Who is Battle Beast? Invincible character returns in Season 3

Battle Beast just returned in Invincible Season 3 Episode 4. He’s one of the most fearsome and mysterious characters in the series – and the TV show still hasn’t revealed his shocking backstory.

The strongest characters in Invincible aren’t all Viltrumites. Allen the Alien’s accelerated strength makes him one of the most formidable fighters in the universe (and certainly the mightiest Unopan), and if Atom Eve’s blockers were removed, she could reduce anyone to particles in an instant.

Early in the series, Battle Beast made a big, terrifying impression when he nearly murdered Mark. In Season 1, Mark attacked Machine Head – so he called in some help from villains like Magmamaniac and Tyrant. However, they were no match for Battle Beast, who left Mark on the brink of death before leaving, unimpressed with the standard of his combatants.

That’s his whole schtick: he’s forever searching for a worthy opponent, and he finds one in Invincible Season 3 Episode 4 (no details for now). If you’ve just watched it, here’s a rundown of the character’s backstory and his extraordinary abilities. Comic spoilers to follow!

Battle Beast backstory

Image Comics

Before he journeyed across the universe seeking out combatants, Battle Beast served as his planet’s protector. However, his efforts to restore peace left him “addicted” to combat, so he departed in search of challenging, dangerous opponents to fight.

This is briefly explained in Issue #67 when Thadeus asks Omni-Man and Allen to search for weapons and assets to use against the Viltrumite empire. When they arrive on Battle Beast’s planet, he’s nowhere to be found.

Instead, its ruler explains what led to him becoming so violent. “I know of the one you speak. My planet’s favorite son… our world’s protector, he brought us this utopia,” he explains.

“But in doing so, he became addicted to conflict. Invulnerable and immortal, he left our world in search of conflict worthy of his unique abilities. I have never seen him, there are those among us who do not believe him to exist. I pray to live long enough to see his return. We all do.”

Also, his real name isn’t Battle Beast: it’s Thokk.

What happens to Battle Beast in the Invincible comics?

Image Comics

After his fight with Mark and the Guardians, Battle Beast doesn’t appear again until Invincible Issue #55, when Omni-Man and Allen break out of the Viltrumite prison.

As Nolan is escorted away for his execution, Allen bursts out of his cell and frees his fellow prisoners to distract the guards – and perhaps even find someone who could assist them with their escape.

It’s then revealed that Battle Beast is locked up in the prison too, and he agrees to help Allen – well, sort of. “I desire only to find worthy adversaries. You can have my aid only until our two goals no longer coincide,” he warns Allen.

They find Nolan, and Battle Beast immediately starts fighting one of the Viltrumites. “Are you the ones I seek? The fabled world conquerors, feared across the universe, in all corners of existence… I must face you in battle, fight me!” he screams.

After Allen blows a hole in the side of the prison, they’re all sucked into space. Battle Beast drifts off into the distance, battering the Viltrumite soldier to death.

Spoiler alert: he returns in Issue #73, recovered by a coalition ship after almost freezing to death in space for weeks, perhaps even months.

That’s as much as I’m going to tell you for now, but if you like Battle Beast, you can expect to see more of him down the line in Invincible.

Powers & abilities

Prime Video

Battle Beast is one of the greatest warriors in the world of Invincible, capable of holding his own against (and even defeating) Viltrumites and every other adversary he goes up against. Below, we’ve listed each of his abilities:

• Superhuman strength
  • It’s hard to measure Battle Beast’s strength – let’s just say, he’s really strong. So far, nobody in the Invincible TV show has been a significant challenge for him, and considering how easily he laid out Mark, he’s not a force to trifled with.
• Superhuman durability
  • Battle Beast has taken punches, kicks, and all sorts of attacks from Mark, the Guardians, and Viltrumites – and while he bleeds, he’s barely affected. He was also sucked into the vacuum of space and appeared to be completely unfazed.
• Super-speed
  • Battle Beast runs, jumps, and pounces faster than some Viltrumites. Bear in mind that his biology shares similarities to lions and tigers, so he sometimes moves like them when he attacks.
• Enhanced senses
  • All of Battle Beast’s senses are far stronger than a human, allowing him to sniff out enemies and detect their presence so he’s never at a disadvantage.
• Combat prowess
  • Beyond his strength, Battle Beast is a gifted fighter, confidently wielding any weapon at his disposal (as well as his claws and fangs) to hurt his enemies. Notably, he’s highly trained in hand-to-hand combat and his swordsmanship is peerless.

Who voices Battle Beast in the TV show?

Prime Video/Screen Slam

Battle Beast is played by Michael Dorn, best known for his role as Worf in the Star Trek franchise.

Speaking to CBR in 2020, the star explained his approach to voicing Battle Beast. “Well, look, the voice-overs are tons different than anything else because you don’t really have time to prepare,” Dorn said.

“And it’s a futile exercise too because when you get there, a ton of the time, they already have an idea in mind. And then they’ll change their mind. So all you do is go in there as a clean slate.

“The great [voice actors], they don’t prepare. They go in as a clean slate and do what they’re told to do… but I’m happy that they like it.”

Make sure you know exactly when new episodes drop with our Invincible Season 3 release time & schedule guide. Until then, check our breakdown of the Invincible cast so far.

You can also find out how to read the Invincible comics for free, read our breakdown of the show’s soundtrack, and keep up with Season 3 with our recaps of Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3.

Make sure you check out what’s dropping during Dexerto’s We LOVE TV & Movies week too.