Spoilers ahead for The Punisher Season 2. When Frank Castle comes to collect, he leaves a string of dead bodies in his wake. He’s undoubtedly the one of the most violent and brutal vigilantes in the Marvel universe and die-hard fans love to see the brooding military veteran get bloodied while he wages a one-man war against anyone who deserves street justice. And, if some viewers thought that Season 1 was too violent, then they definitely aren’t ready for the punishing that goes down in this round. The Punisher Season 2’s epic fight scenes upped the ante with clever tactical decisions by Frank, unlikely weapons, broken bones, mangled faces, gunfire, and lots of intense energy as Frank tracks down Billy Russo and aids Amy in her own dilemma involving Pilgrim.
Of course, it’s impossible to do an official body count or to measure the number of blows that The Punisher rains on his enemies’ heads. After all, he's not great at conversations and finding peaceful solutions, which is what makes his character so fun to watch. But there are a few fight sequences in Season 2 that fans of Frank's murder and incessant mayhem will be talking about and re-watching for days to come.
The Bar Room Brawl
Episode 1 initially showed a different side of Frank as a sexy drifter who has a one-night stand with a beautiful bartender. But, he quickly reverted back to his old persona after choosing to take on a group of professional killers who are trying to murder Amy in a Michigan bar.
This fight is actually a two-parter that starts in the women’s bathroom with Frank slamming a man’s head into a porcelain sink, throwing a woman through a bathroom door, and impaling a third person with her own knife.
The fight spilled over onto the bar floor with several other assassins that gave Frank his first gunshot in the butt. The flesh wound was purely scripted, but actor Jon Bernthal actually broke his hand while filming this scene, according to a recent Jimmy Kimmel Live interview. Of course, the real-life badass channeled his inner Punisher to keep filming despite the pain. It was the perfect way to set the tone for this intense season.
The Motel Showdown
Is it really a Punisher episode if there isn’t grunting and gunshots? Episode 2 continued to pick up the pace and show how Frank is typically two steps ahead of everyone else as he takes down more of Pilgrim’s minions at a random motel.
He surprises the team by emerging from a hole he put in a wall between two rooms and uses his shooting expertise to quickly eliminate almost everyone except one person in an attempt to make her talk.
Poor Amy is traumatized to see the scattered bodies he left in the room, but Frank is predictably unfazed despite being shot in the hand and arrested by local police. After all, killing less than 20 people is a light day in the office.
Sheriff’s Office Politics
If there’s an army of killers descending on your building and Frank Castle wants to help, then you should probably let him loose. For some reason, the Larkville Sheriff’s Department thought they could win a losing battle as Pilgrim’s men demolished the building with a hailstorm of bullets.
But, they finally allowed Frank to fight their battle and he went to work in epic fashion with a broken hand and a sniper weapon. He took to the woods like a true soldier and picked off all of Pilgrim’s crew with incredible ease. It’s a reminder that The Punisher’s skills are pretty much unmatched by anyone who tries to take him down.
Frank’s Workout Plan
Do you want to whip yourself into shape? Are you tired of the same boring workout routines? Is hand-to-hand combat your favorite pastime? If so, you can always try Frank’s weight room workout by brawling with a few Russian criminals!
Check out his killer exercise moves in Episode 5 as he makes full use of a gym with dumbbells to people’s craniums, barbells to backs, and weight rack reps that will make your arms feel the burn. The side effects are a few heavy blows to the face and blood all over the place, but you’ll get your heart rate pumping for sure.
Jigsaw v. The Punisher Part 1
Billy really should have stayed in his hole. Frank puts back on his infamous vest and comes face to face with Jigsaw and his crew. This scene sets their feud in motion again and starts a hailstorm of gunfire as Billy completely loses his cool and tries to bring the pain to Frank, who still can’t bring himself to kill the man who used to be his brother.
If anyone can keep up with The Punisher in a fight, it’s definitely his greatest enemy. Interestingly, the fight sequence starts in the final moments of Episode 7 and wraps up before the credits roll in the following episode, but it’s always a blast to see these two battle.
The Quickest Showdown Of All-Time
When six goons roll up on The Punisher to collect the 5 million dollar bounty on his head, you expect an epic showdown. But, these idiots literally lasted no time after Frank pulled out a handgun and killed five of them within 10 seconds.
He shot the loudmouth leader in the leg and grilled him for information before he likely murdered him off-screen. C’mon guys, did you really think you could take out a person called The Punisher who has killed hundreds of people?
Frank To The Rescue (Again)
Oh Amy, you really should listen to Frank. She nearly got herself killed after linking up with a shady associate, but Frank showed up right on time to take out a few bad men looking for a big payday. This scene is probably one of the most enjoyable ones in the series as it spreads out over several floors and stairwells in a building.
Amy makes Frank proud by showing off her gun-snatching skills, taking his advice to shoot without hesitation, and kicking her jerk friend in the crotch. And, there’s a bit of comedy mixed in as Frank shoots a man in the head to make Amy feel better. Their relationship started off rocky but this fight scene shows that Frank has a heart under the bloody skull on his chest.
A Blessed Battle
Frank isn’t the only character who gets to shine in a fight sequence. The unnervingly creepy Pilgrim shows that he’s no slouch during an excruciating battle in Episode 10. He takes a good beating that knocks his jaw out of place and bruises almost every inch of his body, but the pseudo-religious zealot gets the upper hand in epic fashion with slick moves and brass knuckles as spills blood and guts all over a restaurant.
Jigsaw vs. Frank Part 2
Frank lost his upper hand thanks to big mouth Madani leaking information about his greatest weakness and Billy getting one step ahead of his plan.
It was painful to see him get brutally beaten, shot, sliced, and tortured by Billy’s masked men, but only Frank can bounce back while swallowing blood to drop bodies. Frank may not be a superhero but he’s absolutely stronger than the average person even though he ended up in a hospital bed.
It’s About To Be A Girlfight
The ladies don’t get a chance to show off their skills as much as their male counterparts, but Madani and Krista Dumont’s battle was super intense. The psychotherapist obviously learned a move or two hanging out with Billy because she held her own against the federal agent as they smashed up her pristine apartment. Madani took control and quickly ended the feud by throwing Krista out of the window for bystanders (and Billy) to see.
Madani vs. Billy Russo
Madani felt Billy’s wrath in the Season finale as he ambushed her and nearly choked her to death in Krista’s apartment. But, Madani ultimately won the fight when she critically wounded Billy with a few well-placed gunshots. Their one-on-one battle was a long time coming and short, but it was still satisfying to see her get revenge on a man who betrayed her trust.
The Punisher’s Hotel Bonanza
Why does Frank love to destroy hotel rooms? No one knows, but it’s always deadly when Frank confronts anyone in one. First, there was a multi-room shootout that riddled the walls with bullet holes and even showed Frank leaping through a wall to get closer to Pilgrim. Then, the action kept ramping up with Frank taking down an entire elevator of police officers with their own weapons before it reached the parking garage. Word of advice – if you see Frank coming into your hotel, you should leave immediately.
Pilgrim vs. Punisher : The Final Showdown
Two rounds of Pilgrim and The Punisher in the same episode? Sounds like a good time. This battle got brutal with Pilgrim wrapping a chain around Frank’s neck and the solider returning the favor with a large canister to his face. It’s rare to see Frank meet his physical match, but that’s what makes this fight scene legendary. The guys are almost unrecognizable at the end, but they both end up getting what they want out of this situation so it’s all good.
Once again, The Punisher delivered with another solid season filled with action and mayhem worthy of watching over and over again. Great work, Frank.
