While some superheroes are blessed with powers that are just otherworldly, some rely on more humble options. However, this doesn’t mean that they are less of a superhero. This just means that they have their own way of becoming “super”.
Often times, it’s enough for them to be ranked among the most powerful. One such superhero is Batman. Although he doesn’t have super strength, speed, hearing, and whatnot; he does have his supreme intellect and gadgets.
Among all the weapons in his arsenal, one stands out among the rest. In fact, it’s one of the most iconic weapons in comics and pop culture in general.
It’s one of Batman’s signature weapons, the Batarang. The Batarang has long been introduced since the 30’s. It’s basically a bat-shaped throwing weapon that has evolved through time. It first functioned like a boomerang wherein Batman would throw it, and then it would come back to him. If you want a batarang for yourself, you can find one at the WB Shop.
However, in time, the Batarang has become more complex, versatile and has become more like a “shuriken” or a ninja’s throwing star. The Batarang has gone through a lot of changes but it has managed to retain the nature of its original design.
Although there are now different types of Batarangs, all of them still come in the shape of a bat. Regardless of function, you’ll immediately identify a Batarang when Batman grabs one. Although the batarang dates back to the 30’s, it’s still popular and always makes an appearance with Batman.
Origin of the Batarang
If you don’t know it yet, Batman actually has a couple of rules that he follows. One is to never kill and another is that he should never use guns. This is especially apparent with older films. As much as he could, he tried not to kill criminals, regardless of how severe their act of villainy was.
However, as surprising as this may be, that wasn’t always the case. Batman actually used to carry guns and even killed people with them.
Before he went on to use batarangs, Batman was less concerned with giving mercy and more concerned with getting the job done. The origin of Batman’s batarangs actually stems from him being somewhat banned from using them.
You could even say that even the origin of the batarangs is dark. Recently, in films, Batman has used guns. His vehicles have them and he has been shown to use them perhaps more often than he would want to.
While Batman is a bit more trigger happy in the films, Batman in the comics is more consistent to his image of not killing and not using any guns. But, this only happened a little later after his first appearance.
In the Golden Age of Batman, when the character was still being developed, Batman followed no rules. He could use a gun and he certainly could kill if he wanted to. His style was even brutal and merciless.
So, how did Batman change from a gunslinging caped crusader to the Dark Knight that uses batarangs? It actually took quite a lot. There’s not just one reason but a culmination of a few. Here are but a few reasons we’ve uncovered why Batman began using batarangs and stopped using guns.
Batman Was Too Similar to The Shadow
Here’s an interesting fact, one of the inspirations for the creation of Batman was actually The Shadow. The Shadow was a very famous superhero and was known for being a great fighter, an excellent detective and he used handguns.
That can also be the description for Batman as he used to carry handguns. Because the creators thought the two just had too many similarities, they thought of changing something from Batman to differentiate the two.
The creators took away Batman’s guns and replaced them with the batarangs to do just that.
Gun Legislation is One Reason Why Batman Used Batarangs
A lot of extremely violent crimes that had something to do with guns were committed back in the 20’s and 30’s. There was the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago and the attempted assassination of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Those are just to name a few. There were more that happened as well. Then, the National Firearms Act of 1934 was passed. In 1939, the famed supreme court ruling upheld that the National Firearms Act was constitutional.
In the same year, Batman made his first appearance. Guess what? During a time wherein guns were in a bad light, Batman went about shooting bad guys. This went on until critics started demonizing comics.
To create some changes, DC hired a new editorial director and had an editorial advisory board. In 1940, the new editorial director demanded that Batman should no longer use any guns. In Batman No. 4, there’s an editor’s note that stated: “The Batman never carries or kills with a gun!”
From then on, it became Batman’s rule to never carry guns or kill.
Another Reason Why Batman Uses Batarangs?
We all know the tragic story of Bruce Wayne’s past. He became an orphan because both his parents were killed and the weapon used was a gun. We’ve seen this in comics, games, movies and other forms of media.
The event scarred Batman for life and he vowed to not be similar to the man that murdered his parents. This meant that Batman would not use a gun or kill. This is why he uses batarangs instead of guns. This would then be known as Batman’s number one rule, to never kill.
The Use of Batman’s Batarang
If Batman then doesn’t kill, what is the batarang for? After all, the batarang still is a weapon, right? If Batman wanted it, he could always kill using the batarang. While that may be true, even the standard batarang is quite versatile.
This means that even while the standard batarang may have sharpened edges, its fatality largely depended on how Batman used it. He could either hit major organs or other parts of the body.
How hard he hits can also be a factor. In general, the nature of the batarang is not meant to kill, but rather to distract opponents. For whatever tactical means in combat he might have used it for, he would not use the batarang to deliver a killing attack.
But because the continuity of Batman’s story isn’t always accurate, Batman has disregarded not using the batarang to kill or to kill in any other way. Regardless, the batarang was an alternative means for Batman to have a ranged weapon without having to use any firearms.
