In the comic book world, fighting is a required element. Whether they have powers or not, every hero and villain knows there will come a moment when they are forced to defend themselves and others in a straight up fist fight. For some heroes, those moments actually happen a lot -- we’re looking at you Batman. This is where we can appreciate the training of characters like Wonder Woman, Zod and even soldiers like Rick Flag. It is during these fights that we can see how non-powered individuals use their preparation to overcome extremely powerful beings. It’s the reason Batman can hold his own against Superman.

Over the course of the DC Extended Universe’s five films we’ve seen the origins of big names, the introductions of lesser known, but equally important characters and a lot of fights. That final fight between Superman and Zod in Man of Steel is probably still going on. One of the defining characteristics of the DCEU franchise is its emphasis on action. This allows fans to enjoy fights that they only dreamed of seeing while reading the comics. With Aquaman set to splash into theaters in December, let’s take a look at the universe’s 20 most skilled and dangerous fighters.

20 BARRY ALLEN

Let’s face it, whether it’s in comics or movies, Barry Allen has never been much of a fighter. His powers as a speedster have always given him an advantage over his enemies, so they sometimes offer him a false sense of overconfidence. A point Oliver makes in the first Arrow/The Flash crossover, right before he teaches him how to properly handle dangerous situations. In Justice League, Ezra Miller portrays Barry as a new to crime fighting hero, whose costume has barely been broken in. Despite his abilities, his inexperience makes him the weak link of the team. He even tells Batman “I’ve never done battle. I’ve just pushed some people and run away.”

Throughout the film, he mostly uses his powers to save people while the rest of the League actually fights the bad guy.

This version of Barry is so green, we can’t really picture him in a fight. The only villain he takes down single handedly is Captain Boomerang in Suicide Squad, and that moment is just a cameo, so we don’t get to see the confrontation. Though TV Flash has thrown quite a few punches, even beating his friend the Green Arrow, movie Flash has a long way to go before he can match his Justice League cohorts.

19 CAPTAIN BOOMERANG

In the comics, Captain Boomerang is known as the annoying class clown of the Suicide Squad. That persona continued into the films, with Jai Courtney playing up all the manipulative, cowardly aspects of his character. Once he’s forced to fight, Harkness is a solid member of the Squad. However, his lack of courage and the fact that the others can never really trust him, make him a liability in battle. Also, considering how many great fighters there are in the franchise, it’s obvious Captain Boomerang doesn’t have the training to keep up with the heroes and villains of the other movies.

Another element that comes into play is how small and unimportant his role in the film is. If he was taken out of the equation, absolutely nothing about Suicide Squad would change. Harkness is clearly there just to provide comic relief. He cracks jokes, makes obvious statements, then seemingly disappears whenever the real fighting starts. It’s true these traits are authentic to his comic book roots, but they don't make for interesting viewing in a movie. There’s no word yet on who exactly is returning for Suicide Squad 2, but if we’re being honest, we could do without more Captain Boomerang.

18 STEVE TREVOR

As the first man to crash into Themyscira, Steve Trevor is obviously special. When the Germans follow him through and attack, he jumps right in and saves Diana. Later, when he fights his way out of a German base we are shown how clever and brave he is. Throughout Wonder Woman, we see him run into battle without hesitation, and he does very well. However, he’s fighting during WWI, which means his training and tools are products of his time and they put him at a disadvantage. Of course, he also has the misfortune of being surrounded by Amazons, so he’s never going to look as impressive as they do in a fight.

Steve is a spy, meaning he’s prepared to infiltrate, provide recon and yes, fight when necessary.

As heroic as Chris Pine portrays him, in a franchise filled with superheroes and powered people, it’s going to be hard for him to match up. The great thing about Steve Trevor is, we just know he wouldn’t care about being compared to Batman or Superman, because he always recognizes the positive traits he can bring to a situation. In his own words, he is an example of an “above average man.”

17 KILLER CROC

Waylon Jones is one of Batman’s many rogues. He has a disease that gives him reptilian traits and once he gets older becomes the villain Killer Croc. He has spent years rampaging through Gotham, fighting Batman and other bad guys. Through his battles with Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Bane and Black Mask, Croc is shown to be a ruthless fighter who never quits and does what it takes to defeat his opponent. Like all comic book villains, he finds a way to keep coming back and ending up at odds with Batman. In Suicide Squad, Croc is a supporting member of the ensemble, who doesn’t get a lot of focus.

