Title Character
Batman
Allies
The Bat-Family (Batgirl | Batwoman | Jason Todd | Robin) | Extended Bat-Family & Other Supporting Cast (Azrael | Huntress)
Villains
Bane | Catwoman (Selina Kyle) | Clayface | Harley Quinn (Harleen Quinzel) | The Joker | Lady Shiva | League of Assassins (Ra's Al Ghul | Talia Al Ghul) | The Penguin | Poison Ivy | The Riddler | The Scarecrow | Two Face | A-H | J-R | S-Z
Spin-Offs
Batgirl (2000) | Batman and the Outsiders | Dark Nights: Metal (The Batman Who Laughs) | I Am Batman | Nightwing (Dick Grayson) | Red Hood and the Outlaws | Robin (1993) (Tim Drake) | Robin (2021) (Damian Wayne)
Throughout the years, there have been a few people that have taken the mantle of Robin.
Bold indicates current identity.
For Dick Grayson and the characters that appear in Nightwing, see here. For Jason's Red Hood days, see here. For Tim Drake (Robin III/Red Robin) and the characters who primarily appear in Robin (1993) and Red Robin, see here. For Stephanie Brown (Robin IV/Batgirl III), see the Batgirl page.
Easily the most famous of the Robins, Dick Grayson was the poster boy for Sidekicks in the Golden Age and Silver Age. Dick Grayson was part of the Flying Graysons act of Haly's Circus alongside his parents. A skilled acrobat, he watched his parents fall to their deaths after the circus' owner refused to pay a criminal's protection money. Bruce Wayne, seeing a common connection with the boy, took him in and raised Dick as his ward. Dick would eventually become his sidekick, Robin. During this time, Dick would also form the Teen Titans alongside Kid Flash (Wally West), Speedy (Roy Harper), Wonder Girl (Donna Troy) and Aqualad (Garth).
Eventually, however, Dick grew out of his role as a sidekick. This lead to him establishing himself as a solo hero, Nightwing and distancing himself from Batman. However, after Bruce needed further time to recover after kicking removing Jean-Paul Valley as the new Batman, Dick took over the Batman role himself for some time and the two mended fences. Dick then received a comic book series of his own, detailing his adventures in Gotham's sister city, Bludhaven (even more of a Crapsack World than Gotham). Blüdhaven has since been destroyed (twice!) and after a sojourn back in his Titans' base of New York, Nightwing has now officially moved back to Gotham, being back on good terms with his former mentor. In the wake of Batman RIP and Final Crisis, Dick has since stepped up to the role as Gotham City's official protector, and has once again officially become Batman, this time with an open mandate. When Bruce came back, he even retained his role as Gotham City's Batman for one year of Comic-Book Time.
As of the New 52, Dick is back to being Nightwing. Working in Gotham for a time, Dick would eventually move to Chicago following the destruction(s) of Haly's Circus. Setting up a new life there, it would all be for naught as the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3 revealed his identity to the world. Faking his death, Dick would go undercover within the espionage organisation Spyral, operating as Agent 37. Once some hijinks result in the world's memories of his outing being erased, Dick returned to his role of Nightwing.
In DC Rebirth, Dick's past as a founding Titan was restablished as it was his past relationships with the original and later members of the team. His first story arc revolving around him returning to Bludhaven and finding it crawling with criminals and controlled by organized crime, and teaming up with a group of former-troublemakers and criminals named the Run Offs to fight them.
- created by: Bill Finger · Bob Kane · Jerry Robinsonfirst appearance: 1940, Detective Comics #38
Tropes associated with Dick:
See Nightwing: Dick Grayson
Jason Todd as Red Hood
Before Flashpoint 
Post-FlashpointAfter the first Robin left, executives realized that he was a crucial element to the Caped Crusader's popularity. Hence, they introduced Jason Todd, a near-clone of the first Robin (except with strawberry-blond hair). At least, that's what the pre-Crisis version was like, but who remembers him? (except for the time he defeated Mongul)
When the name Jason Todd is said, the post-Crisis version comes to mind. A reckless, angry street youth whose first encounter with Batman came from him trying to steal the Batmobile's tires to sell. Because this Robin proved to be extremely unpopular with readers, editor Denny O'Neil decided to set up a 1-900 telephone poll as a publicity stunt, asking readers if they wanted Jason Todd to be killed off (the final tallies were 5,343 for his death, 5,271 against it). Interestingly, O'Neil insists he had no idea they would vote for his death, but writer Jim Starlin was fairly certain of it, having himself tried to get DC to kill Jason off in an AIDS story line.
