Every Batman sidekick. Ranked. Let's go.
10. Jason Todd
This might piss some people off, but if you've been reading my stuff long enough and you've listened to enough podcasts, you'll know I don't really like Jason Todd. Don't get me wrong, I like The Red Hood. As a villain. When Jason was Robin he went from being a carbon copy of Dick Grayson to being a street-punk. And I liked the street-punk aesthetic. I liked how his death affected Batman. I liked how his return as The Red Hood was such an impact. But that is where it ends. I am very much against the idea of bringing Red Hood back forever and making him a hero again, superheroes come back to life as often as the sun rises and stripping Batman of a compelling villain and the trauma of losing a sidekick because of his failures truly is a crime to the character's pathos.
9. Harper Row
Another off-the-street kind of sidekick. If you don't know who she is I cannot blame you because DC Comics seems to forget her a lot. Her father was a criminal, her brother is gay and often bashed for it, and she is a tech wiz. In ways, Harper borrows characteristics from other sidekicks, but carries a modern design that places her in a more realistic light. However, she is the only sidekick to be robbed of her change to be trained, when she became "Bluebird" Batman had amnesia and put the cowl away, leaving her without a mentor. It's an interesting angle sure, but Harper is otherwise a collaboration of more interested characters wrapped in a rip-off Nightwing costume with a 2017 haircut.
8. Duke Thomas
Took us this long to have a Black Robin? Well, not exactly. It was teased for a few years that this young man would become the next Robin, and oh, would the prospect of an African American Robin be prosperous. However, it would seem the writers overlooked the fact that Batman's son Damian would rather craw through the intestines of a dead camel than give up the Robin mantle. Duke is well trained and experienced, even leading gang of Robins who were all easily forgotten as well. What separates Duke are his metahuman powers. He can create light holograms and has taken the name "The Signal". While his personality is unique and the idea of superpowers makes him different, only time will tell if he becomes a welcomed member of the family.
7. Damian Wayne
Many people hate Damian Wayne because Tim Drake was Robin for twenty-something years and Damian was a brat for a year and nobody wants to sacrifice nostalgia just to give a new character a chance. I like Damian Wayne. You'd be a cocky little brat too if your father was Batman and your mother was the daughter of Ra's al Ghul. Damian was raised an assassin and carries a guilt complex, hoping to wipe the red from his ledger by being the greatest Robin ever. He believes the role of Batman is his to inherit and has come to respect and care for his fellow sidekicks. Damian seems like a better version of a bratty Robin and I'm happy competent writers have allowed the character to progress and become a better person, as opposed to other versions who are just straight-up evil.
6. Stephanie Brown
Daughter of the villain Cluemaster, lover of Tim Drake, and carrier of many monikers (Spoiler, Robin, and Batgirl) Stephanie Brown is the glue of the Batman Family. She began as an untrained vigilante who slowly, but surely, earned the respect of her peers. As Spoiler, she ratted out her father's crimes and as the new Batgirl she flipped the script on the kind of attitude a Batman character could have. I placed her here because although she had a rough start we still got to see her improve and develop her own way of fighting crime. And in recent stories she has shown she isn't afraid to rebel against Batman if it means making a real difference.
5. Cassandra Cain
Batman has admitted that in a one-on-one fight, Cassandra Cain could defeat him. Drink that in, haters. Cassandra has gone by Orphan, Black Bat, and Batgirl, my favorite Batgirl actually. Cass is also a better take on Damian Wayne. How? Cass is the daughter of two assassins and was an assassin herself at a young age. When she crossed her mother he got her throat slit and her ability to speak taken away. Newer versions show us that she was specifically designed not to speak, but to kill and only kill. And for the likes of Batman and Oracle to turn this assassin's life around and show her the meaning of being human is truly a bright light upon these characters. Cassandra is a unique addition to the family and is as much lovable as she is deadly.
4. Luke Fox
While Lucius Fox helps make all of Batman's tools and vehicles, his son Luke Fox is a trained MMA fighter, and-like his dad-a technological genius. And he's another Batman understudy known as Batwing. Take Iron Man, Batman, and Batman Beyond and you have Batwing, right down to his armor. Yes, Batwing uses tech-ed out armor in his war on crime and because of his family connections provides a different perspective on Batman's presence in Gotham City. Batman's hands-off approach helped Luke really grow into his own hero quite quickly, and Luke's different way of fighting crime makes him feel very different from the rest of the characters. I also appreciate the hints to Batman Beyond given off with Luke's inventions.
3. Barbara Gordon
As Batgirl, Barbara Gordon was a breath of fresh air. A positive female character who could match wits with Batman and Robin. Batman had even admitted to Batgirl once taking his place as protector of Gotham City. And when Barbara was crippled in a horrific event, she continued to be of use as The Oracle. With her help, superheroes across the DC Universe accomplished great deeds. From The Justice League to The Suicide Squad, The Oracle was a voice of reason and a respected member of the community. Being the daughter of Commissioner Gordon also gives Babs some much welcomed respect. And being a love interest of Dick Grayson? No wonder she's so high on the list. And the fact that she is a handicapped superhero AND a veteran female hero is just so inspiring. That being said a lot of unfair changes have been made to Barbara over the years, but the good moments outway the idiotic. Legs and cowls and capes can all be ignored, because The Oracle will always be one of DC's greatest heroes.
2. Tim Drake
When Ra's al Ghul refers to you with the same title as Batman, you know you've made it big. Tim Drake was a child prodigy, born to be a detective. Born to take the role of Robin at the most sensitive of times. As Robin, Tim helped his city for many years, 25 years within the publication. He was the first Robin to get his own title, the first Robin to work solo. Tim took the mantle of Robin and made it matter again. And when he wasn't banging blonds, solving crimes, or leading teams, he was caring for his birth father. Until he was killed. Tim was well integrated into the Batman Family, and when he became Red Robin and had a chance to be "his own Batman" he continued to impress readers across the nation. For many, Tim Drake was the greatest Robin because he truly seemed the most deserving to take Batman's role, and even pass him.
1. Dick Grayson
Too bad Dick is the best. Biased? Maybe. Undeserved? Absolutely not. Dick Grayson was the the first Robin, the first sidekick, the first sidekick in superhero comic books, and the first leader of The Teen Titans. As Robin he was a sign that Batman's adventures wouldn't always be dark and grim, he was a sign that Batman could be happy and have a family. He showed readers that no matter how brutal Batman could be, he was still a man who cared about the youth of the day. As Robin, Dick went on to lead his own team, hook up with the likes of Batgirl and Starfire, and become Nightwing. Dick is well connected with superheroes everywhere like Superman, Green Arrow, The Flash, and many more. As Nightwing he was his own man, the first sidekick to earn his passage as a true superhero. And he was so drastically different from Batman in that regard. Dick smiled, he made jokes, he relied on acrobatics and not stealth or intimidation. He shaped himself into the kind of man he was comfortable being, picking and choosing which parts of Batman's methods he'd use. Nightwing helped train the likes of Tim Drake and Damian Wayne, he would eventually become Batman himself when Bruce was unavailable. And as Batman and Robin, Dick and Damian yet again shook the Batman formula and gave us a collection of a new and interesting stories. Dick Grayson is the greatest Batman sidekick because he managed to succeed in two areas: as his own man and as Batman's successor. In both areas Dick has proven to be an effective member of society and quite frankly Batman's greatest achievement.
Thank you for reading.
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