Top 20 Most Brutal Deaths in The DC Animated Universe

Son of Batman (2014)

The Demons Head got the short end of the stick in Son of Batman. His whole organization got blindsided by an attack from Deathstroke, a cold-blooded mercenary who Ras once trained. Slade didnt have any love left for Ras, as proven by the helicopter he used to launch rockets at his former mentor. As you can imagine, the end result wasnt pretty, with Ras al Ghul getting scorched to death. Normally Ras has been able to cheat death thanks to the Lazarus Pit. But the damage here was so bad that even the pit wouldnt have been able to save him. Its even sadder since his grandson Damian Wayne witnessed the entire thing. Though Ras lived a long life, eventually the grim reaper had to catch up with him.

Injustice (2021)

This movie was a truly sad sendoff for the Scarlet Speedster. As the Flash tries tracking down the Joker, problems arise for him when hes in one of the clowns safehouses. Hes struck with the Scarecrows fear gas, which dazes him for a couple of seconds. In that brief window of time, Barry is then sliced by one of Jokers sharp death traps. Though this sadistic moment technically happens offscreen, we can guess what happened pretty easily. Youd think that a character as powerful as the Flash would have a much more fitting death than this. Unfortunately, he was taken from us too soon by the Joker. Guess this safehouse wasnt so safe after all.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)

Whats more insane? Getting blown up on a desolate planet or getting blown up on a desolate planet and not even caring about it? Our moneys on the latter. As Owlman is stranded on a barren alternate Earth with his plan to destroy the multiverse foiled, things dont look too good. But if you know anything about Owlman then you know he isnt just an evil Batman, hes also a complete nihilist. Owlman actually has a chance to stop the Quantum Eigenstate Device from detonating, which would at least stall his demise. Instead of doing that though, he decides to let things play out, and the entire world along with him explodes. This death is pretty much the definition of hardcore.

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018)

Youd think that a bullet straight through the brain would kill somebody, but the Reverse Flash is on another level. He survived getting shot by Thomas Wayne at the end of Flashpoint Paradox but he wasnt exactly in perfect shape. Desperate to get a special get out of Hell free card to save himself, Thawne got into a couple of skirmishes with the Suicide Squad. Though hes a demented Speedster, hes not immortal. And during a fight with the Bronze Tiger and Deadshot, hes injured enough for Deadshot to land the killing blow. Actually, multiple killing blows. Eobard is basically drowned in a flood of gunfire. For someone who can travel timelines and escape almost any situation, even Reverse Flash couldnt escape his own death.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

Queen Mera had a really rough life in the Flashpoint timeline. When she found out that her husband Aquaman was having an affair with Wonder Woman, she quickly sought revenge. Unfortunately, her attempt to attack Wonder Woman was a complete disaster. Honestly, thats underselling the moment. Mera was completely decapitated by Wonder Woman. She went looking for a fight and lost her head in the process. She didnt just go out like a complete chump, her death also ended up instigating the war between the Themyscirans and the Atlanteans. That war also led to countless other deaths and essentially doomed the Flashpoint reality. So yeah, when we say that things werent great for Mera, we mean it!

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)

As the war against Darkseid rages on, the Teen Titans are systematically slaughtered by Darkseids forces. We get an up-close shot of the carnage, with Kid Flash, Starfire, Beast Boy, and other members of the team now dead. Many in the superhero community were wiped out by Darkseid so we knew there were going to be casualties. But still, these were just kids who were mercilessly massacred. While the Teen Titans understood the risks of being superheroes, they didnt deserve to have their lives get cut so short. Their deaths are a sobering reality of just how much of a monster Darkseid is, and why taking him down is the most important priority of all.

Superman: Doomsday (2009)

When Toyman finally went too far in Superman: Doomsday, there would be no more fun and games left in store for him. Normally after Toyman commits heinous crimes, Superman just throws him in prison. But this time Toyman was dealing with Supermans clone, and the clone didnt have a problem dealing out a more intense punishment. The clone of Superman flew Toyman up into the air and then dropped him. Thats right, Toyman fell all the way to his death, crashing onto the top of a police car. While he definitely deserved to be punished after he endangered several kids, this was undeniably an extreme response. In the end, Toymans death sent a message: that this Superman clone was not playing around.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

Is there anything that Captain Atom can do besides getting blown to kingdom come all the time? Seriously, it kind of feels like thats all hes known for nowadays, especially in Flashpoint Paradox. As the Themysciran-Atlantean war rages on, hes used by Atlantis as the final defense against Wonder Womans army. The nuclear-powered superhero is essentially turned into the most destructive nuclear bomb imaginable. Its a grim situation made even worse when Captain Atom detonates. This not only kills him, but also sends a massive explosion that destroys everything in its wake. The Flashpoint reality was a nightmare to begin with, but the cataclysmic death of Captain Atom cemented it as a truly hellish timeline.

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)

As Darkseid quickly enslaved humanity, Cyborg was one of the many heroes taken as prisoners. What was left of his body was systematically taken apart, and once he was broken free of the programming that kept him loyal to Darkseid, he realized he could still never escape. So in his final moments he sacrifices himself to trap Darkseid in a void of darkness. Its a very bleak death, sure, but its also an incredibly brave and noble choice for Cyborg to make. Even though he died in a brutal way, he died on his own terms and took Darkseid down in the process. It reminds us that Cyborg is a true hero through and through.

Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

When it comes to DCs darkest deaths, Jason Todds has got to be one of the most famous ones. The second Robins demise at the hands of Joker has gone down in the history books as one of his most sinister crimes. In Under the Red Hood, Joker used a crowbar to savagely beat Jason within an inch of his life. He then left him locked in a warehouse that was set to explode. Batman tried his best to rescue him, but unfortunately Jason died in the explosion. Sure, hed eventually get resurrected as Red Hood, but this trauma became a permanent part of his character that could never be forgotten. The harsh reality which Jason discovered is that sometimes being a sidekick isnt as cool as it looks.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

The Joker has disposed of innocent lives in every way imaginable, and yet, this one might just be the most disturbing of all. In the film Mask of the Phantasm, exposure to Jokers venom sends gangster Sal "The Wheezer" Valestra laughing all the way to an early grave. Death by laughing is just the kind of twisted fate that only the Joker could think up. When the Phantasm finds Valestras body, an eerie smile is plastered across his dead face. Since this marked the first lethal use of Jokers gas, its fair to say his villainy was no laughing matter anymore.

The Death of Superman (2018)

Even though the films title totally spoils the ending, that doesnt make the inevitable smackdown any less ferocious. The villainous Doomsday manages to match Supermans attacks blow for blow. So, with Lois and the rest of Metropolis at stake, Clark rams into the monster with everything he has. The force is enough to take Doomsday down for good, but in doing so, hes caught by one of the fiends spikes. Its a tragic end to the Son of Krypton, but Lois can take solace that dying for his city is exactly the way Clark wouldve wanted to go out.

Reign of the Supermen (2019)

Up against a cyborg version of himself, the Blue Boy Scout realized that punches wont get the job done. Instead, he needs a technological solution. So, the real Kal-El uploads the faker with an eradication program. Right in the face, no less. The robot immediately short-circuits from the inside out, conveniently taking out his machine empire in the process. It couldnt have been a pleasant way to go, but considering how much damage faux-Superman did, we cant say he didnt have it coming. Either way, Kal-El definitely proved that the real Man of Steel doesnt need any actual metal.

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018)

Most villains relish a kill, but the way Crystal Frost disposed of her parents is just, well, cold. After years of abuse at their hands, she manifested her metahuman abilities as a child. Her first order of business is to put her mom and dad on ice. Think shes dismayed at what shes done? Think again. She gets her revenge using a fire poker - shattering them into pieces. After seeing her turn her parents into snow cones, its no surprise to hear Crystal would grow up to become Killer Frost. Emphasis on the killer part.

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)

From the moment Darkseid waged war on humanity, it was obvious that not every hero was going to make it out alive. Unfortunately for Zatanna, that meant the curtain was falling on her show. The sharp-tongue sorceress ended up as the Parademons next meal, and they definitely cleaned their plate. While being devoured isnt a particularly good way to go, what hurts the most is that Zatanna couldve survived. She spent her final moments crying out for her lover, Constantine. But she had already enchanted him to run away automatically if the battle went south. As her body was torn apart, Zatanna had to accept that she had doomed herself to this grim fate.

Batman vs. Robin (2015)

The Dollmaker mustve had some serious heart palpitations in his final minutes. Damian Wayne spared the villains life because of Bruces teachings about justice over vengeance. However, the vigilante, Talon, had no such qualms. He certainly stopped Dollmakers spiking heart rate, but he did it by performing an impromptu surgery with his bare hands. Theres something incredibly visceral about someone holding an actual beating heart in their hands. Its all the more jarring because of the tonal whiplash between Damians mercy and Talons murder. So, we can only imagine how shocking it mustve been for Dollmaker.

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)

After Queen Atlanna refuses to wage war on the surface world, her bloodthirsty son, Orm, stages an attack on Atlantis. When the queen sees through his machinations, he gives up on the subtle, roundabout route, and quite literally stabs her in the back. While it might be a relatively quick death, the fact that shes killed by her own son is just a different kind of messed up. The worst part of it all, though, is that Orm doesnt even seem bothered by the blood on his hands.

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)

Theres a deep, poetic justice that the Dark Knights nemesis ended up dying at the hands of his own creation. After all, the madcap villain kidnapped and brainwashed Tim Drake into a terrifying Joker Junior of sorts. So, its both disturbing and moving to see the crazed Robin make the right choice in the end - even though it comes at the cost of the Jokers life. However, a shot to the chest didnt keep the crook down for good. So, decades later, it was up to Terry McGinnis to fry the Jokers consciousness once and for all. This might be the only movie with two Joker deaths for the price of one.

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)

With malice and eye beams, Darkseid successfully dismantles the entire Green Lantern Corp. In fact, even though the heroes are on their own turf, the warlord tears through each of them until their uniforms have more red than green. Each death is somehow more gruesome than the last, until John Stewart is the last Lantern remaining. Then, in suitably dramatic fashion, Darkseid ends his assault by dumping magma on the planet. Against all that, John Stewart didnt stand a chance. At the very least, his death was mercifully quick. Thats more than his green-clad comrades can say.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

As tragic as it is, death is a common work hazard for superheros. But, its completely different watching the same fate befall a young kid - even if he is a part-time hero. Shazam, or Captain Thunder as hes known in his timeline, is actually a pretty good match for the belligerent Wonder Woman. The issue is that she knows that, too. So, using her lasso, she compels him to transform back into the young Billy Batson. Without getting into the gory details, lets just say Wonder Woman doesnt show any mercy to the youthful hero. This horrifying moment really showed that these time-lost variants are anything but heroic.

Are there any other grisly DC deaths from animation that we forgot? Let us know in the comments!