Robin: Tim Drake / Characters

Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake-Wayne

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Tim Drake as Robin (left) and Red Robin (right)

^{Click here to see Tim as Red Robin:}

^{Click here to see Tim as Robin:}

Created By: Marv Wolfman · Pat Broderick

First Appearance: Batman #436

Appearances: Robin | Robin Plus | Robin/Spoiler Special | Young Justice | Red Robin | Teen Titans | Batgirl (2000) | Batgirl (2009) | Batman | Batman and Robin (2009) | Birds of Prey | Bruce Wayne: The Road Home | Catwoman| Detective Comics | Detention Comics | Gotham Central | Batman (Grant Morrison) | Nightwing | The Psyba-Rats | Superboy/Robin: World's Finest Three | Action Comics ^(guest) | Anarky ^(guest) | Blue Beetle | Gotham City Sirens | Impulse | The Outsiders ^(guest) | Resurrection Man ^(guest) | Seven Soldiers | Shadowpact ^(guest) | Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. | Superboy | Supergirl | Superman ^(guest) | Superman/Batman | Wonder Girl| Wonder Woman Vol 2 ^(guest) | Wonder Woman Vol 3 ^(guest) | World's Finest ^(guest) | World's Finest (2010) | A Lonely Place of Dying | Knightfall | Batman: Contagion | Batman: Cataclysm | Batman: No Man's Land | Bruce Wayne: Fugitive | Batman: Hush | Batman: War Games | Face The Face | Batman: The Black Mirror | Joker's Last Laugh | Blackest Night: Batman | Forever Evil (2013) | Convergence | Batman Beyond | The New 52: Futures End | Gotham Academy (cameo) | Grayson (guest) | Red Hood and the Outlaws (guest) | Teen Titans | Night of the Owls | Batman and Robin Eternal | Detective Comics (Rebirth) | Nightwing (Rebirth) ^{(guest appearance)} Nightwing #9 - Fighting Destiny | Red Hood and the Outlaws (Rebirth) ^(cameo)Red Hood And The Outlaws: Rebirth #1 | Batwoman (Rebirth) ^(guest) | Young Justice (2019) | Tim Drake: Robin

"I thought I'd left that world behind me. That maybe I could do more good working from the shadows. Apparently I was wrong. I'm going to need help."

Despite the setback of Jason Todd'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 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 was pretty much the Robin post-Dick, holding the title the longest after him and being Batman's most trusted lieutenant after Dick went solo. As Dick had before him, he featured in multiple spin-off series: he was a founding member of Young Justice and later of the next generation of Teen Titans.

Tim's character shifted in the 2000s with a long string of character deaths among the people closest to him: he became much more grim and Batman-like in his personality and his attitude towards being a superhero, no longer viewing it as something temporary. Following the Bat-Family shakeup following Batman R.I.P. and Battle For The Cowl, where he was abruptly replaced as Robin, he took up the new identity of Red Robin. Upon Bruce's return, Tim as Red Robin began operating independently in Gotham – he was a more tech-savvy hero, using the first Anarky in a sort of "Oracle" tech role.

The New 52 reboot greatly reduced Tim's involvement with the Bat-Family and set him up primarily as the leader of the Teen Titans. It also controversially rewrote a large number of aspects of Tim's backstory: the reasons for his first meeting Batman were changed, his parents were said to be alive but in witness protection, the surname "Drake" was said to be an alias, and finally he was said to have never been Robin in the new continuity but to have used the name "Red Robin" from the beginning.^note These changes were reversed step-by-step over several years in the mid-to-late 2010s: the issue of his name was quietly dropped, his original meeting with Batman was restored to continuity,^note his time as Robin was restored as well,^note his parents were established as dead,^notein the 2019 Batman annual and finally his pre-New-52 memories were completely restored.^notein Young Justice (2019) Since the DC Rebirth relaunch, Tim has also returned to working much more closely alongside Batman and the rest of the Bat-Family. And aside from a ten-month period where he took up "Drake" as a superhero identity before abandoning it, since 2019 he has also begun switching back and forth between the identities of Robin and Red Robin fairly arbitrarily.

