Batman is generally considered to be the coolest superhero around. One reason for this is that Gotham's brooding Dark Knight simultaneously exists in two opposite extremes of storytelling. On the one hand, he's just a regular human in a world of superhumans, serving as the ultimate underdog. At the same time, he's the guy who always wins, a ninja billionaire detective martial artist with a high-tech gadget for every occasion.
Anime is about as diverse a storytelling medium as any that exists, and it has a number of powerful heroes who could give Batman a run for his money (which is saying something with a character that rich). These are 5 anime characters who could beat Batman, and 5 who couldn't hope to win.
10 Beat Him: Son-Goku (Dragon Ball Z)
Son-Goku is the protagonist of the Dragon Ball series. While he was first introduced as a child in the original Dragon Ball, it was in Dragon Ball Z that Goku showed what he was capable of as a grown adult. At the end of the Frieza Saga, Goku achieved the status of Super Saiyan, gaining godlike strength and abilities.
Batman has faced off against gods before. In fact, he has at least two separate armored suits specifically built to be able to fight gods. That said, Batman has never faced an opponent whose godlike strength and skill are matched with equally impressive martial arts. Batman would be down and out before Goku finishes shouting "Kamehameha!"
9 Can't Win: Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon)
Usagi Tsukino is the protagonist of Sailor Moon, a magic girl with celestial powers that she uses to take down criminals and otherworldly threats. She can unleash energy attacks and has access to the Silver Crystal, a powerful artifact with almost unlimited abilities. Usagi is also incredibly brave, fighting evil by moonlight and never running from a fight. To quote another line from her '90s theme song that speaks to her iconic role, "She's the one called Sailor Moon."
That said, he is Batman. Which, in this case, is more than enough to bring down everything Usagi brings to a fight. If the two ever scrapped, Sailor Moon would drop after the first hit and wake up to find bat-cables tying her to the nearest lamppost.
8 Beat Him: Guts (Berserk)
Guts is the protagonist of Berserk and the only unpowered hero on this list who can beat Batman. Guts killed a hundred armed mercenaries with his sword in a single fight during the war between Chuder (Tudor) and Midland. Years later, he fought an army of one hundred demons and won. Guts is in peak fighting shape, having been trained to use a sword since the age of six. With his massive greatsword, a metal prosthetic arm with a canon inside, bombs, and throwing knives, he is a one-man army.
If Guts and Batman ever clashed, it would be a close fight. There is no guarantee either would win, but Guts could beat Bruce. While Wayne has the better gear and armor, it would take him a few seconds to assess how powerful a fighter Guts really is. During that time, Batman could end up cloven in two.
7 Can't Win: Himura Kenshin (Rurouni Kenshin)
The protagonist of the series Rurouni Kenshin, Himura is a former assassin who has sworn off killing, traveling throughout Japan in the early Meiji Period. He carries a katana with the edge of the blade reversed to always be pointing at himself while the blunt part is on the outer curve facing away.
While neither character is willing to kill, Batman and Kenshin are operating on different levels. Kenshin fought against all the greatest human soldiers of the Boshin War, even earning the title of Hitokiri Battousai (Man-Slaying Sword-Master). Conversely, Batman has battled gods and won. Their fight would be legendary, but Batman is destined to win.
6 Beat Him: Vegeta (Dragon Ball Z)
The second entry on this list from the Dragon Ball Z series is Vegeta, a Saiyan warrior whose immense ego is only surpassed by his skill as a fighter. Vegeta has killed opponents on multiple planets and bested some of the toughest warriors in the universe.
While Batman might be able to match Vegeta's martial arts techniques, the Caped Crusader could never keep up with the Saiyan's speed and energy attacks. By the end of the fight, there'd be a bat-shish kabob impaled on Vegeta's spiky hair.
5 Can't Win: Mikasa (Attack on Titan)
Mikasa is one of the main characters in the Attack on Titan anime. She's one of the most skillful fighters of the main cast, soaring through the air with her Omni-Directional Mobility Gear and killing huge man-eating titans with the ODMG's massive blades.
While Mikasa might be one of the only people able to move across Gotham's skyline with the skill and speed as Batman, DC's hero has fought his fair share of both flyers and giants, taking down each with ease. Batman would likely disable the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear with a tactically thrown Batarang and the fight would be over.
4 Beat Him: Alucard (Hellsing: Ultimate)
Alucard is better known by his original name (which is just Alucard spelled backward). This insanely powerful vampire can conjure otherworldly dark phantasms, shapeshift, and turn himself into the craziest nightmare ever to plague the minds of his victims. He regularly drinks the blood of his enemies, occasionally ripping them to pieces in the process.
Batman may think he rules the night, but the vampire Alucard would make him rethink that. In fact, Alucard is so powerful that he's immune to sunlight, meaning there is no place Batman would be safe from Alucard's onslaught.
3 Can't Win: Afro Samurai (Afro Samurai)
Afro Samurai is a katana-wielding master warrior, the protagonist of a series named after him. In one fight, while Afro Samurai was outnumbered by a rush of more than a dozen enemies, someone made the mistake of firing a gun at him. He reacted instantly, shattering the musket ball with his katana and injuring his opponents with the spray of shards.
In straight combat, Afro Samurai might very well be an equal to Batman as a martial artist. However, Bruce Wayne has used his billions to invest in high-tech gadgets that can enable him to defeat people with superpowers. Afro Samurai can cut bullets but not the Justice Buster suit.
2 Beat Him: Saitama (One-Punch Man)
Saitama is the protagonist of the anime One-Punch Man, a superhero series that focuses on his struggles as the strongest man in the world, who is bored out of his mind and depressed that there is no opponent he cannot defeat in a single punch.
Any fight between Saitama and the Dark Knight would be a messy affair. Batman has more combat experience and could probably evade most of the strikes against him, countering and dodging as long as he could. However, one can only dodge for so long. Eventually, Saitama would land a punch and Bruce Wayne would explode in a burst of gore.
1 Can't Win: Heero Yuy (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing)
The protagonist of Gundam Wing, Heero Yuy is a child soldier from the Colonies in space who has been trained to infiltrate and fight against the forces of Earth's armies. He pilots a Gundam, a massive mobile battle suit that is capable of outmaneuvering almost any other mobile battle suit ever made. He's also an expert hacker, marksman, and brawler.
Unfortunately for Heero, Batman's Justice Buster and Hellbat suits are advanced enough to take on the Justice League and the legions of Apokolips. Since Bruce can neutralize Superman, it is hard to imagine a Gundam would slow him down too much.