’s still available now on their website!)
You should still watch the full fight, as there’s plenty to enjoy both visually and animation-wise, but it’s not hard to see why this moment still stands out to many.
#19 – Death Battle Goes Live-Action
Given what I talked about in the last entry, I feel this is important to do here. Another thing that the DB crew loves to do is “push themselves” to do more and “Go Beyond” what they’ve tried in the past, so they don’t become stagnant. Thus, in 2018, for episode 99, they brought in the crew at Ismahawk to do the first-ever…live action Death Battle, a moment and decision that would affect things for years to come…because the episode was that good.
What makes this moment important is precedent, on multiple levels. If this didn’t work out? Or the community “didn’t like it?” They wouldn’t have done it again. There wasn’t just pressure on the DB team to ensure this match “resonated” with everyone, but also pressure on Ismahawk to make it look as professional as possible.
Thankfully, all sides crushed it with Nightwing vs. Daredevil, as everything looked amazing, especially the costumes:
Danny Shepherd, the head of Ismahawk, not only starred as Nightwing but also gave his all to ensure that everything was as tight-knit and epic-looking as possible. He has a clear passion when it comes to doing things like this, and his crew didn’t slouch either.
Another element here is that, like other Death Battles, both characters were represented well here and were truly “in character.” Daredevil had moments where he went “full boxer,” just like his dad. Nightwing was making quips throughout. They did a “battle in darkness” beat, with Nightwing trying to sneak around and Daredevil “seeing him” anyway, and so on.
Without the success of this episode, we wouldn’t have gotten its “sequel” in Winter Soldier vs. Red Hood, or the long-awaited return of Ismahawk in the indie era via Blade vs. Buffy. Both of which were also incredible live-action fights.
When you take risks, they can pay off, and going live-action helped elevate this show further, so that moment of deciding to go this path was definitely the right call.
#18 – The Doctor’s Speech
A constant battle (pun intended) that the DB crew face is to try and ensure each character they bring into the show “acts how they should.” After all, the fanbase has connections with these characters, and having them act “out of character” would strike them as odd. So, the team works hard to prevent that from happening.
In Rick Sanchez vs. The Doctor, we got one of the personifications of this notion, as both combatants absolutely acted as you would expect throughout the fight.
Rick was a jerk and didn’t accept responsibility for his actions. The Doctor was playful, funny, and hesitated to resort to true violence, like using the D-Mat, and then, at the end, Rick had the advantage…and the Doctor had something to say about that…
“I know your type: the nihilist know-it-all. But through all this wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey rubbish, there’s one thing you never quite understood: I’m the Doctor, and I don’t want to go.”
As a Whovian myself (despite recent quality issues…), this felt like something the Doctor would say. Then, it was backed up by the fact that he won the fight by having Rick erase himself from existence, meaning that the Doctor won…without doing a single attack.
That’s Doctor Who incarnate, right there, and fans very much enjoyed this moment, as multiple community members requested it.
Plus, one community member noted, accurately, that the “I don’t want to go” line was first uttered in Doctor Who in the saddest of senses, as David Tennant truly loved the role and was sad when his five-year run was over. In contrast, The Doctor here was using the line to say he didn’t want to go…so he wouldn’t. Classic Doctor.
Allons-y!
#17 – “It’s…No…USE!”
Yeah, you all know this one, right?
This was another highly requested moment from the community, which goes to show how much they loved Trunks vs. Silver’s fight. Not only did they love the battle track “Hedge of Tomorrow,” but they loved the climax where Trunks put the hedgehog in the time labryinth, thinking that this would be “the end of his future,” and then, like the meme character the community knows him as…Silver replied…
As my favorite All Elite Wrestling announcer would say, “You’ve GOT to give the people what they want!” and that’s what they wanted!
This was a very close match, and it was really nice to see just how far they pushed the abilities that these two had from the Dragon Ball Heroes timeline and the Archie Comics saga. It’s fair to think that if Trunks had won, we wouldn’t have gotten this classic moment, and thus…things work out.
You know, this…*puts on shades*…time…
#16 – Watch Out, Samurai!