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Tim Drake

10-Minute Retirement: After his father learns that he is Robin and forbids him from continuing by threatening to expose Bruce Tim retires and adjusts quickly and happily back into civilian life even ignoring Bruce’s cruel Batman Gambit of putting his girlfriend in the suit and unfairly firing her after she broke a single rule in order to save his life. Tim does end up back in the suit after things in Gotham go rapidly downhill and the city needs him. He eventually even gains his father’s support and pride with the intervention of his stepmother though his dad would still prefer him to be safely off the streets.
Above the Influence: He politely declined a drunken Rose Wilson's offer to "be friends." Unfortunately, this led to a Not What It Looks Like moment between him and Kid Devil, Rose's love interest.
Action Hero: A highly trained martial artist who uses those skills to achieve his goals. During Battle for the Cowl Jason even admits that in a close quarters fight he has an advantage on Tim in reach, weight and strength but that without Jason having prior prep time Tim didn't he'd be outclassed in a straight fight due to Tim's training and fast thinking.
Amazon Chaser: Picks this trope up in Red Robin. He fails to stop a fight between his new ally, Pru, and the new Batgirl, Stephanie Brown, because he's too busy gawping at how much better Steph has gotten at fighting (and how good she looks in her costume). Both of these things very much work for him.
Ambiguously Jewish: Chuck Dixon has mentioned that he had "Jewish" in mind while writing the character, but his series never explicitly stated his religious beliefs; however, his mother's (destroyed) gravestone seems to have had a cross on top.
Animal-Themed Superbeing: In 2019 he adopted the codename of Drake, explicitly named after the bird. Which means his new name is apparently inspired by... male ducks? At the end of Young Justice (2019), he quickly drops it and goes back to just being Robin.
Anti-Hero: Slips into this as he gets older, using a modified version of Scarecrow’s fears gas to take down rioting gang members and other things which make Stephanie uncomfortable and lead to Dick being able to talk her into spying on him.
Apathetic Student: While Tim started out trying to keep his grades up he skipped school quite often and used extra credit to manage his grades. After his father's interference forced him to switch schools several times he became even less interested in school and after his father's death dropped out rather than complete high school. He mostly viewed school as a requirement, and once it wasn't one anymore he quit.
The Apprentice: As Robin he starts out as one to Batman, and Nightwing who he stayed with for a time during his training. Lady Shiva also sees him as one.
Ascended Fanboy: He was a massive fan of the original Dynamic Duo.
Attempted Rape: After Tim more than passes Ra’s al Ghul's tests Ra’s sends his half-sister the "Daughter of Acheron" to go make a worthy heir with him, Tim realized what they were up to and asked his sister Cass for backup.
Atrocious Alias: During the Young Justice’s jaunt through the multiverse, Tim defeats his Earth-3 counterpart and takes his costume and name, becoming “Drake”. At the end of issue 18, Tim’s back to being Robin with everyone telling him what a terrible name it was. The team was even planning an intervention but Batman beat them to it.
Audience Surrogate: A big part of Tim's popularity initially was how easily readers could relate to him as a character as he has the most 'normal' background out of the Robins.
Badass Bookworm: In a very Batman-like vein, he devotes his free time to developing electronic gadgets for crime-fighting purposes, when he's not actively trying to clone his dead friends back to life. He's been established as being way less agile than Dick Grayson, and Batgirl can wipe the floor with him (a single time when he managed to beat her is largely considered Fanon Discontinuity, and has since been explained away in canon as her being severely handicapped by the serum which was causing her to fight him in the first place), but he's still pretty awesome and can beat Killer Croc while having the flu.
Badass Cape: One of the alterations he made to the Robin costume was to make the outer side of the cape black and make the cape longer with modifications that allowed it to act as a glider or quickly detach and wrap around whatever is touching it making it a good temporary restraint for anyone trying to grab Tim by his cape. He then went for a completely black glider cape as Red Robin.
Badass and Child Duo: The child of the duo as Robin while working alongside Batman.
Badass Normal: Like all members of the Batfamily. Tim's best friends include the half-kryptonain with tactile telekinesis Conner Kent and the speedster Bart Allen. Tim has no trouble keeping up and is the one they look to as a leader when they're all together.
Bash Brothers: Occasionally with Batman. Also Nightwing and Superboy.
Battle Couple: With Stephanie Brown as Spoiler before they broke up. They're back together in DC Rebirth, before breaking up again in DC Infinite Frontier.
Bavarian Fire Drill: This almost backfires on him when he is properly questioned and nearly detained by a group of soldiers.
Belligerent Sexual Tension: When Tim first turns up in Steph's Batgirl series, the two of them are not on good terms. It only lasts the issue, with them making up at the end, but it's played for romantic tension.
- Arguably he and Steph had it in their first appearances together, although at the time it was mostly one-sided from Steph.
- Also with Harper Row, at first. Though later on in Batman Eternal it's indicated that they're becoming more like Platonic Life-Partners.
Betrayal Insurance: Like his mentor he has a set list of plans for dealing with a number of his allies but they are mostly those whom he is not close to or have already made repeated attempts on his life.
Big Brother Worship: Tim Drake completely adores Dick Grayson.
Blood from the Mouth: Understandably happens sometimes due to the nature of his chosen profession, notably during both of his solo fights with Jason they cause this to each other though Tim wasn't really fighting back the first time.
Boots of Toughness: Rather than the pixie boots his predecessors wore as Robin Tim wears metal toed tabi boots.
Brainwashed and Crazy: In one of the arcs in the Young Justice comic, the team fell victim to this, but Supergirl helped snap them out of it.
Building Swing: Goes hand in hand with his Grappling-Hook Gun.
Bulletproof Vest: The Robin costume ends up with more armor in response to Jason's death.
Bumbling Sidekick: Deliberately averted. After the death of Jason Todd, writers like Denny O'Neil knew they had to come up with a damn good reason why Batman would take on another Kid Sidekick. Making him a hindrance to Batman in any way was shot down because of this.
Cain and Abel: Both Jason and Damian have tried to kill him a number of times making him the Abel to their Cain(s). Jason has come very close to succeeding.
The Call Knows Where You Live: The reason Tim is now an orphan and permanently dedicated to crime-fighting.
Captain Obvious: In Young Justice at times when exposition was needed to point out something not clear in comic format. Of course, whenever Young Justice did something the author thought was stupid, it got mocked:
Robin: The kids... They've turned old! And those other kids are dancing out of control!
Superboy: Wow. I can tell you were trained by the world's greatest detective.
Cassandra Truth: When he realizes Bruce is not dead everyone thinks his mind has snapped from all of the losses he's had lately. Even if he's aware of how he sounds he knows someone needs to be looking for Bruce if there's even a chance he survived.
Casual Danger Dialogue: In Red Robin #9, after Ra’s al Ghul realizes that Tim had much greater access to his computer systems than he had intended:
Tim: How can I help you, Ra’s? Computer trouble?
Celibate Hero: Well, in the physical aspect. He’s dated before and was quite romantic with his girlfriends, but is repeatedly confirmed to be a virgin by his own choice.
- Nearly subverted in Convergeance where he and Stephanie actually nearly became physically intimate, but only stopped because of their injuries, showing he's not entirely against sex.
- Eventually, Detective Comics (Rebirth) shows him and Steph having slept together.
Characterization Marches On: About a decade or so after his creation, it's common for Tim to be portrayed as a slightly neurotic neat freak but he started out as just an average boy with a messy room who stays up all night with dorm mates to watch baseball and play video games. Of course things have happened in his life since then.
Character Name Alias: When Young Justice infiltrated Spyboy’s sleeper personality's high school, they used ridiculously obvious aliases, including Rob Roy (Robin) and Helena Troy (Wonder Girl). Mercifully the charade didn't last long
Charity Ball: Being Bruce Wayne's son means he attends quite a few of these.
Chest Insignia: R on his upper left chest as Robin and his Red Robin uniform has one smack in the center of his chest.
The Chessmaster: How he defeated Ra's Al Ghul. It was such a victory that Tim himself earned the title, "Detective", a title that had been bestowed to Bruce, and Dick (just prior to taking on the mantle). Goes to show you how much the boy matured once Bruce Wayne... left.
Chick Magnet: Despite being kind of a nerd, he started attracting the attention of a lot of superheroines/villainnesses even at a young age, namely Lynx I, Spoiler, Dava, Darla Aquista, Lynx III (in Red Robin series), Secret and Arrowette (in Young Justice) despite not having the least bit of interest in most of them.
"It's the cape. Chicks dig the cape."
Chosen Conception Partner: To Ra's Al-Ghul's sister, a "Daughter of Acheron". She fails, however.
Chronic Hero Syndrome: He has often blamed himself for the deaths of classmates that he had failed to save, despite the fact that the victims brought it on themselves. He's also so dedicated to crimefighting that he would drop everything and anything to change into his Robin costume when he sees any sort of crime in his vicinity, mostly at the expense of his girlfriends, family and friends.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Tim's stepmother Dana. When his dad was Killed Off for Real in Identity Crisis (2004), Dana had a nervous breakdown and shipped off to a sanitarium in Bludhaven the city that would soon be completely destroyed in Infinite Crisis. It was never confirmed if she was killed in Bludhaven. Neither has her continued existence.
Clark Kent Outfit: He wore glasses for a while during his short tenure at Brentwood Academy, as sort of a precaution.
Closet Key: In a storyline in Batman: Urban Legends #4-6, reconnecting with his old high school friend Bernard Dowd leads to Tim realising that he is bisexual. It's also implied that Tim himself was Bernard's own Closet Key.
Cloud Cuckoolanders Minder: For Bart Allen whenever Young Justice/Teen Titans are together.
Cold-Blooded Torture: Has escaped attempts by others to have him be a victim of it more than once, for example when Freeway left him to be tortured by Doctor Excess.
Combat Parkour: He may not be as agile as Nightwing but he definitely uses this, sometimes using his staff to propel himself or catch on things to alter his movements in a fight or chase.
Combat Pragmatist: Not above using any advantage he can get in a fight. One story had him posioning his opponent with a substance that would only take effect during the fight, before said opponent even sent him her challenge.
Coming of Age Story: Tim goes from an idealistic kid hoping to prompt his heroes into helping one another to a seasoned crimefighter.
Conflicting Loyalty: Between his loyalty to his father and his loyalty to Bruce.
