Bronze Tiger

Characterization

Ben Turner, known as Bronze Tiger, has been a fixture in comics since the Bronze Age, with his backstory revised several times over the decades. He is considered one of the finest martial artists in his world, matching the skills of Lady Shiva and Richard Dragon, and has been shown to outfight Batman in direct combat. Depending on the period, Turner has been a brainwashed assassin and spy for hire, a vigilante superhero, a friend to both heroes and villains, and a dojo-owning instructor who taught other heroes. In the Suicide Squad, he served as both second-in-command and team leader, and unlike many operatives, he was not coerced into joining; Amanda Waller personally favored and trusted him.

Before the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a young Ben Turner studied martial arts under O-Sensei in Japan. There they met Richard Drakunovski, an American orphan and thief. Despite Richard’s racist and hostile attitude toward Ben, O-Sensei saw potential in him and accepted him as a student. Ben and Richard eventually became close friends, and Richard was later renamed Richard Dragon.

As adults, the two were recruited by spymaster Barney Ling for G.O.O.D., an intelligence agency O-Sensei had worked for, and they became special agents using their combat skills for good. After leaving O-Sensei, they met his goddaughter Carolyn Woosan, who was kidnapped by an assassin named Swiss. Ben was shot but survived, while Carolyn was killed. Richard was blamed, leading Carolyn’s sister Sandra—Lady Shiva—to seek revenge.

When the truth cleared Richard, she joined their group. Later, after inheriting land from his deceased sister, Ben was targeted by the League of Assassins. Professor Ojo and the League captured and brainwashed him, turning him into the warrior called Bronze Tiger.

Reception and critical impact

Bronze Tiger is widely recognized as a standout martial artist and assassin within DC Comics. He first appeared as a supporting figure in Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter, with his design heavily shaped by Blaxploitation cinema.

Later, his role in John Ostrander's Suicide Squad series boosted his profile beyond Dragon's, establishing him as a notable Black superhero. At a time when interracial relationships were socially frowned upon, his pairing with Gypsy stood out as a significant comic-book moment. In the animated film Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay, a critic highlighted Ben Turner's character for his moral growth and strong presence.

In other media

Bronze Tiger has appeared in several DC animated projects and video games, each with a different backstory. In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by Gary Anthony Sturgis, he is a proud martial artist and former student of Wong Fei who protects a small village. In the episode "Return of the Fearsome Fangs!", he reluctantly teams up with Batman to fight the Terrible Trio after they kill his sensei. After the battle, he reopens Wong Fei's school.

Fictional character biography

In Arrow, the character is played by Michael Jai White as Ben Turner. This version has a son named Connor Hawke, joins the Suicide Squad, later reforms, and becomes an ally of Green Arrow. An alternate universe version, blending traits of the Cheetah, appears in Justice League: Gods and Monsters, voiced by Arif S. Kinchen. In Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay, voiced by Billy Brown, Bronze Tiger is a former CIA agent turned vigilante after his fiancée is murdered by a former League of Assassins member.

He vows never to kill an innocent. Recruited by Amanda Waller into Task Force X to retrieve a mystical "Get Out of Hell Free" card, he develops a rivalry with the squad's leader, Deadshot. When Deadshot leaves to see his daughter, Waller makes Turner the new leader. He is badly injured by a trap set by Professor Zoom, and the squad leaves him at a hospital while Deadshot retakes command.

Despite his injuries, Turner returns for the final fight against Zoom, sacrificing himself to distract the speedster so Deadshot can kill him. Before dying, he makes peace with Deadshot, who gives him the card. In Batman: Soul of the Dragon, also voiced by Michael Jai White, Bronze Tiger is a student of O-Sensei. In the video game Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, voiced again by Gary Anthony Sturgis, he is the champion of prison fights in Blackgate Prison.

A post-credits scene shows Amanda Waller and Rick Flag recruiting him and Deadshot into the Suicide Squad. Bronze Tiger also appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, and as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by Ike Amadi.