Deadshot Vs. Deathstroke: Who Would Win and Why?
DC Comics has a plethora of characters, but Deadshot and Deathstroke are at the very top of the game when it comes to marksmanship. They have many similarities in the way they operate, but their differences put one over the other when it comes to a matchup against one another. So, if Deadshot and Deathstroke fought, who would win, and why?
Deathstroke would win over Deadshot because he tops in almost every category when you compare them. He has better physical and mental abilities, along with better hand-to-hand combat skills and a healing factor. Although Deadshot is an elite marksman, he’s inferior to Deathstroke.
They have many things in common, though, and it would be far from a one-sided fight. Let’s break down all the similarities and differences between Floyd Lawton (Deadshot) and Slade Wilson (Deathstroke) to see why one wins against the other.
Deadshot Vs. Deathstroke – Physical and Mental Attributes
Floyd Lawton is a prolific marksman, capable of never missing a shot. But, when it comes to his physical and mental attributes, he is just human, albeit in peak shape. He has peak human-level strength and stamina while being incredibly smart and combat-trained.
Deadshot uses his brains to plan and strategize, but although he’s in top physical and mental shape, it’s still just human-level. The same can’t be said for Deathstroke, though.
Slade Wilson is also a dangerously trained and skilled assassin and marksman, but his physical and mental attributes have been enhanced with a serum. He has low superhuman strength, agility, speed, intelligence, reflexes, durability, and even immunity to most diseases and toxins.
After losing an eye, his senses heightened, including his hearing, smell, and vision with the good eye. Slade even has an eidetic memory, which helps him learn and adapt at a very high rate.
An average person uses only around ten percent of their brain, while Wilson uses around ninety. Imagine how quickly he can think and react in any situation. That’s how he defeated much stronger foes through his mercenary days.
Deathstroke easily beats Deadshot in this category, even at his worst and Deadshot at his best.
Point: Deathstroke (1:0) Deadshot
Deadshot Vs. Deathstroke – Weapons
Deadshot primarily, and almost exclusively, uses firearms as his weapons of choice. However, it’s not rare to see him use high-tech stuff, like his wrist-mounted guns or explosives. Lawton showed extreme proficiency as a marksman, often being called “DC’s most accurate marksman,” boasting of never missing a single shot.
He had shown proficiency with every gun or rifle you can think of, hitting his targets spot-on or with trick shots and ricochets. He uses a high-tech vision aid that further helps his aim. Deadshot is so good he can shoot a guy in bulletproof armor right in the seams and take him down. For melee attacks, Floyd usually uses knives but not much else.
On the other hand, Slade is a brilliant marksman as well. In fact, he called out Deadshot several times, saying he’s nowhere near his level, even in that department. That’s always up for debate, but one thing is certain – Deathstroke uses a whole new world of weaponry, including modernized, modified firearms and other stuff that Deadshot couldn’t deal with.
For instance, Wilson wielded The God Killer, a magical semi-sentient sword created by Hephaestus, which he used to kill an Amazon demigod, and a Kryptonian. The sword can repair and recreate itself if it’s destroyed, and Deathstroke is an expert swordsman and hand-to-hand combatant.
The only chance Deadshot has is a super-long sniper shot. In any other situation, Deathstroke’s weapons will prevail over his.
Point: Deathstroke (2:0) Deadshot
Deadshot Vs. Deathstroke – Teams & Affiliations
This is where Floyd might have the clearest advantage over Slade. Deadshot often operated in teams, even though he’s a mercenary. Lawton was the leader of the Suicide Squad and joined many other groups, such as the Secret Society of Super Villains. He has a team more often than not, although he’s very capable of fighting on his own, too.
On the other hand, Slade tried to team up with other villains, even forming his own teams to help him carry out mercenary contracts, but they all disbanded due to his selfish agendas. He tends to operate alone, which could put him at a disadvantage in a fight versus Deadshot, who probably wouldn’t even try to fight him alone.
Point: Deadshot (1:2) Deathstroke
Deadshot Vs. Deathstroke – Other Powers
As for their other powers, there’s a huge advantage in Deathstroke’s favor again. Deadshot virtually has no other powers than being in peak-human physical and mental shape and a one-of-a-kind marksman.
He’s also very good at making weapons himself, doing trick shots, using modified bullets and explosives. Lawton is good at several martial arts and has excellent knife training, but close hand-to-hand combat isn’t really his strong suit.
On the other hand, Deathstroke thrives in any type of combat. He’s fantastic in long-range marksmanship and close-range combat, having learned numerous martial arts and fighting systems, using melee weapons of all kinds. But, there’s more.
On top of unlocking 90% of his brain capacity and having superhumanly enhanced physical and mental attributes, Deathstroke also received a healing factor, allowing him to heal from physical damage at a very high rate. It’s not as strong as, for instance, Marvel’s Wolverine, where he can regrow limbs or organs, but it’s strong enough to heal him from nasty cuts and shots.
Slade also ages quite slowly, and all those things make him slightly superhuman.
Point: Deathstroke (3:1) Deadshot
Deadshot Vs. Deathstroke – Toughest Opponents
Finally, to see how dangerous a character is, it’s best to look at who they face. Deadshot is primarily Batman’s enemy, and he had won a few battles against Bruce Wayne, but he eventually lost, as everyone else does. He fought and beat entire gangs at once and even found a way to kill a bulletproof man – with bullets.
He once beat Green Arrow, chopped off a vampire’s head, and even defeated an evil (or, more evil) version of himself. Although Deadshot had some impressive wins, it’s not even close to what Deathstroke could accomplish.
Slade fought Batman, too, and beat him up pretty bad several times, both in the comics and other media (TV shows, video games, etc.). He defeated Impulse, The Flash, The Teen Titans (numerous times, although they defeated him many times, too), and many others.
One time, he took on almost the entire Justice League single-handedly, including Green Arrow, Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkman, and others, and came incredibly close to winning. But, his greatest scalp comes from the X-Men. Yes, THE X-Men from Marvel Universe.
In a crossover storyline, “Marvel And DC Present the Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans,” Darkseid wants to recreate the Phoenix Force, which the X-Men fight against. Darkseid hires Deathstroke to deal with them, and he does so, capturing them for the cosmic supervillain.
If I had to pick who’ll be on my side when facing the greatest threats, I’d choose Slade over Floyd any day.
Point: Deathstroke (4:1) Deadshot
Deadshot Vs. Deathstroke – Who Would Win and Why?
When you break down all the categories, it’s obvious that Deathstroke has a clear advantage over Deadshot, winning in four out of five categories. The only aspect of the characters that give Lawton a chance is his teams and affiliations. Apart from that, it’s all Wilson.
One could argue that they are about evenly matched in marksmanship, but Slade has a clear advantage in hand-to-hand and melee combat. He has better weapons and more skills while being superhumanly enhanced in all physical and mental attributes.
Even if Deadshot manages to shoot him, Deathstroke can use his healing factor to recover and continue the fight. Finally, if you’re judging by their comic book interactions and the enemies they faced, Wilson is not only more dominant but also more confident in being better than Deadshot.
I believe he trumps Deadshot in nine out of ten fights, with the one Deadshot’s win coming with the help of one of his teams.