The Conscience: Puts himself in position to act as one for Bruce though he may not always listen and tries to be one for AzBats though this gets him physically attacked and kicked out of the Batcave (luckily Azrael is not as good at preventing Tim from accessing the cave and other Bat resources as he thinks, and unfortunately Azrael graduates to trying to kill Tim).
Consummate Liar: As a result of having to lie to everyone about his identity and activities for years he becomes a very good liar with the ability to control his heartbeat like Batman and Nightwing. When his father caught him in a lie and managed to discover that he was Robin Tim's inner monologue revealed that he had intentionally been less careful than usual as he was sick of lying to his dad but didn’t want to go against Bruce’s request of hiding being Robin so he just started to be more careless with things which might reveal his secret to his father.
Contamination Situation: He gets contaminated with Clench, also called the Apocalypse Virus, and spends some time curled up in the medical bay of the Batcave bleeding from the eyes while Alfred watches over him knowing that there is no known cure and only two known survivors.
Cool Car & Cool Bike: The Redbird, a transforming armored sport coupé though he rarely drives after wreaking it and getting a new one, and his bike which he prefers. He also had a skateboard he named the Redboard which he used for a while in costume.
Covered with Scars: As Red Robin he's getting there
The Cowl: After becoming Red Robin. He operates the most like Bruce out of the Robins after all.
Crazy-Prepared: Batman's rubbed off on him, obviously. During his time spent with the League of Assassins, Tim exploited his access to their database to pinpoint secret League locations in Gotham. That enabled him to orchestrate a Big Damn Heroes moment with his allies, to suppress the attempted assassinations on everyone that mattered to Bruce Wayne.
- As Robin in Young Justice when the crew went camping, a game of Truth or Dare came up. He was dared to pull his mask off... and so he did, revealing that he had a SECOND mask on underneath! Yup, you can tell he was "trained by the world's greatest detective!"
The Creon: Unlike Bruce's other children Tim does not want to become Batman or replace Bruce's position in Gotham whatsoever,^note instead preferring to work as Batman's partner. While he's made it clear he'll take on the mantle if necessary he's also made it clear he absolutely hates the idea.
Darkhorse Victory: Tim has a reputation of being as smart, or even smarter than, Bruce himself – particularly since the New 52. Ra's Al Ghul calls him "Detective," implying that he's the best person to inherit the mantle of the Bat.
Dating Catwoman: Tim Drake has UST with: Spoiler, one that started when she hit him in the face with a brick, Darla "Warlock's Daughter," one of his classmates who was brought back from the dead to kill Robin wants to date Tim, Evil!Cassandra Cain when she was Brainwashed and Crazy tied for this angle, and, appropriately, both of the gangleaders named Lynx, the latter of whom tackled him out of a window, started kissing him in mid-air, and trusted in him to actually stop their fall with a grappling hook while she's massaging his tonsils with her tongue. Sometimes, there's an advantage to being the Dogged Nice Guy, though Cass and Darla both horrified him and he wasn't at all interested in reciprocating their advances.
Dating What Daddy Hates: When Stephanie and Tim start dating Bruce disapproves as he thinks it encourages her to continue acting as Spoiler, Cluemaster disapproves when he finds out since it means his daughter is dating a hero, and even Jack has something to say about Tim dating a girl who is the daughter of a supervillain and has had a child already. Tim and Steph don't care.
Deadpan Snarker: Both in and out of costume, like when letting Cass know his retirement hasn’t cost him his Awesomeness by Analysis:
Tim: Tell Batman I didn’t get a lobotomy, just because I went out of the teenage detective business.
Batgirl: He said you’d figure it out. You still… impress him.
Tim: You bet. I’m Mister Remarkable. I even do balloon animals.
Deducing the Secret Identity: Tim Drake's origin as Robin involved him, at just 9 years old, working out both Robin and Batman's identities: He noticed that Robin was performing a quadruple somersault that Dick Grayson had performed while in the circus. Thus if Robin was Dick, then by extension his adopted father Bruce Wayne would be Batman as well.
Demoted to Extra: Tim's role in the Bat-Family was drastically reduced from the New 52 onwards, compared to his Pre-Flashpoint self. While he appeared in comic book storylines, he became The Generic Guy along with Jason and often got relegated to the background. Although DC Rebirth brought him closer to the Bat-Family, it didn't restore his former presence: he continued only appearing regularly in one series at a time, and notably was the only Robin who didn't get his own one-shot in the lead-up to the Bat-Cat wedding. It didn't help that he was "killed off" by editorial mandate for a full year (in real time) right in the middle of this.
- Even in other media, Tim is usually Adapted Out or have minimal roles compared to his brothers, who are featured in other works^note.
Depending on the Artist: Tim has been drawn differently by multitude of artists in his 20+ year history, but there are a few constants in his appearance: spiky, gelled-up hair; average height and a slim body type.
- Even the spikey hair is gone now. As of the New 52, he usually sports Dick Grayson's old haircut while out of costume, while Dick's hair has gotten longer and more spikey (which is also Depending on the Artist).
Depending on the Writer: Especially since the New 52, with his backstory being in flux: some writers have portrayed him as being an Insufferable Genius, some as suffering from some sort of mental disorder, and some play up his more Endearingly Dorky side. It doesn't help that the New 52 Teen Titans book was critically panned and that he's been used under different editorial groups.
Determinator: "I'll never give up, Dad. Not while there's a breath in our bodies — neither one of us will ever give up."
Deus Angst Machina: To lose one parent, Mr. Drake, may be regarded as misfortune; to lose four...
Distressed Dude: Averted Trope. Unlike Dick Grayson constantly needing to be rescued or saved, Tim was deliberately kept out of danger for a long time after putting on the costume. Initially, he operated as Batman's Voice with an Internet Connection so that they could slowly introduce him to danger.
Doesn't Like Guns: Not to Bruce's level but he sticks with the Batfamily's rule on gun use:
Tim: Batman and I work outside the law so we can never appear in court to justify our use of deadly force. So, to reduce the chance of ending up with a corpse on our hands, we avoid those tools which employ deadly force.
Domino Mask: Keeping in with the fine tradition. He ditched it for a time when he was kicked out of the Robin mantle and wore a round-headed cowl-mask, but his Unternet costume has one and his New 52 Red Robin costume has it again.
Easily Forgiven: Is the first among the family to forgive Jason Todd in the New 52, despite the still-canon history of attempting to murder Tim.
Easing into the Adventure: Tim starts out just trying to get Dick to return to his role as the Dark Knights partner and Morality Pet since he can see that Bruce’s recklessness in the wake of Jason’s death is going to get him killed. He didn’t want to become Robin at first and even when he did he considered it a temporary role and started out as Mission Control and in training instead of going straight to being a crimefighter in Gotham like his predecessors.
Enemy Mine: The only person who believes him about Bruce not being dead is Ra's al Ghul who offers him support in his search.
Escape Artist: At some point Bruce figured out his Kid Sidekicks needed to be competent escape artists to survive.
Et Tu, Brute?: This is Tim's basic reaction to realizing that the Bad Future (caused by the fall of one of his hero friends) he'd been obsessively trying to find ways to avoid was Batman's idea of a test.
- Upon realizing that Cass has betrayed everything she once stood for and is now his enemy, and especially when she captures him and strings him up and then punches him awake because, “Deathstroke wants to talk to you”.
- When Jason decided the best reaction to the accidental Breaking Speech Bruce left for Jason in his video will was to become a murderous reinvention of Batman wielding guns after he and Tim had started to develop the bare beginnings of a brotherly relationship Tim grabs the Idiot Ball with both hands and allows himself to be caught by Jason in Jason’s booby trapped hideout giving Jason all the prep time and getting stabbed in the chest for his troubles. When he wakes and realizes Jason had left him for dead after Tim reflexively slowed his pulse enough to appear not to have one he is really disappointed in Jason and himself.
Evil Mentor: After Dick takes Robin from him the only person to (rather forcefully) offer their help in Tim’s search is Ra's al Ghul:
I’m alone. I thought that no one was going to help me. That no one believed me. I was wrong. Ra's al Ghul believes me. He’s been watching me the whole time, ever since I left Gotham. Watching me search for Bruce. And of all the people on this planet, he wants to help me. He thinks I’m right.
Expository Hairstyle Change: After recovering from the burns he received from Anarky II Tim grew his hair out longer than it had been before and started wearing it differently and more professionally than his previous spiked look after becoming Red Robin.
Expressive Mask: The domino mask he wears as Robin and his cowl as Red Robin.
Expy: Of Peter Parker. It's no secret that Chuck Dixon based Tim Drake's adventures on the first 50 issues of The Amazing Spider-Man. Fans used to compare him to the iconic Marvel superhero, calling him the Peter Parker of Gotham.
Face Palm: In Superman/Batman #62 Supergirl's enthusiasic self guided tour of the Batcave while Tim is in the middle of a sentence causes him to irritably drop his face into a hand. Perhaps she's giving him flashbacks to trying to corral Impulse:
Tim: In the meantime feel free to give yourself a tour of the cave.
Kara: Okay.
Tim: Just dont touch—
*Kara zips off and returns at Super-Speed*
Tim: -anything.
Kara: That was fun! What's the giant penny for?
The Farmer and the Viper: Tim tries to give Damian a second chance after trying to get through his head that he does not need to kill Tim to become accepted as Bruce’s son, Damian responds by trying to kill him again, and as a matter of fact never stops making attempts on Tim’s life though in Damian’s case he never really gives him his trust, Jason on the other hand betrays Tim thoroughly. After Tim helps Jason escape from Arkham and gives him access to the Batcave to view his portion of Bruce’s video will Jason seems to be ready to uphold their unspoken truce as he leaves but later has a complete breakdown over the message Bruce left and he nearly succeeds in murdering Tim.
Fish out of Temporal Water: In the DCYOU Batman Beyond series following The New 52: Futures End an alternate-future version of Tim was sent 35 years to the future in the Batman Beyond Universe, replacing Terry Mcginnis as Batman.
Foil: To Dick Grayson. He is everything Dick Grayson was not, by design. Instead of the whimsical, lighthearted sidekick who spouted catchphrases and said "Golly" a lot, he was an extremely serious and dedicated crime-fighter.
For Great Justice: This is the reason besides someone needing to act as Batman’s conscience he feels there needs to be a Robin:
"Robin is a symbol just as much as Batman is. It isn’t just a symbol of the law, it’s a symbol of justice. And Batman needs a Robin."
Freudian Trio: In Young Justice Tim is the superego to Bart’s Id and Kon’s Ego.