Oh yeah, Samurai Jack vs. Afro Samurai remains one of my favorite Death Battle episodes ever, not the least of which was that this was another “risk episode,” with Luis asking to hand-draw this himself…with the request coming at a party…when Luis was drunk. Oops.
But hey, he pulled it off, and it remains a standout to this day. Personally, I loved this one because of just how fun the fight animation was from start to finish. The battle starts on the rickety bridge (a reference to The Scotsman of Samurai Jack episode), then it progresses to the ropes themselves (“Huh, you jump good!), and the battle track perfectly blends everything together. Seriously, you can play the song, and I could tell you beat for beat what’s about to happen. But the climax is where things shine further.
Jack has been knocked off the bridge, and Afro is dropping down from above, sword ready to strike…and…
That’s beautiful, if I may speak that aloud once more. For a moment, you had to wonder what had happened, and to our surprise, Jack lost an arm, his shout confirming it right after.
…but Afro lost BOTH of his arms, and his scream of pain was much louder. Thus, Jack took out his foe and continued his journey into the distance…
Considering the period, this was one of the more violent deaths you’ll see in Death Battle, and that’s another reason that “clash” moment stood out to me. It reminded you that in this show, death must happen (most of the time…), even if it’s more violent than you expect, and not from the character you expect it from.
I’ll forever enjoy this battle and episode, and Samurai Jack will always be…No.1.
#15 – “I’ve Been Playing Human”
We’re in the last 15 spots on my “The Most Epic Death Battle Moments Ever,” and things will get even grander from here!
When I took this poll to see what really resonated with the community, one of the most frequent asks was for this scene from Iron Man vs. Lex Luthor. This fight was during my early days in the community, and I had never even considered putting Tony Stark against Lex, which is another reason to love this show, as it gives you suggestions/options you never thought of before.
This was a Torrian Crawford battle, too, and that meant the quality would be through the roof. Yet, even with all the armor, attacks, references to other franchises, and so on, it was yet another speech that clicked with fans the most. Lex Luthor had gotten the upper hand on Tony and was doing his villainous monologue to state why Stark would fall to him. Yet, Stark answered him as only Tony could:
“I don’t know Lex, being a god can’t be too hard, I mean, I’m the most intelligent, capable person on the planet. I’m not playing god. All this time… I’ve been playing human.”
In many ways, this was the opposite of the Doctor’s speech from his episode, as this wasn’t about “doing what was right,” but instead, this was Tony giving in to his impulses and letting himself cut loose like never before.
For those who don’t recognize a part of that line, this was during a saga in Marvel Comics where Tony Stark had had his “personality warped” so that he was pretty much a villain in everything but name. The “Superior Iron Man” was where he got that last armor in the fight, and it was cool to see them reference the comics like that to help end things.
The fact that so many people called out that sequence as one of their favorites, even after a DECADE of other episodes, shows just how much the Death Battle team crushed it with this climax.
#14 – Hellishly Good Dialogue
As I’ve covered, and as the community has made clear, the dialogue of the characters in the battles is just as important as the fights themselves at times. We WANT to see their personalities on full display in every way possible. Plus, they’re interacting with characters they typically wouldn’t or couldn’t interact with previously, which allows for incredible dialogue opportunities.
For my money, the episode that highlights this the best is Ghost Rider vs. Spawn, which had not one, not two, but THREE incredible dialogue beats/moments that are getting shoutouts here.
First, the one that we all know about due to how it “affected” the video:
Yeah, that line, which was SO METAL, that it made this episode have an “age restriction” gate on it. That’s hilarious in all the ways that matter…including that it didn’t really affect things, as the episode got a LOT of views.
It didn’t stop there, though, for when Spawn got the upper hand on Johnny and Zarathos arrived, this epic exchange happened:
…and then…just when you thought they couldn’t be more on point with the dialogue…they did this:
…I love this show.
Just on its own, the fight animation was special, but using these dialogue moments between Johnny/Zarathos and Spawn raised it beyond just a visually fun thing. This added personality, drama, and a different kind of fun.
…and it broke YouTube, which is, again, hilarious.
