It’s time to rank all of the Death Battle fights from season 1! This was the really old days of the series so it’s fun to see just how much things have changed. These battles usually had less of a plot and were really just about getting the popular characters to have a quick fight. It’s definitely nostalgic but of course I am also eager to see the new fights coming up where things really began to be a full spectacle.

I’m ranking the fights based on the animations themselves and not the analysis. That said, I will let you know in the title if their verdict was accurate or not. I want to say Death Battle usually gets it right but they are definitely more solid in some reasons than others. Season 1 was their younger days so we can probably expect a few issues here and there.

25th Boba Fett VS Samus Aran Verdict: Correct

This was the first ever Death Battle so naturally they were still learning but the main problem is that it absolutely feels old. This is not a fight that has gotten better with time or that I could even look at nostalgically. There just aren’t many reasons to watch this one which is the main problem.

24th Haggar VS Zangief Verdict: Correct

This fight mainly suffers from the fact that both opponents are so similar. Their power sets are basically parallels after all so you’re not going to get to see a lot of fun things here. It’s the kind of fight that definitely ends up being very forgettable without any real replay value here.

23rd Justin Bieber VS Rebecca Black Verdict: Wrong

Ties are always a wrong verdict. The fight is interesting novelty value but also feels a bit pointless since they played it so safe. Either pick a winner or just don’t do the fight in the first place. This fight had a lot of people running around and there was quick paced action but ultimately that was not quite enough to make this fight good enough to go any higher.

22nd Akuma VS Shang Tsung Verdict: Correct

The fight focused a little too much on the copy abilities the whole time for my taste. It should have worked more on their individual talents and then things could have been better. I was glad to see Akuma running around but it’s still clear that the fight didn’t have as much creativity as there could have been.

21st Goomba VS Koopa Verdict: Wrong

Ties are always a cop out. The fight should have been a stomp since everyone knows that Koopa always beats Goomba. I did like that they turned this a bit more into an adventure though. At least I could say that this makes up for the bungled fight to an extent but it definitely would have needed something more in order for me to really have called this a great fight.

20th Pikachu VS Blanka Verdict: Wrong

The ending to the fight has gotta be one of the most mean spirited ones out there. The fight wasn’t bad but it also didn’t have quite as much movement as the fights that could come up later on. So it was nothing crazy but it would have definitely needed a whole lot more in order to rise up from this spot.

19th Felicia VS Taokaka Verdict Correct

I may not be the biggest fan of either character here but it still made for a fun fight. It’s one of those battles where just from the sprites it feels like Felicia is outmatched from the jump. We still got some good blows from each side during the battle even if it may not have had the same impact as some of the fights that will be coming up.

18th Bomberman VS Dig Dug Verdict: Wrong

Bomberman owns Dig Dug any day of the week. The guy is a good explorer but he’s definitely not touching those big bombs. Bomberman can light up the sky at any time and his power ups just make this even more true. Dig Dug would have no escape but it was fun seeing those gameplay mechanics at the ready the whole time.

17th Starscream VS Rainbow Dash: Verdict Wrong

The fight had a lot of animation and dialogue but it doesn’t quite have the usual Death Battle tone which is what holds it back a bit. It’s one of the only Death Battles that you just don’t take super seriously the way you would for the others. Rainbow Dash winning is definitely a funny one though, not what I would have expected back in the day.

16th Chun-Li VS Mai Shiranui Verdict: Wrong

This fight is fairly straight forward, both combatants are really impressive martial artists who know how to strike at an opponent’s weak points. I enjoyed the battle even if Chun Li should have dominated the whole time. It’s one of those battles that doesn’t need any gimmicks or anything. It’s just solid all around.

15th Yoshi VS Riptor Verdict: Correct

This was definitely an old fashioned slashing battle with two characters who really pack a punch. I was certainly rooting for Yoshi the whole time of course so it was fun to see him pull ahead. There wasn’t a whole lot to this battle though and it ends up feeling short. So it’s a good fight but that’s why it isn’t higher.

14th Zitz VS Leonardo Verdict: Correct

I have to admit that just from the design I started rooting for Zits here but it’s true that he doesn’t have as many good speed options as Leonardo. The fight was fun with how they actually incorporated the ninja traits here. It helped the battle stand out a whole lot more than it would have otherwise. I still can’t believe Leonardo got two fights in a row. That was supremely lucky and will likely never happen again.

13th Luke Skywalker VS Harry Potter Verdict: Correct

This fight definitely took a lot longer than you might have expected here but we got to see what the two fighters could really do. This involves a lot of mental abilities the whole time which is definitely a shift from the usual physical battling going on here. The matchup was also a fun one which holds up well.

