Birds of Prey (2002) / Characters

Characters that appear in the 2002-2003 Birds Of Prey TV series. This universe is also (briefly) featured in 2019's Crisis on Infinite Earths, as the Arrowverse's "Earth-203".

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Main Characters

Helena Kyle / Huntress

The daughter of Batman and Catwoman. She is half-metahuman, with cat-like abilities inherited from her mother (enhanced agility, strength, healing and a sixth sense for danger, as well as the ability to shift her eyes to a feline form). This change is usually triggered by strong emotion, but can also be used to grant Helena enhanced night vision. She was raised by her mother, without ever knowing who her father was, until the night Catwoman was murdered by an unknown assassin hired by The Joker (eventually revealed to be Clayface) in cold blood on the street, right in front of her. After this she was taken in by Barbara Gordon, who raised and trained her.

Action Fashionista: A skilled vigilante and a fashion enthusiast.
Adaptation Name Change: She's named Helena Wayne in the comics but goes by her mother's surname, Kyle, here. Notably, the original Birds of Prey comic book series actually used the Helena Bertinelli version of the character, who wasn't related to either Batman or Catwoman.
Adaptation Species Change: The show depicted her as a Metahuman whereas she is a Badass Normal in the comics and other media.
Adaptational Superpower Change: Both versions of Huntress in the comics were Badass Normals and thus were very skilled but ultimately human protagonists. In this series, she's made into a Metahuman, and her heightened level of skill and senses is attributed to being a natural result of her powers. The same is true of Helena's mother, Selina Kyle.
Age Lift: In most stories, the Huntress^noteThough the Helena Bertinelli version and (the 2nd) Black Canary are usually of the same age. Here, Dinah is still in her teens while Helena is in her early to mid twenties.
Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Helena is very snarky and dismissive of other people.
Alternate Self: Has one on Earth-66.
Apocalyptic Log: Helena's last transmission to Oracle is basically one of these.
Back for the Dead: Shows up in Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019) after a sixteen-year absence, only to be killed by the antimatter wave.
Civvie Spandex: She fights crime wearing leather pants and Badass Longcoat over a a corset, evoking the costume from the comics.
Clark Kenting: Deconstructed late in the series. Barbara points out to her that she ought to wear a mask. Because she doesn't, anybody who meets her as both Huntress and Helena easily realizes they're the same woman. This isn't so much a problem with her Love Interest Detective Reese. It's a huge problem with her psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzel.
Daddy Issues: She resents Bruce for not bothering to find out about her until her mother was killed.
Death by Cameo: Shows up in Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019) only to be killed by the antimatter wave.
Disney Death: Word of God is that her death is undone after Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019).invoked
Expository Hairstyle Change: Flashbacks in her with long hair. Seven years later, after the murder of her mother and becoming a vigilante, it's short.
The Fashionista: Helena is into couture and stuff, which she admits.
Fights Like a Normal: Helena fights using her skills more than her powers.
Hell-Bent for Leather: Virtually her entire wardrobe consists of leather.
Hero with Bad Publicity: The few people that know about Huntress think she's a criminal.
Heroic Bastard: Helena is a product of Batman literally Dating Catwoman and then not knowing she was conceived from it.
I Am Not My Father: She has this attitude towards her father, despite Helena taking up his mantle of Gotham's protector.
In a Single Bound: She's capable of making really high leaps. She Still Got It in Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019).
I Work Alone: Early on, though she does learn to get over this over time once Dinah becomes a field agent.
Lamarck Was Right: The commercials for the series made a great deal out of the idea that the daughter of Batman and Catwoman would have inherited her father's drive to fight crime and her mother's drive to commit it.
Locked Out of the Loop: Selina never told Helena that Bruce is her father until her dying breath.
Master-Apprentice Chain: Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon —> Helena Kyle —> Dinah Redmond.
Navel-Deep Neckline: Several of her clothes have necklines that plunge all the way to her stomach.
Nom de Mom: Even after finding out who her father is, Helena still goes by her mother's surname.
Older Than They Look: Helena aged gracefully between the series finale and Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019).
Parental Abandonment: Her mother was murdered on Joker's orders to get at her father, who didn't know she existed. As a result her father had a Heroic BSoD severe enough that it made him leave New Gotham, and they never met.
Le Parkour: Helena's leaping skills are unparalleled. When she's reintroduced in Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019), we're treated to an action-packed scene of her navigating New Gotham as the antimatter storm approaches.
Sins of the Father: Black Canary doesn't like her mainly for being Catwoman's daughter.
Slower than a Speeding Bullet: Not that there really is anything productive to do when the antimatter wave hits your planet, but her attempt to outrun it on foot is predictably unsuccessful.
Stealth Hi/Bye: She sneaks up on Reese all the freaking time.
Two First Names: "Helena" and "Kyle" are common given names.