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is unrecognizable under his Killer Croc make up, but he still fantastically portrays the character’s fighting spirit. Unlike the other villains, he adjusts to his cell, seemingly accepting what he has become. In the film we are told he’s a former crocodile hunter who was run out of Gotham by Batman. Throughout the movie’s many battles with Enchantress’ army, Croc isn’t really shown to have a special fighting style or skill. In this case, we know that Croc is a solid fighter, but the ensemble nature of Suicide Squad didn’t offer much time for his character to shine.

16 STEPPENWOLF

As the big bad of Justice League, Steppenwolf arrives on Themyscira in rather dramatic fashion, surrounded by his army of Parademons. He booms in and makes it clear that he will collect all the Mother Boxes so that he can rule over Earth. He’s powerful and is a great warrior. He has no problems facing the Amazons, or when he goes one on one with Diana. However, what becomes noticeable is that despite his otherworldly power, his fighting skills are rather limited. As a matter of fact, he seems overly reliant on his weapons and special powers.

Perhaps his greatest fault lies in his penchant for retreating when the battle gets too tough.

He flees Themyscira when the Amazon legion shows, he floods the tunnel when he starts losing the fight to Wonder Woman and once the League fully unites for the final battle he’s pretty easily defeated. Superman knocks him out without even breaking a sweat and he just came back from the dead. As it turns out, any advantage he has comes from the numbers of Parademons he commands, but in the end, even those turn on him. Apparently, the thought of losing filled him with an intense fear. For the long anticipated big team up, he was a very unimpressive villain.

15 VICTOR STONE

cyborg

Long before he becomes Cyborg, Victor Stone is a standout college athlete. Unfortunately, he is in an accident, which leads to his father using technology from the Mother Box to give him cybernetic implants. Victor, understandably, has trouble adjusting to his new life, until he meets the other League members and joins their team. His intelligence and ability to access all levels of technology are obviously his true strengths. In Justice League we don’t really see him get in any fights. Yes, he faces off against Steppenwolf, alongside the rest of the team, but while they are busy battling Parademons and the giant bad guy, he is usually seen hacking into something. We do need to point out that it is ultimately Cyborg who saves the day.

His character is among the most interesting in the movie, and we can’t wait to see him in a possible standalone film, but there’s not much focus on him as a fighter. His suit provides all the bells and whistles he needs to survive. As part of DC’s Rebirth event, he has taken a leadership role in the Justice League and stars in his own solo series. The fact that he isn’t considered the universe’s greatest fighter doesn’t matter to us, we just enjoy his stories.

14 KATANA

Katana in a fighting stance

As the martial arts expert and swordswoman Katana, Tatsu Yamashiro is one of the best warriors in the DCEU. She appears in Suicide Squad as Rick Flag’s backup and one of the few characters who wasn’t a criminal. She carries her signature sword, Soultaker, which is introduced as being able to trap the souls of its victims. Several times she is shown as one of the toughest people in the battles.

In the entire movie, she may be the character we wanted to spend more time with the most.

Karen Fukuhara did a great job capturing the character’s sense of honor, while also featuring her overall sadness. It’s one of the few times the film was able to authentically translate a character from the comic to the big screen. Katana is clearly one of the best fighters in the franchise, but she falls victim to the same problems as many others, she gets lost in the movie’s focus on Deadshot, Harley Quinn and The Joker -- she only gets two real scenes that are completely about her. There’s been a lot of talk lately about a possible all female Harley Quinn vehicle. If that project does actually happen, Katana would be perfect for that film.

13 HARLEY QUINN

One of the clear purposes of Suicide Squad was to serve as a starring vehicle for Harley Quinn. That may not have been the original plan, but Margot Robbie’s scene stealing performance changed everything. Her resume lists her as an “accomplice to the murder of Robin and a total wildcard.” Amanda Waller describes her as crazier and more fearless than The Joker. Over the course of the film it becomes clear that Harley is the really the stronger of the two.

