In October, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released Gotham Knights, which is the latest title in the Batman: Arkham series of video games. Unlike past games in the series, which starred titular superhero Bruce Wayne, Gotham Knights takes place after Batman’s death – yes, really – and players can choose to play one of four of his protĂ©gĂ©s: Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, or Red Hood.
As any or all of these heroes, players will attempt to protect Gotham City in the immediate aftermath of their mentor’s death, which is as difficult as it is painful. There’s little time to mourn their loss, especially when criminal activity in Gotham is steadily increasing in the Dark Knight’s absence. Classic comic book villains including the League of Assassins and the Court of Owls plague the Bat Family, and ghosts from Bruce’s past just keep cropping up.
But who exactly are the members of the Bat Family who star in Gotham Knights? Comic book superheroes don’t always keep the same monikers – for example, DC Comics currently has two characters using the name ‘Superman’ – and legacy heroes frequently step in for or take over from their mentors. If a hero dies, their name might be picked up by someone else, forcing them to choose another if they’re resurrected. And none of that even takes into account the difficulty of parallel universes or alternate timelines.
Robin is arguably the most popular of Batman’s various superhero sidekicks, but multiple characters have donned the Robin costume since the character debuted in 1940. And Gotham Knights technically features three of them.
Which Robin is a playable hero in Gotham Knights?
The first character to take on the Robin moniker was Dick Grayson, who was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane for 1940’s Detective Comics #38. And Dick Grayson is a playable character in Gotham Knights, but he’s no longer going by Robin – these days, he’s going by Nightwing and although he still works closely with Batman and the rest of the Bat Family, he’s also a premier hero in his own right rather than being relegated to the life of a sidekick.
Gotham Knights also features another former Robin: Jason Todd, who was created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Don Newton for 1983’s Batman #387, though he didn’t adopt the Robin moniker until Batman #366 was released a few months later. In Gotham Knights, Jason is now known as Red Hood, a moniker he claimed after being killed in the 1988 comics storyline “A Death in the Family” and then resurrected in 2005. As Red Hood, Jason has a much spottier, more morally grey history than when he wore the Robin costume – which adds an interesting flavor to the necessary teamwork he has to commit to in Gotham Knights.
So, if Dick Grayson and Jason Todd are both in this video game but neither is Robin, then who is?
That would be Tim Drake, who was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Pat Broderick in 1989. Following Jason’s death, Tim is the next character to take on the role of Batman’s Robin, and he’s held the role ever since (though of course, he isn’t the only Robin to have appeared in Batman comics since 1989, but we can get further into that at another time).
Next to Dick and Jason in Gotham Knights, Tim plays as a younger but no less capable Robin who’s willing to step up and do whatever it takes to restore justice to Gotham City, which includes safeguarding his fellow heroes. When players are first given the opportunity to choose a hero – which they can change at anytime in the Bat Cave – Tim’s “Character Proficiency” list includes “Stealth Specialist,” “Tactical Genius,” and “Bo Staff Prodigy,” all of which can be super useful during in-game missions. As players progress, they can unlock additional costumes/skins, weapons, and elemental abilities for each of the four heroes, including Robin.
Gotham Knights is currently available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
(featured image: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
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