Barbara Gordon / Batgirl / Oracle

Barbara Gordon

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/babs_2.jpg

^{Click here to see her as Batgirl}

Played By: Dina Meyer

Appearances: Birds Of Prey | Crisis on Infinite Earths (voice only)

Originally one of Batman's apprentices and the daughter of his trusted ally Police Commissioner James Gordon, Barbara was shot by the Joker as revenge for Batman's dismantling of his criminal operation, leaving her paralyzed and forced to give up her life as Batgirl. To compensate, she renamed herself Oracle and began using her expertise in computer hacking and weaponry to fight crime. Oracle calls upon Huntress to handle the field work she is no longer capable of doing, and maintains her superhero contacts. By day, Barbara is a teacher at New Gotham High, but, by night, she fights crime from a secret location in the New Gotham Clocktower. Despite being paraplegic, Barbara works at developing a cybernetic implant for her spine, in the hope that one day she will regain her mobility.

Age Lift: Barbara Gordon is the oldest member of the team here, whereas she would be at least younger than Dinah in the comics.
Animal-Themed Superbeing: Formerly known as Batgirl.
Alternate Self: Has five; one on Earth-1, one on Earth-9, one on Earth-66, one on Earth-89, and one on Earth-167.
Back for the Dead: Shows up (sort of) in Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019) after a sixteen year absence, only to be killed by the antimatter wave.
Badass Normal: Babs' main assets are her skills and wits.
Badass Teacher: She works as a high school teacher by day, and a vigilante (who personally trained her teammates) by night.
Career-Ending Injury: Barbara's career as a physically active crime fighter came to a scratching halt thanks to The Joker. Subverted after she creates a device that enables her to walk again for a short period of time, but donning the tech is treated as a Dangerous Forbidden Technique.
Dangerous Forbidden Technique: Barbara has a gadget that, if attached to her spinal cord, allows her to reuse the mobility of her legs. Unfortunately, donning said gadget is very painful and severely weakens Babs per use.
Death by Cameo: Shows up (sort of) in Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019) only to be killed by the antimatter wave.
Disney Death: Word of God is that her death is undone after Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019).invoked
Experienced Protagonist: Babs is the most seasoned of the three protagonists due to being Batman's apprentice years before the story.
Fan Disservice: Goes in a Shower Scene immediately upon introduction, which then quickly leads up to her fateful encounter with the Joker.
Fiery Redhead: Inverted, Babs is the most level-headed of the three protagonists.
Fling a Light into the Future: Barbara refuses to flee the antimatter wave, continuing to gather data until the last possible moment in hopes that her transmission will make it to someone who can use it to save their own world. Sadly, it doesn't seem to have done any good.
Gory Discretion Shot: Barbara's wound when the Joker shot her wasn't shown, but the graveness of the injury is visualized with High-Pressure Blood.
Handicapped Badass: She's paralyzed from the waist down due to being shot by the Joker, but still quite capable of kicking ass, even if not at the same level anymore. Barbara's shown here knocking bad guys down with weapons right from her chair.
Hot Teacher: A teacher by trade, played by the foxy Dina Meyer.
The Leader: Combines the Mastermind, Levelheaded and Charismatic types. Barbara leads the group mainly using her intellectual prowess, but her empathy and rationality are just as integral to keeping them together.
Master-Apprentice Chain: Bruce Wayne —> Barbara Gordon —> Helena Kyle, Dinah Redmond.
More Hero than Thou: Helena's last moments are spent begging Oracle to at least try to save herself, but Barbara insists on staying at her post till the end.
Playful Hacker: Babs hacks everything with relative ease.
Promotion to Parent: She became Helena's legal guardian following Selina's death and Bruce's disappearance. Later to Dinah as well, especially with her biological mother's Uncertain Doom.
Smart People Wear Glasses: Babs mostly functions as the smart girl and is an educator by day and a Playful Hacker vigilante by night.
Super Wheelchair: Barbara's wheelchair is automatic.
Supporting Leader: Despite Babs possessing the authority among the three leads, Helena is unquestionably the main protagonist of the series.
Team Mom: She keeps The Team together, and is literally their legal guardian.
Truer to the Text: The most faithfully adapted character among the three leads.
Two First Names: "Barbara" and "Gordon" are common given names.
The Voice: Dina Meyer was uncredited in Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019) for her Role Reprise and only shows up as a voice.
Voice with an Internet Connection: Babs serves mostly as Mission Control from the clock tower. She is still playing this role for Huntress by the time of Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019).
White Shirt of Death: A variant. Barbara was wearing a white bathrobe when The Joker gunned her down, complete with a scene showing her bleeding badly.

