Daredevil or Iron Fist: Which Defender Is The Best Fighter?

Daredevil and Iron Fist are two of the best fighters in the Marvel universe, but which one was the most skilled in The Defenders saga? The Marvel series formerly on Netflix and now on Disney+ brought some of the publisher's most interesting street-level characters into the mainstream and added even more fuel to questions comic book readers have had for a long time. One of those questions has to do with the power level of the Defenders, more specifically in hand-to-hand combat.

It's obvious that in terms of sheer strength, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage have an enormous advantage over the other two Defenders. Jessica and Luke both underwent enhancement procedures, gaining superhuman abilities comparable to those of MCU's Captain America in the process. In terms of fighting skills, however, Matt Murdock and Danny Rand are the experts of the group.

Both Daredevil and Iron Fist have enough scenes to prove their heroes’ martial arts expertise, but Matt Murdock and Danny Rand's encounter in The Defenders provides enough information to conclude that Daredevil is the better fighter. Matt managed to block every single move made by Danny, and the Iron Fist failed to land a hit on Daredevil. Granted, Daredevil couldn't knock Iron Fist out either, but one could argue that Daredevil was just trying to hold Iron Fist off and not hurt him. Less than a minute into the fight, Iron Fist had to resort to his magic fist, which indicates that, at least in terms of fighting skills, he was slightly behind Daredevil. Other moments throughout Daredevil and Iron Fist also help to realize that, at least in this portrayal of the Marvel universe, Daredevil has better fighting skills.

There were many times when Daredevil faced dozens of opponents, and even when he was injured or with some kind of restriction the Devil of Hell's Kitchen managed to come out on top. Iron Fist, on the other hand, has struggled when facing groups of five or six opponents — especially in Iron Fist season 1. Although Danny Rand has a magical attribute that Matt doesn't, the Netflix version of Iron Fist wasn’t the same skillful warrior from the comics.

One reason for Matt Murdock's advantage has to do with the experiences of both heroes. Although Danny Rand has been training his entire life to become the immortal Iron Fist, Iron Fist season 1 sees the character trying to fit into the "real world" and use his powers to resolve conflicts for the first time. Despite all his training, Danny in Iron Fist season 1 was still a naive person who didn't live up to his full potential — something the show was heavily criticized for. Matt, on the other hand, is introduced in Daredevil as a hero with a few months of experience who seemed prepared for any situation. The only formal training Daredevil had was with Stick at a young age, but Matt has a repertoire of martial arts and endurance that have made him an exceptional warrior. There's also the element of heightened senses, something that helps make Daredevil to be the most skilled fighter in the Defenders canon.

Although in the comics Iron Fist can be considered as being stronger than Daredevil, in The Defenders universe is Matt who is the best fighter. Considering the needs of the stories and the attention given to the action scenes in each show, Daredevil was able to better convey the skills of its main character from the pages to the screen. The quick encounter between Daredevil and Iron Fist in The Defenders only served to highlight that difference.

Next: Why The Defenders Was So Disappointing