It depends on how you approach animation. I mean, you'd have to use a 2D skeleton animation system, like that SpriteX or whatever, and you'd have to support that in your game. I'd actually suggest making your own animation system.
Really, you need to move and rotate individual sprites for different body parts for animation, which in the long run is probably the best route for a 2D beat em up. Along with that, you could have each body part move according to it's last velocity - like running, then say the character dies, you would store the velocities of the sprites, add in gravity, and update it as a ragdoll instead of according to animation. Maintain the links between sprites, and you might get an effect that's good enough. Or you could make a Box2D ragdoll, link the sprites together, set their velocities, and let Box2D handle the results.

I am the one who knocks...