Dinah Redmond

Dinah Redmond (néé Lance)

Played By: Rachel Skarsten and AJ Michalka (young)

A young metahuman stowaway, Dinah is drawn to New Gotham, and to Helena and Barbara by visions of the tragedies that befell them on the night of the Joker's revenge. She proves herself to the two and is taken in as a member of their team, with the condition that she train in the use of her metahuman abilities. In addition to her precognitive dreams, Dinah is a touch-telepath, able to read the thoughts of anyone she comes in physical contact with and later manifests the power of telekinesis. During the course of the series, Dinah discovers that her mother is actually Carolyn Lance, the Black Canary, also a metahuman and legendary superhero, who gave Dinah up for her own safety when she was a child after she did not display any metahuman potential. Unbeknownst to Carolyn, Dinah's abilities manifested while in the care of her foster parents, who reacted with fear and physical abuse towards the young Dinah. This prompted her to run away where she was found by Barbara Gordon. The discovery of Dinah's relation to the Black Canary leads Oracle to believe that she may also have inherited her mother's hypersonic ability, although it is never demonstrated. Under Barbara and Helena's tutelage, Dinah becomes a skilled combatant.

Adaptation Name Change: Played With. Though she uses her adoptive surname Redmond, her birth name is still Dinah Lance.
Adaptational Superpower Change: Her canonical power in the comics is a sonic scream. Here it's straight-up Psychic Powers, and her mother is the one with the sonic cry.
Adaptational Modesty: Black Canary is one of the most famous sex-symbols in DC Comics. Due to being played by a minor here, she's always modestly dressed. The closest thing she wears as a Black Canary costume is the Badass Longcoat and Zettai Ryouiki combo she wore in the Final Battle.
Adaptational Wimp: Black Canary in the comics is one of the absolute best fighters and martial artists in the DC universe whose metahuman abilities only enhance her already superb fighting prowess. Here, she definitely doesn't fit that description.
Age Lift: In most stories, the Huntress^noteThough the Helena Bertinelli version and (the 2nd) Black Canary are usually of the same age. Here, Dinah is still in her teens while Helena is in her early to mid twenties.
Alternate Self: Several across The Multiverse, though a somewhat more complicated example. She has three on Ear th-Prime, two as herself and one as Beth "Alice" Kane; one on Earth-1 as herself; one on Earth-16 as herself; one on Earth-66 as herself; one on Earth-99, again as Beth Kane; one on Earth-167 as herself; one on Earth-X, again as herself; and one each on and undesignated Earth as another Beth Kane.
Attempted Rape: She first meets Helena after the latter saves her from a rapist.
The Baby of the Bunch: The youngest of the cast and is treated as such.
Bratty Teenage Daughter: When she's reunited with her estranged mother, she makes sure to vent out all her frustrations at her and give her a hard time.
Brilliant, but Lazy: Well not exactly "lazy", but Dinah's recklessness and impatience at her own progress are hindering her from reaching her full potential.
Civvie Spandex: She wears a leather Badass Longcoat, short shorts and thigh-length boots combo in the Final Battle with Harley and her Mooks, evoking the Black Canary costume from the comics.
Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: She was never called Black Canary in the show despite the promotional materials doing so. Word of God is that had the show continued, she would have been a Legacy Character to her mother much like in the comics.
Disney Death: Word of God is that her death is undone after Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019).invoked
Foster Kid: Dinah's mother left her in child services out of fear that the villains the latter fought will come after her.
I Owe You My Life: Dinah gets involved with the group after Helena saves her from an Attempted Rape.