Jason attempted to find out who his mother really was, and was shocked to find that she's still alive and in the Middle East. He follows her there and reunites with her, but runs afoul of the Joker, who kills both of them, bumping him straight over the Moral Event Horizon (as if the thousands of other murders don't count). Jason's death has had a lasting impact on the Bat-mythos to this day, reminding the Dark Knight of the dangers of having a sidekick in the Darker and Edgier world of modern comics.
Due to Superboy-Prime punching time, he returned to life and resurfaced as the Red Hood, who came into conflict with hero and villain alike. Acting as a thoroughly murderous vigilante, Jason recruited his own sidekick, Scarlet, and wound up in Arkham after the murder of a huge number of criminals. Having earned the enmity of Bruce, Dick, Tim, and Damian, there seemed to be no going back for Jason, who, having escaped from prison near the end of Batman & Robin was poised to remain a major player in the Gotham underworld.
The New 52 reboot changed Jason's role from Jason, moving him on from his role as antagonist to the Bat-family to their aloof ally. Jason initially worked as a mercenary, moving from place to place with a variety of companions known as the Outlaws. However, after his friend Roy Harper's death, Jason returned to his dark ways and reinvented himself to once again dish out his own brand of justice on criminals.
- created by: Gerry Conway · Don Newtonfirst appearance: 1983, Batman #357
Tropes associated with Jason:
See Batman: Jason Todd
Tim Drake as Red Robin III
Original 
Post-FlashpointDespite the setback of Jason's unpopularity and the killing-off that came along with it, Denny O'Neil was not convinced to give up on the character of Robin. Thus, Tim Drake was born, and this time, the writers were careful to make him much less similar to Dick.
At age nine, Tim was able to deduce both Batman and Robin I's identities, but kept it to himself, until years later, when Dick went solo and Jason died. Realizing how deeply Jason's death had affected his idol, Batman, Tim tried to convince Dick to reprise his role as Batman's partner. Although he agreed, Dick would only do so on a case by case basis as Nightwing, despite Tim's insistence that Batman needed a Robin.
It took multiple trials, but finally, Tim was able to gain both Bruce and Dick's respect, along with the permission to become Robin. He proved to be much more popular than Jason ever was, and like Dick, got multiple spin-off series and founded the team Young Justice alongside others his age in the same line of work. Following the Bat-Family shakeup following R.I.P. and Battle For The Cowl, he took on the role of Red Robin. With the return of Bruce and the founding of Batman Incorporated, Tim has become a more tech-savvy hero, using the first Anarky in a sort of "Oracle" tech role. Tim eventually became as worthy a holder of the Robin title as Dick, and is pretty much the Robin post-Dick, holding the title the longest after him and being Batman's most trusted lieutenant after Dick went solo.
The New 52 version of Tim has had a more... inconsistent history. Initially, his history appeared to be intact, but things were later retconned. His New 52 origin has him scouted by Batman as a potential sidekick. Tim was already a child prodigy, and after a screw-up that resulted in his parents being put into witness protection, he adopts "Drake" as an assumed surname and becomes Batman's sidekick, Red Robin. He would go on to found the first (except eventually not) incarnation of the Teen Titans, while simultaneously striking up a friendship with Jason Todd. He'd also eventually meet Stephanie Brown.
With DC Rebirth, Tim would return to working in Gotham, alongside Batman and Batwoman's "boot camp". His first mission with them goes awry, and Tim is seemingly "killed", only to be plucked from time at the last second by the mysterious Mr. Oz, a villain aware of the wider retconning of the DCU with the New 52 who has a keen interest in Superman, and now Tim. Recounting his origin to Mr. Oz revealed that, somehow, Tim's pre-Flashpoint origin was now once again canon. With the relaunch of Young Justice, Tim Drake briefly returned to being called Robin, before a trip through the multiverse and meeting an evil counterpart resulted in him taking up said counterpart's name — Drake. However, an off-screen intervention was staged to get him to abandon the name and costume, and he now goes by either Robin or Red Robin.