Future Badass: His Titans Tomorrow counterpart spent nearly fifteen years training with programs recording the fighting style of every member of the Batfamily in their prime. As a result, he readily mops the floor with Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin before sending them crashing into the Batcave.
Future Me Scares Me: Did not have a good experience with his possible future as a gun-toting Batman in Titans Tomorrow, or with this future self's reappearance in Detective Comics (Rebirth).
Gadgeteer Genius: This side of him has really been emphasized in his post-Flashpoint incarnation. Especially as of DC Rebirth, where he developed the Belfry as a cool high-tech secondary base more-or-less single-handedly. This is what got him kidnapped by Mr. Oz, who was afraid that Tim would uncover his plans and be a Spanner in the Works. Speaking of that, he even managed to hack Oz's prison, which is technology Tim isn't even familiar with!
Genius Slob: His room is a constant mess to the point where at least once Batman ran out of patience waiting for him to track down all the bits of his costume and snuck in behind him to find his glove and hand it to him so they could get out on patrol already. Tim is also a very intellectual Kid Detective capable of pulling off impressive Batman Gambits and is considered the best hacker outside of Babs/Oracle in the Batfamily.
Giver of Lame Names: Tim is actually pretty good at naming his gear and such, but when it comes to coming up with alternate names for himself he has a really hard time, usually just using a name someone else came up with. This comes to a head when he ends up meeting an evil alternate going by Drake and decides that's such a good alternate to Robin he'll use it himself. A man in the most secretive family in superheroics is using his own last name as his hero name.
Giving Them the Strip: During the Joker: Last Laugh crossover event Robin left behind his cape and tunic in order to get away from a slew of Jokerized Arkham inmates. Detaching his cape is actually a normal tactic for Tim, he even modified it so he can send a current through it that will cause the detached cape to wrap itself around whomever is holding it.
Good Is Not Soft: He won't kill you but he may leave you to die after giving you a warning to get out of a collapsing lair on your own.
Good Old Fisticuffs: He has the training to be quite capable of using this in a fight. He somehow overcomes Cass with this in a recent story.
- It was a case of the writer not researching Cassandra's character. Another reason why the entire story has become Canon Discontinuity.
Go-to Alias: Since Batman didn't want Tim revealing his identity even to other heroes, he sometimes told them that his name was "Alvin Draper." Amusingly, his best friend in the superhero community Superboy immediately dismissed it, on the grounds that no one with that name would willingly go by it and would have introduced himself as "Al" or "Vinnie" instead.
Grade-School C.E.O.: For a time after Bruce's death, Tim Drake (as one of his legally adopted sons) had significant control over Wayne Enterprises as one of its owners. He is apparently still a co-owner along with his father and brothers, despite being a teen.
Grappling-Hook Pistol: Standard Bat-gear
Great Detective: Tim is recognized by even Batman himself as a prodigy of investigation. He did figure out Bats was Bruce Wayne on his own, after all. It is pretty much canon that Tim will eventually surpass Batman in terms of detective skills.
Groin Attack: Jason did it to him first, and he was asking for it:
Red Hood: Hey, if you boys want to try to kick my ass, next time just come to me and try it... don't hide behind some useless "Investigation."
Robin: Hold up a sec... *knee to Jason's groin*
Robin: Consider that "Next Time" Todd.
Guile Hero: Seems to be the only son that has really inherited this part of Batman's repertoire. Specifically noted that his ease in taking the adopted Wayne name was for all the advantages it gives him.
Hallucinations: While laying dying from Clench he suffers vivid ones of his family.
Harmful to Minors: He arrives home just after his father’s murder and sees his father’s dead body before Batman enters the house and hugs Tim as he cries wide-eyed where he collapsed upon realizing he was too late to save him in a pool of his father’s blood.
Has a Type: He seems to have a thing for girls wearing the Batgirl costume. Arguably first hinted at when Cass wore Barbara's old costume and then very noticeable later when he sees his on-off girlfriend Steph in her new Batgirl costume. Being Robin himself this isn't a surprise, seeing that Robins are always attracted to Batgirls.
- He may unconsciously have a thing for blonds, as evidenced with Steph, Wonder Girl, and Bernard. Ariana even once accused him of it, saying that she bleached her hair because she thought he liked blondes.
Hates Being Nicknamed: When using his first name he is Tim or Timothy, never “Timmy”. He will immediately correct anyone calling him Timmy.
The Heart: For the outlier members of the Batfamily like Helena and Jason (before he snapped) whose extreme methods make them outcasts and left out by the rest of the family. He's also the first person to give Stephanie any training or support in her efforts as a hero and encourages her to preserve life and never kill which she was not a firm believer in at first.
- Post-Rebirth, he's outright said to be one of the most beloved members of the Batfamily, and Bruce was still reeling from the effects of his death throughout Detective Comics (Rebirth), with Stephanie being hit the hardest of all. Unbeknownst to them, Tim wasn't actually dead and was instead abducted by "Mr. Oz" along with numerous other superheroes and villains.
Heroic Self-Deprecation: Near the beginning of his career as Robin a great deal of his inner monologue consists of his worry of disappointing Batman and him considering how much better suited for certain situations his predecessors would have been. He does grow more confident with more time in the role and the acknowledgment of Nightwing.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: With both Kon-El/Conner Kent and Bart Allen. Although he was later revealed as not heterosexual.
Hidden in Plain Sight / For Halloween, I Am Going as Myself: Robin and Spoiler go on a date in their costumes to a costumed Sci-fi movie viewing where they are complemented on their original designs (at this point Batman and the Batclan are widely considered to be urban legends).
Hollywood Atheist: His dad was Jewish or agnostic Depending on the Writer and his mom was Catholic, but after their deaths Tim became jaded with religion.
Hollywood Hacking: Treated as though it were a superpower during the New 52. He can seemingly hack through any machine as if it were magic.
Hood Hopping: He’s not terribly comfortable jumping across moving cars but he can and has such as the time he teamed up with Wildcat.
Hypercompetent Sidekick: Enforced Trope. Tim Drake was deliberately portrayed as extremely competent (even moreso than Batman in some ways) in order to justify why Batman would allow another kid to become his sidekick.
Hypocrite: Against Damian, he never lets it go that Damian once killed someone. However, Tim is more forgiving of Jason's rather high kill count, as well as the times that Jason has attempted to murder members of the Batfamily. Arguably, he forgave Jason immediately when Jason approached him first trying to bury the hatchet, while Damian would rather eat broken glass than do so.
Iconic Item: His staff, especially in relation to his siblings who've each got their own iconic weapon ^note
The Idealist: He starts out thinking he’ll be able to talk Dick Grayson into returning to the Robin role therefore restoring a healthy workplace for Batman and protecting Gotham. He quickly learns that there is no way that is going to happen but he doesn’t start to really slide towards cynicism until much later in his career after many devastating loses and betrayals.
I Did What I Had to Do: Titans Tomorrow Tim Drake rationalizes his lethal methods as this. He even killed Damian, his adoptive brother, after Damian's destructive methodology left much of Gotham in ruins. Rebirth Tim Drake is horrified at the revelation.
I Have Many Names: Timothy "Tim" Jackson Drake-Wayne, Robin III, Red Robin III, Boy Wonder, Redbird, Detective, Alvin Draper, Tom Harper, Mr. Sar castic, Gary Glanz / Spectacular Sunbird, Caroline Hill, Cal Corcoran, Batman of Batman Beyond.
I Just Want to Be Normal: Tim never wanted to be a crime-fighter permanently. He just wanted to be Robin for a while until he could retire and go on with his life.
- Although in Young Justice, he says he'd love to give up crimefighting, because that would mean crime had been eradicated.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: By the Widower, it cost Tim his spleen.
Informed Ability: His supposed leadership skills with the Teen Titans.
- Better portrayed when he was with Young Justice. That team was like herding superpowered cats. Impulse alone would try the patience of a saint.
- Even when Wonder Girl took over leadership of Young Justice, everyone still treated Tim like he was the one in charge or at least co-leader.
- Alfred tells Bruce that Tim is the most capable of Batman's protegees, which might have been more convincing if Dick hadn't led the Titans for years and served as Batman and Barbara hadn't become Oracle. This was before Tim joined Young Justice, mind you.
- He believes he is better trained than Jason and Jason's only advantage is his size and strength. Jason in fact trained for as long as Tim (assuming his time dead or comatose balanced out his years as Robin) and is shown to be more capable than Tim, outside of Tim's book.
Informed Kindness: While Tim is frequently touted as a Nice Guy, his actions can paint him as a Jerkass.
- When Bruce does finally decide to step back and focus on his mental health, Tim complains that he isn't going out as Robin as much. (And throws a sandwich on the floor, which presumably Alfred has to clean up.)
- He cheats on Ariana with Spoiler by refusing to tell her he has a girlfriend (a fact which in no way would compromise his identity) and allowing her to flirt with—and even kiss—him.
Informed Wrongness: For including Damian on his "hit list" in the eponymous story arc of Red Robin. Said "hit list" is actually a list of superheroes who could be very dangerous if they turn bad – which is an entirely accurate assessment for a former child assassin with a known history of murder and sadism – with countermeasures to use against them. Other superheroes on the list include Superman, Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan, Supergirl, The Atom and even Captain Marvel, which pretty clearly shows it's not meant as a judgment of Damian as a bad seed. And yet we're supposed to sympathise with Damian when he whines "It isn't fair" about being included, even though it was never meant for his eyes (he only saw it after spending six hours hacking into Tim's files) and his response to seeing it was to attempt to murder Tim again by cutting his grapple line.
Insistent Terminology: He prefers Tim though he’ll answer to Timothy, but not Timmy. He will immediately correct anyone calling him Timmy. While the Redbird is transformed he'll happily inform people of it's proper name as well, to Shotgun Smith's annoyance as he scarcely fits in the car.
Interspecies Friendship: Two of his best friends are half-human, one being a half-Kryptonian clone and the other a demigod daughter of Zeus. He is friends with Lagoon Boy as well even though they are not particularly close, Klarion also decided to call Tim a friend, but considering their history and Tim’s reaction that is probably a more one-sided friendship.
Irisless Eye Mask Of Mystery: As befitting a Robin. He continues this trend in his Red Robin persona as well.