Incompletely Trained: The series ends with Dinah still not reaching even a quarter of her potential. She's still not as competent in melee as Helena and Babs before the latter's injury. Additionally, Barbara also mentions that Dinah could also possess her mother's "Canary Cry" in addition to her Seer and Psychic Powers, which could make Dinah a potential Kung-Fu Wizard.
Mommy Issues: She detests her biological mother for abandoning her in foster care.
Naïve Newcomer: Wanted to be a superhero in a spontaneous decision without even thinking about the dangers that comes with it.
New Powers as the Plot Demands: Dinah starts out in the series with limited telepathy, which she can use by touch or via dreams. She displays mild telekinetic abilities midway through the season, but not anything she can control. Then in the final fight of the last episode, she is able to project telekinetic force blasts (which knock mooks flying across a room) with complete control over them and no explanation as to where they came from.
Not Wearing Tights: Justified because she's a rookie. That said, she did wear a Civvie Spandex in the Final Battle.
Parental Abandonment: She's introduced as a runaway Foster Kid. It turns out her birth mother gave up Dinah to protect her when she was six, and they don't see each other again until the present day. Dinah angrily considers her dead because of this. Her birth father is not mentioned or seen at all.
The Runaway: She was introduced riding a bus after running away from her foster parents in Opal City.
Statuesque Stunner: The tallest female of the cast and certainly a beauty.
Story-Breaker Power: Barbara mentions the possibility that Dinah could also possess her mother's "Canary Cry" in addition to her Seer and Psychic Powers. If this is indeed true, then Dinah could become the strongest hero of The Team (not to mention the strongest Dinah Lance in The Multiverse). Unfortunately, the series was Cut Short with Dinah still Incompletely Trained, and she did not reappear with Helena in Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019) to show how far she's come as a hero since the show's ending.
Tagalong Kid: She's the youngest of the three protagonists and badly wants the other two to take her in.
Took a Level in Badass: Much of the series is her finding her foot as a superhero, which more or less happens in the Grand Finale.
Two First Names: Subverted. She goes by her adoptive surname "Redmond" instead of her legal one "Lance" which is a common given name.
What Happened to the Mouse?: For some reason, she sits out Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019) despite her actress being a regular in one of the main shows of the TV franchise that aired said special.

Bat-Family

Alfred Pennyworth

Played By: Ian Abercrombie

Faithful butler to the Wayne family, Alfred transferred his services to Helena and Barbara in Batman's absence, and is often present at the clock tower, taking care of their day-to-day needs. He shares a close bond with Barbara, often listening to her problems or giving her advice on personal situations, whether she wants to hear it or not. He secretly remains in contact with Batman, updating him on the status of the Birds, in particular that of Helena.

Alternate Self: Many amongst The Multiverse. Examples include Earth-Prime, Earth-1, Earth-9, Earth-66, Earth-89 and Earth-97. He also has one on Earth-90 as a man named Skip.
Battle Butler: If the situation calls for it, Alfred will hop into action without any hesitation.
The Confidant: Characters come to him for advice.
Cool Old Guy: He's pushing seventy and is still reliable as ever.
Old Retainer: He's been serving the Wayne manor long before Bruce was even born.
Parental Substitute: He is the closest thing Bruce has for a father (hell, parent really) after his parents' deaths.
Secret-Keeper: He's been filling the role for both the Bat-Family and now the Birds of Prey. He is also the only one who knows about Bruce's whereabouts.
Truer to the Text: Along with Barbara, he is the most faithfully adapted character in the series.