In her animated and comic book appearances, Harley is shown to be an expert gymnast and like The Joker, enjoys turing comedy props into weapons. Later we see her as a very adept fighter, holding her own against Batgirl and Mercy Graves. She’s often the one who keeps Robin busy while Batman is fighting Mister J. In the movie, she has no trouble against two of Enchantress’ weird monsters, taking them out with ease. Later, in the final battle, she uses her wits to draw Enchantress in, then delivers the decisive blow, cutting out the witch’s heart. Her psychology background often comes in handy when she wants to outsmart opponents during fights. Despite her lack of actual special abilities, she is shown throughout the film to be more than able to take care of herself.

12 AQUAMAN

Aquaman is the laughing stock of the comic book world, there’s no getting around that. No one is impressed with his ability to talk to sea creatures or control water. He’s routinely underpowered in the comics, not receiving the same interesting storylines as the other original Justice League members. Since the Earth is 70% water, he’s actually more powerful than the other heroes give him credit for. For his introduction into the DCEU, producers chose to cast against everyone’s expectations and bring in Game of Thrones fan favorite Jason Momoa. Having the well-known action star portray Arthur Curry gave the character an instant credibility he hadn’t previously enjoyed.

When we first meet him he’s living in the middle of nowhere, trying to deny his Atlantean heritage.

Once he enters the battle, holding back the water of Gotham Harbor so the rest of the League isn’t crushed, he makes an immediate impact. This version of Arthur is a warrior who literally jumps into the fight against Parademons. He even overpowers Steppenwolf. This is a battle hardened Arthur that fans can get behind. In Justice League he’s portrayed as one of the strongest, most experienced fighters on the team. It’s a new Aquaman, one that absolutely deserves a solo movie.

11 EL DIABLO

Chato Santana is introduced by Amanda Waller as a gang leader who took over his neighborhood using his power to summon fire. In prison he killed several inmates when he lost control during a riot. He plans to spend the rest of his life in solitary, choosing not to use his abilities ever again. He knows how powerful he really is and is scared of what happens if he loses control again. Unfortunately, the one time he truly gave in to the fire inside him, he killed his family, an act that now haunts him.

He actually spends the first part of the film trapped like everyone else, but not fighting no matter what they are faced with. However, once he unleashes his abilities, he’s obviously the most important member of the team. Once he does battle with the Enchantress’ demon brother, he lets go, embracing the full power of his own demon without losing himself. Diablo uses a combination of his fire abilities with the fighting skills he’s gained from a lifetime in a gang. He’s able to hold off the Incubus long enough for the soldiers to blow them both up. Though he doesn’t have any formal training, his street smarts proved just as important when it really mattered.

10 DEADSHOT

One of the first times we see Deadshot in Belle Reve he is using his mattress as a heavy bag. He spends hours training, presumably planning his escape, but also keeping himself sane. Deadshot is the most wanted hitman in the world. He’s proficient in all firearms, never missing his target. However, he’s also an expert in hand to hand, a fact made clear by how many guards they send in to subdue him. It’s true that he’s unstoppable with a gun, but don’t underestimate his fighting abilities.

The assassin has rules that he lives by, but for the most part, he doesn’t care about doing what it takes to earn his check or his freedom.

Before he is captured he goes toe to toe with Batman, gets the upper hand and is ready to shoot the Dark Knight until his daughter stops him. The list of non-powered, regular people who can beat Batman in a fight is very short. Though we are constantly reminded of how good he is with a gun, we also never forget that Deadshot is one of the most dangerous criminals in the world without one. Though, since he’s played by Will Smith it’s hard to ever feel intimidated or scared by the Fresh Prince.

9 RICK FLAG

Though she’s all in on the idea of Task Force X, Amanda Waller is not crazy enough to send a team of villains and psychopaths out into the world without supervision. Col. Rick Flag, whom she calls “the finest special forces officer the country has ever produced,” is her choice to lead the Squad. His intro resume backs up her claim, listing him as a West Point graduate, expert in special ops, counter-insurgency expert, can use any weapon in US inventory, and of course, has a 3 handicap on the golf course.