Ironic Echo: In his first appearance, Damian tried to kill Tim in order to become Robin, which Tim naturally took offense to. In Detective Comics (Rebirth), Titans Tomorrow Tim successfully does it to Damian after disapproving of his methods.
It's All My Fault: A number of deaths but especially those of his classmates Philmont Denlinger and Karl Rank as well as Stephanie since he feels responsible seeing as he encouraged her and was the first person to give her any training as a hero.
It's Personal: Tries to avoid this though he’s not always successful:
Red Robin: The Widower. He killed Z and Owens. Cut Pru’s throat. Put a sword through me. Doesn’t matter. This isn’t personal. Much.
I Work Alone: Averted Trope. For all the ways Tim has become more like his mentor insisting on this is not one of them, though he does realize some expect it of him and uses it to his advantage:
Red Robin: I realized you were playing with me but this is me, refusing to play. Did you think I was going to run around the city desperately trying to save everyone all by myself? I'm not Batman. I have f r i e n d s.
Jack of All Trades: To quote Fabian Nicieza:
"What I love about Tim is that he shares some of the strongest traits of various Bat-family members. The intellect and detective skills of Bruce, the ability to lead others and be a friend to others like Dick has and even the ability to make cold, harsh decisions like Jason does."
Jade-Colored Glasses: Far from his start as and idealist who hopes to help Batman and improve Gotham by the time he is Red Robin he has become cynical, interestingly Stephanie had become more of an idealist by the time she became Batgirl switching their positions on the Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism.
Jumped at the Call: He became Robin because he figured out who Batman was and recognized Bruce's Sanity Slippage without a teen sidekick to keep him honest.
Keeping Secrets Sucks: Even after he and Stephanie become a couple Batman forbids him from revealing his secret identity to her. He has to use the alias of Alvin Draper to spend time with her outside of costume.
I can’t lie to my father. Do you know how it feels? All of you can talk to your parents about who you really are, can’t you? None of you have to lie to your Dad. I can’t do it anymore. I hate it. Sometimes I hate…I hate Batman.
Kid Detective: He frequently demonstrated his amazing deductive and investigative skills, like when he deduced the identity of Batman to be Bruce Wayne
Kid Hero: Unlike his predecessors, Tim was the first Robin to operate solo in his own book and was considered more of a hero in his own right than just Batman's Kid Sidekick.
Kid Sidekick: To Batman. For a while had his own in the form of Spoiler while he was still a Kid Sidekick.
The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Tim Drake is a gigantic fanboy. While he was far too serious and earnest about trying to save Bats from himself when he first approached the Batclan to do much squeeing his later meetings with Black Canary, Wildcat and Blue Beetle provide him ample opportunity to gush about the older heroes. He even lines up to get Wildcat's signature.
Knockout Gas: A part of his arsenal, at one point he laments his Young Justice teammates attacking a villain when he could have just used some to knock him out and called it a day much quicker.
The Leader: Of Young Justice, his teammates still treat him like the leader voting him out of the position and replacing him with Wonder Girl when they lose their trust in him after Batman’s plans to be able to deal with the possibility of Justice League members going rouge becomes known to them.
- Within Batman Inc. he is tasked with leading the Outsiders.
Legacy Character: The third Robin, obviously. Following Battle for the Cowl, Tim took up the role of Red Robin, which was previously held by Jason during Countdown to Final Crisis. Tim's history as Robin was then retconned out of continuity with the New 52 reboot, then retconned back in as of DC Rebirth.
Likes Older Women: In Red Robin Tim, who if he hadn't dropped out would be still be in High School, starts dating college girl Tam Fox.
Like Brother and Sister: His relationship with Cassandra Cain and Oracle. Eventually Cass was adopted, and they became actual siblings.
- Tim with the female members of Young Justice, though Secret desperately wants him to date her.
Lonely Rich Kid: In stark contrast to the DC Animated Universe version, which was more based on Jason Todd.
Long-Lost Relative: Tim invented one in “Eddie Drake” to avoid becoming a ward of the state.
Love at First Punch: It was love at first 'brick' with Spoiler/Stephanie Brown. After their first encounter, Tim couldn't get her out of his head and proceeded to track down her civilian identity.
Loves My Alter Ego: Before Steph learned his secret identity she was dating him as Robin without ever having even heard of or met Tim Drake as Batman had forbidden him from telling her his name.
Loyal to the Position: When Bruce is accused of murder and decides the correct response is to declare that there is no such person as Bruce and abandon his allies Tim’s investigation of the murder keeps Bruce as a possible suspect to Dick’s horror. Dick can’t understand how Tim can even wear the uniform if he feels that he can’t always trust Bruce (and Dick) but Tim considers it to be part of being Robin to investigate the murder properly and considers what Dick is asking of him to sound like Blind Obedience:
Nightwing: Three things I need you to know. I mean, really know, deep in your gut. Okay? One: As long as you’re with Batman–or me–you’re safe. Neither of us would ever let anything happen to you. Two: We don’t quit. Not once has anyone who knows Batman’s mission failed to get up again after being knocked down. And three: Batman doesn’t kill. Not ever.
Robin: One: Jason Todd. Two: Jim Gordon. Three: So far. Sorry.
Nightwing: I don’t–I don’t see how you could say that and still wear that uniform…
Robin: The guy who gave it to me–the guy who wore it first–he taught me never to back away from any possibility that might lead to the truth. And he still believes that… right?
Nightwing: I think it’s… admirable that you can continue serving a system in which you have so little faith… But I can’t. I can’t, Tim. I cannot believe that Batman is guilty of murder. I do not believe it, and I will not believe it. And I can’t stand with anyone who does.
Robin: Yeah… I know…
Made of Iron: He doesn't let Jason stabbing him in the chest and leaving him for dead keep him down long, along with other examples, he's got a high risk high contact job after all.
Magnetic Hero: A downplayed example but Huntress views him as a little brother and Anarky aligns himself to Tim as mission control while recovering from being poisoned by the General and all of Young Justice is loyal to him and considers him a friend years after the team is disbanded.
Make It Look Like an Accident: Even after Damian learns that he does not need to kill his competition to become part of the family, he routinely sabotages Tim’s equipment in ways that could kill him including cutting the line in his Grappling-Hook Pistol and damaging his glider cape.
Milholland Relationship Moment: After Tim’s best friend Conner dies, Tim and Conner’s girlfriend Cassie exchanged a kiss that could be interpreted largely as Sex for Solace (except without the sex, because, you know, Tim Drake). They break up, but after Conner comes back to life both are worried what he'll think of them. He doesn't care; it's not like they knew he was coming back, after all.
Moment of Weakness: He doesn't act on it, but after about five hours of being Buried Alive with the Cluemaster, Tim finds himself thinking that there isn't enough air for both of them to make it until help arrives... He immediately catches himself and dispels the thought, disgusted that it ever crossed his mind.
Morality Pet: He becomes Robin specifically because he can see that Batman needs a Morality Pet.
My Greatest Failure: Just after the Black Glove fiasco, an old enemy, The General (who is an intelligent adolescent supervillain), returned to Gotham, terrorizing it under the Red Robin moniker. In an attempt to get him to surrender peacefully, Tim got the General's parents to come. While his parents were trying to calm him down, one of the bombs that the General had hidden detonated, killing both of his siblings whom Tim had not realized had been brought along. Tim blames himself as he brought the family into the situation in the first place.
Mysterious Watcher: Tim was first introduced as one with his face hidden and his name not yet selected.
Neutral Good: Tim Drake initially came off as this when he became the third Robin. Although he had lost his mother to a criminal (who also severely injured his father), revenge and punishment has never been his motivation. He became Robin because Batman needed a Robin to save him from his own darkness. Jason Todd had been dead for several years now, Dick Grayson was firmly established as Nightwing, and he was the only one with the skills and motivation to fill the void. Tim is one of the few people who Batman feels will eventually surpass his teachings and actually improve on his crimefighting methods. The other is Dick Grayson himself, who also falls into this alignment.
New Transfer Student: Tim is one in perpetuity, some of the high schools he attended include:
- Gotham Heights High School: Tim’s first foray into public schools at Bruce’s suggestion after his parents had him attending fancy boarding schools where he quickly befriends Ives and starts dating Ariana. After the earthquakes cause an influx of students the school is not ready to handle it develops a serious bullying problem and two bullies end up murdering another student.
- Brentwood Academy: The “prison like” high class boarding school where Tim’s father sent him after jumping to conclusions about Tim without really trying to talk to him as punishment for his “delinquent behavior” even though Tim was a straight A student who never really got in trouble for anything outside of absences.
- J.J. Carmody Senior High School: His attending the placement test for the tenth grade held here had similar overtones to being the new kid alongside Ives who had to take the placement exam because he got lime disease and missed most of the rest of the year shortly after Tim was sent to Brentwood.
- Louis E. Grieve Memorial High School: Where Bernard Dowd immediately spots him out as a new transfer.
- Gotham High: Which he attended after his father’s death and his adoption by Bruce where he met Zoanne and which Ives transferred to so they ended up in classes together again.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: His attempts to prevent more deaths in the confrontation between the League of Assassins and the Council of Spiders leads to an immediate massacre when he forces the League’s ninjas to agree not to use deadly force and leaves the League’s base with weakened protection.
Non-Powered Costumed Hero: Like his mentor and predecessors.
No Social Skills: During the New 52, compared to his Pre-Flashpoint counterpart. Damian even calls him "The robot" in Batman and Robin Eternal.
Not Allowed to Grow Up: Tim was generically 14 years old or so for much of his ongoing series, which ran from 1993 to 2009. By the time he became Red Robin, he was 17. Then the New 52 de-aged him to 16 again, and he was kept there for a long time (despite Damian aging three years within the same period). From DC Infinite Frontier he might finally be a legal adult, but it hasn't been explicitly said.
Not as You Know Them: New 52 Tim Drake might not even have that as he may only have Tim Drake as an alias. With Rebirth, he eventually had his original origin reinstated.
Number Two: After Cassie became the leader of Young Justice former leader Tim became her number two. This is the position he's most comfortable with on teams since he doesn't mind coming up with plans, strategizing and working out tactics but he doesn't really like being the actual leader.
