On top of having some of the most powerful characters imaginable, the DC universe is also home to some of the deadliest. Though not every deadly character is on the side of evil, there are still plenty that the average person wouldn’t want to cross paths with. Be they assassins, ninjas, or normal martial artists, DC has a plethora of characters whose hands alone could deal a lot of damage.
However, while characters like Batman and Deathstroke may typically come to mind, some of the deadliest fighters in DC are actually women. Though not everyone may be familiar with the characters, they have still done a lot to earn their reputations. Looking at some of the more skilled combatants, here is our list of DC’s 10 deadliest female hand-to-hand fighters.
10 Barbara Gordon
Even before becoming Batgirl, Barbara Gordon was very familiar with all sorts of self-defense techniques. Therefore, there was really only room for improvement by the time that Bruce took her under his wing.
Over the years, Barbara has only honed her skills as a combatant, proving time and again just how formidable an opponent she can be. Even after she was confined to a wheelchair, Barbara continued her training and was arguably at her deadliest, proving she was anything but defenseless. Since regaining the use of her legs, Barbara has continued to prove her skills as a fighter, earning her a place among the others on this list.
9 Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman isn’t typically recognized for her hand-to-hand fighting skills. Considering how she has superpowers, Diana doesn’t need to rely on that aspect of her skills nearly as often as someone like Batman.
However, thanks to her Amazonian background, Diana is easily one of the best-trained fighters within the DC universe. On top of her own abilities, Diana is also a master in several forms of combat, and able to wield all sorts of weaponry. At times, her combat abilities have even given her an edge over Superman. Though she may not need to rely on hand-to-hand fighting too often, Diana is still a very deadly opponent in that regard.
8 Big Barda
Growing up under Darkseid’s rule would be very difficult for anyone. Likewise, being raised by one of his most ruthless associates, Granny Goodness, is also an incredibly difficult thing to experience. However, Barda Free managed to survive the task, turning her into a very skilled combatant in the process.
In being trained by Granny, Barda managed to become one of the fiercest warriors in the entire galaxy. Alongside other members of the Female Furies, Barda and her “sisters” were one of the most feared groups in the entire DC universe. Though she has since left Granny’s side to fight for truth and justice, Barda remains one of the most powerful and skilled fighters in the galaxy.
7 Katana
Even as a young girl, Katana was very familiar with martial arts. As a young woman though, she really honed her skills by studying Samurai techniques, and later even learning a thing or two from the likes of Batman.
Equipped with Soultaker at her side, Katana has proven time and again just how terrifying she can be with a blade. In her time with the Suicide Squad and the Outsiders, Katana has easily displayed some truly incredible feats through her combat skills, landing her a bit higher than others on this list.
6 Black Canary
Black Canary has received all sorts of training from many different teachers over the years. While her Canary Cry can do some pretty devastating damage, Dinah’s true skill is in her ability to fight.
In fact, Canary is so skilled that she has even managed to defeat others who are on this list. Though she has still lost to some of them as well, the fact that she has been able to walk away from some of these encounters really shows just how capable she is. Furthermore, while her live-action depiction in shows like Arrow come close, they still don’t quite capture just how deadly Dinah can really be, even without her superpowers.
5 Cassandra Cain
Despite being so young, Cassandra Cain is easily worthy of her higher ranking on this list. Granted, considering how her mother holds a spot here it makes sense for Cassandra to land on the list as well.
The former Batgirl is such a skilled fighter that even Batman has questioned if he would be able to beat her. Likewise, Cassandra has also mentored several other notable DC heroes, meaning that other characters recognize her merit. Furthermore, for someone as young as Cassandra, her skills can only improve at this point, meaning that the only way she can go is up.
4 Talia Al Ghul
Considering who her father is, it should come as no surprise that Talia al Ghul is one of the deadliest fighters in the DC universe. Throughout her entire life, Talia has trained in the art of fighting and killing.
On her own, Talia even formed the organization Leviathan, which was arguably deadlier than the League of Assassins themselves. Likewise, she trained her son, Damian, how to fight as well, causing even more problems for Batman at the time. With her incredible intellect factored into the equation as well, Talia al Ghul is easily one of the deadliest women DC has to offer.
3 Silencer
Despite being the newest character on this list, Silencer has still established herself as one of the deadliest hand to hand fighters in DC, period. From the first time she is introduced, readers are told that she is a retired member of Leviathan and even received training from the likes of the League of Assassins.
Thanks to her training as well as her ability to silence all noise within a particular range from herself, Honor Guest made quite the name for herself as Silencer. Honor is actually such an effective killer that Talia al Ghul specifically sought her out after she lost control of Leviathan. No matter how often Honor may try to walk away from her life as Silencer, she is definitely one of the most effective combatants in the entire DC universe.
2 Cheshire
While casual fans may not be too familiar with Cheshire, she is easily one of the deadliest females in the DC universe. Likewise, Cheshire doesn’t have any actual powers of her own, proving just how skilled she truly is.
Not only is she familiar with several different fighting styles, but she is also an incredible acrobat. Furthermore, she is also known to dip her fingernails in poison, making the smallest scratch on her opponent a very deadly one. Cheshire is actually so deadly,that even Black Canary has called her the deadliest assassin in the world, second only to Lady Shiva.
1 Lady Shiva
Speaking of Lady Shiva, it would be pretty hard to think of a deadlier DC character. Batman himself has even struggled to fight against her, and even said that her skills outmatched his own. Though the Dark Knight has beaten Shiva in the past, Shiva claims that she allowed him to win.
However, though she is known to have no trouble taking a life, Shiva still has a sense of honor, and will refuse to do certain things depending on her own sense of morality. Even without powers, the fact that Lady Shiva is so deadly is a true testament to her skills as an assassin and hand-to-hand combatant. Therefore, it is safe to assume that she is not only one of the deadliest female fighters in DC, but arguably the best human fighter in all of DC.