4 Wild DC Games That Feature Gorilla Grodd (& Other Obscure Characters)
There are plenty of great games featuring iconic characters from DC Comics, with some having truly big rosters of both well-known and obscure heroes and villains. One villain players might not know as well is Gorilla Grodd, originally an enemy of The Flash, but a figure seen often in different character stories. With the new DC Universe of movies creating The People vs. Gorilla Grodd as a TV show starring Grodd and Jimmy Olsen from 2025’s Superman, it’s worth seeing what games feature the character too.
Gorilla Grodd is often depicted as a classic gorilla with mind control powers, as well as a superior intellect that grants him telepathy and other abilities. Oftentimes, Grodd is quite an unorthodox supervillain, trying to rule over other psychic gorillas who were also exposed to the same meteorite that granted him his powers. This strange combination of brain and brawn makes Gorilla Grodd deadly, but his absurd nature also lends some comedy to the character in whatever media he appears in.
4. DC Universe Online
DC Universe Online is an MMO where players can create their own hero or villain in the DC Universe, so of course the game is a sprawling environment with nearly every character from DC Comics’ history. Gorilla Grodd is in DC Universe Online as a major boss, also known as King Grodd within the game, acting as a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains in opposition to his long-time foe, The Flash. Players can battle Grodd in a number of ways, including as a sub-boss during the “Prison Break” operation within the game.
Grodd also appears frequently during events that involve several other obscure super villains in DC Universe Online, such as when the Anti-Monitor attacks. Grodd also appears in Raids and Bounties as well, sometimes empowered by the Still Force, the opposite of The Flash’s Speed Force that grants him his powers. Any player who has adopted super speed as one of their powers might find battles against Grodd nostalgic to The Flash comics the villain first appeared in. Alternatively, villain players can help Grodd from time to time, as the character is a quest giver for characters aligned with that faction.
The recurring nature of Gorilla Grodd in this game is not a bad introduction to the character, as the game will reference the villain’s regular rivalry with the scarlet speedster. However, DC Universe Online is also a great game to meet many different obscure DC characters like Grodd, including figures like Captain Cold, Animal Man, Doctor Light, or Trickster (someone else from The Flash’s rogue’s gallery). Grodd almost acts as a peek into the truly deep roster of villainous characters in DC, and for that, DC Universe Online can be worth exploring.
3. Justice League Heroes
Another game where Gorilla Grodd shows up as a boss is Justice League Heroes, a hack-and-slash action title similar to the Marvel Ultimate Alliance series. Much like in DC Universe Online, this game offers a unique look at the character through his villainous side, albeit with a much shorter encounter than the recurring interactions you can have with him in the MMO. In Justice League Heroes, the more interesting thing about Gorilla Grodd is how players can see the impact the character has had in the larger levels leading up to his boss fight.
Players will travel to Gorilla City, a secluded settlement in Africa hosting all of the sentient apes like Grodd who received psychic powers. As members of the Justice League, you have to fight through gorillas loyal to Grodd to reach him, making an eventual battle feel like an uphill climb to face the tyrant. Despite the build-up, Grodd is still very much the goofy character he tends to be in common adaptations, adding a campy nature to Justice League Heroes‘ campaign.
This alone sets Grodd apart from other villains in the game, who are far more serious threats to the Justice League by comparison. This doesn’t make Gorilla Grodd any less tough as a boss, though, as he is still quite capable of taking out the two characters you pair up to face him. Putting a stop to Grodd’s plans in Justice League Heroes feels like a classic comic book story, and an underrated game experience compared to other DC titles that have come out in recent years.
2. LEGO DC Super-Villains
Only a couple of games have a playable version of Gorilla Grodd and other DC villains, but LEGO DC Super-Villains is one of them. Similar to LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, this game is meant to be an exploration of the large, varied roster of DC villains from comics, as the Lego Batman title was to both heroes and villains. Grodd has been playable in Lego Batman 2, Lego Batman 3, and the Super-Villains spin-off, but the last game is the only one where the character has a significance in the game’s story.
While not among the best LEGO video games ever made, LEGO DC Super-Villains has a colorful cast of characters who are far more obscure than even Gorilla Grodd. Villains from across every hero’s cast are included in some way, from common figures like Batman, Superman, or The Flash to foes who regularly fight Aquaman and are on The Suicide Squad. Some of the lesser-known characters alongside Gorilla Grodd are:
- Count Vertigo
- Clock King
- Condiment King
- Desaad
- Eclipso
- Felix Faust
- Gentleman Ghost
- Lady Shiva
- Psimon
- Stompa
- Virman Vundabar
Unlocking the characters in a LEGO game is always one of their best selling points, but for fans of DC Comics, this is even better in the Super-Villains game. Gorilla Grodd keeps many of his powers in this title, as well as the physical strength that comes with his biology. Grodd is useful in a number of ways to help you find secrets in different levels too, making him a character you’ll embody often in a variety of modes.
1. Injustice 2
By far the most complete adaptation of Gorilla Grodd in any game is the version from Injustice 2, where the villain is a fully playable character in a classic 1v1 fighting game setting. As a complete fighter, Grodd has an extensive move list that highlights all of his abilities, from his telepathic powers to his sheer strength and nimble acrobatics from years of living in a jungle. Grodd can leap across the screen to attack, as well as float in the air and cause opponents to hit themselves through mental manipulation.
Injustice 2 is already a game with plenty of great villains, such as the Red Lantern Atrocitus, but Grodd plays a crucial role in the title’s story too. Grodd is a servant of Brainiac, helping him try to collect the Earth after Superman’s failed world-wide Regime from the events of the previous game. However, Grodd is depicted not as a mindless or mind controlled servant, but rather an ambitious leader of other villains in the process. He plans to betray Brainiac, while also having command of characters like Deadshot, Poison Ivy, and Bane throughout the single-player narrative.
Whether it’s creating psionic shock waves or using agile pressure to oppress opponents, Gorilla Grodd is one of the most tricky characters in the game to fight. Visually and mechanically, Grodd is an inventive fighter among developer NetherRealm Studios’ games, especially as you unlock extra abilities for the character through single-player modes. Anyone who’s played Injustice 2 will likely tell you that they would love for Gorilla Grodd to return in a theoretical Injustice 3, showing the character’s continual presence in DC games.