10 Best Batman Characters Who Aren’t Superheroes

Batman is one of the most popular superheroes in the world and is practically the second face of DC, alongside Superman. He’s persisted in comics and popular culture for over eighty years, and that’s not something any character can do on their own. Superman has Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, Garfield has John and Odie, and Mikey Mouse has Donald and Goofy. Every successful character has a supporting cast that can show their strengths, weaknesses, and bounce off of them in entertaining ways. Batman is no different in that regard. So today, we’re going to take a look at ten of the best Batman supporting characters.

Specifically, we’re going to check out ten characters who aren’t superheroes or supervillains themselves. Usually. We don’t want the entire list to be Robins and Batgirls, after all, but if we dismissed every character who has ever worn a costume, even temporarily, this list would suffer from some very slim pickings. We’re going to rank these characters based on a mix of importance, popularity, and strength of character, but even if they’re numbered higher or lower than you think they should be, every character here is vital to Batman’s mythos. So, without further ado, let’s dig into some of the characters who helped make Batman who he is.

10) Harold Allnut

First appeared in The Question (1987) #33.

Harold is definitely one of Batman’s more obscure characters, but he played a major role in helping the Dark Knight in the ‘90s. Harold was born suffering from severe kyphosis, which left him a hunchback and mute. Despite his physical limitations, Harold was an incredible engineer, and after doing some brief, unwilling work for the Penguin, Batman recruited Harold to be his personal engineer. He was a whiz without rival with machines, building mechanical wonders like the subway rocket and repairing the Batcave following “No Man’s Land.” Harold was eventually phased out as Batman took on the responsibility of being his own engineer, but the fact remains that his precedent of having hyper-advanced tech wouldn’t be nearly as strong without Harold.

9) Henri Ducard

First appeared in Detective Comics #599.

To prepare himself to be the unstoppable Batman, Bruce traveled the world and trained with the masters of practically every craft. One of those teachers was Henri Ducard, the world’s greatest manhunter. He taught Batman everything he knows about how to find people who don’t want to be found, setting him up to be the World’s Greatest Detective. Ducard also doubled as an assassin, which led to his and Bruce’s falling out. Even though these two will never see eye to eye, Ducard is responsible for many of Batman’s best skills, and their intellectual clashes whenever they meet are a definite treat.

8) Julia Pennyworth

First appeared in Detective Comics #501.

Julia is the daughter of Batman’s beloved butler, Alfred. She follows in her dad’s footsteps, not as a butler, but as a special agent who demands respect be put on the Pennyworth name. Julia hasn’t had many appearances or starring roles in Batman stories, but when she is present, she adds a whole new dynamic to the entire cast. She’s one of the only people alive who has issues with Alfred, and her anger at his decision to raise Bruce instead of her brings out new sides of Bruce and Alfred, and forces them to change how they interact. Julia is a character with infinite potential. She just needs the right story to unleash it.

7) Vicki Vale

First appeared in Batman (1940) #49.

Vicki is one of Batman’s oldest supporting characters, and while she’s never been as omnipresent as Alfred or Jim Gordon, she almost always makes herself known. A reporter for the Gotham Gazette and on-again-off-again love interest for Bruce Wayne, Vicki was intended to be a copy and paste of Lois Lane, but grew into a fantastic character in her own right. She’s figured out Batman’s identity all on her own, and has repeatedly been a source the Caped Crusader turns to when he needs eyes and ears on something going on within Gotham. She’s Gotham’s very own ace reporter, and she definitely deserves to make a comeback.

6) Harvey Bullock

First appeared in Detective Comics #441.

Bullock is a longtime member of the GCPD, and while today he’s the de facto cop to go to when Gordon is busy, that wasn’t always the case. Bullock started as one of Gotham’s many corrupt officers, taking bribes and dishing out violent justice however he saw fit. However, after accidentally giving Gordon a heart attack, he turned around and worked to earn everyone’s trust and respect as a true defender of Gotham. Bullock is a hard-boiled, cynical, and often incompetent cop, but he tries his best to protect those he can and desperately wants to improve the city. His growth is one of the best in all of Gotham, and he definitely deserves to stand beside Gordon and Bats in protecting their home.

