One of the most important and controversial aspects ofBatman’scharacter has always been his strict adherence to his no-kill rule. No matter how violent or evil a villain might be, Batman will not kill them. DC has tried to offer a few different reasons why Batman refuses to kill, but there’s only one reason that I believe is actually true for his character.
Fans have stated for years thatBatmanshould just kill the Joker - or any of his other villains - and that by allowing his villains to live and harm innocent people,Batman is doing more harm than good.Some creators have even attempted to address this idea.
A few different creators have tried to tackle this problem, but writer Judd Winick, inBatman: Under the Hood, attempted to explain Batman’s reasoning for refusing to kill after a revived Jason Todd tries to force him into murdering the Joker. Unfortunately, I don’t think that the explanation that Winick comes up with lines up with Batman’s history.
Batman’s Real Reason for His No-Kill Rule Doesn’t Line Up withUnder the Hood
Batman#635 by Judd Winick, Doug Mahnke, Tom Nguyen, Alex Sinclair, and Pat Brosseau
This iconic comic centered around Jason Todd returning as Red Hood and trying to get his revenge on both Batman and the Joker. One of the ways he attempted to do so was by trying to force Batman into taking the Joker’s life, leading to a famous scene where Batman explains whyhe has his no-kill rule and why he refuses to ever take a life.According to Batman, if he were ever to kill someone, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from killing more.Batman can’t just kill the Joker; he’d have to kill every inmate at Arkham Asylum.
Batman Keeps a Few Vows, But DC Is Putting His No-Gun & No-Killing Rule to the Test
Batman is known for two main rules: no guns and absolutely no killing. However, in a recent comic release, Bruce has pushed the boundaries of both.
I’ve seen so many evil versions of Batman that play with this very ideaover the years, and they’re all basically versions of Batman who essentially just become Marvel’s Punisher and go on murder sprees across Gotham City. That was the very idea behind the character of the Grim Knight. But those were all alternate nightmare versions for a reason. In the prime universe, Batman would never kill someone, and it’s not because of his fear of becoming a serial killer; it’s because of his deep-rooted trauma over death, which started when he was a child.
Batman Fundamentally Cannot Kill Someone, As It Would Betray His Sense of Self
It Would Go Against Everything He Believes In
I don’t think it’s controversial to say that the most traumatizing event in Bruce Wayne’s life was when he witnessed the deaths of his parents right in front of him. A random, pointless, violent crime resulted in both of Bruce’s parents being murdered, and it’s something that’s stuck with him for his entire life. That’s the true root of Batman’s no-kill rule.It’s not that he’s afraid he’d become a serial killer; it’s that killing would fundamentally break him. He knows firsthand the pain and misery that people feel when someone they know is killed, and he never wants to put someone through that experience.
Batman has such an intense aversion to death and loss due to his trauma thatBatman even has trouble saying goodbye, which is why he infamously vanishes in the middle of conversations. That kind of deep trauma isn’t something that someone can just get over. I know it’s the kind of trauma that someone never moves past.Considering Batman defined his entire life around the death of his parents, it only makes sense that he’d define his greatest rule around it as well. But if that’s not convincing enough, there’s one more reason why Batman refuses to take a life.
Batman Truly Believes That All Life Is Sacred
He Learned This From His Father
Bruce Wayne idolized his father. Thomas Wayne was a skilled doctor and would save every life that he could, regardless of who they were. While Bruce was aware of this, it didn’t really have an impact on him until the night he saw his father save the life of Carmine Falcone, Gotham’s biggest gangster at the time. This moment taught Bruce that all life is sacred, regardless of what evil that life may have done or caused. According to Thomas Wayne, everyone deserves a chance at redemption. With these two pivotal moments from Bruce’s childhood combined,it’s clear that he could never kill anyone.
The idea that the rule is born from his trauma actually makes sense and perfectly lines up with the character’s history.
The only explanation forBatman’s no-kill rulethat makes sense and lines up with his character’s history is that the rule was born from his trauma. Bruce being afraid of a slippery slope situation where he ends up killing everyone simply doesn’t make sense. It makes Batman sound like a barely restrained homicidal maniac. The idea that the rule is born from his trauma actually makes sense and perfectly lines up with the character’s history. That’s why I know that this is the only real explanation forBatman’srule; in fact, it’s the only explanation that the character ever needs.
Batman#635is available now from DC Comics!
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