12th Rogue VS Wonder Woman Verdict: Wrong

Wonder Woman’s base stats definitely get underestimated at times but Rogue is certainly strong in her own right. This ended up being a pretty good fight even if the ending was questionable. I enjoy a good speedblitz and we got several of those in this battle. The tables kept on turning over and over again which kept you glued to see who would win.

11th Kratos VS Spawn Verdict: Correct

This was a fun fight that really shows what a beast Spawn is. He’s the kind of fighter who just keeps on going and going no matter what is in his way. The absolute durability that he’s got is really crazy. He was an easy character to root for and the fight was handled very well with several solid fakeouts.

10th Batman VS Spider-Man: Verdict Correct

Prep time is a fun meme of course but realistically Spider-Man will always have this. He’s just stronger and faster by large degrees. I’d really enjoy a remake with some fun banter but all in all this was still a really fun fight with a lot of choreography. Spider-Man was definitely not holding back.

9th Zelda VS Peach Verdict: Wrong

Peach is a fun character in an ironic sense. I like how she’s always yelling for Mario but in a fight if we’re being super real here, she should have no shot. Her sarcastic victory celebration line was a really nice touch though. The fight looked good and had its share of humor though so I definitely had no qualms with that. If you’re going to do a fight like this, then this was the right approach.

8th Master Chief VS Doomguy: Verdict Wrong

This is definitely one of those fights where it’s like the Chief is going up against a wall. Nothing slows Doomguy down and I really like how imposing the guy he. He’s got crazy aura the whole time and just doesn’t back down. Master Chief even throws in some real disrespect by the end which Doomguy would be sure not to forget. It’s a well made fight from start to finish.

7th Thor VS Raiden Verdict: Correct

Raiden’s sprite ended up looking more funny than anything with the way that he was moving around. It did make for a fun Death Battle though and he really showed his stuff. Definitely not the kind of opponent to go down easy and it was also fun seeing Thor in action. A very solid Death Battle all in all.

6th Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Battle Royale Verdict Correct

Raphael may be my favorite but I can see how Leonardo takes this one. Ultimately the swords are just the better weapons with the longer reach and everything. He is the leader for a reason and it was fun seeing this group fight. Poor Michelangelo was more than a little out of his league though. He never stood a chance.

5. Vegeta VS Shadow Verdict: Correct

They definitely had fun with this battle and pointing out how similar the characters were. Shadow vs Vegeta will always be a fun rivalry and the fight had a lot of pizzazz to it. Certainly the kind of fight you could watch several times over. A sound addition to near the top of the Death Battle ranks.

4. Mario VS Sonic Verdict: Correct

Mario is strong but Sonic’s always had the edge in this matchup so that was nice to see. Mario is an all around type which is good for many fights but Sonic is near invincible! It was nice to see them running through all of the different abilities because both definitely have many tools up their arsenal. Ultimately it’s a fight that is a lot of fun to watch.

3. Link VS Cloud Verdict: Wrong

Death Battle may have missed on the verdict here but the fight was a lot of fun. I liked the CG used for this one and making the fight be in 3D made the whole thing feel like a cutscene out of their games. This was a really good way to do things. Cloud’s arsenal also makes for a naturally fun fight because all of his moves are certainly flashy and Link definitely holds his own as well.

2. Eggman VS Wily Verdict: Wrong

Any time you end with what is essentially a tie then you’re going to have the wrong verdict result. The fight itself was a whole lot of fun though. I loved seeing Metal Sonic really show up and absolutely dominate throughout each round of the battle. He is definitely not someone to underestimate that’s for sure. Also team battles in general are always a lot of fun as you try and see just how many fighters they can squeeze in. A modern remake of this would be even more crazy.

1. Goku VS Superman Verdict: Wrong

They may have gotten the verdict wrong here but the fight itself is great. It was nice seeing Goku go through all of his different transformations and really take it to Superman. The fight itself also illustrates why I confidently have Goku taking this. Many agree that Goku and Superman is a good fight when Goku is at base or super saiyan mode and with the multipliers then it’s over. I liked how Goku would not take no for an answer here and was absolutely going to have his fight no matter what. That’s just the kind of guy that he is. Always ready for action.

Well that’s all of the fights for season 1. In the end they got the verdict right on 13/25 fights so they just made it on over half of them. I’ll be back at some point with the season 2 battles for even more hype. That season has the most fights in the series so it’ll be pretty nostalgic as well. You may even see some live improvements between fights in the same season since that’s a lot of time to improve. Either way I’d recommend checking these season 1 fights out if you haven’t watched them yet.