Bruce Wayne / Batman

Bruce Wayne

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

Played By: Unknown

Father of Helena, Barbara's mentor, and the legendary protector of Gotham. He disappears not long after the death of his lover Selina Kyle, leaving his protegee Barbara and Old Retainer Alfred to take care of his daughter.

Action Dad: Father of Helena and Gotham's original hero.
Adaptational Angst Upgrade: This version of Batman gets destroyed by grief over Selina's death.
Alternate Self: Many amongst The Multiverse. Examples include Earth-Prime, Earth-1, Earth-9, Earth-21, Earth-66, Earth-89, Earth-97, Earth-99 and Earth-167.
Animal-Themed Superbeing: Batman.
Apocalyptic Log: Helena's last transmission to Oracle is basically one of these.
Badass Cape: We get to see it in action in the pilot when he's going against the Joker.
Badass Normal: The Trope Codifier, he fights crime using his wits and skills.
The Cowl: Protects (or protected) Gotham from the shadows.
Dating Catwoman: Helena was literally born from it.
Disappeared Dad: Selina never told him about Helena and only finds out about his daughter's existence after his lover's death. And even then he chooses to wallow in grief instead of taking care of his daughter.
The Faceless: We never got a clear shot of his face.
Greater-Scope Paragon: He's Gotham's original superhero who trained Barbara Gordon and is the father of Helena, who continue to protect Gotham until 2019.
Hands-Off Parenting: He left Helena's parenting to Barbara and Alfred.
Hero of Another Story: A legendary superhero, he's absent during the story due to it being about his daughter, protegee and the runaway child of his contemporary.
Heroic BSoD: He did not take Selina's death well. As a result, he shuts himself off and leaves New Gotham.
Iconic Outfit: We get to see the iconic cowl in the Pilot.
Le Parkour: He's introduced leaping around to catch the Joker.
Master-Apprentice Chain: Bruce Wayne —> Barbara Gordon, Helena Kyle, Dinah Redmond.
Present Absence: Only appears in the prologue but his abandonment of Helena is felt throughout the series.
Two First Names: "Bruce" and "Wayne" are common given names.
What Happened to the Mouse?: The show never addressed what on earth happened to him. The closest to any answers is him calling Alfred at the end of the finale, revealing that he's alive.

New Gotham Police Department

Det. Jesse Reese

Det. Jesse Reese (né Hawke)

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

Played By: Shemar Moore

An honest police detective who encounters Huntress while investigating a rash of bizarre suicides, Jesse is simultaneously drawn to her and disapproves of her disrespect for the law. Nevertheless the two are thrown together by cases involving metahuman abilities. It is later revealed that Reese's birthname was Jesse Hawke, and his father is Al Hawke, head of a powerful crime family and sworn enemy of Carolyn Lance, Dinah's mother. When he turned 16, after nearly being arrested after a police officer found traces of blood found all over the trunk of his father's car while he was driving it, Jesse's relationship with his father became estranged. He forsook the name "Hawke," took his mother's surname, and dedicated his life to find justice for his father's victims. He pursued a career in law enforcement to atone for his family's sins. Reese and Helena ultimately bond romantically towards the end of the series.

Badass Normal: He holds his own in combat.
Canon Foreigner: He doesn't exist in the comics. Amusingly, the series doesn't downplay this as much as you'd expect, since Jesse seems to serve as an Audience Surrogate of some form, being a Gotham cop who has never heard of Batman.
Fair Cop: A police detective played by career Mr. Fanservice Shemar Moore.
Friend on the Force: He is the Birds' main ally in GCPD.
I Am Not My Father: Arrests his own father for being a crime boss without any hesitation.
Secret-Keeper: Helena eventually lets him in on her vigilante life.
Token Minority: The only person of color in the main cast.
Two First Names: "Jesse" and "Reese" are common given names.

Det. McNally

Played By: Brent Sexton

A New Gotham detective and partner of Jesse Reese. He is skeptical of all things strange and unexplainable.

Agent Scully: He is skeptical of all things strange and unexplainable, despite the rampant existence of metahumans.
Canon Foreigner: He doesn't exist in the comics much like his partner Reese.
Only One Name: He's only addressed via Last-Name Basis.

