BEWARE OF SPOILERS!

open/close all folders

The Bat-Family

In General

The Bat-Family

Current Members: Ryan Wilder / Batwoman II, Luke Fox, Mary Hamilton Sophie Moore

Former Members: Bruce Wayne / Batman, Alfred Pennyworth, Lucius Fox, Barbara Gordon / Oracle, Robin, Kate Kane / Batwoman.

A vigilante group originally formed by Bruce Wayne to protect Gotham City from the shadows.

Animal-Themed Superbeing: They use a bat Animal Motif to fight crime.
Crimefighting with Cash: They are filthy rich, which certainly helps in their crusade.
Dark Is Not Evil: Their overall theme is darkness, which they use to fight crime.
Family of Choice: They come to regard each other as this by Season 3, as several members have problems with their biological families (especially Mary, Ryan, and Sophie).
The Ghost: With the exception of Kate and Luke, none have ever appeared on-screen.
I Work Alone: They keep their distance from the other heroes — to the point that they're regarded as myths.
Superman Stays Out of Gotham: They prefer to work alone, and really hate other heroes moving in on their turf.

Members

Ryan Wilder / Batwoman II

Ryan Wilder/Batwoman II

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_20210118_051046_video_player.jpg

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batwoman_first_look_photos_01.jpg

Species: Human

First Appearance: "Whatever Happened to Kate Kane?" (Batwoman 2x1)

Appearances: Batwoman | The Flash

A young woman who takes up the mantle of Batwoman in Season 2.

Action Girl: She's a martial artist who takes up the Batwoman name and mantle.
Adopted to the House: Mary invites her to become her roommate in the loft above the Round-Up.
Affirmative-Action Legacy: A black woman taking over the Batwoman mantle from Kate Kane, who is white.
Believing Their Own Lies: The series starts off with Ryan claiming that she was falsely arrested by the Crows, who planted the drugs on her. Later in the season, this is revealed to be a complete lie, even if the Crows were hardly saints. In reality, Ryan insulted a couple Crows agents in retaliation for catcalling her, prompting them to search her and she was found in possession of her girlfriend's drugs. At the end of the season during her parole hearing, she still claims she was falsely arrested.
Canon Immigrant: After being announced for Season 2 in June 2020, Ryan Wilder was implemented into the comics in the final issue of the Rebirth Batgirl series that October, though only in a cameo and not as Batwoman. Before this, she had no comic counterpart.
Childhood Friend Romance: She was raised as a foster kid with Angelique, who became her close friend. After growing up, the two became lovers.
Companion Cube: She keeps a potted plant that originally belonged to her dead adoptive mother, and often speaks to it as if it were her.
Cool Car: The Batmobile, which in this series is a modified 2021 C7 Series Corvette.
Contrasting Sequel Main Character: Ryan has none of Kate Kane's military training or discipline, and while she is a trained martial artist, she's been out of practice for a while. On the other hand, she's much less reserved and withdrawn, having been raised by a loving adopted mother, and more willing to work with a team.
Dark and Troubled Past: She (was led to believe that she) lost her biological parents as a baby, spent years bouncing around in foster care, got kidnapped out of one of her foster homes to be sold to a gang and narrowly escaped thanks to Angelique, struggled with a drug addiction before her adopted mother helped her get clean, lost her adopted mother to the Wonderland Gang, and spent a year and a half in jail after being unfairly convicted for drug possession and distribution.
Dating Catwoman: Her ex-girlfriend Angelique is a criminal.
Dead Guy Junior: She is named after her biological maternal grandfather.
Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: When introduced, she is reeling from the loss of her adoptive mother and struggling to put her life back together after being released from prison. Upon finding the Batsuit, Ryan eagerly took on the mantle of Batwoman because it gave her hope for the first time in a long time that things could change for the better.
Establishing Character Moment: Ryan shows her hero cred right up top when, in the first moments of Season 2, a plane crashes next to her van and her first instinct is to run into the wreckage to help any survivors.
Failed a Spot Check: Ryan misses a lot of what is going on around her. She gets ambushed and snuck up on a lot compared to Kate Kane. However, this could be partially explained by lack of experience.
Happily Adopted: Her biological mother died in childbirth (not really, but that's what she was told) and her biological father died sometime before, but she had an adopted mother, Cora Lewis, who loved Ryan and drove her to finish her education and get a job. Unfortunately, Cora was killed by the Wonderland Gang.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Mary Hamilton, who was the first to give her a chance as Batwoman. By Season 3, Ryan considers Mary her Best Friend.
Hero Does Public Service: She and the Bat Team support Gotham's new community centers in Season 2.
Heroic Bastard: In season 3, she's revealed to be the illegitimate daughter of Jada Jet from an affair the latter had. Jada is stunned to discover that her long-lost child became Batwoman.
I Just Want to Be Loved: Ryan always yearned for a steady home and family to call her own, having spent her childhood in foster care until she was adopted by Cora. She does manage to find companionship with Luke, Mary, and Sophie. When Ryan learns about her relation to Jada and Marquis Jet, she admits that a part of herself wants a connection with her biological family since she lost Cora, despite knowing they're complicating her life.
It's Personal: Her whole crusade as Batwoman is this. Being a former foster child, drug addict, and convicted criminal, who witnessed Gotham's crime, corruption, and negligence firsthand, Ryan wants to clean up the city and give hope to others in similar circumstances.
Lives in a Van: When the season opens, she's almost literally living in a van down by the river. Mary eventually invites Ryan to move in with her.
Long-Lost Relative: In Season 3, Ryan discovers she has a half-brother by her birth mother.
Luke, You Are My Father: Ryan uncovers her birth mother, Jada Jet, and reveals that she's her daughter in Season 3.
Moral Myopia: Her Fatal Flaw. When Ryan herself puts the hurt on criminals, or uses technology to snoop on them, or even keeps them detained to potentially starve them for information, it's okay. But when the Crows do nearly the same sorts of things, she takes major issue with them.
Never My Fault: She stole Angelique's drugs in an attempt to save her (not that she asked or wanted to be saved). As a result, the Crows busted her for possession, and since Ryan refused to give up Angelique, no one believed her when she insisted the drugs weren't hers. As a result, she was sent to prison for eighteen months. Ryan has never accepted responsibility for the consequences of her actions, instead choosing to rage against the Crows for being corrupt and the system for being racist (both of these things are true, but they aren't the reason she ended up in prison).
Opposites Attract:
- She dated fellow foster kid Angelique, a criminal who only looked out for herself and fell in with the False Face Society, whereas Ryan rose above her circumstances to become Batwoman and protect Gotham from such gangs.
- Also with Sophie, a former high-ranking Crows agent with military training and discipline who was a closeted lesbian throughout her youth, while Ryan is a more unrefined martial artist and vigilante who opposed law enforcement, and came out earlier.
Parental Abandonment: She lost her birth parents early on, and then her adopted mother later. It turns out her birth mother, Jada, is alive, but wants nothing to do with Ryan. She was apparently conceived from an affair, with Jada giving her up for adoption and concealing the fact. However, Jada intended to make sure Ryan was raised in a loving home and kept safe from her psychotic half-brother, but this got derailed due to a multitude of factors.
Recovered Addict: She is an ex-addict.
Revenge: Ryan has a grudge against Alice because of her adoptive mother's death at the hands of the Wonderland Gang. She tries to kill Alice in the second episode of Season 2, but is forced to let her go to save innocent people. She nearly succeeds in episode 7, but stops thanks to a Kryptonite-induced hallucination of her mother. Ryan then decides to deal with Alice in a non-lethal way, but makes it clear that she's still hates her, even after Alice apologizes and stops actively antagonizing the Bat Team.
She Cleans Up Nicely: In season 3, she wears formal business suits and dresses when acting as Wayne Enterprises' CEO and around Jada, a sharp contrast from her usual wardrobe, and looks gorgeous.
Shipper on Deck: She and Mary ship Luke and Stephanie Brown together in "Give You a Clue" since he was able to solve her riddles in an instant. Ryan mentions that what they're doing is how "nerds flirt".
Thou Shall Not Kill: She abides by this rule like her predecessors, though Alice pushes her seriously close to breaking it. Ryan ultimately chooses to spare Alice, but also wasn't above leaving her to be killed by someone else.
Tomboyish Name: Her first name, Ryan, is traditionally male. She's something of a tomboy, being a proficient martial artist who becomes a superhero.
Tsundere: Towards Sophie, who Ryan is quick to engage with and push away upon any excuse while struggling to accept her feelings for her. Sophie calls her out on it.
Wrong Side of the Tracks: The area where she grew up is a very poor part of Gotham, which we see in flashbacks to her past.
You're Not My Mother: Ryan delivers a subtle one to Jada during dinner in "A Lesson From Professor Pyg" by thanking Jada giving the former up as if she were a burden, because it eventually allowed her to be raised in a real home by a mother who truly loved her. Marquis looks proud, while Jada is visibly affected.