#13 – Soul Plays The Piano
There were a few community moments that surprised me with the number of people who wanted them on the list. The one I was most surprised by, in a happy sense, came from one of my favorite episodes of the “indie era,” Ruby vs. Maka.
Specifically, the bit where Soul starts playing his piano to start the “Soul Adagio” attack.
Personally, I could’ve picked out a few other moments from this fight to fit here, so after hearing so many suggestions for Soul’s “piano solo,” I straight-up asked some of the people who requested it, “Why did it resonate with you so much?”
Turns out, it resonated with them for multiple reasons. First, it showcased Maka and Soul’s teamwork, which, as the analysis made very clear, was the key element in their success. Only together, in harmony, could they come out on top against all they faced. So, Soul stepping up to help set up one of the key finishing blows was a beautiful thing.
Second, since Soul Eater’s power system is centered around the concept of music, with the “conductor and instrumentalist being in sync to bring out the most power.” That moment highlighted this concept well.
Third, and as I touched on in the “Best Death Battle Tracks” list, Soul’s playing of the piano in tune with “Death In Bloom” added another layer to both the fight and battle track. That’s why there’s an “Adagio Edition” to the track. They even do a key “pause” in the sound pause as Soul prepares to play, and as one community noted, the beat going along with his piano playing created “this feeling of immersion like no other Death Battle has created before.”
Finally, and this is me speaking for myself here, it highlighted how, once again, Death Battle wanted to showcase all elements of the fight as much as possible. Yes, Maka is the “visual element” of the battle in the manga and anime, as she’s the one you focus on, but Soul is always there, helping in his own way. By doing the piano solo and continually cutting back to it, we got to literally see just how invested he was in the fight, including encouraging her right at the end when Ruby went “Silver Eyes.”
He was always there for Maka, and she knew she could count on Soul, and the battle showed that perfectly.
#12 – “That Man…” “…Is A Jojo!”
I’m doing a two-for-one special in this entry because there’s one element of Death Battle episodes I haven’t talked about yet in depth…the analysis. Despite what some will tell you, these are indeed some of the most important parts of each episode, because we get to learn about these characters, or, in some cases, learn NEW things about these characters that we didn’t know or understand previously.
And because the DB crew likes to keep things entertaining, there are plenty of jokes to enjoy, and this entry is dedicated to my two favorite jokes from the entire series. First, we’ll head to Ragna vs. Sol Badguy.
I knew NOTHING about these characters coming in, so I was just watching the episode with joy when they got to the section about “That Man.”
Boomstick: “Which Man?”
Wiz: “That Man.”
Boomstick: “I only see Sol Badguy.”
Wiz: “No, no. It’s ‘That Man.’
Boomstick: “It’s just you and me here, Wiz…”
Wiz: “Listen, the villain is That Man.”
Boomstick: “Sol Badguy’s the hero AND the villain?”
Wiz: “No, he’s another character! Just pretend Sol Badguy’s not there!”
Boomstick: “YOU MEAN HE’S INVISIBLE?!?!”
Wiz: “When this person was born into the world, his parents looked up at this child and decided they would name him…That Man.”
Boomstick: “WHO WERE THEY LOOKING AT, WIZ??!??!!!”
Wiz: “HIS NAME IS T-H-A-T SPACE M-A-N!”
Boomstick: “Well, F-U-*-* SPACE Y-O-U! I’M OUT!!!!”
*Legend of Zelda music plays*
Boomstick: “So, I…looked at the internet and discovered that his actual name is…That Man. I apologize for earlier…let’s move on.”
That bit makes me laugh every single time, and I bet many of you could “hear that” in Wiz and Boomstick’s voices…which nails my point even further.
Then, a LONG time later, in Joker vs. Giorno, we got a bit just as hilarious as that, where Boomstick broke down the “names” of the characters, and did the following:
“Wait, wait, wait, wait, Diavolo? You’re telling me that Giorno, the son of God, battles the Devil…just like Jesus! Whose full Biblical name is Yeshua, or Joshua…Ben Joseph…Joshua Joseph…JOJO!!!!