5) Thomas and Martha Wayne

First appeared in Detective Comics (1937) #33.

This entry is cheating just a little, as this is two people, but Thomas and Martha are a set and are equally essential to Batman’s lore. Without these two, Batman wouldn’t exist. Obviously, their death is what inspired Bruce to inflict vengeance in the night, but it was their compassion for Gotham City and commitment to life that turned Bruce into the kind superhero that he is today. It’s rare to see Thomas and Martha appear as anything other than flashbacks, ghosts, or alternate reality versions, but when they appear, they always give such incredible insight into how Batman became who he is, and that’s exactly what great supporting characters should do.

4) Lucius Fox

First appeared in Batman #307.

Lucius is an unparalleled genius in the worlds of finance and business, as well as a close friend and trusted ally to Bruce Wayne. Lucius has served as everything from the head of Wayne Enterprises’ R&D department to its CEO, as he is the one person Bruce trusts above everyone with his parents’ company, including himself. One of the coolest aspects of Lucius’s character is his connection to the business side of Batman, which is often overlooked and handwaved to get on with the superhero story, but is no less important. Lucius is the window into that world, and he’s also one of Batman’s best allies with a rich past and a very interesting family. This isn’t even getting into his dynamic with Batwing and Jace Fox Batman. 

3) Leslie Thompkins

First appeared in Detective Comics #457.

Leslie was an old friend of Thomas and Martha Wayne, being a doctor and social worker who ran a clinic for the criminals and drug addicts of Gotham. After the Waynes’ death, Leslie helped to raise Bruce, trying to teach him to let go of his grief and replace it with compassion. After Bruce became Batman, Leslie appealed to him in every way to stop the violence and help people in a peaceful way. Leslie represents an idyllic, merciful heart that sees violence as a repeating cycle and constantly tries to pull Bruce out of that whirlpool. When she’s written at her best, Leslie is a mirror to remind Bruce why he became Batman in the first place, and nobody can touch his heart quite like her.

2) Jim Gordon

First appeared in Detective Comics (1937) #27.

Jim has been around for as long as Batman himself, and ever since, he has been establishing himself as one of the best supporting characters ever. Gordon isn’t just Batman’s connection to the GCPD; he’s the other side of the Batman coin, being a good man fighting to change a corrupt system from the inside, while Batman goes beyond the lines. He’s Batman’s original partner and the one cop that everyone knows they can turn to. He’s done just as much good for Gotham as Batman, restoring people’s faith in the law and cleaning up the corruption that was taken as necessary as bones before. 

Gordon is Barbara’s father, the greatest cop in all of DC, and the man who understands Batman just as well as any of his closest allies, despite choosing not to know his real name. From “Year One” to The Killing Joke, most of Batman’s best stories feature Gordon just as prominently as the Dark Knight. They are a team unlike any other, and their friendship can never go understated.

1) Alfred Pennyworth

First appeared in Batman (1940) #16 (as Alfred Beagle).

The greatest Batman side character couldn’t be anyone else but Alfred. He’s Batman’s trusty butler and the person who raised him after his parents’ death. Alfred is a father to Bruce and every member of the Bat-Family, being the rock they can all fall back on. He’s the backbone of the Bat-Family like no one else can be, reminding them all to take care of themselves and that they are only people, but people who choose to do the right thing. He’s one of the most beloved and trusted characters in all of comics, and it goes without saying that without Alfred, Batman wouldn’t be anywhere near the same. Just as much as he needs a Robin, Batman always needs an Alfred.

So there we have the ten best Batman characters who, generally speaking, aren’t superheroes themselves. Do you agree with this list, or think that someone else deserves a spot here with the big dogs?

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

5 DC Batman Rip-Offs Who Became Beloved Characters In Their Own Right