Luke Fox / Batwing

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batwoman_batwing_luke_fox_camrus_johnson_1_1271446.jpeg

Species: Human

First Appearance: "Pilot" (Batwoman 1x1)

Appearance: Batwoman

The son of the late Lucius Fox, a technologically-gifted genius, and a burgeoning hero in his own right.

see the Arrowverse: Other Earths page for his Earth-99 counterpart

Adaptational Wimp: A Downplayed example.In the comics he's the superhero vigilante Batwing, and even before becoming a superhero was a professional MMA fighter. In this version, even though he's a decent shot with a gun and has some hand-to-hand combat skills, he's primarily a tech guy and Kate handles him very easily the first couple times they meet. Subverted in Season 2, where he does indeed becomes Batwing.
Badass Bookworm: Though nerdy and tech-oriented, he fearlessly confronts Kate while armed with a Taser (held with a proper grip, to boot) when he finds her snooping around the Wayne Enterprises building. Later, he proves physically fit enough to wield a Desert Eagle without any problems, and on another occasion showcases some striking skills on a heavy bag. This culminates with him becoming Batwing.
Black and Nerdy: He's black and he designs - or updates - Kate's equipment to work for her smaller frame over Bruce's while also acting as her Mission Control. He was also admitted to MIT post-high school graduation.
Clark Kent Outfit: Hides an impressive physique under that suit and tie as revealed by his Alternate Self in Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019).
Daddy Issues: He lives in the shadow of his father and, despite being a genius himself, often feels he can't live up to Lucius. Midway through Season 3, he admits to his father's grave that he needs to stop trying this.
Deadpan Snarker: He constantly cracks jokes or makes dry, sarcastic remarks.
Deuteragonist: He gets the most development next to Kate. In Season 1 particularly, his arc is about bringing his father's murderer to justice.
Dude, Where's My Respect?: He's often not amused over the way Kate treats him.
Gadgeteer Genius: He's the one who modifies Bruce's old equipment to Kate's specifications and acts as her tech guy in general.
Heroic BSoD: Gets it after being shot by one of Ronan Sionis's minions.
The Lancer: Luke regards himself not as a sidekick but an equal partner in their crimefighting, and doesn't hesitate to call out Kate when she thinks her actions are getting in the way of that mission.
Mission Control: He acted as Kate and later Ryan’s guy in the Bat-chair. Being Batwing of course of course puts him into the field, leading Sophie to assume mission control.
Not So Above It All: He tends to do the "Bat-X" gag more often than Kate, who just does it as a joke. On saying "Batcave to Batwoman" the first time, Kate accuses him of always having wanted to say it, which he unconvincingly denies.
Secret-Keeper: He's one of the only people who knows Batwoman's true identity.
Sharp-Dressed Man: As with Felicity before him, he often dresses quite formally despite mostly being in the Batcave and acting as Mission Control.
Vitriolic Best Buds: Luke and Kate never stop snarking at each other, but Kate admits (though not to Luke) that she considers him her only friend in Gotham.

Mary Hamilton / Poison Ivy II

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mary_hamilton_kane_batwoman_s1e7.jpg

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batwoman_poison_ivy_mary.jpg

Species: Human

First Appearance: "Pilot" (Batwoman 1x1)

Appearances: Batwoman

Catherine's daughter and a medical student at Gotham University. After several emotional hardships and being infected by one of Poison Ivy's vines, she developed a superpowered split personality.

Tropes exclusive to Mary

Action Survivor: She has none of the extensive combat and survival training that Kate and Jacob has, but when the chips are down she has the required courage and ability to think on her feet.
Adaptation Name Change: Played with. Her comic counterpart is Bette Kane, whose full name is Mary Elizabeth Kane.
Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: She's Kate's cousin in the comics, but stepsister in the show.
Annoying Younger Sibling: Well, step-sibling, but she still has this dynamic with Kate.
Asian and Nerdy: Asian and a very bright medical student and a nerd in general.
Back-Alley Doctor: A rare heroic version, running an underground clinic using stolen supplies from her university.
Beware the Nice Ones: Mary's kindness does not mean she's a pushover or someone to take lightly as she makes clear that she has no problem whatsoever letting Alice die when the chance arises. She also doesn't hesitate to call out people close to her when they mess up. Especially clear when she begins transforming into Poison Ivy in season 3.
Bonding over Missing Parents: She and Ryan do so due to both of their mothers being killed by Alice.
Celebrity Paradox: As in Kate's example, her actress also appeared on Orange Is the New Black, which exists in the Arrowverse.
Composite Character: Her name and large parts of her personality and dynamic with Kate come from Bette Kane, while her illegal clinic is an element of another Batwoman character from the comics, Dr. Mallory Kimball.
Damsel in Distress: Alice sends Dodgson after her out of jealousy, who nearly kills her.
Drowning My Sorrows: After Catherine confesses to deliberately faking Beth's death, she is reduced to tearing her way through Kate's booze at Wayne Tower.
Genki Girl: She gives off this vibe.
Happily Adopted: In a sense as she fully embraces Kate and Jacob as her family, always calling Jacob "Dad" and referring to Kate as her sister.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Ryan Wilder. Mary is the first to give her a chance as Batwoman, and helps her stitch her life back together. By season three, they consider each other Best Friends.
Hidden Depths: Kate is quite surprised when she wakes up and sees Mary stitch her together in her own back-alley clinic.
- Despite her cheery demeanor, she also clearly struggles with feeling distant from her family despite her attempts to connect and feels quite resentful of them for it.
Jumped at the Call:
- On realizing that Kate is Batwoman, she drops some heavy-handed hints that she'd like to help out as a side...person, and is quite giddy when she's finally let into the team.
- In season 2, she immediately jumps aboard "Team Ryan", being positively delighted to have a Batwoman who doesn't throw up so many barriers around herself. This puts her at odds with Luke, who is still holding out hope that Kate will return.
Let's Get Dangerous!: She's eager to become a member of Team Batwoman, only to find no-one's willing to risk her in the field as she doesn't have the years of training that Kate and Julia have. However in "If You Believe In Me I'll Believe In You", both women get captured while pulling The Caper on a mafia-run nightclub, and Mary is the only one with the right look and social contacts to go in and rescue them.
Love Martyr: A familial, rather than romantic, version; she desperately craves her family's love and approval. Unfortunately, she has two of the busiest parents in Gotham, and her step-sister has been wrapped up in her own issues for years. Things get somewhat better for her after Kate finally accepts that she'll never get Beth back and that Mary is not just a replacement for her but her own person.
Loves My Alter Ego: Played with. She's a huge fan of Batwoman, but has a more complicated relationship with Kate, looking up to her but also being hurt by Kate's perceived indifference.
The Medic: She patches up Kate in the pilot, and since Batwoman going to a hospital would raise suspicion, she uses her as her go-to doctor. In addition, she's got a free clinic to provide people with healthcare who can't afford it otherwise.
Motor Mouth: As Kate's mentor notes when she calls; Alice later calls her a "human run-on sentence." Unsurprisingly, Mary talks even faster when she's excited or scared.
Ms. Fanservice: She often wears revealing clothes. Especially after becoming Poison Ivy.
Nice Girl: Mary is a kindhearted person who goes out of her way to be a good sister to Kate and who uses her clinic to help the less fortunate.
Obfuscating Stupidity: She plays up her socialite persona in public. It slips when she corrects some EMTs who have unintentionally ignored a seriously wounded victim, showing Sophie that she's a lot smarter than she lets on.
Parental Abandonment: What became of her birth father is not revealed. Later, her mother is murdered.
Race Lift: She's Caucasian in the comics, but of East Asian descent here.
Rich Kid Turned Social Activist: She had wealthy upbringing but she does have concern for people of lower station than her and is running an illegal clinic for those who cannot afford proper health care.
Secret-Keeper: As of "A Narrow Escape" she turns into this for Kate in regards to her secret identity as Batwoman.
Secret Secret-Keeper: Mary works out that Kate is Batwoman at the end of "Drink Me". She's a bit hurt that Kate felt she couldn't be trusted with this, but lets her stepsister know that if she does have any big secrets, Kate can reveal them to her when she's ready. Kate doesn't, despite some heavy hints, so Mary ends up forcing the issue several episodes later.
Shipper on Deck:
- She's supportive of Kate and Sophie getting together, despite Sophie's marriage. She jokingly tells Ryan that she has "a season pass to lesbian drama".
- Mary and Ryan, ship Luke and Stephanie Brown together in "Give You a Clue" since he was able to solve her riddles in an instant.
- She eventually becomes one for Ryan and Sophie, and basically Squees after learning they're dating.
Sibling Yin-Yang: The talkative, outgoing Mary is nothing like the reserved, secretive Kate.
Spoiled Sweet: She's from a wealthy background but very caring about those with less than she has had.
Stepford Smiler: She's usually very cheery but is heavily implied to have deeper issues underneath relating to her distant relationship with Kate and her mother.
The Unfavorite: She feels she's this to her family as Kate has always kept her at arm's length, Jacob had trouble connecting due to struggling with losing Beth and Catherine is a naturally distant person. It gets even worse when Beth comes back as Alice as she feels Kate and Jacob care more about her due to remembering what she was once like than they do Mary.
What the Hell, Hero?:
- She calls out Kate at the end of Episode 2 for ignoring her at best and treating her like garbage at worst; she does this not knowing Kate saved her life from Dodgson.
- After Alice murders her mother, she calls out Kate over condemning Catherine out-of-hand for lying about Beth's death, yet being willing to excuse the far greater atrocities that Alice has committed, out of a mistaken belief by Kate that she can redeem her sister.