As the batarang evolved, its use also expanded. From being just an ordinary sharpened throwing weapon, it has been upgraded and could also either create an electric discharge, explode, freeze objects and more.
Different Types of Batarangs
How many batarangs can Batman carry?
The number of batarangs that Batman can carry depends on the kind of batarang you’re thinking of. In some versions, the Dark Knight carries collapsable type batarangs that hinge in the center for easy storage. These types of batarangs have a specific compartment in his iconic utility belt, where anywhere from five to twenty could be stored.
In other instances, the batarang is more of a shaped shuriken, used for piercing and distraction, the boomerang idea completely left behind. When the weapon is shown in this form, it is of hard metal and does not have the ability to be sized down and stored. When using this style of batarang, it is often shown that the projectile is part of Batman’s suit, increasing the amount of storage space for this particular weapon.
Needing the large variety of batarangs makes it impossible for the Caped Crusader to stock up on too many of one type. If he were to utilize both his utility belt and storage upon his suit, Batman could easily carry 50 batarangs at any given time. This should make any night of keeping the peace in Gotham go by easily.
Standard Batarangs
The standard batarang although being the most basic form of the weapon comes in different designs depending on where it’s from. For each form of media the batarang has different variations.
When the batarang first came out, and as mentioned earlier, it functioned similar to that of a boomerang. Hence, the name, “Batarang”. However, we all know now that the nature of the batarang has changed to that of shurikens.
Regardless of design, the batarang always has a pointed tip by its wings. The standard batarang is among one of the most widely used weapons of Batman. He uses it enough to hurt and distract or disarm his opponents but the batarangs are not meant to kill.
Here are but some of the designs of the standard batarang:
Batarangs in Batman (1966)
The design of the Batarang from the 1966 film, Batman, is a very basic C-shaped throwing weapon. As you’ve noticed, the wingspan of the batarang is not sharpened and even the tips of the wings are not pointed enough to be able to penetrate the skin.
During this time, the batarang was still more of a boomerang. It also had a hole on one of its wings for a rope. This could be used for climbing, swinging, or tying up an enemies legs.
Batarangs in Batman (1989)
The Batarang from Batman of the 1989 film began to have sharpened blades by the tips of its wings. However, these sharpened edges are designed to only make a shallow penetration.
Those that get hit by this batarang definitely did not die but still were not free from a lot of hurting. This design also had better details for aerodynamics.
Batarangs in Batman Forever (1995)
Batman had two versions of the batarang in Batman Forever. The first design (top) is a black foldable batarang. It’s wings can be expanded or compacted and the batarang is folded in half when kept.
The second design is also foldable but is asymmetrical in design. It also had a chrome finish with a button that can be pressed to expand the weapon. This was used by Batman to defeat the Riddler.
Batarangs in Batman & Robin (1997)
Batman’s batarang from Batman & Robin is again more simplistic. Its edges don’t pose much danger but are enough to be used strategically in a fight. The image on the right is Robin’s birdarang. Yep, that’s what he called his throwing weapon.
Batarangs in The Dark Knight Trilogy
This version of the batarang already looks dangerous. It was Bruce Wayne himself who made these batarangs and they are much smaller than the previous ones in this list. Batman has used this for strategy like destroying light sources.
Much of the sides of these batarangs are sharpened and their smaller size makes them easier to carry.
Batarangs in Batman V Superman
This design of the batarang is reminiscent to the ones from the Dark Knight Trilogy. Again, most of the edges of this variant are sharpened but there are indentations with this design, which we are for aerodynamics.
Electric Batarangs
These types of batarangs create an electric discharge that can incapacitate electronics. Batman has used this in dealing with robots, cyborgs and pretty much anything that can be affected by a significant amount of electric charge.
Explosive Batarangs
Batman has used this many times in different scenarios. This type of batarang explodes after a certain amount of time. Batman has used this to get rid of obstacles and he has also used this to stick them to his opponents.
The explosive batarangs can also be used strategically to create traps, an escape or an entry.
Remote Controlled Batarangs
Different variations of the remote-controlled batarang have actually existed. There’s one from Batman Returns, the animated series and one from Batman: Arkham Asylum (the game).
Regardless of where this type of batarang is from, its principle remains the same, that it is controlled via a remote or a command input. While the standard batarang relies heavily on Batman’s skill in throwing, another type of skill is required for the remote controlled variant.
The remote-controlled batarang requires good know-how both in technology and with piloting the batarang. A great benefit of having the RC batarang is that Batman can still use his RC batarang even if he is stuck for some reason.
This was the case in Batman: Arkham Asylum where the player needed to destroy a fuse box. Only the RC batarang was the only option for Batman to hit the fuse box without having to go through the electric field himself.
Rope Batarang or Bat Rope
Equip a batarang with a rope and what can it do? Batman has used the rope batarang or the bat rope to either scale buildings or to tie up opponents by the legs.