- created by: Marv Wolfman · Pat Broderickfirst appearance: 1989, Batman #436
Tropes associated with Tim:
- See Robin: Tim Drake
Daughter of the Cluemaster (a second-rate Riddler copycat), Stephanie was enraged when her father, who claimed to have turned good, returned to committing crimes (only without his compulsion to leave clues). Donning a costume of her own, Stephanie became the Spoiler, at first only showing up whenever Cluemaster did and spoiling his plans, hence the codename. She eventually became a full-fledged vigilante, partly because of her attraction to Tim Drake, the third Robin.
Of course, she then found herself the target of every female misfortune that DC could think up. Her relationship with Robin became strained (mainly due to Bats not letting her know their secret identities), she was revealed to be the victim of an Attempted Rape by her babysitter, she went on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge after her father was killed while working with the Suicide Squad, she got captured and tortured by Black Mask, and infamously, she was withheld medical treatment for said torture by Dr. Leslie Thompkins. This was, of course, later retconned to having her smuggled out of the country for her safety. Has a page for when she assumed the identity of Batgirl (2009) from Cassandra Cain until Executive Meddling gave Barbara Gordon back the identity.
As of the New 52, she is back in her Spoiler identity, and reappears in Batman #28 as such, in a prelude to her story in the 2014-2015 weekly Batman Eternal storyline beginning in April 2014. Within said series, her history has been Retgone'd, and she is just starting out.
- created by: Chuck Dixon · Tom Lylefirst appearance: 1992, Detective Comics #647
Tropes associated with Stephanie:
- See Batgirl
Damian is the biological son of Bruce Wayne/Batman and Talia al-Ghul. He was raised by the League of Assassins (and has been implied to be the subject of genetic experimentation); as such, he's a ferocious warrior and quite skilled at martial arts in spite of how young he is. Talia only revealed his existence to Batman in another bid to bring Bruce to her side.
Damian is a violent, often bratty child, but he's genuinely proud to be Batman's son and wishes to play his part in his father's war against crime, although his upbringing in the League often puts him at odds with Batman's methods. His relationship with the Robins and particularly Tim is heavily conflicted, and he has more than a few entitlement issues. After his father's death, he becomes the new Robin when Dick becomes Batman full-time. Once Bruce returns and takes up the mantle of Batman once again, Damian continues to work with Dick.
The New 52 left Damian's history unchanged, aside from his age being in flux. However, Dick goes back to being Nightwing and Damian starts working with his father. After Bruce dies again, Damian leaves Gotham on a globetrotting adventure with his pet Bat, Goliath, and the daughter of Nobody (a villain he killed), Maya Ducard. Damian would also become the first superhero friend of Superman's son, Jon Kent. Despite a very tense first meeting that ended in numerous brawls, Damian insists on being a team with Jon. The two are dubbed the "Super Sons" by Alfred. After Tim Drake's "death", Damian founds a new group of Teen Titans. After a series of events where his morality and belief in Batman's values are called into question, he severs ties with the Batfamily and Teen Titans. He initially decides to return to his mother's side, but goes against her wishes to investigate the resurgent League of Lazarus and their tournament.
- Created By: Grant Morrison · Andy KubertFirst Appearance: 2006, Batman #655
Tropes associated with Damian:
Alternate Versions
Robin / Batman II of Earth-Two (Richard M. Grayson)
Dick Grayson, Batman
Appearances: Detective Comics | Batman | World's Finest | Star-Spangled Comics | All-Star Comics | Infinity, Inc. | Justice League of America | Wonder Woman | America vs. the Justice Society | All-Star Squadron | Crisis on Infinite Earths | Justice Society of America | Convergence: Detective Comics
The Dick Grayson from the Pre-Crisis Earth-Two and therefore the original Golden Age Robin, though the Post-Crisis "Earth-2" Dick is modeled closely on the original there are some distinct alterations such as he and Helena's mutual attraction rather than their Earth-Two iterations' sibling relationship. Distinguished from the mainstream Dick Grayson in that he never stopped being Robin, that is until he was brought back decades after his last appearance for Convergence, even after becoming an adult with his own superhero career. Dick was a prominent and longstanding member of the Justice Society of America on Earth-Two.
- Age Lift: Dick is noticably younger than fifty in his appearance in Convergence: Detective Comics despite being well into his fifties in his previous appearance. This can be explained away as the timeline of Earth-Two being altered by being erased and then restored.