- Was also the Number Two of the Gotham Knights team in Detective Comics (Rebirth), while Batman and Batwoman jointly acted as The Leader.
Obfuscating Disability: He has Tim Drake get shot in an assassination attempt when it looks like someone is about to put together his secret identity and uses crutches for quite some time following the shooting.
An Odd Place to Sleep: Tim seems to be able to fall asleep anywhere, and when he does have the time to sleep in his bed Alfred instead finds him sitting on the floor beside it. He once fell asleep on a roller coaster.
Off to Boarding School: One of the arcs in Chuck Dixon's run. Tim gets sent to Brentwood Academy by his dad who is worried about him being a rebellious and secretive teenager.
Omniglot: His first language is English, and by the time he picks up the Red Robin mantle he can communicate in Spanish, Cantonese, Russian, and German. He learned some French while studying in Paris too.
Only Known By His Nickname: He goes by Tim rather than Timothy.
Only Sane Man: In Young Justice. But sometimes Not So Above It All.
Orphan's Ordeal: When his final biological parent dies, Tim is too late, arriving to find his father’s corpse in a pool of blood. Then his stepmother has a breakdown in the wake of his father’s death and Tim is forced to make up a Long-Lost Relative to move in with to avoid becoming a ward of the state.
Outfit Decoy: In the Marvel vs. DC crossover event, Robin uses this method to defeat Jubilee (specifically, he hangs his cape in a shadowed corner so she'll look the other way as he ties her up), showing his experience and skills over her raw mutant power.
Overworked Sleep: While he normally does not fall asleep while working in his masked persona Catwoman once caught him taking a “bat-nap” on a roof when he was recovering from the Clench. Sometimes his habit of falling asleep anywhere and everywhere in his civilian persona does not work out in his favor, like the time he fell asleep on a roller coaster during a date with Zoanne.
Panicky Expectant Father: Although Stephanie plans to give her child up for adoption and Tim is not her biological father, he is very dedicated to supporting Stephanie through the pregnancy and making sure they take no chances with the unborn child's safety. He also panics at the thought of not being by her side when she's giving birth.
Parental Abandonment: Often left alone at home with his housekeeper in his childhood, then his mother died, followed by his father. His stepmother was institutionalized (in Bludhaven, shortly before it got hit by Chemo; she presumably died too).
Le Parkour: How he gets around Gotham and Bludhaven while in costume.
Phrase Catcher: One of the catchphrases of Young Justice was "We can tell you were trained by the world's greatest detective" said by any character when Tim points out something obvious.
Pig Latin: Occasionally. To Dick Grayson out of costume:
Shouldn’t you be, like, ix-nay on the crobatics-ay in here, though? They’re security cameras everywhere…
Playful Hacker: He doesn’t always rely on Oracle and actually served as Bruce’s Voice with an Internet Connection for a time when he was in training.
Pop-Cultured Badass: The things Batman needs to hear from Robin:
Don’t worry–I learned this move from Tom Cruise!
Power of Friendship: Young Justice are all over this trope. They aren't the equals to the JLA or JSA in sheer power. It's their ability to work as a team and the fact that you mess with one, you can expect any and all past and present members to show up looking to kick your butt that makes them frightening.
Power Trio: Red Tornado convincing Tim that he makes a good team with Superboy and Impulse is what lead to the creation of the Young Justice team.
Precision-Guided Boomerang: Batarangs
Quest for Identity: During 52 shortly after Tim lost his girlfriend, his father, his best friend, and his step-mother Tim accompanied and assisted Bruce on Bruce's travels around the world to reinvent and find himself.
Rape by Proxy: In the post-reboot Teen Titans series, Trigon brings Tim under his control and then seduces both Wonder Girl and Solstice into having sex with him. This shocked all three parties (especially Wonder Girl, who had been juggling her feelings for Tim and for Superboy for some time). The three later Hand Waved the incident since all parties involved enjoyed the incident, and Trigon insisted that Tim wasn't exactly Fighting from the Inside. Tim and Cassandra later became involved for real, spurred by their lingering passions for each other.
Red Baron: Shares "The Detective" with Batman.
Red Is Heroic: Tim, like all Robins, has been associated with the color red since his inception, though he was associated with green to Impulse's red in Young Justice and originally had green narration boxes as Robin.
Renamed the Same: Robin to Red Robin. He didn’t really give up the name by choice anyway so this let him hang on to it regardless of Dick’s decision.
Ret-Canon: His post-Infinite Crisis Robin costume (seen in his second Robin picture above) is based on the costume worn by his DC Animated Universe counterpart, albeit with long red sleeves rather than short black sleeves. The justification is that Tim chose to wear the colors of Superboy to honor his memory, as Superboy was one of the casualties of Infinite Crisis and wouldn't be brought back to life until Final Crisis.
Revealing Injury: After he gets caught in the blast of Anarky II's explosion saving Officer Harper he keeps out of the public eye and starts wearing the Red Robin cowl when going out avoid an injury giving him away while he is recovering. The back half of his neck and head are very noticeably burned, Jason describes it as looking like cat vomit.
Roofhopping: How else does one traverse Gotham at night?
Rogues Gallery: First Robin to pick one of his own up while he was still the Kid Sidekick.
Sanity Slippage: After his father, girlfriend and best friend die, and his stepmother is missing and presumed dead, in quick succession his decision to attempt to clone them, or at least enough of them to be brought back by a dip in a Lazarus Pit is treated this way, though Superboy is brought back by others and Stephanie wasn’t dead to begin with. His father only comes back briefly to try and kill him during Blackest Night and his stepmother is never seen again. Dick thinks he is suffering from this again in the wake of Bruce's death which is part of the reason he took Robin from him.
Sarcastic Devotee: When he returns to the role of Robin after Bruce took things one Secret Test of Character too far and attempted a failed Batman Gambit which led to his girlfriend’s death.
Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: His dynamic with Stephanie Brown/Spoiler.
Secret Public Identity: Drake is his last name. When he finally takes up a hero name that wasn't used by his older brother's first he goes with Drake despite still keeping his id a secret. At least this will give an excuse if anyone overhears Damian's frequent slip ups with real names in the field since he calls Tim using his biological surname.
Science Hero: Like his mentor it is not quite as emphasized as the other flavors of hero he fills, but he more than qualifies.
Second Love: Following his adopted father's footsteps, Tim's first love was Ariana Dzerchenko and his second love was Stephanie Brown. In fact, Tim is Stephanie's second love — her first boyfriend, Dean, got her pregnant and abandoned her after he found out.
Secret Chaser: He figured out Batman and Robin's civilian identity when he was nine, and finally sought them out when he noticed that Batman was getting more unstable after the death of Jason Todd.
Secret Identity: Robin III/Red Robin are both really Timothy "Tim" Jackson Drake-Wayne.
Secret-Keeper: He had Oracle and his Young Justice teammates' identities figured out to his teammates annoyance since he wasn't sharing his. He also figured out the secret ids of some other heroes like Wildcat but didn't let them know he had them figured out.
Secret Secret-Keeper: He didn't see any reason to do anything with the knowledge of Batman and Robin's secret identities until Batman's crusade started becoming more self destructive at which point he approached Dick to try and get him to step in and help.
Shock Stick: His weapon is a Bo Staff given to him by Lady Shiva can emit EMPs.
Sibling Rivalry: A heavy one, with Damian. Despite Damian being a good 6-8 years younger than him.
Sibling Yin-Yang: With Damian.
- Possibly with Cassandra as well (as Tim is accepted to be the most brilliant detective, while Cass is the best martial artist).
Sidekick Graduations Stick: Dick Grayson is to Nightwing as Tim Drake is to Red Robin, except Tim never truly deviated from the Robin name.
- Takes on a level of meta context in the New 52: it's no longer a promotion, but Tim is Red Robin still. He just never had an identity before hand.
- After he "dies" in Rebirth, his backstory is reset back to the Pre-Flashpoint version meaning that he was the third Robin again and this trope is played straight. However, as of Young Justice (2019) he's Robin again, averting this trope.
Single-Stroke Battle: Engages in one with Lady Shiva. The result would've made Batman proud.
Skate Heaven Is a Place on Earth: How he treats Gotham in his civilian guise back when he still skateboarded.
The Smart Guy: When he was part of Young Justice and the Teen Titans. Kid Flash even commented that being around Tim makes him feel stupid after he had memorized every book in a library. He can also be considered this among the Robins, as he earned his spot on the Bat-Family almost entirely through his excellent detective skills.
Fabian Nicieza: He is 'the smart one' of the Bat-family, the thinker and planner. I mean, of course Bruce Wayne/Batman is what he is, and Tim isn’t quite there yet, but Tim at 17 has a more developed intellect than Bruce at 17 did. That’s not to say Dick Grayson or Barbara Gordon are dumb, of course they’re not, but Tim’s level of thinking is a bit... thicker... than theirs. For me, Dick is about superior reflexive thinking, Barbara about superior operational thinking and Tim is about superior comprehensive, or all-encompassing, thinking."
Smoke Out: He’s been trained to use this trick.
Sorry That I'm Dying: When he ends up in a delivery truck buried in concrete with no way to communicate to the outside world his reaction is to mentally apologize to Bruce, both for the fact that he is going to die and because while trying to think of what to do he figured that Lady Shiva would recommend killing his fellow captive to preserve oxygen. Spoiler manages to find and save him since she was expecting to meet up and have him train her some more.
Stalker without a Crush: He is introduced following Batman and taking pictures of him and it is revealed he has done so before and has followed the careers of Batman and both his Robins. In and out of costume.
Star-Crossed Lovers: In DC vs. Marvel, Robin and Jubilee were instantly smitten with each other when they met; angst ensued since they were supposed to fight. Knowing the stakes, they agreed to go with through with it and that there'd be no hard feelings, and Robin managed to defeat Jubilee without actually hitting her. From there, they enjoyed their remaining time together before being separated for good.
Stealth Expert: Even before receiving any training he is able to follow Batman and Robin without being noticed. His first introduction before DC had even decided on his name is as a faceless kid sneaking a photo of Batman and commenting on his uncharacteristic recklessness causing him to take more injuries than normal.
Stealth Hi/Bye: Learned from the master himself
Steven Ulysses Perhero: In Young Justice (2019), he changed his superhero name from Robin to Drake – as in a male duck – which is also his last name.
The Strategist: He took to this part of his training very well.