…I love that. I love that so much. I know not what inspired those moments, but they are incredible. And THIS is why you NEED to watch the full episode, because if you had skipped right to the fights? You wouldn’t have witnessed this…Gold…Experience…
#11 – Saitama and Popeye “Break Dimensions”
When you have fights that feature “reality warpers” or characters that can “break the universe,” you have to be careful not to show them off in the same way twice. Death Battle has had to deal with these kinds of matchups A LOT, and it always amazes me that they keep things fresh, fun, and unexpected, with Saitama vs. Popeye being the epitome of that in many ways.
Going into this fight, I honestly wasn’t that excited, as I didn’t know much about One-Punch Man outside of the gifs I had seen on social media (I would watch it later, for the record.) Then, the fight happened, and it blew my mind…because they kept changing the visual style.
Now, yes, I have shown that before in this list, like with the sprite fights adding hand-drawn elements, but this went WELL beyond that. It started out in the hand-drawn style…
…then decided, “Hey, let’s shift this into a sprite fight!”
…then that somehow wasn’t enough, so they brought in DevilArtemis to ramp this up to 11 and beyond with the most insane-looking Popeye 3D model you’ll ever see…
…and then, after all of that, the crew felt it was time to take Saitama and Popeye back to their literal pencil-drawn roots via their comic strips and web comics:
That idea of “shifting and breaking dimensions” to make the fight stand out more was brilliant, and while it wouldn’t be the last time they did such a thing, this was the one where it’s arguably the best used because of how it directly impacted the fight.
These two are just so broken that even the medium they’re in gets…scrambled.
#10 – Discord’s Sacrifice Play
“The Most Epic Death Battle Moments Ever” list has now entered the top ten spots! Makes you wonder what else will be here, huh? To start off, I wanted to salute yet another highly-suggested community moment from a battle that means a lot to the community in general…because we voted it into existence.
Bill Cipher vs. Discord had been on many people’s “most wanted MUs” list, and during the first Champion’s Ballot, we voted it in as a guaranteed 2D episode for Death Battle to make. Sure enough, it was incredible, and it is a top-tier episode for sure. Having Bill and Discord use their reality-warping powers in hilarious and unhinged ways made the battle truly “pop,” and Discordant Decipher is something I still sing to this day because it’s so fun.
Yet, the moment that everyone really talks about is the “victory” that happened even in defeat. Despite all his antics, Discord was going to lose, and he knew it…and then, he said one of the coldest lines in DB history…
“Well…it was worth a try… But still…I’m surprised…you don’t recognize…your old home…”
Oops! Yeah, despite Bill Cipher proclaiming that he was an “ALL-SEEING GOD!!!!”, he got tricked by Discord in the ultimate way, and because Bill was back in the Nightmare Realm, he couldn’t return to Ponyville. So, even in defeat, Discord won the war, because Bill can’t hurt his friends anymore.
“Well…friends of a friend…”
What also sticks out to me about this moment is a “blink-and-you-will-miss-it” moment, where we see Fluttershy asking where Discord is, and next to her is the letter that he wrote at the start of the fight.
…Discord lied at the start of it all, IMO. He wasn’t writing to Princess Celestia (a reference to the ending of Raven vs. Twilight Sparkle, no doubt)…he was writing to Fluttershy. He knew that he likely wouldn’t beat Bill, even with him knowing how he died in his show. Thus, Discord did the ENTIRE FIGHT just to distract Bill long enough to get him back to the Nightmare Realm…and keep Bill away from her.
That’s a true sacrifice play, and that is the true meaning of friendship.
#9 – Dante vs. Clive…IN SPACE!!!
Jumping from 2D to 3D for an entry or two, let’s talk about one of the more anticipated recent episodes of DB, where, after a long hiatus, Torrian Crawford came back to give us Dante vs. Clive. The moment (pun intended) we heard this was Torrian’s fight, we knew a spectacle was about to emerge. However, what we didn’t expect was just how insane Torrian and his crew would go to make this as epic as possible in every sense of the word.
Every part of this fight is magic, from the opening segments where it’s just about their weapon clashes and Demon/Eikon abilities, to then shifting to their transformations to push things even further. They could’ve “settled” there with one more set of transformations on the ground…but why fight on the ground when you can take things…INTO SPACE!?!!?!?
