When people think of sidekicks, they immediately think of Robin. Over the decades, Batman has taken in many young, lost children and trained them to be skilled crime-fighters. The bright and colorful sidekicks come in all varieties of shapes and forms across both the main DC Universe and in the broader multiverse. As these young heroes mature into adulthood, many of them take on new identities to reflect their growing independence from their days as Batman’s sidekick. Still, no matter where life ultimately led them, each of these heroes added to the rich tapestry that defines the legacy of the Robin mantle.
With the Robin mantle, Batman has created a new family centered on protecting the citizens of Gotham City.
11) Bruce Wayne Clone
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Unlike other Robins on this list, this version of the Boy Wonder started as an adversary of Batman, not an ally. As part of the evil robot Failsafe’s plan to destroy Batman, he created a teenage clone of Bruce Wayne and had him take the role of Robin. This evil version of Robin fought the Bat Family until Failsafe was defeated. With no one left to turn to and a mind full of the original Bruce’s memories, the clone was disoriented and alone. Batman found the clone and tried to help him. Unfortunately, Failsafe designed the clone to age rapidly. Despite his best efforts, Batman was unable to save his clone, who died peacefully –and quickly – of old age.
10) Matt McGinnis
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In a possible future where the young Terry McGinnis becomes the new Batman, he eventually gets his own Robin. Matt McGinnis is Terry’s younger brother. Having discovered that Terry is Batman, Matt decided to train to become Robin behind his brother’s back. When Terry was having trouble against the villain Payback, Matt stole a Robin uniform from the Batcave and went to save his brother. Together, the new Dynamic Duo defeated Payback. While Terry and Matt occasionally have their sibling squabbles and Matt is still very new to vigilantism, he’s already shown significant progress toward becoming the Boy Wonder of the next generation.
9) Jarro
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Unquestionably the strangest yet most powerful character to ever take up the Robin mantle, Jarro is a small and kind-hearted clone of the tyrannical alien starfish Starro the Conqueror. Raised by Batman, Jarro sees the Dark Knight as his dad and wants nothing more than to be a Robin. Incredibly loyal to Batman and the rest of the Justice League, Jarro often fantasizes about having his own cute little Robin outfit, swinging through the streets of Gotham side-by-side with his adoptive dad. He’s also one of the most powerful telepaths in the DC Universe. While he may not have the colorful costume, Jarro is still an unofficial Robin and a part of Batman’s family.
8) Helena Wayne
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On Earth-2, Batman and Catwoman finally married and had a daughter, Helena Wayne. Like all of Batman’s kids, Helena would take up the Robin mantle at a young age, fighting crime alongside her parents. Even after Catwoman died, Helena continued to be a superhero to honor her memory. As an adult going by the new name of Huntress, Helena, along with her friend Power Girl, were stranded in the main DC Universe. After many years stuck on Prime Earth, Helena and Power Girl finally found a way back to their home universe. Now that she is home and her father has retired, Helena has taken on his mantle and become the new Batman of Earth-2.
7) Carrie Kelley
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In the critically acclaimed series The Dark Knight Returns, which is set in a possible future, Carrie Kelly is the Robin to an aging Batman who has recently returned to protect Gotham City once again. After Batman saved Carrie from some muggers, the teen was inspired to buy a Robin costume and become a vigilante like her hero. When Carrie returned the favor by saving Batman from a gang of mutants, the Dark Knight made her his new sidekick. Carrie would go on to help Batman against the mutant gangs, a resurfaced Joker, and even Superman. Over the course of her story, Carrie tried on many new personas, including Catgirl and Batgirl, before finally settling on Batwoman.
6) Duke Thomas
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A young orphan who lost his parents to the Joker, Duke Thomas joined the underground teen rebel group We Are Robin and became its leader. This team was formed after Batman fought the Joker and was presumed dead. Duke, along with the other Robins, protected the city in Batman’s absence. He is also one of the few Robins ever to have superpowers, capable of using light to track targets and predict his opponent’s movements. Even after Batman returned and We Are Robin disbanded, Duke continued fighting crime. This heroism caught Batman’s attention, and he took Duke under his wing. However, instead of keeping his Robin mantle, Duke became an all-new superhero called Signal who protects Gotham in the daytime.
5) Stephanie Brown
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Stephanie is the daughter of the C-List supervillain Cluemaster. Wanting to thwart her father’s schemes, Stephanie became the vigilante Spoiler. She started leaving clues for Batman to find so they could stop Cluemaster. When Tim Drake temporarily stepped down as Robin, Stephanie stepped in to take his place. Unfortunately, Stephanie’s time as the fourth Robin was very short-lived because Batman fired her for disobeying orders and inadvertently starting a gang war. Still, even after getting injured and sidelined for a prolonged period, Stephanie returned and found redemption as the new Batgirl. Now back as Spoiler, Stephanie remains an integral part of the Bat Family, despite her past mistakes.
4) Jason Todd
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The second Robin, Jason Todd, went from being a sidekick to one of the most ruthless anti-heroes in DC Comics. Jason was a homeless orphan Batman adopted and trained to become Robin. However, only two years into his vigilante career, Jason’s life would be cut short by the Joker, who bludgeoned him with a crowbar before killing him with a bomb. Decades later, Jason would rise from the dead, driven mad by his grisly demise and resurrection. Taking on the new identity of Red Hood, Jason became a mass-murdering, gun-toting vigilante — and a formidable enemy of Batman. Yet, Jason would eventually let go of his hatred for Batman, becoming one of the more violent members of the Bat Family.
3) Tim Drake
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The smartest of all the Robins, Tim Drake was the third person to become the Boy Wonder. At only nine years old, Tim deduced Batman’s secret identity and took up the Robin mantle to help Batman, who was still grieving after the loss of Jason. Although Batman was initially hesitant, he eventually agreed to train Tim in the art of crime-fighting. Tim has been operating as Robin for years, both as a Teen Titan and a member of the Dynamic Duo. He temporarily went by the name Red Robin as an independent hero. As of now, though, Tim has returned to his roots as one of the two current Robins.
2) Damian Wayne
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Batman’s only biological son, Damian Wayne, is the current Robin and possible inheritor of the Dark Knight mantle. Raised by his mother, the assassin Talia al Ghul, Damian is a fearsome and ruthless warrior, despite only being ten years old. When he was put under Batman’s care, Damian was initially resistant to his father’s non-lethal ways. Still, over time and with the support of the rest of the Bat Family, Damian mellowed out and stopped resorting to murder. Damian has had a long character arc, which makes him one of the most interesting Robins. He’s rebelled against his mother, formed his own Teen Titans, and in several possible futures is destined to become the new Batman.
1) Dick Grayson
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The very first sidekick in comic book history, Dick Grayson paved the way for countless Robins and other young heroes to protect the innocent. After witnessing the murder of his trapeze artist parents, Dick was adopted by Batman. The Caped Crusader then trained Dick and made him the first Robin. Together, the Dynamic Duo fought crime in Gotham for years. When Dick grew up, he went off on his own, taking on the new name Nightwing. Since then, Dick has founded and led several versions of the Teen Titans, even temporarily assuming the Batman mantle. Whether as Nightwing or Batman, though, Dick is one of the most kind-hearted and selfless heroes in DC Comics.
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