There’s only one Batman, but there are a multitude of Robins. Throughout his comic book history, Batman has had several sidekicks named Robin – so many that it could be argued Robin is the most important member of the Bat-family (aside from Batman, of course). With that in mind, we thought it would be best to rank the Robins from worst to best. Yes, everyone has their favorite, but we think listing this in order of importance is, well, important.
6. Stephanie Brown
When you’re best known for getting fired by Batman, you’re at the bottom of the list. Despite having held other identities as Spoiler and Batgirl, there’s not a lot to go on for Stephanie Brown’s stint as Robin. Stephanie also dated Tim Drake for a short while, as well as helped foil plots that her criminal father (Cluemaster) constructed. Not a great look for an aspiring hero.
5. Carrie Kelley
We love Carrie, but she’s never “officially” been Batman’s sidekick in the main DC comic book universe. Her glasses are great and we love her eventual progression to Catgirl, but there’s too little of her in comparison to the rest of the sidekicks on this list.
4. Damian Wayne
The current Robin is…. Well, kind of annoying. He has a very interesting parentage and creates interesting stories thanks to his “problem child” status, but it can be difficult to take the character seriously (especially when compared to all of his predecessors). As the only Robin who is the actual son of Bruce Wayne, there are a lot of family dynamics we’re excited to explore as Damian’s character grows. We’re sure we’ll be seeing more of him in the future – both in comic books and elsewhere.
3. Jason Todd
Interestingly, Jason Todd is best known nowadays as a character other than Robin. Since he was introduced in 1983, he’s become a prominent villain in Batman and Gotham’s roster. After a controversial storyline that ended in Todd’s death, the character resurfaced as Red Hood. Like Dick Grayson’s eventual Nightwing persona, there’s a lot to unpack about the character here. It’s always interesting to see what happens to Batman’s sidekicks after they stop being his sidekicks. Love him or hate him, stories with Jason Todd are always interesting.
2. Tim Drake
The first Robin to get his own ongoing series, Tim Drake brought the edge back to Robin. He was street smart, he was cool, and having to follow up to Jason Todd was no easy feat. In the eyes of fans, he had the best of Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, and that propelled him to new heights as a superhero. When he left Batman, he didn’t entirely leave Robin behind – he eventually changed his name to Red Robin, which became its own series in the late 2000s.
#1
Dick Grayson
The first Robin is of course the best one. As an orphaned acrobat, he fits perfectly with the Caped Crusader by providing much needed levity and youth to Batman’s serious demeanor. His origin story is iconic and he set the stage for all other sidekicks – for Batman and for comic books as a whole. Yes, we could also get into his path as Nightwing (which, we admit, is great), but for the time being – Dick Grayson as Robin is numero uno.
Who is your favorite Robin, let us know in the comments below?