Tropes Exclusive to Poison Ivy II

Bee Afraid: She stuffed a poor guy she met online into a beehive because he rejected her for online dating.
Brought Down to Normal: Ivy eventually drains her of all her powers, restoring Mary to who she once was.
Cleavage Window: Her new outfit shows off a good amount.
Crazy-Prepared: Subverted. She initially tries to avoid capture and give Alice a blood transfusion by paying for a coffee in cash-only and not using her name. It works for a bit, but Luke realizes Mary would never do anything without coffee this late at night and checks her membership rewards points. Sure enough, they're able to find her.
Drunk on the Dark Side: Part of the reason Mary refuses the cure to Ivy's powers is because she likes the freedom said powers give her.
Enemy Mine: In a way. As Ivy, Mary teams up with Alice—the woman who killed her own mother—because she's actually willing to let this evil side of Mary stick around like she wants.
Even Evil Has Standards: In spite of being the next iteration of Ivy, she's horrified when she learns what her predecessor has planned for Gotham.
Evil Costume Switch: Goes from the more conservatively-dressed and peppy Mary Hamilton to the scantily-clad Poison Ivy.
Face–Heel Turn: Mary Hamilton, one of the nicest characters in the Arrowverse, winds up turning into the second iteration of Gotham's deadliest eco-terrorist.
I Just Want to Be Free: Thanks to a little convincing from Alice, Mary has no intention of ever going back with her old allies because she knows they'll lock her up in Arkham. A little pheromone whammy on Batwoman confirms this.
I Just Want to Be Special: She admits to Alice that she wants Ryan to see her as powerful, which is partially why she blabs Ryan and Luke's secret to Marquis. Unfortunately for her, Ryan chooses to deal with her brother when he has Luke at gunpoint, which leads her to think that she's just an afterthought in her former friend's life.
Kick the Dog: She steals Luke's A.I. (which has his father's voice and personality implanted in it) to kick him when he's down. Later, she blabs Ryan and Luke's secret to Marquis so she can commit an act of personal betrayal to force them to give up on her.
Living Battery: It turns out she's the key to helping the original Ivy fully recover.
Mind Control: With her powers, her pheromones can make anyone do whatever she wants.
More than Mind Control: Although it's firmly established Mary is not acting of her own free will, it's made clear that Ivy is less making her attack her friends and family as she is bringing out a side of her that her Nice Girl persona would otherwise never do.
Ms. Fanservice: As befitting for any Ivy, she's dressed in a skin-tight suit that highlights her curvaceous figure while showing off a fair amount of skin.
My God, What Have I Done??: After being told that she unintentionally killed an innocent hunter, she agrees to help the Bat-Team take down Pamela, even at the cost of losing her powers.
Mythology Gag: Her outfit and hairstyle borrows heavily from Uma Thurman's depiction of the original Ivy from Batman & Robin.
Of Corsets Sexy: She has one for her new outfit.
Plant Person: Comes with the territory of being Poison Ivy. This initially starts with consuming a huge amount of water, before exposure to sunlight brings out this evil side and gives her the complete ability to control plants.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: In this form, Mary is quick to tear into her friends for putting their focus on their own emotional baggage rather than trying to be a good and supportive friend to her.
Redemption Rejection: She refuses to take the cure for Ivy's control.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Or rather green eyes, since they turn this color whenever her evil half comes to the surface.
Superpowered Evil Side: As a consequence of Ivy's control, Mary's dark desires are brought to the surface in full, albeit when she's exposed to sunlight, and has no memory of her counterpart's actions. By the end of the midseason-3 finale, this side has taken over completely.
Sudden Sequel Heel Syndrome: After having spent two seasons of the show as a firm ally to the Bat-Family, Mary winds up becoming the next iteration of Ivy by the middle of the third.
What the Hell, Hero?: She chews out both Ryan and Luke for ignoring her own plights, and refuses to let herself be cured when they try to make up for it.

Sophie Moore

Species: Human

First Appearance: "Pilot" (Batwoman 1x1)

Appearance: Batwoman

A Crows Security agent and a staunch protector of Gotham. She is Kate Kane's ex-girlfriend and former fellow cadet; when Kate left Point Rock Academy due to allegations of violating "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", Sophie denied the same charges against her and stayed.

