Batman and Deathstroke are two DC staples no one wants to mess with in their universe. When it comes to fighting skills, tech, and smarts, they're basically at the top of the game. Unfortunately for both of them, they don't see eye to eye on a lot of issues.
The rivalry between the two has spanned decades. Even though the ways in which they disagree are somewhat obvious, they're worth looking into. Batman generally deals with the criminally insane in Gotham more than he does with pragmatic criminals, and Deathstroke is also smart enough to not stick his neck out when he doesn't need to. However, they still butt heads like nobody's business.
10 Deathstroke Is A Better Killer
This one is pretty straightforward. Batman doesn't kill. That's a rule he can't break, not only because he believes it's wrong, but because he's afraid of what it could turn him into. There have been exceptions in the past, but they were exceptions for a reason. On the other hand, Deathstroke has no issue putting a bullet in somebody if it'll make his life easier. Batman being a superhero means that if someone kills in Gotham, it becomes his problem. So, if Deathstroke happens to be working in Gotham, he automatically becomes the Bat's problem (and vice-versa).
9 Deathstroke Is Way Worse To Robin Than Batman Ever Was
Deathstroke's problems with Batman are small compared to his problems with Robin. Their feud was around before Deathstroke even had beef with the Teen Titans.
Seeing as Robin is part of the Bat-Family, it's only logical for Batman to have a problem with someone trying to kill his teen apprentice. Batman, however, is not the healthiest of mentors, so Robin is often left to fend for himself against Deathstroke. Regardless, if anything happens to Robin after a fight between the two, Batman will personally deliver his own brand of justice.
8 Deathstroke Uses Robin Against Batman
How do you get on Batman's bad side even faster than trying to kill Robin? You get Robin to try and kill him, of course. In Batman and Robin Vol. 1 #11, written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Andy Clarke, this happens in a very interesting way. Damian Wayne's mother, Talia al Ghul, has implanted Damian's spine with a control device, allowing the highest bidder to control her son. Deathstroke takes over Damian's body and uses it to beat up Dick Grayson, who has taken on the mantle of Batman.
7 Deathstoke And Batman Fought Over DNA
There was a low point in Batman's career when he went out of his way to face off against Deathstroke for a pretty bad reason: A DNA test. When someone planted papers in the Bat's investigation implying Deathstroke was actually Damian's father, Batman decided he was going to make this Deathstroke's problem.
Deathstroke bluntly told Bruce that someone was trying to play them off against each other. However, instead of listening, the Bat fought it out with Deathstroke instead. This all starts off in Christopher Priest's and Carlo Pagulayan's Deathstroke Vol. 4 #30 and continues on for quite some time.
6 Batman Gets In The Way Of Deathstroke's Job
Following the DNA test incident, Batman claims that Deathstroke is forcibly retired until Bruce can sort out who is actually Damian's father. It's a petty move, but considering Deathstroke's job is killing people, you can't really be mad at Batman for getting involved, even if it's for the wrong reasons.
Deathstroke obviously has a problem with someone getting in his way when a contract is concerned. No one will hire a contract killer if there's a superhero on their tail the whole time they're on the job.
5 Deathstoke Sees The Areas of Gray More Than Batman
Deathstroke isn't only out there for himself. Sometimes he's actually on the right side of justice. On the contrary, Batman isn't the best at seeing people in shades of gray (morally speaking). In Deathstroke The Terminator #7, written by Marv Wolfman and illustrated by Steve Erwin, mobsters try to hire Deathstroke, but he declines their money. He realizes the mob has a mole in the police department in Gotham, so decides to do something about it. Batman gets involved without knowing a lot about the situation, and when he sees Deathstroke attacking a group of men, he tries to stop him. Turns out those men were the very mobsters Deathstroke was trying to stop. Whoops.
4 Deathstroke Stole Batman's Suit
Not only did Deathstroke steal Bruce Wayne's suit in Deathstroke The Terminator #8, but he did so to crash Bruce's own party taking place in Wayne Manor. After the reception Bruce gave him in the previous issue, it's not surprising Deathstroke would want a little revenge where he could get it, even if it is petty.
The reason for the intrusion was actually to form an alliance. Deathstroke was running into problems Batman could help with, while Batman didn't mind teaming up if it meant he could put away a dirty cop while keeping an eye on Deathstroke. Though it ended in a positive outcome, the meeting itself did nothing to ease their rivalry.
3 Deathstroke Was Hired To Kill The Bat
In Superman/Batman Annual #1, written by Joe Kelly, a hit was placed on Bruce Wayne. The mercenary hired to do the job is none other than Deathstroke. The comic is pretty silly overall, but Bruce actually takes a while to catch onto the fact there's someone trying to kill him. Superman comes to Bruce's defense more than once, even though he has no idea Bruce is Batman (and hates Bruce's guts at this point). Deathstroke ultimately fails, but the failure likely left a bitter taste in his mouth considering the money he lost failing to get his target.
2 Their Rivalry Also Spill Into A Movie
In 2014's Son of Batman, Deathstroke is after Robin. However, this time he's after Damian Wayne. The movie extends the period in which Bruce finds out he has a son, so is mostly about Damian's relationship with Bruce. It's hard to imagine Batman would fail to have a problem with a trained killer gunning for his teen son, even if Damian himself is just as skilled.
Deathstroke makes a terrifying villain, and his portrayal in the movie is the stuff of any parent's nightmare.
1 Deathstroke Has A Problem With Batman's Code
Deathstroke isn't the first to have a problem with Batman's 'no-kill policy'. In Detective Comics #709-710, written by Chuck Dixon, a wealthy man has hired the world's best assassins to take out Gotham's richest people. Instead of taking part in the hunt, Deathstroke decides to go after the assassins taking place in the bounty. Batman is doing the same thing, except that his methods are less permanent than Deathstroke's. The two end up coming to blows multiple times in the storyline because Batman wants to both save the rich and keep the assassins safe from Deathstroke's gun.