Criminals

Dr. Harleen Quinzel

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

Played By: Mia Sara, Sherilyn Fenn (unaired pilot)

A psychiatrist Helena is ordered to see after being convicted of vandalism while chasing a thief. Harley Quinn was Joker's lover and accomplice prior to his incarceration, unbeknownst to Helena and the other Birds of Prey, and has come to seek her revenge on New Gotham for what it did to her 'Mr J'. Though she presents herself as a respectable professional, once called upon by the authorities to work with violent and dangerous felons, Quinzel is herself insane, using her contacts with the criminal world to mastermind her revenge.

Adaptation Dye-Job: In the original, unaired pilot, Sherilyn Fenn retained her dark hair color, as opposed to blonde. In the series proper, Mia Sara as Harley was still blonde. That being said the original Harley Quinn stated that she wasn't a natural blonde so this wouldn't necessarily be inaccurate to the character.
Adaptational Superpower Change: Harley Quinn is more or less an Empowered Badass Normal in the comics, with a higher immune system, and slightly enhanced physical abilities over normal humans, as a result of a serum Poison Ivy gave her. This series has Harley use a machine to transfer Metahuman abilities into herself, giving her speed and strength comparable to this series' Huntress, as well as giving her Mind Rape abilities.
Alternate Self: One on Earth-Prime, one on Earth-1, one on Earth-66 and another Earth-89.
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: While fondling a handful of diamonds, she muses, "Think what I could buy with these: guns, bombs, shoes..."
Avenging the Villain: Her main drive is to avenge her Mr. J.
Best Served Cold: She's been planning revenge ever since the Joker was defeated.
Big Bad: She is the main antagonist of the show. This version of Harley is much more cunning and intelligent, rather than bubbly and childish like in the comics.
Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: Played With. She was known as Harley Quinn in the past but goes by her real name in the series proper.
Dragon Ascendant: She from being Joker's lover to being the new mob boss of New Gotham.
Not Wearing Tights: She's wearing blouse and trousers for much of the series.
Power Hair: She's sporting short hair in the show proper after taking over Joker's resources.
Psycho Psychologist: A psychiatrist who happens to be The Dragon of one of Gotham's most vile criminals. She goaded a patient to murder his girlfriend through urging him to embrace his anger, after which he'd killed himself. Quinzel is quite pleased with this. She's also, per normal, a bit less than mentally well herself.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: She is commonly dressed in a black trouser and a red top.

Selina Kyle / Catwoman

Selina Kyle

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

Played By: Casey Elizabeth Easlick

A career criminal and Bruce's longtime rival/lover. Helena was born from their turbulent relationship.

Adaptation Dye-Job: She's blonde much like in Batman Returns and Batman: The Animated Series instead of brunette.
Adaptation Species Change: The show depicted her as a Metahuman whereas she is a Badass Normal in the comics and other media.
Adaptational Superpower Change: Catwoman in the comics is a Badass Normal and thus is very skilled but is ultimately a human protagonist. In this series, she's made into a Metahuman, and her heightened level of skill and senses is attributed to being a natural result of her powers.
Adaptational Wimp: Catwoman is one of the most skilled combatants in the DC lore but is effortlessly killed in this version.
Alternate Self: One on Earth-66, one on Earth-89.
Animal-Themed Superbeing: Catwoman.
Dating Catwoman: Obviously. Despite her and Bruce's complicated relationship, the latter seems to love her truly.
Death by Adaptation: She's killed in the pilot whereas Catwoman lives in most versions.
Deathbed Confession: Selina only tells Helena about her paternity in her dying breath.
Disposable Woman: Joker orders a successful hit on her in the prologue. This causes Bruce to fall into depression and Helena without any of her parents.
Missing Mom: She was killed in the pilot, leaving Helena an orphan as Bruce wallows in depression someplace else due to her death.
Present Absence: Killed in the prologue, her death affected Helena greatly and it is felt throughout the series.
The Rival: She and Black Canary hated each other's guts. Barbara believes it's a cat and bird thing.
Two First Names: "Selina" and "Kyle" are common given names.