Oh yeah, he did that, and we should be grateful. “Escalation” is a key part of Death Battle and their fights (look at Saitama vs. Popeye for proof of that), but no one would’ve faulted them for keeping things “grounded” with this clash, given who they were dealing with. Yet, here, Torrian took every opportunity to have Dante and Clive clash in as many epic ways as possible, including taking them to space to do a quick-time event:
…and then having them finish off with Dante’s parry skills:
Did Torrian NEED to do those things? No. Was the episode all kinds of epic because of it? Yes, yes, it was.
“Not bad…not bad at all…”
#8 – “You’re Pretty Good…”
Sometimes, a Death Battle episode comes around that brings two characters together that are so similar that you just HAVE to do certain cool shots…because why wouldn’t you when you have them right there?
Solid Snake vs. Sam Fisher used to be my No.1 DB episode ever, and part of the reason was because of the incredible animation that Torrian did. Yet, what EVERYONE remembers about this fight is the sequence that blended Metal Gear and Splinter Cell in the best way possible.
Snake had outsmarted Sam, and Fisher was forced to go after him to get the data they were both after. Furthermore, Otacon had taken out Grimm, so Sam was on his own. Undeterred, he went into a darkened room…and…
Aura. Pure. Unrelenting. Unadulterated…AURA!!!!
It’s such a simple thing, but when you saw it, and when you keep seeing it as you replay the episode, you can’t help but smile, saying that line along with Snake, as you truly feel cool in that moment.
The final sequence is cool in and of itself, but those three words truly defined this matchup for many, and that’s why so many requested it. Putting this moment on this list…?
“Piece of cake.”
#7 – “Then, Simon, I’m Taking You In!”
One of the best parts of the “Indie Era” so far was seeing so many fan-requested matchups happen one after another. Of the ones highlighted in the Kickstarter campaign, Simon the Digger vs. Kyle Rayner was one that had been suggested for quite a long time…and MANY in the community have it as one of their favorites of 2025, and of all time.
The creativity on display with this fight is to be admired, as the Death Battle team had to really personify the abilities of Simon and Kyle and their universe-shattering skills as best they could. But what many loved is that when all was said and done…it all came down to the two men themselves.
Kyle realized it wasn’t Gurren Lagann itself that was special; it was Simon, and so, the final clash began:
Everything about this final clash was fun. From the respect given to each other (as shown by their smiles before fighting), to Kyle reciting the Green Lantern oath to give himself one last burst of energy for the final blow, to it being a matchup of rings versus drills to the very end:
Even with his final breaths, Kyle couldn’t help but appreciate Simon and acknowledge how good he was. There was a deep respect on both sides, and seeing Kyle’s ring go to Simon right after? Yeah, that was a great way to end their time with the animation.
…time, huh?
#6 – A Mighty Finale
There will always be episodes of Death Battle that passionate fans will forever champion. One of those episodes for me is All Might vs. Might Guy. Thankfully, I’m not alone on this, as others suggested the “final clash” between the two for this list as well.
The fight itself is incredible, showing off their martial arts styles and basic abilities before ramping things up to insane levels via the “Eight Gates” and such. Yet, when push came to shove, this fight elevated itself by showing the insane levels of depth and will these two men had…especially when Guy took this blow to the chest:
Ouch. And yet…
“Never…give up! Eighth Gate of Death…OPEN!”
Yes, there was “still more” to give, but All Might didn’t flinch either! In one of the best clashes in the show’s history, they powered up to their max and then decided to “Go Beyond!” to push things even more, and right before the final blow landed, we got this iconic shot:
Guy would win right after, but the moment of these two locked in a clash like this remains special to me and many others.
…but…don’t let your own arm wrestling contests escalate like this, okay?
#5 – We Saved Death Battle!
Look, when I decided to make this “Most Epic Death Battle Moments” list, I knew that I had to go throughout the entire history of DB to make this list fair and far-reaching, and that includes talking about one of the darkest periods of DB history…when it was gone.
2024 started off horribly for the community when it was revealed that Rooster Teeth, DB’s parent company, was shutting down, and that meant Death Battle…was in limbo. Ben, Chad, and the others stated that they would do their best to “bring it back,” but what did that mean, really?
