Top 10 Times Superheroes Broke Their No Kill Rule

“Batman: Under the Hood” (2005-06)

From the moment we learned the rough and streetwise Jason Todd was going to be Robin, we knew he’d be one of Batman’s edgier sidekicks. The young crime fighter initially only dealt out harsh but non-lethal doses of justice. However, everything changed after the Joker took Todd’s life. After the Robin was resurrected by the magical Lazarus Pit, he decided to stop holding back against criminals. Todd returned to Gotham as the villainous Red Hood and showed everyone how lethal he was willing to be. While Batman definitely disapproved, his new persona turned him from a least liked character into a fan favorite.

“Uncanny X-Men #211” (1986)

When Professor X found Piotr Rasputin, he was just a simple farm boy who used his powers to help his community. After the gentle giant joined the X-men, he continued his kind reputation by becoming a non-lethal defender of heroes. He also formed close connections with his teammates like his one time love interest Kitty Pryde. When she is injured in battle, Colossus is overcome with anger and takes the villain Riptide down permanently. Not only did this go against the hero’s morals, but the mutant further suffers when he’s left on the brink of death after battle. Seeing Colossus weakened and going against his code were both incredibly shocking sights.

“Arrow” (2012-20)

In the early seasons of “Arrow”, Oliver Queen didn’t shy away from slaying people who failed his city. Eventually, he sees his brutal actions in a new light and vows to bring justice without taking any more lives. But Oliver doesn’t stick to his policy forever. After his future wife Felicity is threatened by the Count, the hero puts down the villain permanently with a few arrows. Although Oliver wasn’t happy about this step back, his reservations didn’t stop him from famously breaking his rule later on to take out Ra’s al Ghul. And we’d see Green Arrow take a life yet again when Damien Darhk threatens the city. Oliver’s intense struggle to maintain his no-kill rule became a compelling conflict for his character.

“Jessica Jones” (2015-19)

While Jessica Jones can be quick to anger and isn’t shy about using her super strength on enemies, she wasn’t the type of heroine who took lives. Her no-kill policy really came into play after the villainous Kilgrave used his mind control powers to force her to fatally wound a woman. Although she gets away from his control, he eventually finds a way back into her life. Kilgrave does many terrible things to innocent people to try and get the heroine back by his side. But when he threatens to harm Jessica’s sister, he learns firsthand how deadly superstrength can be. After everything the dangerous Kilgrave did, few can blame the heroine for taking extreme measures to end his reign of terror.

“The Flash: The Trial of the Flash” (1983-85)

Eobard Thawne is one of DC’s most notorious arch rivals. During his career, he has found numerous ways to taunt Barry Allen’s Flash. The hero lost his mother, had his best friend erased from existence, and saw his wife die because of the villain. And just when it seems like Barry is free of his enemy, the antagonist attempts to kill the hero’ new fiance on their wedding day. This assassination attempt was the straw that broke the camel’s back and Flash’s self restraint. The hero quickly ends Thawne before the villain gets to his fiance. Being the hero that he is, Barry willingly goes into police custody after the incident.

Various Stories

Members of the Green Lanterns Corps are meant to be intergalactic peacekeepers. To that end, their guardian overseers prefer that the members of the organization defend life instead of taking it away. Not only did the corps have a written no kill rule against enemies, but their rings weren’t supposed to be capable of doing anything lethal. But the guardians eventually decided that this rule should be altered to address threats like the Sinestro corps. So, anytime we watch a Green Lantern take someone out, we can’t help but think of the original policy. Even lighter stories like the 2011 “Green Lantern” can look jarring when lanterns like Hal Jordan punch Parallax into the sun. Time will tell how lethal the corps will become.

“Shadowland Vol 1 #1” (2010)

Even if you don’t know much about Matt Murdock’s history, the fact that one of his nicknames is The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen suggests he isn’t the most gentle hero. However, his strict moral code kept him from killing his enemies. But circumstances changed after Matt was chosen to take over the notorious Hand ninja clan. While leading the organization, the blind hero shockingly slays his longtime arch rival Bullseye the same way the villain took out Murdock’s former flame, Elektra. It was later revealed that the hero stepped over the line because he was possessed by a demon. But regardless of motive, this shocking Daredevil kill put a dark spin on one of the hero’s greatest tragedies.

“Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5” (1968)

Over the years, Peter Parker’s Spider-Man has garnered a reputation for being a pretty nice webslinger. That’s why many fans thought the actions of Spider-Man from the 5th annual comic seemed out of character. While Peter was seeking information about the death of his parents, Spidey encounters the villain known as the Finisher. The antagonist eventually sends a missile after the hero. During the battle, Peter redirects the missile right back at the Finisher and causes a fatal injury. While it turns out that the villain was responsible for causing the end of Peter’s parents, other baddies have slayed Spider-Man’s loved ones in the past and walked away. But the Finisher was one villain that didn’t survive a battle with the friendly neighborhood hero.

“Injustice: Gods Among Us” (2013-16)

After the Joker hits Superman with a mix of fear toxin and kryptonite, the man of steel thinks his wife Lois Lane is the world breaking villain Doomsday. When the man of steel accidentally slays her, the act of her heart stopping sets off a nuke in the middle of Metropolis. The combination of losing his wife and millions of people causes Superman to snap and take the Joker's life. After this point, the hero continues taking the lives of common criminals and a few of his former allies. He ironically commits all these crimes while still wearing a symbol of hope on his chest. Superman’s frightening turn to the dark side proved that Joker got the last laugh.


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