Academic Athlete: She was one of the top two cadets at Point Rock, and broke a school obstacle course record.
The Ace: She's the top agent of Crows Security, second only to Jacob himself.
Adaptational Backstory Change: In the comics, no DADT allegations were ever brought against her, in part because Kate's resignation stopped any further investigation.
Adaptational Expansion: She was a relatively minor character in the comics; not without personality, but not involved much in Kate's story aside from being her first known girlfriend. In the show, she's more directly connected to Kate and has a more complex relationship with her.
Adaptational Intelligence: Sophie wasn't stupid in the comics, but she was implied to be Book Dumb since she lacked any awards that would indicate a class placement higher than the top 15% (unlike Kate, who earned an award placing her within at least the top 5% of cadets academically). Here, she was one of the top two cadets at Point Rock.
Adaptational Job Change: She's an Army colonel in the comics, and a protective agent in the show.
Adaptation Personality Change: In the flashbacks of her and Kate as cadets, she's had her personality swapped somewhat with Kate's from the comics; in the source material, Kate was the more straight-laced and regimented of the two, while in the show Kate was apparently a regular rule-breaker who goaded Sophie into joining her on at least some occasions.
All Girls Want Bad Boys: Or Bad Girls in her case. Sophie initiates a romance with Batwoman in the same episode where her being a sexy rulebreaker in head-to-toe black leather is lampshaded, and when Julia says she was involved in a "sexy and thrilling adventure" with the mysterious criminal Safiyah it only intrigues her further.
Battle Couple: She and her husband are both Crows agents.
Betty and Veronica: With her husband and Kate, whom she used to be in a relationship with and clearly still has feelings for. Tyler is a legitimate crime fighter, not to mention a more socially accepted love interest (not that this seems to be a major concern for her social circle as of the present), whereas Kate is a Hot-Blooded vigilante and a woman.
Boxing Battler: Sophie shows off such skills in "Down, Down, Down" while training with Tyler.
Cruel to Be Kind: She betrays Kate's trust a few times to protect her, because she's scared for Kate's safety. She also told Kate she never loved her to force her to move on from their relationship at Point Rock.
Dating Catwoman: Ironically she's the one who finds herself in this situation, when she finds herself drawn to the lesbian vigilante on the Crows most wanted list, completely unaware that she's actually Kate. It's Kate herself who breaks off the relationship, knowing she'd be trapping Sophie in another relationship she'd have to keep secret.
Experimented in College: Averted; she admits that her three year relationship with Kate can't be dismissed as insignificant, and fails to convince her husband that she's put it behind her.
Fair Cop: Sophie is gorgeous, and works in the Crows.
Faux Action Girl: Despite being an elite operative trained at one of the most prestigious military academies Sophie often finds herself in a lot of trouble. In the first episode she gets kidnapped at a heavily secured location. Most episodes involve her getting caught off guard, easily sneaked up on or losing fights and needing other people to save her. This gets remedied in Season 2, transforming her into a genuine Action Girl.
Gayngst: Sophie has been closeted most of her life; at Point Rock she denied that she had a relationship with Kate, which led to only Kate being expelled under DADT. After graduating and joining the Crows, she married Tyler (leading to Kate and the show's viewers wondering if she might be bisexual). But after running into Kate again, her old feelings come back and she tries desperately to stay in the closet to please her husband and family. In "Grinning from Ear to Ear", she finally admits to her mother and to herself that she's a lesbian. Her fears over this are sadly justified because on hearing this, her mother rejects Sophie.
Gay Romantic Phase: She admits to Tyler that she had a three year-long lesbian relationship with Kate Kane while at the military academy. Subverted in that it eventually turns out it wasn't just a phase and she really is a lesbian.
Improbable Age: Lampshaded when Sophie points out that at 28 she's the Number Two of one of the biggest private security firms in the country.
Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: She does this to a suspect in a cyberattack, having been emotionally destabilized by her marriage imploding and her boss being imprisoned.
Lipstick Lesbian: Sophie's quite feminine, and eventually admits she's a lesbian, having been in denial of the fact for some time.
Like a Daughter to Me: To Jacob. Alice provokes Kate by saying that Sophie is everything Kate wants to be to her father.
Malicious Misnaming: Ryan calls her "Crowphie".
Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple: Sophie was the feminine and Kate the masculine in their relationship.
Number Two: Jacob's deputy in the Crows.
The One That Got Away: To Kate, as she is married to a fellow agent named Tyler after her return.
Second Love: In Season 3, she begins to develop a romantic interest in Ryan.
Secret Chaser: She wants to know who Batwoman is, as in "Down, Down, Down", she demands to know why Kate (whom she strongly suspects) turned down the offer to join the Crows after years begging for it.
Secret-Keeper: In "I'll Be the Judge, I'll Be the Jury", she figures out Kate is Batwoman. At first, she plans to tell Jacob, but decides against it after Mary calls her out on mistreating Kate. She also doesn't tell Jacob about Mary's illegal clinic. Eventually Kate is able to avert her suspicions with the Identity Impersonator trick.
Turn in Your Badge: In Season 2, after Jacob discovers that she has been helping Ryan, he suspends her.
Uptight Loves Wild: Flashbacks show that she found Kate being a rulebreaker quite appealing, and when she hooks up with Batwoman temporarily (unaware that she's Kate) Sophie is shown to be enjoying herself immensely.
You Are in Command Now: After Jacob is framed for Catherine's murder, she takes command of the Crows.

Former Members

Bruce Wayne / Batman

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_20210611_221458_video_player.jpg

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batman_34.png

Species: Human

Known Aliases: Batman, The Dark Knight, The Caped Crusader, The World's Greatest Detective

Played By: Warren Christie

First Appearance: "Pilot" (Batwoman 1x1)

Appearances: Batwoman

Kate's paternal cousin. He's a billionaire of Gotham City and CEO of Wayne Tech, who is (or was) also Batman.

see DCEU: Batman page for the post-Crisis Earth-1 character who bears his name and background

see Arrowverse: Earth-2 page for the Earth-2 character who bears his name and background

see Titans (2018): Other Superheroes page for the Earth-9 character who bears his name and background

see Doom Patrol (2019) – Other Characters page for the Earth-21 character who bears his name and background

see Batman (1966): Heroes page for the Earth-66 character who bears his name and background

see Batman Film Series: Bat-Family page for the Earth-89/Earth-97 character who bears his name and background

see Arrowverse: Other Earths page for the Earth-99 character who bears his name and background

see Smallville: Clark's Allies page for the Earth-167 character who bears his name and background

see Smallville: Other Major Villains for the Alternate Universe Earth-167 character who bears his name and background

see Birds of Prey (2002) page for the Earth-203 character who bears his name and background