It was a tense set of months on the DB Discord, wondering what they would do. Then, they announced the Kickstarter, which stunned many, including me! Then, the conversation turned to “How many of us would pledge, and how much could we really give?”
Even the Death Battle team wasn’t expecting miracles. They set their bar low so they could make four episodes and go from there. Very fair and reasonable. So, as the countdown began, the talk grew about “how the campaign would do.” Then, on day one…we got them funded…and then some.
Yes, over 7800 of us came together and not only funded them in 21 minutes, but pushed their earnings so far into the stratosphere that THEY were in awe of US! On that first day, and the month to follow, we showed what this series means to the community.
Every episode that has come out so far in the “indie era” is because we got this KS funded, and allowed Death Battle the opportunity to get new sponsors and such. All of the legendary episodes we’ve seen over the last 16 months were made possible by our contributions to this Kickstarter.
In many ways, this made the community stronger, and many friendships were formed through some of the reward tiers created for the campaign (shoutout to the “Gold Requiem” crew!).
So, congrats everyone, this spot on my “Most Epic Death Battle Moments” list is for all of you who pledged to the Kickstarter. The show wouldn’t be here without YOU, and that alone makes it worthy of praise.
#4 – BEHOLD THE KING!!!!
I made it VERY clear in my indie era rankings list how much I love Bowser vs. Eggman. It’s my favorite episode of the indie era, and it’s definitely in the Top 3 of my all-time favorite Death Battles. In fact, I could fill up this “Most Epic Death Battle Moments” list with MANY scenes from this fight alone…it was that epic.
Yet, what many other community members and I noted in the lead-up to this was that the climax had all sorts of memorable moments worthy of praise, and it all starts with Brandon Yates and his “Game Over” track shouting, “BEHOLD THE KING!” when Bowser Jr. and Metal Sonic clashed at a key point in the fight:
I personally loved that shot because of how Bowser Jr. was “stepping up” to help his dad, and when it didn’t work, and Jr. got KO’d, we got to see his dad get PO’d!
“How dare you! Keep your hands…OFF…MY…SON!!!!!”
Such a great moment, and that links to what came next, the Death Egg reveal (which many people suggested as “the moment” from the fight), and Bowser stepping up once more so that his forces wouldn’t fall.
That’s being a king, and highlighted the “key difference” in this fight in many ways, as Wiz and Boomstick would reveal. The moment that Dry Bowser and his forces stood together, while Eggman stood alone, we knew it was time to finish this.
Yeah, this fight was full of epic moments, and it remains the standout of the indie era in many respects.
Good try, Eggman…but…so long, Doctor!
#3 – Ash and Yugi Refuse To Give Up
Three is my lucky number, so I figure I should do something really special here that means a lot to me, and as it happens…a LOT of community members recommended this “dual moment” quite a bit.
Ash vs. Yugi was promised in the Death Battle Kickstarter and was the “finale” for the 2025 batch of episodes. In my opinion, it’s pretty much a flawless masterpiece. The breakdowns of Ash and Yugi are incredibly on point, how they handled the battle was masterful, and yet, they found ways to surprise me beyond what I, and others, expected. The best example of this was the climax.
In the mad scramble to get the win, Atem got blindsided by Greninja, and Yugi had to step up, just like he had to do in the anime…
We got a full-on “Heart of the Cards” moment there, and it was incredible. Summoning all the Egyptian Gods and then Horakhty, alongside his favorite magicians, to “secure the win.”
…it was all over…and we all knew it…but Ash didn’t know…or didn’t care.
“Pikachu, let’s finish this…together!”
Their bond unbreakable, Ash and Pikachu unleashed their Z-Move, as they had done so many times before…
These moments always bring tears to my eyes (and yes, I cried as I rewatched this bit to get the screenshots), as it speaks so much about who these characters are. Their entire arcs are about “never giving up,” even when the odds seem impossible.
So, seeing them refuse to yield, no matter what, was incredible, and while Yugi would win, Ash went out in style, and that’s why so many loved this finale.
