Summary
- Batman’s no-killing rule isn’t always so black and white; he has broken it in various comics and movies.
- Killing by inaction is another aspect to consider, as Batman’s refusal to kill can indirectly lead to death.
- Each writer’s interpretation of Batman influences whether he sticks to his no-killing rule or crosses that line.
What is Batman’s one hard and fast rule? No killing. Or, to be even more precise, not using guns to kill people. This has been a piece of his character since the beginning, and it is one principle that he has no intention of going back on. Right? Well, that isn’t entirely true. Even in some of Batman’s big-budget outings, like Ben Affleck’s portrayal in the DCEU, he has killed.
Despite (mostly) staying true to his no-killing rule, we’ve seen the character repeatedly go against his ideology. A personal rule can’t be a rule if you constantly break it. So what is the actual no-killing rule, and when has Batman broken it?
Bruce Wayne’s Parent’s Death Started It All
For most Batman fans, the idea of him being opposed to killing comes from his tragic childhood incident, which incited Bruce Wayne to take up the mantle of the bat. When Bruce was young, his wealthy parents took him to see The Mark of Zorro, and on their way home, they ended up being held at gunpoint. The crook shoots Bruce’s parents, leaving them for dead. Bruce was left an orphan and brought up by his butler, Alfred Pennyworth. This incident and the fact that his parents were shot have led to the idea that Bruce is not only against killing but dead-set against using guns. In their newsletter Xanaduum, writer Grant Morrison said:
Batman’s no-kill rule is crucial to his character, separating him from his enemies – even the Joker. Batman’s decision to not take lives showcases his magnificent, childlike psychosis.
This may have been true for Morrison when he was writing the character, but there have been plenty of ways that Batman has killed, sometimes in ways that people don’t consider.
Batman Has Killed in Many Comics and Movies
Let’s look at one aspect of Batman that some people cite as a clear example—killing by inaction. One of the biggest parts of the Batman mythos is that his rogues’ gallery is constantly being captured, placed in institutions such as Arkham Asylum, getting out, and murdering large swaths of people. The villains do this by blowing them up, shooting them, crashing planes, derailing trains, and all other manner of horrible incidents.
Batman knows this. It’s why he goes after these maniacs to begin with. But think of how many people he has killed by his inaction. At many points, Batman has had the opportunity to kill one person to save the lives of hundreds (now, over the years, it is probably thousands) of people. But, perhaps Morrison’s analysis holds true. Batman sees the act of killing as having to be done directly by his own hands.
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Now, as for hands-on killing, there were several incidents in the first few years of his character’s run. He was constantly throwing bad guys into vats of acid, stabbing them with swords, and even lassoing their necks and throwing them off buildings. It didn’t seem like the real character had been truly established, and at the time, this also included his no-guns rule. He was consistently using guns against the bad guys. DC Comics seemed to phase this out later because no other major characters used guns, and Batman was more fun to write with gadgets. Then, the Comics Code appeared and solidified the fact that firearms probably weren’t good for the brand.
That being said, Batman has killed on many occasions in the comics and media outside regular continuity. Consider that in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Batman has become older and far more violent, although he still seemingly refuses to kill. However, at one point, his new Robin (Carrie Kelly) is beaten by someone resembling the Joker.
It turns out that this person is actually Dick Grayson, his original Robin. Bruce seems confused at Dick’s appearance, and it turns out that Grayson has become completely insane. He has taken up the image of the Joker while also wearing his old Robin costume. When Bruce realizes that Grayson has turned into an unstoppable force, he throws him into a pit of lava beneath the Batcave, watching him die, laughing and burning. He took no pleasure in the act, but it was obvious that he wasn’t going to mess with this blast from his past.
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There is also his killing of Ra’s Al Ghul in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins film. In that case, Bruce decides not to save him as the train they are on hurtles out of control and explodes into a building. It can be argued that this death wasn’t Batman’s fault, but he did have the opportunity to save Liam Neeson’s character. In Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman kills, sometimes indiscriminately. However, this is because of director Zack Snyder, who stated:
“Batman can’t kill is canon. And I’m like, ‘Okay, the first thing I wanna do when you say that is I wanna see what happens. You’re making your god irrelevant if he can’t be in that situation.’”
There are other more ambiguous examples. In The Killing Joke by Alan Moore, the final panel, shown in silhouette, leaves the reader to decide whether Batman has finally killed his arch-nemesis following the shooting of Barbara Gordon.
Elseworlds Provide Ample Opportunities for Batman
This is to say that Batman’s rules depend on who is writing him. Though there have been other occasions when he has been seen killing, it has not been in regular continuity. However, if another side story is being written or a different interpretation is being made, it is often up to the writer to decide how and why he will or will not break the rule.
It should also be noted that readers and viewers often decide whether there is a justification for the killing. Audiences seem ready to accept the reversal if solid reasons exist. That may be why the Zack Snyder version was reviled by so many people.
In any case, the character, like any other fictional character, is constantly being played with. Costumes, villains, rules. They’re all up for grabs. Writers need to know that audiences have long memories, and fans do not appreciate seeing their favorite characters betrayed. Batman, in his many different iterations, including Batman: The Animated Series, The Batman, Batman (1989), The Dark Knight Trilogy, Batman Beyond, the DCEU Batman, Batman & Robin, and more are available to stream on Max.