see New 52 page for the Earth-N52 character who bears his name and background

Ambiguous Situation: At the time Batwoman (2019) begins, Bruce's status is unclear; he disappeared from Gotham in 2015, but his reasons are totally in the dark, and no one knows where he is. Post-Crisis, it's unclear if he's even still alive. Luke implies it's because he killed The Joker that he disappeared, but other than appearing during Luke's Near-Death Experience, the audience is still in the dark about where he is and why he left.
Badass Cape: It has a jagged on the tips design and it helps him glide on tall structures.
Badass Normal: The Trope Codifier in comicbooks. He is a simple Vigilante Man whose main arsenal are his gadgets, physical skill and keen intellect.
Byronic Hero: Luke confirms that Bruce has his characteristic angst/guilt.
Chekhov's Gunman: His company will merge with Oliver's new company in the future, though this may no longer happen due to Barry's and the Legends' constant Cosmic Retcons.
Cool Car: It's fast, tough, and is equipped with tools made from top quality technology.
The Cowl: The Trope Codifier. He's a hero alright, but one who inspires fear rather than hope.
Crazy-Prepared: He commissioned a gun capable of piercing the Batsuit in case the suit was ever stolen from him, then designed a means of neutralizing the gun in case that was ever used against him (which turned out to be a good idea).
Dark Is Not Evil: His overall look, name and Red Barons are all heavily themed with darkness. That doesn't make him a bad guy.
Early-Bird Cameo: Was name dropped by Oliver in "Tribute".
Easter Egg: He has been subtly alluded to many many times prior to an official name drop in "Tribute".
- Wayne Tech has been mentioned several times on The Flash. In the possible future of 2024, it even merged with Queen Consolidated.
- Earth-2 Barry and Iris have a friend called "Bruce" in their contacts, along with several given names for other Justice League members.
- Rip alludes to Batman in Legends of Tomorrow "Blood Ties" with the statement "I've seen Men of Steel die and Dark Knights fall."
- Gotham City is shown to have existed on Supergirl (2015)'s Earth, and Kara talks about "that other guy" in a negative reference to his crime-fighting style.
The Faceless: He was mostly seen from behind in the flashbacks. Finally subverted in the Season 1 finale, as Alice shows a magazine cover with him on it. It's still Played Straight with his alter-ego, as due to legal issues with Batman's depiction on TV, no one has seen him in the cowl in full.
The Ghost: Due to issues with the DC Extended Universe. In-universe he apparently left Gotham City three years prior to Elseworlds, but nobody knows why.
Hero of Another Story: He's already an experienced superhero operating in his own city.
I Let Gwen Stacy Die: He suffers a big case of this following his failure to save his aunt and cousin.
In Spite of a Nail: His Earths 2, 9, 38, 66, 89, 99, 167 and 203 counterparts as well as one on an undesignated Earth also became Batman, making him one of the few heroes many Earths share. He's also not the only Batman to have killed the Joker, with his counterparts on Earths 9, 66, 89 and 99 having also done so.
My Greatest Failure: His aunt and cousins were sideswiped by the Joker during a chase, leaving their car hanging over a bridge, and he could only strap it to a tether before continuing the chase to save all the other kids in danger. But he didn't take the car's shoddy construction into account and only Kate survived, which she was left to assume was because he didn't care about them when in fact he's been wracked with guilt about it ever since.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: We don't know why he left Gotham, but things have become considerably worse in his absence — Wayne Enterprises is near bankruptcy and how bad has crime skyrocketed? Those who can afford it travel around in armored cars!
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: His badassery and heroics are almost entirely offscreen apart from one flashback.
Precursor Hero: In spite of what Oliver would like to believe, he's the original Vigilante Man in the Arrowverse. But by the time Gotham became a significant location, he was gone and Batwoman had taken over.
Present Absence: His disappearance is a plot point in Elseworlds (2018); in Bruce's absence, Kate is carrying on in her cousin's place as both CEO of Wayne Enterprises and as Gotham's resident vigilante. Kate's Private Eye Monologue also takes the form of journal entries addressed to Bruce, giving a sense that Bruce has a presence in his cousin's life despite being long gone from Gotham.
Properly Paranoid: Designing a countermeasure (a device capable of neutralizing a handheld railgun) to one of his own countermeasures (said railgun was meant to pierce the Batsuit in case the suit was ever stolen) turned out to be an entirely reasonable thing to do.
Really Gets Around: According to Kate, Bruce slept with "half of Gotham", though it's unclear if this is the truth or if he's faking it to keep up appearances; both possibilities have precedence in the comics and other media.
Shrouded in Myth: Batman is mostly considered an urban legend outside Gotham, or even an invention of the GCPD. This also contrasts him with his Earth-38 counterpart, who is infamously a Hero with Bad Publicity.
Superheroes Wear Capes: He wears a Badass Cape and was Gotham's original protector.
Thou Shalt Not Kill: As always, Batman has one rule. He left because he finally broke it for the Joker.
Two First Names: His surname could easily pass as his second given name.
Writing Around Trademarks: Prior to 2017, he was Exiled from Continuity due to Executive Meddling forbidding any live action versions of Batman on the small screen (excluding child versions of him). However, the rule was loosened in 2018 to finally allow for Bruce Wayne to make an appearance in the Arrowverse (which is also why Gotham was allowed to portray a modern-day Batman in its own finale).

Alfred Pennyworth

Species: Human

Bruce's stalwart ally and father to Julia Pennyworth.

see DCEU: Gotham City page to see the post-Crisis Earth-1 who bears his name and background

see Titans (2018): Other Characters page to see the Earth-9 character who bears his name and background

see Batman (1966): Heroes page to see the Earth-66 character who bears his name and background

see Batman Film Series: Bat-Family page to see the Earth-89/Earth-97 character who bears his name and background

see Birds of Prey (2002) page to see the Earth-203 character who bears his name and background

Ambiguous Situation: His exact current whereabouts are unknown, though it's revealed in the season 2 premiere that he's living in London, having returned there after Bruce left Gotham.
The Ghost: Only mentioned in passing by Julia, as well as Alfred's name being used as a password for Wayne Enterprise's computer systems. She mentions he's retired to London, so it explains his absence.
Secret-Keeper: He is one of two people Bruce had explicitly trusted with his alter ego; the other being Lucius.

Lucius Fox

Species: Human

A former employee of Wayne Enterprises, inventor of Batman's various gadgets, and father of Luke.

Death by Adaptation: This Lucius didn’t even make it to the start of the series.
Gadgeteer Genius: He's the primary source of Batman's artillery.
Posthumous Character: Lucius was murdered on the night of Luke's graduation from high school and acceptance into MIT when he went out to get ice; he never came back, and Luke was asked to identify his father's body by the Gotham City Police Department.
Secret-Keeper: He was one of two people Bruce had explicitly trusted with his alter ego; the other being Alfred.

Barbara Gordon / Oracle

Species: Human

Known Aliases: Oracle

A veteran vigilante.

see Titans (2018): Other Characters for the Earth-9 character who bears her name and background

see Batman (1966): Heroes for the Earth-66 character who bears her name and background

see Batman Film Series: Supporting Characters for the Earth-89 character who bears her name and background

see Batman Film Series: Bat-Family for the Earth-97 character who bears her first name and some of her background

see Smallville: Clark's Allies for the Earth-167 character who bears her name and background

see Birds of Prey (2002) for the Earth-203 character who bears her name and background

Ambiguous Situation: It's unclear what her status is post 2016 when Oliver mentioned her.
Disney Owns This Trope: Oliver thought of giving Felicity the codename of Oracle but couldn't because Babs already owns it.
The Ghost: She's only mentioned by Oliver.
Two First Names: Barbara and Gordon.

Robin

Species: Human

Batman's sidekick.

see DCEU: Gotham Vigilantes for Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, the post-Crisis Earth-1 characters who bear Robin's codename

see Titans (2018): Title Team for Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, the two Earth-9 characters who bear Robin's codename

see Batman (1966): Heroes for Dick Grayson, the Earth-66 character who bears Robin's codename

see Batman Film Series: Bat-Family for Drake Winston and Dick Grayson, the Earth-89 and Earth-97 characters who bear Robin's codename

see Birds of Prey (2002) for Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and Tim Drake, the Earth-203 characters who bear Robin's codename

Ambiguous Situation: It's not specified which Robin this is (Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne or even Carrie Kelly),^note or when they started their crimefighting career. Season 3 hints that he might've been Jason Todd, as the Joker is mentioned to have beaten him to death with a crowbar, in reference to the famous A Death in the Family storyline.
The Ghost: Only mentioned in passing, as he is already dead by the beginning of the series.
Kid Sidekick: Vesper makes a crack about Robin having a high school graduation, indicating this character to be a minor.
Posthumous Character: Season 3 reveals that the Joker beat him to death with a crowbar, explaining why he isn't around anymore.

Kate Kane / Batwoman I

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/katecurrent.jpg

^{Click here to see Ruby Rose as Kate Kane}

Species: Human

Known Aliases: Batwoman

Played by: Wallis Day; Ruby Rose (adult ^noteElseworlds to Batwoman Season 1), Gracyn Shinyei (child)

First Appearance: "Elseworlds, Part 1" (The Flash 5x9)

Appearances: Elseworlds ^note(The Flash | Arrow | Supergirl) | Batwoman | Crisis on Infinite Earths ^note

The maternal cousin of Bruce Wayne and the first person to become Batwoman, becoming acting CEO of Wayne Enterprises (or what's left of it) after Bruce left Gotham City, taking up the mantle of to show there was a dark knight still in the city.

