Batman vs Conan the Barbarian Settled by Pop-Culture Fan Vote (& It's Surprisingly Close)

Summary Author Gail Simone polled her social media followers, asking who is stronger, Conan the Barbarian, or Batman – and while the outcome might have been expected, it doesn't necessarily reflect the truth of how the two characters stack up.

Readers declared Batman the stronger hero in Simone's social media poll, but that doesn't necessarily close the book on the long-standing Batman vs. Conan debate.

Despite Batman's skills and dedication, some may question the outcome due to Conan's brutal savagery and innate fighting abilities; while Batman is known for his agility and tactics, Conan's lethal fighting style and willingness to kill give him the edge in a battle.

As two of the toughest heroes in comics, Conan the Barbarian and Batman have been compared and contrasted by generations of pop culture fans – with the debate invariably coming down to which of the two is physically stronger. According to a social media poll run by Uncanny X-Men writer Gail Simone, the comics fandom seems to think they have the answer.

Known for her pop culture commentary and engagement with readers, Gail Simone put the question to her followers, asking which character is stronger. Batman and Conan, despite existing in contrasting worlds, do have some things in common, from the murder of their parents, to their almost unparalleled fighting skills.

In a poll that, to most, will be far from surprising, readers made their opinions known. While sure to be controversial with the most dedicated fans of dark fantasy, the obvious hero prevailed, "settling" a long-running debate by declaring Batman the stronger of the two.

Created by Robert E. Howard in a short story for Weird Tales, Conan the Barbarian emerged as arguably the most successful and iconic dark fantasy hero of the 20th century. Despite his reputation for aggression and strength, 5,860 X users voted 55% to 45% that he'd lose to Gotham's Dark Knight.

Related Conan the Barbarian's BATTLE OF THE BLACK STONE Unleashes Robert E. Howard's Shared Universe Battle of the Black Stone is coming this fall, bringing Conan the Barbarian and creator Robert E. Howard's other characters into a shared universe.

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Author Gail Simone Polled Her X Followers

Close

As driven, dedicated and disciplined as Batman might be, readers familiar with the adventures of Conan the Barbarian are warranted in questioning the poll's outcome.

A descendant of the fallen people of Atlantis, Conan the Barbarian was literally born into war, with his mother giving birth to him on a field of battle. Developing into a skilled warrior in his teens, the character has been instrumental in a number of wars and conflicts in his time. Known for his adventures traveling solo or with a small band of companions, the hero has fought sorcerers, witches, warlords, demons and more. When it comes to comics, he is best remembered through the Bronze Age Marvel Comics series and current Titan Books run.

Batman, by contrast to Conan, was born into a life of wealth and luxury, but was traumatized by the murder of his parents. Afterward, he committed his life to protecting the people of Gotham from the same fate, training himself into peak physical condition for a human male. Donning his iconic cape and cowl, he took to the streets, observing the ground from the rooftops above, swooping in to save the innocent from criminals like Joker and Bane. As tough as he is, there have been no shortage of stories that explore his weaknesses.

Batman may be tough, but there's no competing with the deadly and brutal savagery of Conan.

Fans Batman Bias May Have Kept Them From Recognizing Conan's True Strength

A Realistic Analysis Of How They Stack Up

As driven, dedicated and disciplined as Batman might be, readers familiar with the adventures of Conan the Barbarian are warranted in questioning the poll's outcome. Although Bruce Wayne has dedicated his life from a young age to becoming an effective crime-fighter, Conan was literally born into savagery and violence. For the same reason a tactical Bane was once able to best the hero in combat, so too would Howard's iconic hero make even shorter work of the Gothamite. Batman may be tough, but there's no competing with the deadly and brutal savagery of Conan.

Batman has accomplished some impressive feats in the past, and is known for an expert fighting technique, replete with knowledge of where to strike for a desired effect. At the same time, Conan's fighting methods are more raw and unrestrained, often aiming for a lethal effect. Although the Caped Crusader could use agility to his advantage, the sheer stamina, savage fighting and willingness to kill would likely result in the Cimmerian being the only man to walk away from a fight between Batman and Conan the Barbarian alive.