- Ambadassador: In the Bronze Age, he became the American Ambassador to South Africa, all the while still being active as a hero.
- Badass Normal: Costumed hero with no powers whatsoever fighting against and alongside those with superpowers, and he started off on said carrer path as a child.
- Depending on the Artist: How the mask on his adult costume is designed, and how old he looks.
- Kid Hero All Grown-Up: Moreso than most Robins, due to Comic-Book Time not applying in Earth-Two. He was in his forties during the Bronze Age revival of the Justice Society of America, and in his fifties when Crisis on Infinite Earths occurred.
- Kid Sidekick: The original. Dick Grayson became Robin the Boy Wonder and fought crime alongside Batman while he was still a boy.
- Like Brother and Sister: To Helena Wayne, the daughter of Bruce Wayne, also known as the Huntress.
- Ret-Gone: Alongside most of Earth-Two following Crisis on Infinite Earths, at least until the Multiverse was properly restored.
- Sidekick Graduations Stick: To an extent. While he remained in the Robin identity, he remained active as a hero even after Batman retired, and had considered taking the mantle of Batman. He doesn't take the role until the end of Convergence: Detective Comics
- Stock Superhero Day Jobs: Dick became an attorney and partner at Cranston, Grayson and Wayne, a law firm in Earth-Two's Gotham that employed three seperate attorneys who ran around Gotham as costumed superheroes at night; Dick as Robin, Helena Wayne as Huntress and Charles Bullock as Blackwing.
- Superhero Sobriquets: Robin, the Boy Wonder. Even though Dick was using the Robin title well into his fifties.
Robin / Huntress / Batman IV of Earth 2 (Helena Wayne)
See the Huntress page for more. For Helena Wayne's original Earth-Two iteration see here.
Robin III / Catgirl / Batgirl II / Batwoman (Carrie Kelley)
Carrie Kelley as Robin IIIAppearances: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns | Ame-Comi Girls | Tiny Titans | Batman and Robin
The Robin that appears in Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Technically, the first female Robin, although she is not considered canonical. She later becomes "Catgirl" in The Dark Knight Strikes Again. She is also featured in Ame-Comi Girls as the Robin of that Alternate Universe.
She also exists in the New 52, but not as Robin. However, she did appear at a Halloween party dressed in her Robin outfit. Instead, she's a college film student who Damian Wayne hires for acting lessons.
- Aborted Arc: She appeared in two issues of Batman and Robin, and one of the following issues according to the trend adopted after Damian's death was originally named Batman and Carrie Kelley, but that never materialized. Fan theory at the time was that she was going to be the new canon Robin, but she's not been seen or heard from since.
- Age Lift: Her mainstream DCU counterpart debuted as a college student, while her original version was still in high school.
- Boyish Short Hair: In Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
- Canon Immigrant: After Damian's death, she was introduced into the mainstream universe.
- Legacy Character: To both Robin and Catwoman. She's the third Robin after Dick Grayson and Jason Todd and later Catgirl, named after Catwoman. She also briefly assumed the Batman identity.
- Plucky Girl: Buys herself a Robin costume and joins the fray after Batman saves her life. She ends up saving him from the Mutant Leader and he takes her under his wing as the new Robin officially after that.
- Spell My Name with an S: It's Carrie Kelley, but "Kelly" is ubiquitous among fans.
- Two First Names: "Carrie" and "Kelley" are common given names for girls.
Robin/Lark/The Signal (Duke Thomas)
During Scott Snyder's Flashback arc Batman: Zero Year, Bruce encountered an intelligent youngster by the name of Duke Thomas. In the present, Duke returned in the Batman: Endgame, and was the lead of the We Are Robin series. His parents are eventually victims of Joker toxin and Bruce invites him to live in Wayne Manor. In DC Rebirth, Batman tells Duke that he has no intention of training Duke to become a Robin, but something new, in an accelerated pace more akin to a partnership.See Bat-Family page.
Robin (Bruce Wayne Jr.)
In some realities, prior to Damian's creation, Bruce Wayne has a son with his name who grows up to be the Robin to Dick Grayson's Batman.- Depending on the Writer: His mother is either Kathy Kane, Selena Kyle, or unmentioned altogether. Also, he's either raven-haired or blond.
- Uncanny Family Resemblance: Sometimes he resembles his father when he was a kid.