Strong Girl, Smart Guy: When Cass came to Bludhaven to help out Tim, Batgirl and Robin had this dynamic.
Sugar-and-Ice Personality: As a result of the massive amounts of angst that comes with the job.
Superheroes Wear Capes: All of his costumes have had a cape.
- Except for his latest costume as Drake.
Superheroes Wear Tights: His first Robin costume appears to have green tights or very tight green pants, while the later costumes seem to have form fitting pants.
Superhero Sobriquets: Robin the Boy Wonder, just as those who carried the title before him.
Superior Successor: It’s been noted that Tim is a superior Robin to his predecessor, Jason Todd. Not only is he more intelligent (Batman himself has said that Tim will overtake his detective skills one day), he also has better leadership abilities and fighting style due to more extensive training prior to taking up the Robin mantle.
Supporting Protagonist: Not normally very noticeable in his own book but it crops up during Bat Family Crossovers which naturally tend to be centered around Batman.
The Team Normal: In superhero ensembles outside of the Batfamily.
Tears of Blood: A symptom of the Clench.
Techno Wizard: Since the New 52 reboot he's become much more identified as the "tech guy" of all the Robins.
Teen Genius: Regarded as the smartest of Batman's proteges, and Batman had stated that Tim could potentially be smarter than himself.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Whenever he has to work alongside Damian.
Telescoping Staff: His Bo staff can retract into a baton.
Terms of Endangerment: Lady Shiva, who seems to like Tim in her way and sees him as a student and therefore someone she intends to fight to the death, calls him "little bird".
The Bus Came Back: He returned a year after getting "killed off" in A Lonely Place of Living.
Their First Time: After years of dating on and off, Stephanie and Tim finally decide to have sex after defeating Flashpoint Gorilla Grodd in Convergence (It's Tim's first time with anyone, though not Steph's). Humorously subverted when they find they are both too bruised and sore from their injuries to go through with it, so they end up in a Sleep Cute instead.
There Are No Therapists: Like most members of the Batfamily he never goes to any therapy to deal with the horrors he witnesses in a mask or the losses Tim has suffered. Though Dick implies he should when he thinks Tim is suffering Sanity Slippage in the wake of Bruce’s supposed death.
These Hands Have Killed: After he beats Johnny Warlock to stop his magical attack and out of a desire for revenge and the man falls broken and apparently dead to the ground. The real cause of Johnny's appearance is him using up his power, he gets up and walks away after waking in the morgue.
Those Two Guys: During the New 52, he and Jason were usually paired up together in Batfamily stories. Both their main series were written by the same person, and it was also something of a case of Pair the Spares as Dick and Damian formed their own regular duo.
Thou Shalt Not Kill: A Batfamily rule during his time a Red Robin he starts creeping closer and closer to breaking it, eventually testing himself to see if he'd go through with it. It is hinted he was testing Dick and Bruce as well since he knew they were watching. He keeps to it.
Took a Level in Badass: Yes, he was always badass, but he still managed to take another level in it. According to Word of God, Tim's transition into Red Robin was done to (similar to Dick Grayson's own "graduation") symbolize that Tim was now considered one of the most formidable superheroes in the DC community by all of his peers. He was no longer a "sidekick" but someone who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of veterans like Green Arrow, the Birds of Prey, and anyone else.
Trademark Favorite Food: He likes Zesti, a type of soda, and if an order of Canadian bacon, onion and artichoke heart pizza ever shows up, it's for Tim.
Tragic Bromance: While it was not only Conner who died during the events of Infinite Crisis the deaths of Tim’s best friend and his stepmother in quick succession (and shortly after the deaths of his girlfriend and father) served to radically alter Tim’s outlook on life.
Trauma Conga Line: He has had many of his closest friends and family killed over recent years (though most of them do get better). They include: His mother (Killed Off for Real), Stephanie Brown (Retconed to not really dead), his father (Killed Off for Real), a number of his classmates (Killed Off for Real), his stepmother (ambiguously dead), Conner Kent (gets better), Bart Allen (gets better), and finally Bruce himself (not really dead). He has started to slide toward the cynical end because of this massive series of deaths.
Trespassing to Talk: Often, though his much more amicable working relationship with the police and sheriffs than his mentor helps him get a warmer welcome when he does so to them.
Triple Shifter: Like his mentor before him. His sleeping habits manage worry his friends and Batman.:
Batman: Robin…you look like hell… Go home. Rest. Spend some time with your family.
- Alfred:
Alfred: Master Tim? Have you been up all night?
Tim: I guess I have.
- Superboy:
Superboy: You’re still awake?
Robin: It’s only three.
Superboy: The Batman teach you how not to sleep?
- and many others.
Troll: When he comes across Ives and Hudson looking into something he’s investigating as Robin he decides to play at being some kind of territorial monster, For the Lulz:
Robin: *This is too good.
Robin: LEAvE tHiS PLAcE! tHis iS MY DOMAiN!
Ives & Hudson: *running
Robin: Be GoNE oR DIE!
True Companions: Tim, Kon-el, Bart and Cassie are each others closest and most trusted friends.
Tuckerization: Tim was named after Tim Burton.
The Unchosen One: He doesn't have any tragic backstory that eventually led him into the path of being a hero; he became a hero simply because he wanted to help and make a difference.
Understanding Boyfriend: He tries to be one for Steph but he'd really prefer that she stop crimefighting and be safe as a civilian, it causes a lot of friction in their relationship as she is very independent and has no desire to need someone to save her.
Underwear of Power: While Tim briefly wore the classic costume Dick and Jason wore, he was the first Robin to actually wear a decent pair of pants, though both of the costumes most associated with his time as Robin fell under this as they featured the classic staple of wearing trunks over leggings—the first one being red trunks over green leggings (though it's been Retconned that Dick wore the revised version of the costume or something very similar to it for winter missions) and the second featuring black trunks over red legging.
Undying Loyalty: Batman notes that loyalty is his prime motivation, and his loyalty to his father caused his 10MinuteRetirement. So when Batman apparently dies, he goes Darker and Edgier, and tries to prove he is alive.
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: A rare heroic example. He was very much a sweet kid when he sought out Batman to try and save him from himself, what has followed has noticeably changed Tim and perhaps not for the better.
Useless Spleen: He looses his spleen after being attacked by an assassin with a sword. It does not seem to effect him beyond recovery time for the surgery.
Utility Belt: His first Robin costume had a streamlined one with canisters, his second costume a yellow one with noticeable pouches, his first Red Robin costume went back to the canisters and his second combined pouches on his belt with canisters on his bandoliers.
Vanity License Plate: Tim Drake is the first, if not the only Robin to be given a Cool Car, complete with a vanity license plate. He calls it the RED BIRD.
Video Wills: Bart left his to Tim to make sure it was played at his funeral and the video will Bruce left had a message for Tim on it. Bruce’s will also had a message for Jason which Tim helped him break out of Arkham to listen to. After Jason had a moment to process it, managed to break Jason and undo all of his character development that had occurred since he left Talia.
Villain Takes an Interest: He's grabbed Lady Shiva, the Unknown and Ra's al Ghul's attention. Ra's al Ghul has expressed an interest in Tim being his heir.
Vitriolic Best Buds: Tim Drake and Conner Kent have a downplayed version of this. Tim's interactions with Ives on the other hand are always full of snark.
Wacky Parent, Serious Child: He is much more calm and responsible than his easily excitable father, possibly because he was without any real adult supervision for most of his childhood and ends up taking care of his father after he wakes from his coma. At one point he watches his father fall for what he considers an obvious scam knowing that his dad won't appreciate or listen to him trying to point this out he then takes care of of the crooks as Robin and returns his father’s money with his father none the wiser to what he fell for.
Walking the Earth: During 52 Tim accompanies and supports Bruce while he is walking the earth in an attempt to find himself.
Wealthy Philanthropist: Bruce Wayne's adoptive son Tim takes after him by spearheading a new program to help support community centers, gyms and provide better education in poor areas, starting in Gotham City and then spreading globally where he receives local permission.
Weak, but Skilled: He's a normal human in a universe full of Physical Gods, this does not stop him from having an impact, or being dangerous.
Wholesome Crossdresser: In Batman #626, Tim, in order to get to a dead body held at Gotham General Hospital, briefly took up the identity of Caroline Hill. Despite his complaints, the disguise is pretty◊ effective◊, alright◊. Attractive Bent-Gender, indeed.
Wise Beyond Their Years: As a result of living in and working as a hero in Gotham which has exposed him to some of the worst humaity has to offer.
Witty Banter: With Batman, Superboy and Nightwing as Tim/Robin/Red Robin and Ives as Tim. For instance in Young Justice #53 – Dead Man Sprinting he addresses his teammates methods:
Robin: But hey, why use knockout gas and finish it fast when we can waste half an hour of quality loafing time whompin’ on Titano here.
Working Through the Cold: During Batman: No Man's Land Tim had a fight in the sewers with Ratcatcher that left him ill after ending up in the sewage with scratches and bites and had to deal with Mr.Freeze and Killer Croc while trying to get back on his feet.
Working with the Ex: His long-term relationship with Stephanie Brown ended pretty badly right before she took up the mantle of the fourth Batgirl and him becoming Red Robin. Now, whenever they run into each other (or sometimes, forced to work together), old feelings are surfaced.
- Lampshaded when Tim acknowledges the Robin/Batgirl sexual tension when he sees Stephanie in her Batgirl costume. It doesn't help that the original Robin/Batgirl (Dick and Barbara) are also currently in the same situation as Tim/Stephanie.
Xanatos Gambit: His main hitlist is set up so that one capture or defeat will lead into the next and at first seems like a Batman Gambit, but he is able to free one of the criminals on his list after being able to confirm that her story of being undercover may be true without messing it up and is confident he could recapture her should the need arise and treats it as far more flexible than Damian considered it.
You Are Not Alone: In Robin Vol 2 #156, Tim manages to talk a man away from a ledge from which he is preparing to jump and commit suicide by convincing him that he is not alone and that others will miss him. It’s then heavily implied that Tim is experiencing suicidal thoughts, he has gone through quite a bit himself. Tim calls Dick, who is implied to have provided him with the support he needed and the issue ends with a set of numbers for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
You Fight Like a Cow: Pretty much a job requirement for Robin though he uses it less than his predecessors.

