Throughout the many years of DC Comics storylines, Batman has been accompanied by several versions of Robin on his eternal quest for justice in the alleyways of Gotham City. Some of these versions of Robin have stayed for a while, while others suddenly left. But one thing is for certain: some were better than others. Here are all the iterations of Batman’s sidekick Robin ranked from worst to best. Note that only the main versions of Robin are included here—alternate timeline Robins are not present.
5. Stephanie Brown
Stephanie’s time as Robin was not just short-lived. It was also defined by several failures of both her character and her actions. She spent time in DC Comics as Batgirl, Robin, and later the individual agent Spoiler. Throughout her strange arc in the comics, she mistakenly believed Tim Drake (who was also Robin at the time) was cheating on her, and she then demanded that Batman train her as the new Robin. She also mistakenly caused a city-wide gang war in a misguided attempt to act on Batman’s long running plan to right the crime in Gotham. Brown’s rough time as Robin only cemented her infamous reputation.
4. Jason Todd
Jason Todd’s notoriety precedes him. This version of Robin was so unanimously disliked that when audiences were given a chance to save him or let him die, they chose to kill him. Although the margin for this decision was very small, fans despised him due to some serious character derailment. Todd eventually became a cocky and overly disrespectful character, which resulted in his reputation being permanently damaged. However, he did recover in part thanks to his transition into Red Hood, an antihero vigilante that repaired the damage to Todd’s character. Todd’s improvement proves that it is possible to recover from derailment—but it’s undeniably a slippery slope.
3. Tim Drake
Though his arc is damaged by his derailed relationship with Stephanie Brown, Tim Drake’s time as Robin has proved more than fruitful in his comic appearances. Defined by his sharp intellect and quick wit, Drake’s career as Robin has been long and illustrious. His intelligence and characterization have made him a popular iteration of Robin, even leading to a very long comic run as the character, with Drake appearing in over 100 issues. He even debuted in the wake of the loss of Jason Todd, having deduced Batman’s identity and helping the Dark Knight heal from the loss of his previous Robin. All of these reasons make Drake an exceptionally popular form of Batman’s sidekick.
2. Damian Wayne
Damian Wayne has provided lots of entertainment and hilarity in his time as Robin. This exceedingly sarcastic hero has more than been able to back up his egotistical attitude with his lethal skills. Spoiled and violent, Wayne was originally genetically engineered to become a trainee for the League of Assassins, but he was eventually led away from this path to become Batman’s sidekick. Wayne is also the Robin that currently leads several incarnations of the Teen Titans, all of which retain his sarcasm, ego, and violence. While that may not be true for modern Teen Titans versions like Teen Titans Go!, Wayne’s time and reputation as Robin are well-earned, making him continually popular.
1. Dick Grayson
Sometimes, you just can’t beat the original. Dick Grayson has become one of the most iconic comic book characters in history, having a long and illustrious career in the world of Gotham City. Though he is these days known as solo vigilante Nightwing, Grayson’s initial appearance as Robin was what set the wheels in motion for the sidekick’s long legacy. He even shared something in common with Batman—his parents were also murdered prior to him being taken in. Even though he’s built a more solid reputation as Nightwing, there’s no denying that he is ultimately the root of every Robin to ever exist.
(Featured image: DC Comics)