Unfortunately, Kate was severely injured in a plane crash, later recovered by Ronan Sionis and subsequently brainwashed into believing she was his daughter Circe, creating a similar situation to her sister Beth, AKA Alice. After being rescued from the brainwashing, she departed Gotham in search of what happened to Bruce, and whether he's still alive.

see Arrowverse: Other Earths page to see her Earth-99 and undesignated Earth counterparts

13 Is Unlucky: On her and Beth's 13th birthday after their Bat Mitzvah, they were caught in the crossfire of a road chase between Batman and the Joker, with the latter running their car over a bridge, causing Kate to lose her mother and be separated from her sister for 15 years.
Aborted Arc: Ruby Rose's departure after the first season forced the writers to hastily wrap up the storylines involving her in the Season 2 premiere. There's even a quite amusing scene where Alice is outraged that her baroque plan to trick their father into killing Kate has been cut off at the knees by cruel fate.
Academic Athlete: She was one of Point Rock's top two cadets, and a champion sharpshooter.
Action Girl: She's very skilled in combat.
Adaptational Backstory Change:
- In the comics, Kate apparently didn't come out until her resignation from West Point. Here, Kate was out from 8th grade onward, implying her sexuality was an open secret at Point Rock.
- Kate became a vigilante in the comics after basically hitting rock bottom and realizing that vigilantism could be another way for her to serve, as a replacement to her military service. In the show, it began as a way to intimidate Alice; that led to Gotham becoming hopeful about having a costumed protector once more, which caused Kate to accept the role despite some initial reluctance. There's also no evidence yet that Kate's aimless years after leaving West Point have an analogue in the show.
- This even extends to Batwoman's suit. In the comics, it was created by Jacob Kane, who chose red for its color scheme because that's a good color for night operations (Kate connects the red to the sephirah of gevurah in the kabbalistic tree of life, referring to an earlier statement from Jacob that serving as Batwoman means going to war). In the show, it's a re-tailored Batman suit, and Kate chose its color to reference garnet, her and Beth's birthstone, since the context of war isn't in the show.
Adaptational Dumbass: Downplayed. Kate isn't stupid, but she has the occasional bout of forgetfulness that causes her problems (such as forgetting to charge a weapon) and isn't nearly as good at lying. In the comics, Kate is very rarely not on-point unless impaired by drugs.
Adaptational Wimp: Downplayed. Kate's still plenty tough and skilled, but struggles more against less-competent enemies than in the comics. In contrast, her very first outing as Batwoman in the comics involves her beating up several were-people, for example.
Adaptation Dye-Job: While the Batwoman costume includes her iconic crimson wig, Kate's real hair is dark brown instead of a similar shade of red. Additionally, her eyes are blue here instead of green.
Adaptation Personality Change:
- Generally, this Kate is more hotheaded and impulsive and less self-assured than her comic counterpart.
- In the comics, Kate was rather by-the-book and regimented as a cadet, while here she was more of a rulebreaker. As a result, the show version of Kate is much more flippant about her decision to resign from the Academy.
- This version also isn't particularly fond of children, while her comic counterpart is a Friend to All Children.
- Kate is more dedicated to Thou Shalt Not Kill here than in the source, and is traumatized when she accidentally breaks it in a fit of anger. In the comics, she avoids killing unless needed, and has never regretted or been traumatized by any of her kills.
- This Kate claims to not be into sports other than playing club soccer in school, while in the comics, she's a lifelong athlete; in addition to soccer, she was an award-winning high school gymnast and top boxer at West Point, and is implied to like baseball, football, and basketball.
Alliterative Name: Kate Kane. Same goes for her Season 1 actress Ruby Rose.
Aloof Big Sister: Step-sister in this case. In "The Rabbit Hole", Mary calls Kate out for ignoring her at best and treating her as second-best to Beth at worst. Ultimately a subversion, because that conversation happened after Kate saved her life, unbeknownst to Mary.
Ambiguous Situation: After Ruby Rose left the show, she's written out by her plane crashing, though with a blatant case of Never Found the Body. It very much comes off as the crew hedging their bets in case Rose never does agree to come back, while avoiding another case of Bury Your Gays like the franchise has gotten in trouble for before. The third episode of Season 2 has Safiyah claim to have kidnapped Kate, but Kate herself is still, understandably, nowhere to be seen. It's later revealed that Black Mask was behind her accident and kidnapping while Safiyah just pretended she was so she could have Alice do something for her, promising that she would giver her sister back once it was done. Alice is justifiably pissed off at that.
Attempted Homewrecker: In the first season, Kate tries to renew her relationship with Sophie, despite Sophie having retreated into the closet and gotten married to a man in the years since they broke up. While Sophie eventually realizes that she is gay and divorces her husband, her relationship with Kate remains conflicted, and ultimately, they do not end up together.
Badass Cape: It has a jagged on the tips design and it helps her glide on tall structures.
Badass Normal: As befits the Distaff Counterpart of the Trope Codifier in comic books, she has no superpowers of her own and makes do with a bit of tech and martial arts.
Bad Liar: Zig-zagged. She can be pretty slick about lying about her Batwoman activities, but falters in situations where she has to make something up on the spot without realizing beforehand that a lie might be needed. She's aware of the second part, since she's spent her entire life believing honesty and openness is best.
Bash Siblings:
- She and Kara have become this by the time of Crisis On Infinite Earths.
- Kate and Alice briefly team up in "Through The Looking Glass" for a literal version, though it doesn't last.
Battle Boomerang: She has a type of batarang that behaves like one, though it's due to some sort of electronics rather than aerodynamics.
Beta Outfit: Before getting her iconic outfit, she uses Batman's suit, modified by Luke for her physique. When Luke tests a railgun on it to demonstrate the lethality of the weapon, it gives her an excuse to do a full remodel so she isn't just pretending to be Batman.
Bifauxnen: Whenever She Cleans Up Nicely for formal occasions, this is the look Kate goes for.
Butch Lesbian: Just like her comics counterpart, Kate checks all the Butch boxes; cropped hair, badass tattoos, and masculine clothes with a preference for leather.
Celebrity Paradox: Orange Is the New Black was mentioned to exist in the Arrowverse. Her first season actress was a recurring cast member there.
Character Tics: In many of the ads, Kate Kane does a quick nod and smile after she does or sees something she enjoys.
The Chosen One: In Crisis on Infinite Earths, Kate is identified as one of the seven Paragons, heroes destined to stand against the Anti-Monitor, with Kate as the Paragon of Courage.
The Comically Serious: Her serious demeanor in costume makes for an amusing contrast with Barry's nerdy glee at meeting a Gotham superhero.
Barry: Is a lift home in the Batmobile out of the question?
Batwoman: Get. Out.
Cool Bike:
- Kate normally rides a Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883.
- As a cadet, she owned a red Triumph Bonneville.
- Her eventual Bat-Bike is a Ducati Monster.
The Cowl: In opposition to Supergirl, she is the Badass Normal Terror Hero of a city riddled with crime. She seems to have taken Green Arrow's place in this regard given Arrow is ending.
Criminal Amnesiac: Enigma brainwashes her into believing she's Circe Sionis, Black Mask's daughter.
Dark Is Not Evil: Batwoman dresses in a black costume with blood red elements, but she's solidly one of the good guys.
Deadpan Snarker: She chastises Barry (thinking, like almost everyone else, that he's Oliver Queen) for coming to Gotham and "showing off his arrows to everyone."
Determinator: Kate never gives up, whether it's searching for her sister as a child, fighting for justice as Batwoman, or even when the entire multiverse is gone and she has no way of knowing if there's any hope. In the latter case, she just keeps training for a fight that, for all she knows, may never come.
Distaff Counterpart: In Batman's absence, Kate has taken up his role as Gotham's resident bat-themed vigilante.
The Dreaded: At least one criminal screams in terror at the sight of Batwoman.
Experienced Protagonist: She is introduced into the Arrowverse as a seasoned fighter, but her own series covers her origin story.
Fatal Flaw: Kate's desire to reconnect to both her father and her long-lost twin sister. She realizes too late that Alice cannot be redeemed, and fails to understand Jacob's hatred of masked vigilantes because she still sees him as her father while interacting with him as Batwoman.
Foil: To Kara. They're both cousins of famous heroes following in their footsteps, although their methods, appearances, and personalities contrast; Kara is bubbly, upbeat, acts openly as a hero, and is a Primary-Color Champion. Kate, on the other hand, is more withdrawn, stern, takes the role of a dreaded vigilante, and adopts a Dark Is Not Evil color scheme. Unlike Kara's blonde hair, light-coloured outfits, and tendency towards Clark Kenting, Kate is brunette, dresses in dark colors, and her disguise as Batwoman is much more complete. Kate is essentially to Kara what the unseen Batman is to Superman, although unlike the rocky friendship shared by their male counterparts, Kate and Kara are genuinely fond of one another and look forward to getting another chance to team up, with Kate dubbing such a team the "world's finest".
Good Is Not Nice: She's highly abrasive toward the other heroes in Elseworlds, and sternly orders them out of her city when the fight is over.
Guilt Complex: Seems to have one. She irrationally blames herself for not sensing Beth's presence in Cartwright's basement, and tries to take responsibility for an errant batarang that was actually the fault of a technology issue.