Alvin Draper

My name's Alvin Draper from over Eastlyn.

The non-Robin alias (this version of) Tim's spent the most time in, especially after he starts using it to spend time with Stephanie outside of costume before she is allowed to know his Secret Identity. It ends up being the name he uses when out of costume around Young Justice too and Bart continued to use it as his name even after he manages to figure out Tim's real name since he decided that one was a fake.

Academy of Adventure: The disguise was invented to infiltrate a Ninja Camp.
Blatant Lies: He is not Alvin Draper, he invented Alvin Draper.
Brown Bag Mask: Not used but discussed when Steph asks if he thinks it's funny to wear a disguise to a Lamaze class:
"Alvin": What was I supposed to do? Wear a bag on my head?
Steph: Hee!
"Alvin": Now you're laughing at me.
Captured on Purpose / Get into Jail Free: Sets himself up to be captured by LockUp when the villain is rounding up criminals in Gotham to help Batman and Nightwing figure out where LockUp’s been taking them all.
Lamaze Class: Attended them with Stephanie in his Alvin Drapper persona since he was still forbidden from sharing his secret identity with anyone.
Malicious Misnaming: Crystal Brown calls Alvin "Albert".
Obfuscating Stupidity: Though he does end up loosing his temper while at the Ninja Camp and using abilities he was trying to hide when one of the Camp "Counselors" was bullying a fellow camper he usually uses this while using this alias.
Paper-Thin Disguise: Different posture, different dialect, different hairstyle, a nosering, earrings, some stubble and sometimes sunglasses. This is DC though.
The Mole: This was the initial purpose of this alias and what Tim most commonly uses it for.
Secret Identity: Stephanie knows Alvin Draper is another disguise, some of his other friends he used it around were convinced it was his secret identity.
Street Smart: Part of this alias' persona.
Summer Campy: Draper's first outing was to the aforementioned Ninja Camp.
Sunglasses at Night: If he's around people who know Alvin Draper is Robin he's wearing sunglasses.
Tattooed Crook: Fake tattoos have been part of this disguise.
White-Collar Crime: Alvin Draper is a known art thief since Tim used the alias to get in and out of a country where he stole some art for a case he was working on as Robin.
Wig, Dress, Accent: Effectively what he uses to make this disguise.
Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?: Superboy realizes that Alvin Draper is an alias immediately when Tim doesn’t introduce himself as Al or Vinnie instead of "Alvin".

Characters / Robin: Tim Drake

Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake-Wayne

Created By: Marv Wolfman · Pat Broderick

First Appearance: Batman #436

Alvin Draper

Alternative Title(s): Robin Series Tim Drake

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Characters / Robin: Tim Drake

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Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake-Wayne

Created By: Marv Wolfman · Pat Broderick

First Appearance: Batman #436

Alvin Draper

Alternative Title(s): Robin Series Tim Drake

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