Even in defeat, both came out looking like kings.
#2 – Scooby Goes Asura
While many of you loved the Ash/Yugi moment, I wanted to ensure that JUST before the end…we had a moment that NO ONE SAW COMING…and it was arguably one of the most beautiful things we’d ever seen in Death Battle.
Scooby-Doo vs. Courage The Cowardly Dog was a match that much of the community was stunned by when it got announced, including me! I was like, “They’re really doing this, aren’t they?” We had no idea what to expect, so when the masterpiece of an episode dropped, it was incredible to behold. Even with all the indie era episodes, it remains my favorite DB of all time.
What gets it to the No.2 spot on this list, though, was that aside from doing “all the things we expected,” it then did something we DIDN’T in the slightest. Scooby had just been “bashed” by the “God Bone,” and seemed to be in trouble…except…he started eating his Scooby Snacks and started to grow…and grow…and GROW…until…
Yeah, he did that, and then let loose the largest strike that Scooby has ever done in all of media! (and I say that as a lifetime Scooby-Doo fan, okay?)
Who predicted that? Who came up with that? Who said, “You know, we haven’t done an Asura’s Wrath punch in Death Battle yet, so how about we have Scooby-Doo do one?”
And then, someone had to go, “Yeah, and then we can have Courage shatter it with his scream!”
Seriously, that’s poetry! It’s a beautiful thing, and I love it so. It’s very much deserving of this spot on my “Most Epic Death Battle Moments” list.
Plus, the fact that after this clash was when we got the EQUALLY SHOCKING moment of this battle being the first true tie in Death Battle history…really nailed the finale as a whole.
If I didn’t have this high up on my “Most Epic Death Battle Moments Ever” list, I would be ashamed of myself, because it’s such a cool moment that I’ll happily watch endlessly…on this Forever Terror Night.
#1 – “In This Moment…”
There’s only one way to end a list of “The Most Epic Death Battle Moments Ever,” and yes, it all goes back to Goku vs. Superman. “But which one?” you might ask. The irony here is that the community highlighted all three episodes for “epic moments,” so, one last time, I’ll “link” them together, because they tell a story all their own.
First, obviously, we go to the first Goku vs. Superman episode. The episode that elevated Death Battle to a whole new level of popularity, and remains the most-watched episode in its history. After the longest fight animation ever, the two had one last clash that was so epic, the image remains iconic to this day:
Yep. I still get chills, and that animation still holds up, for my money. The clash was a true “test of wills,” and Superman came out on top…but they would clash again in the much-maligned sequel (that even Ben Singer wishes didn’t happen), and yet, even in that controversial “sequel,” we still had THIS epic moment…
Yes, Superman walking through the full-power Kamehameha was amazing to behold both then and now, as it showcased that Goku’s desperation for a victory wouldn’t matter against Superman’s incredible strength and endurance.
…yet…obviously…it couldn’t end that way. Thus, in 2023, the Death Battle crew came together like only they could to put out the DEFINITIVE Goku vs. Superman episode. At this point in 2023, the team knew that things were “off” about Rooster Teeth, so they knew that if this was to go down, they had to go as big with the visuals and effects as possible, and that led to the phrase that means so much to Death Battle fans today, “In this moment…”
Yeah, with no holding back this time, at their own request, Superman and Goku powered up to their absolute limit, and beyond, and gave us one of the greatest sequences ever, all the while, Brandon Yates was screaming, “WATCH ME COME…ALIVE!!!!”
The entire clash brings me to tears every time I watch it, including getting these screenshots for the list. It’s beautiful in every way imaginable…and then…after that moment…they gave us one more to tear up about…
Isn’t it beautiful? After all they did, across three different episodes, they were friends in the end…and ready to go for another round.
If that’s not the perfect way to end this list…? I don’t know what is, and it’ll be quite hard for the team to top this moment in the future.
And with that, my list of “The Most Epic Death Battle Moments Ever” has concluded! What did you think of the list? Did your favorite moment make the cut? Let me know on Blue Sky or Twitter, and be ready for my next feature, where I talk about how things like Death Battle and DevilArtemis are vital in the fight against AI “art”!