Handy Cuffs: Kate uses handcuffs as brass knuckles twice: once in a fight, the other to punch through a sheet of ice while underwater.
Has a Type: Kate seems to be into feminine women, since all the ones she's been shown involved with have traditional looks, in stark contrast with hers.
Honest Corporate Executive: As the CEO of Gotham Pride Real Estate she buys buildings in poor areas of Gotham and renovates them to provide low rent housing.
Improbable Aiming Skills: Kate has demonstrated very high accuracy with both firearms and batrangs. At Point Rock, she even won first place in a sharpshooting competition out of 200 cadets... while hungover.
Informed Judaism: Only the aftermath of her and Beth's bat-mitzvah is shown in a flashback. Other than that, her religion isn't really part of her characterization.
I Will Find You: One of her main motives is finding out what happened to Bruce Wayne.
I Work Alone: Averted; she's advised by Julia to avoid Bruce Wayne's solitary existence, and so makes an effort to bring her estranged stepsister into her life. As Batwoman she's worked in the field with Julia and Sophie, and her Character Development in Season One involves her realizing that Luke (and eventually Mary) are essential partners in Team Batwoman.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Kate can be extremely abrasive, even towards her friends and family, but she wants to protect them above everything else.
Love Redeems: For a while, she believes this is possible for Alice, who is really her long-lost twin. However, Alice's continuing crimes and lack of remorse leave Kate believing her sister to be Beyond Redemption, though she still has a lot of mixed feelings where Alice is concerned.
Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple: In all her relationships seen thus far, Kate has been involved with feminine lesbians: first Sophie, then Julia, and later Reagan.
The Masquerade Will Kill Your Dating Life: She is dumped by Reagan after the lies she makes up to explain her absences as Batwoman make Reagan realize that Kate will never be honest with her. She has a brief romance with Sophie under her Batwoman guise, but breaks it off on realizing she'd just be trapping Sophie in another closeted relationship.
Muscles Are Meaningless: Kate is rather trim but can beat up guys twice her size and weight. Justified on account of her military training and use of improvised weapons.
My God, What Have I Done?: Kate is wracked with guilt and shaken to her core after accidentally killing August Cartwright, to the point that it takes a while for her to even feel worthy of the Batsuit again.
Nepotism: Played with. She's never officially hired as a Crow, but she's able to come and go as she pleases to their headquarters, and assists them unofficially.
Nerves of Steel: She's usually levelheaded and calm, such as having zero distress about being held at gun- or taser-point, or easily denying a direct and surprise accusation of her being Batwoman. In Crisis on Infinite Earths, she even stares down an agitated Supergirl and calmly talks her down without needing to resort to force (although she makes it clear that she's willing to). Small wonder that she's the Paragon of Courage.
Never Found the Body: Kate's plane crashes, supposedly with her on it, in the Season 2 premiere, but her body is nowhere to be found. Safiyah later claims to have kidnapped Kate, producing her necklace as proof. This all turns all out to be a lie and History Repeats itself with Kate with a fake DNA test on a bone fragment that washed up on shore miles away in another city away from the crash site in Gotham.
The Nth Doctor: Her being portrayed by Wallis Day in Season 2 is being explained by Kate suffering horrific burns after a plane crash and having her face remodelled after Circe, Roman Sionis's deceased daughter.
Platonic Life-Partners:
- Despite their endless snarking at one another, Kate considers Luke to be her best and only friend in Gotham.
- Unlike the rockier relationship shared by their male counterparts, Kate and Kara form an almost instant friendship. By the time of Crisis, they trust each other implicitly; Kate unmasks in front of several people at Kara's assurance, Kara trusts Kate enough to let her keep some Kryptonite, and Kara squees in joy at seeing Kate on Earth-Prime.
Present Absence: Kate disappears and is presumed dead in a plane crash in the Season 2 premiere, and her absence weighs heavily on the entire cast; Jacob and Sophie are driven to find her, Alice is furious over being denied revenge on her sister, and the mantle of Batwoman is left open for Ryan to take over in Kate's stead. Ryan even takes over Kate's journal entries, addressing them to Kate as Kate had addressed hers to Bruce. She's later revealed to be alive after it's clarified to the audience that she's now in a simliar situation with what Beth was in after the car accident on their 13th birthday.
Put on a Bus: Ruby Rose announced her departure at the end of Season 1. One of the main plotlines of Season 2 focused on Kate's disappearance, which ended with a still-alive Kate undergoing brainwashing to believe she was Ronan Sionis's daughter, being broken of said brainwashing, then leaving to go and see if Bruce is still alive.
Private Eye Monologue: A number of episodes feature Kate's narration as she ponders her double life and her current troubles, although they're presented as journal entries addressed to Bruce rather than just her inner monologue.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: Inverted. Despite her stereotypically villainous color scheme, Batwoman is very much a hero, even if she is an example of Good Is Not Nice.
Secret Identity Vocal Shift: Kate Kane speaks with a vocal fry, but as Batwoman, her voice is clearer and loses that feature. She also has a voice changing device in case she needs to interact with someone who knows her in her civilian identity.
Secret-Keeper:
- She's clearly aware that Bruce is Batman, but keeps it to herself when discussing the "two" with Oliver, Barry, and Kara.
- In their first adventure, Kara easily discovers Kate's identity under the cowl, because, well...x-ray vision. Kara tells Kate she won't tell Oliver or Barry because it's not her secret to keep.
Shameless Fanservice Girl: Played with. She's not overly surprised nor upset when Kara basically admits to looking at her naked by way of x-ray vision.
Sibling Yin-Yang: When she and her sister were kids, Kate was more daring, Hot-Blooded, and a Tomboy while Beth was more cautious, levelheaded, and a Girly Girl.
Sixth Ranger: Serves as this in Crisis On Infinite Earths. While she did meet the other heroes the previous year, she was otherwise uninvolved in their previous crisis shenanigans until the CoIE. Harbinger calls upon her aid to save the multiverse, even though she wasn't aware there was such a thing as a multiverse.
The Stoic: Kate doesn't usually show much emotion even as a civilian, though she can be snarky and at times abrasive. In-costume, Kate adopts an even more serious persona, with little patience for nonsense. She does, however, crack a smile at Kara as the two swap knowledge of each others' identities.
Sugar-and-Ice Personality:
- She's not a fan of Barry, Kara, and Oliver coming to her city and causing trouble, and only tolerates their investigations to a point. But she also warms up a bit to Kara.
- She's also shown to have a more playful side, trolling Luke on occasion and making a genuine effort to get closer to her stepsister Mary.
Superheroes Wear Capes: She wears a Badass Cape and is Gotham's protector.
Sympathy for the Devil: She initially has this toward Alice after discovering she's her thought-dead twin sister Beth, and believes she can be redeemed, even avoiding capturing her to help facilitate that. When it quickly becomes clear Alice doesn't wish to be "saved", Kate begins to drop such sympathy. When Alice slowly and painfully poisons Catherine to death, she loses sympathy for her entirely.
This Is Unforgivable!: When Alice murders Catherine right in front of Mary, Kate gives Jacob her blessing to put her down.
Tomboy and Girly Girl:
- With Beth. In their childhood, Kate wore dark-colored, fairly tomboyish clothing and kept her hair in a braid while Beth wore lighter, feminine colors with her hair let down. Notably at their Bat Mitzvah, Kate was dressed in a dark purple suit and tie, and Beth in a bright pink and blue floral dress. This dynamic carried over into their adulthood, as Batwoman fights crime in a black combat suit while Alice wears flashy and lacy vintage apparel with many skirts and dresses. Kate prefers a Bifauxnen style for formal occasions while Alice gets dolled up in a shimmering golden gown when infiltrating a gala.
- She is the tomboy to all of her love interests, as noted in Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple.
- Also the tomboy to Mary, who is generally more fashionable and excitable than her.
Truer to the Text: Even with numerous changes from the source, this adaptation of Kate might be the most comic-accurate one to date. Batman: Bad Blood, her only other major depiction, had a more accurate-looking Kate and scenes of her origins that were closer to the comics, but changed (and even glossed over) her time as a cadet and made no mention of her being Jewish. Here, Kate was still ousted from the Army under DADT, is still Jewish, is still Bruce's cousin, and even has smaller accuracies, such as playing soccer in high school.
Two First Names: Her surname could easily pass as a second given name.
"Well Done, Daughter!" Girl:
- She wants to prove herself to her father, who has been distant towards her since the deaths of her mother and sister.
- This also carries over to a desire to make her father accept Batwoman, despite clear warnings from her Secret-Keeper friends (and Jacob himself) that he's gunning for Batwoman.
The Worf Effect: On the giving end. In her debut appearance in Elseworlds, she incapacitates both Barry and Oliver (after the two experienced a "Freaky Friday" Flip) with no effort. Though granted, the two were under the influence of a hallucinogenic and were busy fighting each other.
You Have to Believe Me!:
- She tries to prove to everyone, especially her father, that Alice is Beth.
- Averted when Kate has to explain away the existence of Alt-Beth to Jacob. Rather than reveal the whole Crisis mess, she just points out that stranger things have happened in Gotham.