No one would ever accuse Flag of not being able to handle himself in a fight. The country has spent millions of dollars training him to be ready for anything. Long before working with Waller at A.R.G.U.S. he was deployed to some of the most dangerous places on Earth. In Suicide Squad, we only get glimpses of how good he actually is. It’s true he’s overpowered by several of Enchantress’ monsters, but to be fair, it took quite a few of them to take him down and he never stopped fighting. He and Deadshot eventually come to a understanding, but you just know those two are going to throw down sooner rather than later, just to find out who is actually better.

8 FAORA UL

If she wasn’t so evil, Faora would be right at home among the Amazons of Themyscira. She’s an extremely gifted warrior who has no time for useless men. There have been various versions of Faora in the comics, but the one thing they all have in common is their hatred of Superman. When we met her back in the Christopher Reeve films, she was just General Zod’s sidekick. It was the ‘80s so no real effort was made to give her an actual personality. The Faora we meet in Man of Steel is unfailingly loyal to Zod, completely believing in his quest to begin a new Krypton on Earth.

Faora is Zod’s second in command, meaning the only person stronger than her is him.

She and Superman have a massive battle that destroys a small town. For most of the fight she has the upper hand, beating on Superman like he’s just some ordinary guy. Seriously, she wails on him so bad it gets embarrassing for the Man of Steel. It’s not until the military shows up that he’s able to regroup and mount an offense. She dies when her ship is deliberately crashed into by a military plane. Perhaps, she should have listened to her instincts and not followed Zod with such blinding loyalty.

7 HIPPOLYTA

As the Queen of the Amazons and Diana’s mother, Hippolyta’s strength is never in doubt. You know it takes someone truly awesome to lead such an amazing tribe of women. She has been Queen for thousands of years, being re-elected by her sisters each year. Though she regales a young Diana with stories of her triumphs and battles, we only see short glimpses of them. She has the same heightened strength and intelligence as other Amazons, as well as, their immortality. She is also known as a fierce warrior, who has mastered all forms of hand to hand combat and is proficient with all the classic Amazon weapons.

In Wonder Woman, Connie Nielsen projects a power and grace that never lets the audience forget she is a queen. In Justice League, we finally get to see her skills on display when she leads her troops in defending the Mother Box from Steppenwolf. While they lose, the women fight valiantly, never hesitating to sacrifice themselves for their queen and to protect the world. In the comics, Hippolyta has a long and fascinating history of battles, losses and even a short stint as Wonder Woman. With the films focused on Diana’s life in the outside world, it seems unlikely we’ll get to spend more time in Themyscira. However, the setting and its characters are much too good to only visit twice.

6 ANTIOPE

The general of the Amazon army is widely believed to be the island’s greatest warrior. Perhaps even better than her sister the queen. Recognizing that she must be prepared for the coming threat, she begins training Diana in secret. Once Hippolyta gives her blessing, Antiope trains Diana harder than any Amazon in history. It is in these moments we see the full breath of her knowledge. When she finally fights Diana herself, she teaches her what to expect in a real battle.

She’s an expert at fighting on horseback, using a bow and arrow, sword fighting and anything else she needs to know.

On learning to fight like an Amazon, Robin Wright said, “It's hand combat. Yes, swords and knives and arrows, but the precision that they have, right, as these warrior women; it's so nice to see that disparity between what we had in the day of just raw fighting materials and the guns and how easy that is in comparison.” When the Germans attack Themyscira, she fearlessly leads her soldiers into battle, taking out several men before sacrificing herself to save Diana. Antiope is the Amazon all others want to be -- she is their ideal of a great warrior.

5 ARES

Ares walking through fire in Wonder Woman

Long before we actually meet him, we hear stories about how powerful Ares is. He corrupts men and causes them to give into hatred and violence. It makes sense, he is the God of War after all. We’d be shocked if he wasn’t a great fighter. In Justice League, we see him as one of the many races that came together to beat Steppenwolf the first time he showed up on Earth. This was obviously during friendlier times. Once he and Diana finally meet it become clear just how powerful he is, when he melts her sword like it’s nothing. He then turns into his true form, unleashing even more of his God powers on her. They don’t have what you would call a technical battle of skills. There’s a lot of lightning, as well as, cars and bombs thrown at one another.

What we learn here is that Ares is not just about spreading war across the Earth, he believes mankind is beyond saving and wants Diana to join him. There’s actually a method to his madness. He’s not just using his brute strength or abilities as a God, he’s hid among them and manipulated them to get to this point It’s everything added together that makes him so formidable. And yeah, the fact that he’s the God of War helps too.