The Joker

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

"Knock-knock. Who's there? Batgirl, past tense! (laughs manically)"

Played By: Roger Stoneburner, Mark Hamill (voice)

A notorious criminal and Batman's Arch-Enemy. He is the reason for Barbara's Career-Ending Injury and Harley is motivated in avenging his defeat.

Alternate Self: One on Earth-Prime, Earth-1, Earth-9, Earth-66, Earth-89 and Earth -96.
Arch-Enemy: Batman's most hated foe.
Evil Laugh: Gives one after crippling Babs.
The Faceless: His face is never shown clearly.
Greater-Scope Villain: Even though he's only seen in flashbacks and his current whereabouts are said to be locked up in an area far from New Gotham. Due to crippling Barbara Gordon, hiring someone to kill Helena's mother, and Dr. Harleen Quinzel attempting to take his place as the head of crime in the city because of their past relationship, the Joker is indirectly responsible for the conflict in the series.
Monster Clown: He's wearing the clown makeup in the flashbacks he appeared in.
Present Absence: He only appears in two flashbacks but his actions drive most of the series. Avenging him is Harley's main goal and it was he who paralyzed Barbara.
Same Language Dub: In his brief appearances, he was played on-screen by Roger Stoneburner, but his voice was dubbed by Mark Hamill.
What Happened to the Mouse?: The show never addressed what on earth happened to him. The closest to any answers is Harley saying Joker was being held in a prison somewhere.
Would Hit a Girl: He's the one who shot and crippled Barbara.

Sandra Woosan / Lady Shiva

Sandra Woosan

Played By: Sung Hi Lee

A former thief turned assassin who was an enemy of Barbara Gordon during her days as Batgirl.

Adaptational Wimp: In a similar vein to Black Canary, the comics version is one of (if not the) deadliest martial artists and assassins in the entire DC universe, explicitly being able to best Batman himself decisively. Here she's a thief who can't even beat a younger Batgirl in a fair fight and manages to get taken down by Huntress, and then Oracle each at the climax of her Story Arc. Whilst Huntress does have superpowers in this series, it's highly unlikely that would have made a difference to the comics' Shiva.
Age Lift: She is made into a childhood friend of Helena Kyle for this series, thus making her much younger than the woman who gave birth to Cassandra Cain in the comics.
Arch-Enemy: She hates Barbara for her hand in her sister's Accidental Murder. Barbara, on her end, understands Sandra's vendetta against her.
You Killed My Father: She hates Barbara for accidentally killing her younger sister.

Al Hawke

Albert “Al” Hawke

Played By: Stephen McHattie, Mitch Pileggi

A notorious mob boss and Jesse's father.

Alternate Self: Sort of, as after his surgery he looks a lot like Rama Khan from Earth-Prime.
Magic Plastic Surgery: From Stephen McHattie to Mitch Pileggi.
The Nth Doctor: Again, plastic surgery was used to explain the change in actors.

Larry Ketterly

Played By: Chris Ellis

A corrupt businessman and metahuman working for Harley Quinn who has the ability to project illusions into others.

Clayface

Played By: Kirk Baltz

A metahuman criminal with the ability to shapeshift.

Alternate Self: Assuming he is Basil Karlo he has two, one on Earth-Prime and another on Earth-66.

Slick

Silas “Slick” Waters

Played By: Silas Weir Mitchell

A metahuman criminal working for Harley Quinn with the ability to turn into water.

Claude Morton

Detective Claude Morton

Played By: Joe Flanigan

A corrupt GCPD detective who is secretly a metahuman with the ability to duplicate the powers of other metahumans, and kills any metahuman he runs across.

Other

Carolyn Lance / Black Canary

Carolyn Lance

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

Played By: Lori Loughlin

A veteran superhero and Dinah's estranged mother.