Miscellaneous

Bruce Wayne / Batman (Earth-38)

Species: Human

Known Aliases: Batman, The Dark Knight, The Caped Crusader, The World's Greatest Detective

The Earth-38 version of Bruce Wayne, a Vigilante Man with lots of gadgets and inner demons who is "frenemies" with Superman.

see DCEU: Batman page for the post-Crisis Earth-1 character who bears his name and background

see Arrowverse: Earth-2 page for the Earth-2 character who bears his name and background

see Titans (2018): Other Superheroes page for the Earth-9 character who bears his name and background

see Doom Patrol (2019) – Other Characters page for the Earth-21 character who bears his name and background

see Batman (1966): Heroes page for the Earth-66 character who bears his name and background

see Batman Film Series: Bat-Family page for the Earth-89/Earth-97 character who bears his name and background

see Arrowverse: Other Earths page for the Earth-99 character who bears his name and background

see Smallville: Clark's Allies page for the Earth-167 character who bears his name and background

see Smallville: Other Major Villains for the Alternate Universe Earth-167 character who bears his name and background

see Birds of Prey (2002) page for the Earth-203 character who bears his name and background

see New 52 page for the Earth-N52 character who bears his name and background

Ambiguous Situation: Following Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019) combining Earth-1 and Earth-38, it's unclear whether or not this Batman still exists somehow, was erased in favor of the Earth-1 Batman, or both Batmen were combined.
Anti-Hero: A Vigilante Man with lots of issues.
Badass Cape: It has a jagged on the tips design and it helps him glide on tall structures.
Badass Normal: The Trope Codifier in comicbooks. A simple Vigilante Man whose main arsenal are his gadgets, physical skill and keen intellect.
Broken Ace: A Badass Vigilante Man, who according to Kara, has tons of issues.
Cool Car: It's fast, tough, and is equipped with tools made from top quality technology.
The Cowl: The Trope Codifier. He's a hero alright, but one who inspires fear rather than hope. James even compares himself to him when discussing his frustrations on being a Hero with Bad Publicity.
Crimefighting with Cash: He is filthy rich, which certainly helps in his crusade.
Dark Is Not Evil: His overall look, name and Red Barons are all heavily themed with darkness. That doesn't make him a bad guy.
Famed In-Story: Being a contemporary of Superman, he is just as well known (but not as revered). This contrasts him with his Earth-1 counterpart, who is instead Shrouded in Myth.
The Ghost: He never appears on-screen, just referred to due to issues with the DC Extended Universe.
Hero of Another Story: He's already an experienced superhero operating in his own city.
Hero with Bad Publicity: Despite fighting for justice and what's right, he does it his way. As a result, he doesn't get the adoration and respect his contemporary/frenemy Superman gets. For context, James is at one point afraid that he'll end up just like him when contemplating his own vigilante career. This also contrasts him with his Earth-1 counterpart, who is instead Shrouded in Myth.
Iconic Outfit: Even Winn has heard about his pointy-eared cowl.
In Spite of a Nail: He is confirmed to exist on both Earth-1 and Earth-2, both as Batman.
No Name Given: To avoid lawsuits. While Word of God confirmed it years before, it wasn't until Elseworlds (2018) where his name is finally explicitly mentioned (by Kara).
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: His badassery and heroics are never shown on-screen.
Superheroes Wear Capes: A contemporary superhero of Superman and is equally as Badass as him.
Two First Names: His last name could easily pass as his second given name.
Vigilante Man: Referred to as such by Kara, while trying to reason with James that being one is dangerous.
Vitriolic Best Buds: James says that he and Clark are friends despite their different approach in heroics, while Winn quickly points out that the two are more "Frenemies".
Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys?: He is renowned for possessing tons of gadgetry.
Writing Around Trademarks: The main reason why both his real and superhero names took years to be mentioned on-screen, part of the embargo with the DC Extended Universe. Until 2017, the only part of his mythos that was explicitly mentioned in the show is his home city, Gotham.

Characters / Arrowverse: Bat-Family

Edit Locked

The Bat-Family

The Bat-Family

Members

Ryan Wilder/Batwoman II

Species: Human

Played By: Javicia Leslie

First Appearance: "Whatever Happened to Kate Kane?" (Batwoman 2x1)

Appearances: Batwoman | The Flash

Luke Fox / Batwing

Species: Human

Played By: Camrus Johnson

First Appearance: "Pilot" (Batwoman 1x1)

Appearance: Batwoman

Mary Hamilton / Poison Ivy II

Species: Human

Played By: Nicole Kang

First Appearance: "Pilot" (Batwoman 1x1)

Appearances: Batwoman

Tropes exclusive to Mary

Tropes Exclusive to Poison Ivy II

Sophie Moore

Species: Human

Played By: Meagan Tandy

First Appearance: "Pilot" (Batwoman 1x1)

Appearance: Batwoman

Former Members

Bruce Wayne / Batman

Species: Human

Known Aliases: Batman, The Dark Knight, The Caped Crusader, The World's Greatest Detective

Played By: Warren Christie

First Appearance: "Pilot" (Batwoman 1x1)

Appearances: Batwoman

Alfred Pennyworth

Species: Human

Lucius Fox

Species: Human

Barbara Gordon / Oracle

Species: Human

Known Aliases: Oracle

Robin

Species: Human

Kate Kane / Batwoman I

Species: Human

Known Aliases: Batwoman

Played by: Wallis Day; Ruby Rose (adult note Elseworlds to Batwoman Season 1), Gracyn Shinyei (child)

First Appearance: "Elseworlds, Part 1" (The Flash 5x9)

Appearances: Elseworlds note (The Flash | Arrow | Supergirl) | Batwoman | Crisis on Infinite Earths note (Supergirl | Batwoman | The Flash | Arrow | Legends of Tomorrow)

Miscellaneous

Bruce Wayne / Batman (Earth-38)

Species: Human

Known Aliases: Batman, The Dark Knight, The Caped Crusader, The World's Greatest Detective

Previous

Index

Next

Played by: Wallis Day; Ruby Rose (adult ^noteElseworlds to Batwoman Season 1), Gracyn Shinyei (child)

Appearances: Elseworlds ^note(The Flash | Arrow | Supergirl) | Batwoman | Crisis on Infinite Earths ^note