4 SUPERMAN

Here’s a dirty secret about Superman that we don’t talk about much: he’s not that great in a fight. His superpowers allow him to usually just punch someone until they go down -- there’s not much skill involved. Yes, he’s very smart and on a few occasions we’ve seen him plan ahead and use his brains to defeat his enemies. However, in the DCEU, all his fights have just featured endless shots of him punching people. In Man of Steel, he and Zod go back and forth for about 30 minutes. Though he wins the fight, it’s clear he needs some more training time in the gym.

In Batman v. Superman, he pretty much loses the fight against Batman because he went in unprepared for his adversary.

Bruce took the time to learn his weaknesses and get ready to use them. Superman is also never willing to cross a line in a fight. While it’s one of the most heroic qualities of his character, we can all admit the rules occasionally need to be broken. Justice League, saw him return from the dead and immediately start punching people again -- seriously, this guy needs some new moves. That being said, he’s still Superman, which means he’ll always be the most powerful person in the room, so maybe he figures he doesn’t need to waste time learning any fancy moves.

3 GENERAL ZOD

No matter how many movies, TV shows and comics are made, one thing that never changes is that Superman’s most feared foe is General Zod. With a brilliant military mind and powers equal to Superman, without a pesky conscious holding him back, there’s no one more dangerous for Kal-El to face. With this in mind, it made complete sense that he was the hero’s first villain in the franchise in Man of Steel. Michael Shannon played him with a maniacal desperation to save Krypton. Why would he care about destroying Earth, because Krypton will obviously be better?

As Superman fights his commanders and destroys his machines, Zod grows increasingly insane as his plan becomes less possible. Things culminate in a huge final battle that destroys Metropolis. With his military training and access to new powers, Zod is pretty unstoppable until his helmet cracks and he is forced to deal with the many elements of Earth life all at once. This is the small distraction Superman needs to take the upperhand. Without this moment, it’s feasible that Zod may have actually defeated the Man of Steel, as he was clearly the better fighter and more prepared to go to the death.

2 BATMAN

There’s a consistent debate among some fans on whether Batman is really a superhero since he doesn’t have any powers. The answer, of course, is yes. Batman spent his life traveling the world, becoming an expert in various martial arts and fighting styles so he would be ready for any situation. Specifically in the movies, this is a Batman who’s been in the crime fighting business for 20 years, so he has a whole career of experience to draw on as well. He often uses those skills to take on several bad guys at once, like he did in Batman v. Superman.

That scene where he rescues Martha Kent from Luthor’s henchmen may be the best fight in the movie -- it’s vintage Batman.

He goes head to head with Superman and is winning until they realize they’re on the same side. Once they put their differences aside, he’s ready to fight Doomsday, because Batman never backs down. In Justice League, he is seen killing several Parademons and once again facing off with an amnesiac, angry Superman. If there were a DCEU fight club, there are only a few other characters who could match Batman in hand to hand combat. True or not, they’ve portrayed him as someone who can’t be beaten straight on.

1 WONDER WOMAN

From the moment she burst on the screen in Batman v. Superman, we knew this Wonder Woman was special. During the battle with Doomsday, we got glimpses of what we loved about the character, but this wasn’t her story. Once we got to know her in Themyscira, we saw where all her honor and bravery came from. She was trained by the strongest Amazons and learned from watching them in battle. She takes her sessions with Antiope seriously because she truly believes in the Amazons duty to protect humanity.

Once she makes it to the outside world, it becomes clear it isn’t ready for her. There’s not a better hero sequence in the entire franchise than "No Man’s Land" in Wonder Woman. It’s the moment she embraces being Wonder Woman and fulfills her destiny of who she is meant to be. The German soldiers are obviously no match for her. Neither is Ludendorff or Ares for that matter. She’s about to defeat Steppenwolf before he runs away like a coward, but joins the team in beating him during the final fight. Though she is surrounded by Gods, aliens and Atlanteans, Diana’s confidence never wavers and that’s the real key to her strength. She knows if she wanted to she could kick all their butts. Don’t believe us? Just ask Batman.