Sonic Batarang
This type of batarang is meant to distract opponents as it produces high-pitched sounds. When opponents do get near a sonic batarang, it can be detonated on command.
Sleeping Gas Dispenser Batarang
This type of batarang is simply an upgraded batarang equipped with a sleeping gas dispenser that releases the gas upon being thrown.
It’s a very effective weapon since Batman threw it and anyone within the trail of gas was knocked down.
Tranquilizer Batarang
This is a small batarang that has tranquilizer in its tip. There have been occasions where Batman avoided fights by using this weapon to incapacitate his targets.
It has been especially useful when Batman was against many opponents. With these, he has won fights before enemies noticed him.
Flash Freeze Batarang
These are batarangs that Batman has rarely used to freeze objects or opponents. The technology came from one of his nemeses, Mr. Freeze.
Virus Batarang
This is almost similar to the electric batarang but it does more than creating a powerful electric shock. This batarang is programmed to release a virus that can shut down any technology that can be affected with viruses.
Ultrasonic Signaling Batarang
These are batarangs that generates an ultrasonic signal that attracts a swarm of bats. The bats that come to the location have sometimes ended up attacking the enemies of Batman.
Much like the ultrasonic bat beacon, this could be used by Batman to mystify his character or to create an escape.
BONUS: Batman’s Famed Batarangs
Here’s a bonus! Did you know of Batman’s famed batarangs? During the Silver Age, more than having the standard batarang, Batman also had six other more specialized ones. These were the police whistle batarang, seeing-eye batarang, magnet batarang, rope batarang, flash bulb batarang, bomb batarang.
You could say that each were very whimsical, but in reality, they were also very problematic. For a throwing weapon that functions like a boomerang, there are just some items that would not go well with it.
For example, someone who might have watched a recording from the seeing-eye batarang might have gone dizzy watching the thing going round and round as it flew. The bomb batarang might have also fallen prematurely before reaching its intended target because of the weight of the bomb strapped on it.
Now, these classic batarangs have been upgraded from their designs to their mechanisms. Can you guess what each of these batarangs evolved into?
The Batarang X
While Batman has had crazy batarangs back in the day, nothing could compare to the Batarang X. If you’re not into comics, you might not have heard of this one yet. At one point, Batman had a humongous Batarang.
It was so huge that he even used it as a means of transport. The Batarang X was his way of reaching his destination stealthily. This meant that with the Batarang X, he was able to travel without making any noise.
How the Batarang X was launched was through a catapult mechanism on a batmobile. Other than being a bigger version of the batarang, the Batarang X had no other special function.
Who Was Able to Use Batarangs?
More than Batman, other characters have actually also been known to use batarangs or a throwing weapon with almost the same design. Like Robin’s Birdarang or Nightwing’s Wing-Dings, they are pretty much batarangs that have been renamed for their character.
Here are some known characters from the bat family that have been known to have also used the batarangs:
Robin Used Birdarangs
Robin has always been Batman’s sidekick. He is also probably the most famous sidekick in the DC Universe. As Batman’s partner, it’s only natural for Robin to also have his own set of batarangs. Instead of batarangs though, Robin named his throwing weapons Birdarangs.
Batgirl Used Batarangs
There have been several batgirls but all of them used batarangs.
Nightwing Used Wing-Dings
Nightwing was the original Robin, Dick Grayson. He eventually became Nightwing when he grew up and formed the Teen Titans. Instead of calling his throwing weapons birdarangs, he then began calling them Wing-Dings.
Batwoman Used Batarangs
As a Christmas gift from Nightwing, Batwoman received her very first batarang.
Batwing Used Batarangs
After joining Batman Incorporated, Batwing received his own batarang.
Batman’s Batarang Budget
You might come to think that while batarangs may come at a price, Batman couldn’t possibly spend millions just for them. Well, actually, he does. While there are no official statement of just how much Batman spends for his favorite throwing weapon, we can easily have an idea of just how gargantuan the budget is.
In the Teen Titans comics, the Teen Titans were able to acquire a Batmobile through Tim Drake. He mentioned how he was able to acquire the batmobile by hiding it in the batarang budget. He also gave a hint on just how huge the budget was.
An average car can already come at quite a price. A supercar is definitely not budget friendly. How much do you think the batmobile cost along with all its weapons and accessories? A lot of money that’s for sure.
Time Drake being able to hide the cost of the batmobile seemingly without any trouble could mean that the batmobile might just be a fraction of the total batarang budget. How much do you think is the budget for Batman’s batarangs?
Without a doubt, the Batarang is one of the most iconic weapons in the DC Universe. It has evolved greatly since its first appearance in 1939 and has helped Batman get through a lot of challenges.
Until now, the batarang is a staple in any form of “Batman” media. It has stood the test of time and is a testament to how a simple change could make a great impact. We hope you learned a lot of new things about Batman’s Batarang.
What was your favorite part in this article? Let us know and share this with your friends so that they may also know more about the Dark Knight’s bat-shaped boomerang turned shuriken, the batarang.