Daredevil: Born Again: All episodes ranked
Marvel Studios' Daredevil: Born Again sees the return of Matt Murdock. It follows his dual existence as a lawyer and a masked hero in New York City's Hell's Kitchen. Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio are back as the masked vigilante and Wilson Fisk, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen's nemesis, respectively. Strife with courtroom drama and superhero action, the series addresses the characters' moral challenges along with external ones.
Matt faces old foes and forges new friendships throughout Daredevil: Born Again season 1. The series features familiar faces from the Netflix Daredevil series, like Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, and Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle. It also sees the addition of new cast members like Margarita Levieva as Dr. Heather Glenn, Matt's new love interest, and Kamar de los Reyes as the White Tiger, who provide complexity to the tale.
Each Daredevil: Born Again episode builds upon the last, culminating in a finale that redefines the hero's place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Disclaimer: This article is based on the author's personal opinion, not official rankings.
All nine episodes of Daredevil: Born Again, ranked
9) Optics (episode 2)
This Daredevil: Born Again episode lays the groundwork for multiple plotlines but feels more procedural than emotional. When Hector Ayala—a mysterious man who intervenes in a subway assault—accidentally kills someone, Matt takes his case. Ayala is later revealed to be the vigilante White Tiger, a twist that ties neatly into the season's exploration of vigilante justice.
The episode is largely a setup for subsequent ones. The most compelling moment comes when Matt senses corruption within the police force, confronting officers bearing the Punisher's skull as tattoos. These clues pave the way for deeper conflicts in the future, yet in this instance, they resemble fragments of a broader narrative rather than a significant one in isolation.
8) Sic Semper Systema (episode 4)
Episode 4 of Daredevil: Born Again ramps up tension, particularly between Matt and Angela del Toro, Ayala’s grieving niece. Her anger is justified, and her scenes with Matt brim with mistrust and pain. Their dynamic challenges Matt's belief that justice can be achieved through legal means alone.
Meanwhile, Frank Castle's return to the small screen begins to take shape. When Matt confronts him about the Punisher symbol being co-opted by corrupt cops, Castle retorts with disdain, reminding Matt that half-measures won't work in this new world order.
Despite these strong character beats, the episode juggles too many threads. From Fisk's real estate struggles to Vanessa's resentment in therapy, it touches on intriguing subplots but doesn't fully capitalize on them. That said, the introduction of Muse, the season's most haunting villain, gives the ending a necessary jolt of horror.
7) Heaven's Half Hour (episode 1)
The series premiere kicks off with shocking brutality. In a flashback, Foggy Nelson is murdered during Cherry's retirement party by Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter. The scene is visceral and devastating, a loss that fractures Matt's already fragile world.
A year later, Matt has abandoned his Daredevil identity and now practices law alongside Kirsten McDuffie. Karen has left New York, Dex is behind bars, and Matt's vulnerability is on full display. His budding romance with therapist Dr. Heather Glenn feels like an attempt to move on, even if the pain lingers.
The Daredevil: Born Again episode effectively sets the tone for the series: grief, guilt, and the reawakening of purpose. However, it ranks lower here because it's more about world-building than momentum.
6) With Interest (episode 5)
This self-contained Saint Patrick's Day thriller finds Matt in the middle of a hostage situation at a bank. What begins as a mundane loan application quickly becomes a moral crucible when criminals storm in, demanding payment for Luca's restitution.
The tension is palpable, and the interplay between Matt and Yusuf Khan, the assistant manager who initially denies him the loan, is surprisingly heartfelt. Their teamwork in defusing the situation highlights Matt's innate compassion and problem-solving skills, both in and out of costume.
Though largely a side story, this Daredevil: Born Again episode provides breathing room from the season's heavier arcs and strengthens Matt's character as someone always ready to act, regardless of the reward.
5) Art for Art’s Sake (episode 7)
Muse, revealed to be Heather Glenn's patient Bastian Cooper, steps fully into the spotlight here, and his madness is terrifying. Angela identifies him as her captor, and Heather, after a brutal attack, defends herself by killing him.
What makes this Daredevil: Born Again episode resonate is how it forces Heather to confront her dual loyalties: her professional ethics vs. the man she's grown close to. Her trauma—and Daredevil's timely rescue—push her into unfamiliar emotional territory.
Meanwhile, Vanessa seizes more control, arranging for Luca's death and beginning to eclipse Fisk in moral depravity. There's an eerie satisfaction in watching her rise, though it signals that nothing in this world comes without consequences.
4) The Hollow of His Hand (episode 3)
This episode is where Daredevil: Born Again finds its groove. As Matt defends Ayala in court, the mounting pressure leads him to break his own rule: he reveals Ayala's secret identity to the jury. The move pays off, and Ayala is acquitted, but Matt is left wrestling with his own moral failure.
The tension escalates with Fisk and Vanessa attempting to cut ties with their criminal past, only to be dragged back in by Luca and Viktor's escalating turf war. The episode's themes of loyalty, betrayal, and personal cost cut deep, especially when Ayala is murdered by a fake Punisher.
It's a gut-punch of an ending, forcing Matt to reckon with the unintended consequences of his choices.
3) Excessive Force (epsiode 6)
This episode of Daredevil: Born Again introduces the Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF), which delves into the unsettling notion of systematic crackdowns on heroics. Officers like Powell and Cole North strike a careful balance between duty and retribution, hindering Matt's efforts to eliminate corruption.
Muse's kidnapping of Angela heightens the tension. Matt, now fully dressed in the Daredevil outfit, saves her in a thrilling scene, but Muse flees, leaving behind another horrible "art piece."
Meanwhile, Fisk confronts Adam, Vanessa's affair partner, in a harsh, emotionally charged sequence that shows no compassion. These interwoven conflicts highlight how fragile Matt's world has become and how perilous Fisk's grasp on New York truly is.
2) Isle of Joy (episode 8)
This penultimate episode in Daredevil: Born Again is explosive in every sense. Dex is thrown into the general population, a death sentence orchestrated by Fisk. Vanessa murders Adam in cold blood, fully aligning herself with Fisk's twisted vision of order.
Heather Glenn's involvement with Fisk surfaces, straining her relationship with Matt. The emotional fallout is palpable—Matt, already reeling from Foggy's loss and Ayala's death, now questions whether he can ever truly trust again.
Then comes the final blow: Dex, having escaped prison, attempts to assassinate Fisk at a political fundraiser. The attempt fails, but Matt is gravely injured while saving his nemesis. It's a moment that captures everything Daredevil stands for—duty, sacrifice, and painful integrity.
1) Straight to Hell (epsiode 9)
Daredevil: Born Again wraps up with suspense and payoff. Flashbacks reveal the shocking truth: Vanessa orchestrated Foggy's killing. It reframes the entire season and adds new depths of sorrow to Matt's suffering. As Dex flees and Karen Page comes to assist Matt, Frank Castle enters the conflict. In a final struggle, the two vigilantes confront the AVTF and expose Officer North's complicity in Ayala's death.
Fisk's final move—declaring martial law and proposing a city-state in Red Hook—proves his place as one of the MCU's most terrifying villains. Glenn accepts a governmental role under his regime, betraying Matt in the process. But the mid-credits scene offers a glimmer of hope: Castle orchestrates a prison break, setting the stage for a possible revolution.
Daredevil: Born Again is exclusively streaming on Disney Plus.