Action Mom: Dinah's mother and a seasoned hero.
Adaptation Dye-Job: In the comics, Dinah Drake is a brunette wearing a blonde wig. This version is a natural blonde.
Adaptation Name Change: Named Dinah Drake-Lance in the comics, her first name is changed to Carolyn to avoid confusion with her similarly named daughter.
Adaptation Species Change: In the comics, the original Black Canary is a Badass Normal and it is her daughter and successor Dinah Laurel who possesses the Canary Cry.
Adaptational Modesty: She's Not Wearing Tights in her only appearance, but her costume could still have the infamous fishnets and corset if her conversation with Dinah are any indication.
Dinah: You're supposed to be some big role model. A trailblazer. One of the first women to put on a crime-fighting cape.
Carolyn: Actually, I don't wear a cape. I... (Beat) Never mind.
Adaptational Wimp: Black Canary in the comics is one of the absolute best fighters and martial artists in the DC universe whose metahuman abilities only enhance her already superb fighting prowess. Here, whilst she does have the Canary Cry instead of her daughter, she doesn't have the same level of skill to go with it.
Age Lift: As a result of Dinah's own Age Lift, her mother, the original Black Canary also receives one as well, being a younger and still-active crimefighter as opposed to long-retired..
Alternate Self: One on Earth-Prime named Dinah Lance, one on Earth-1 and one on Earth-167 named Dinah Drake.
Animal-Themed Superbeing: Black Canary.
Color Animal Codename: Black and Canary.
Color Character: Black Canary.
Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: She sent Dinah in foster care to protect her from her enemies.
Expecting Someone Taller: Helena believed so until she sees her in person.
Famous Ancestor: Carolyn never told Dinah about her life as Black Canary until their reunion.
Hero of Another Story: She's a veteran superhero who had her own adventures.
Living Legend: She's a seasoned superhero and one of the first females of such. Even Helena respects her despite her own mother's enmity with Carolyn.
Missing Mom: She abandons Dinah when the latter was young in order to save her from her enemies.
Not Wearing Tights: She's wearing normal clothing in her only appearance, namely jackets, shirts and jeans.
Retired Badass: She's introduced inactive in superheroics in search for Dinah in order for them to live like a normal family.
The Rival: She and Catwoman hated each other's guts. Barbara believes it's a cat and bird thing.
Super-Scream: She possesses the Canary Cry, though unlike the traditional examples, she emits loud noise through whistling instead of by screaming.
Two First Names: "Carolyn" and "Lance" are common given names.
Uncertain Doom: She supposedly dies in an explosion, but we and the characters Never Found the Body to rule her death as official.

Dick Grayson / Robin I / Nightwing

Dick Grayson

The original Robin, Dick was Batman's first protégé and a senior to Barbara, eventually moving on to become his own hero.

Alternate Self: On Earth-1, Earth-9, Earth-66, Earth-97, Earth-167.
The Ghost: Never appeared, just mentioned. Word of God is that he would've eventually shown up in Season 2 if the show hadn't been Cut Short.invoked
Hero of Another Story: He moved on to become his own hero. If source material and most adaptations are to be followed, he's operating on Bludhaven.

Jason Todd / Robin II

Jason Todd

One of Batman's many protégés and the second Robin.

Alternate Self: On Earth-1 and Earth-9.
Ambiguous Situation: His current status is never mentioned. If source material and other adaptations are any indication, he was murdered by the Joker. ^note
The Ghost: Never appeared, just mentioned.
Two First Names: "Jason" and "Todd" are common given names.

Tim Drake / Robin III

Tim Drake

One of Batman's many protégés and the third Robin.

Alternate Self: Has one on Earth-9.
Ambiguous Situation: His current status is never mentioned. ^note
The Ghost: Never appeared, just mentioned.
Two First Names: "Tim" is a common given name, while "Drake" is not uncommon but still rare.

Gibson Kafka

Played By: Rob Benedict

The owner of No Man's Land Collectables, a collectable store and secretly a bar for meta-humans only.

Alternate Self: Has one on Earth-666 as Vincent Le Mec.
Photographic Memory: His superpower is being able to recall things with astonishing detail, even his own birth.

John / Darkstrike

John

Played By: Kristoffer Polaha and Brian Thompson (as the Crawler)

A former vigilante who developed a split personality based on the man who killed his girlfriend.

Alternate Self: Has one on Earth-1 who is known to be very handsome.
Canon Foreigner: There is no superhero known as Darkstrike in the comics.

Characters / Birds of Prey (2002)

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