Anime vs DC · Superhuman
Mikasa Ackerman vs Nightwing
Two of the most acrobatic fighters in their worlds. One of them trained against Titans.
Tale of the tape
| Attack on Titan | Universe | DC |
|---|---|---|
| Superhuman | Tier | Street level |
| Ackerman power and flawless blade work | Strength | Acrobatics and escrima sticks |
| Fights hardest when someone she loves is in danger, and only then | Weakness | Holds back like his mentor taught him |
| 2–2 | Record on Versus | 1–2 |
The Arena
Mikasa Ackerman came through a portal into a grimy, rain-soaked city full of tall buildings and immediately felt at home. She swung through Blüdhaven on her ODM gear, getting used to the new terrain, until a man in a black-and-blue suit landed on a rooftop beside her, holding two escrima sticks. “Nice gear,” Nightwing said. “Never seen anything like it.”
Mikasa landed and looked at him, wary. “Are you a soldier?” Nightwing grinned. “Kind of. I’m a hero. Well, an acrobat who punches criminals. It’s a long story.” Mikasa did not smile. “Are there Titans here?” Nightwing frowned. “The Teen Titans? Yeah, I used to lead them.” Mikasa drew her blades.
Nightwing realised he had said exactly the wrong thing. “Wait, not that kind of—” Mikasa was already in the air.
Round One
She came at him fast, faster than anyone Nightwing had ever fought except Batman, and he flipped over her first strike with perfect timing. Mikasa swung around a building and came back from the other side. He met her blade with an escrima stick, sparks flying, and was knocked across the roof by the sheer force of it.
They fought across the rooftops, both of them incredible acrobats. Nightwing had trained in a circus and under Batman. Mikasa had trained against creatures fifteen metres tall. He flipped, she swung. He kicked, she spun. For a few minutes, it was the most beautiful fight Blüdhaven had ever seen.
But Mikasa was stronger. Much stronger. Every time she struck, Nightwing’s arms went numb.
The Turn
Nightwing jumped back, holding up his hands. “Wait! Teen Titans! It’s a superhero team! Not monsters!” Mikasa paused, suspicious. “A team called Titans,” she said slowly. “That fights monsters?” Nightwing nodded quickly. “Yes! We fight monsters!” Mikasa narrowed her eyes. “Then you lead an army against Titans?”
Nightwing realised the conversation was going badly in a whole new direction. Mikasa took his hesitation as confirmation of something, nobody was quite sure what, and attacked again, faster than before. Nightwing dodged, blocked and countered, but she was relentless, an Ackerman whose body was built for fighting.
He landed a solid kick to her jaw. She did not even flinch. He realised he was outmatched.
The Finish
Nightwing tried one last trick, a smoke pellet and a triple backflip off a water tower, the move that had beaten a hundred criminals. Mikasa swung through the smoke on her gear, caught him in mid-air and drove him onto the rooftop, her blade stopping at his throat.
Nightwing lay there, breathing hard, looking up at her. “Okay,” he said. “I give up. But I really do just mean a superhero team.” Mikasa held the blade there for a long moment, studying his face. Then she lowered it. “You talk too much,” she said. Nightwing laughed. “I get that a lot.”
She helped him up. They sat on the rooftop in the rain, and he explained the Teen Titans properly, with drawings on a napkin. Mikasa listened carefully, then said, “Your Titans sound much smaller than ours.” Nightwing looked at her blades, then at her gear, and decided he really did not want to know.
The verdict
Mikasa Ackerman wins
Nightwing is a world-class acrobat and fighter, but Mikasa is an Ackerman with superhuman strength and speed, and her ODM gear gives her mobility that even his circus training cannot match.
- Ackerman strengthMikasa hits harder than Nightwing can block.
- ODM gearShe moves through the air faster than he can flip.
- DurabilityShe shrugs off his strikes.
How the rematch could go differently: A Nightwing who used tech to jam her gas canisters, the way Batman might, could ground her and win on skill.
Who do you think wins?
Who would win in a fight between Mikasa Ackerman and Nightwing?
Mikasa Ackerman wins. Nightwing is a world-class acrobat and fighter, but Mikasa is an Ackerman with superhuman strength and speed, and her ODM gear gives her mobility that even his circus training cannot match.