DC’s 5 Best Legacy Characters and Their Impact, Ranked

Legacy has always been an essential part of DC’s mythos. The company has almost always defined its heroes by the impact they leave on the world and how future generations choose to pick up the torch. Every major hero in DC is either the genesis point for a legacy or the inheritor of one. DC’s superheroes aren’t just good people doing the right thing. They have become role models akin to gods, being symbols to look up to and strive to emulate. Superheroic legacies can provide a wonderful mythology explaining how important superheroes are to the grand scheme of the universe, or be a deeply intimate tale of personal inspiration and someone continuing a mantle to continue the good fight they were taught.

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Suffice to say, legacy is one of DC’s major themes. Just look at the countless new generations of superheroes that rise up, directly inspired by the ones that came before them. There are a lot of heroes who carry on or exemplify a legacy of some kind. Some are awesome, some are terrible, and some are so essential that they’ve rewritten what it means to be a hero. Those are the heroes we’re talking about today. We’re looking at five of DC’s best legacy heroes and examining what makes them great. These are the heroes who have evolved a mantle for a new world, or even made it their own so completely that most fans don’t even know about the original. So, let’s leap into talking about DC’s legacies.

5) Robin — Tim Drake

The Robin identity is, without a doubt, the most important legacy in DC’s history. Dick passing the mantle to Jason was the first instance of a true A-list hero being replaced, and opened the door for every hero to pass on their identity in the future. While Jason proved this was possible, Tim proved that a new character could evolve an identity beyond anything that it was before. Initially, Jason was explicitly designed to be as close to Dick as possible, but Tim broke that trend. He discovered Batman’s identity himself, didn’t want to be Batman, and even redesigned the costume.

Tim modernized the Robin identity in look and feel, taking the sidekick idea and showing everyone that it could still work in a darker, grittier world. Tim is the hero who established that Batman will always need a Robin, reforging the Boy Wonder as the light to Batman’s darkness. Tim was the starting point for the sidekick legacy boom of the ‘90s, and showed everyone that legacies could change and grow. He is the poster child for his entire generation of young heroes for a reason, after all.

4) Flash — Wally West

Barry was already the legacy carrier for Jay Garrick, but both men would be surpassed by Wally West when he became the Flash. Wally is the perfect example of how to give homage to the heroes that came before while also charging bravely into his own direction. He started his career unwilling to move out of Barry’s shadow, even wearing his old costume and trying to convince the people that the Flash had never died. Wally worshiped Barry, so surpassing him as a hero seemed almost sacrilegious, but after he accepted that he had to be the greatest Flash he could be, Wally ran forward. He still honored Barry’s history, but also made his own.

Wally’s the Flash who introduced us to the Speed Force and the concept of the Flash Family. He turned an esoteric superpower into an entire mythology that has become one of the most important and powerful fundamental forces in the DC Universe. Wally never stopped giving Barry all the credit he deserves, but he also fundamentally rewrote what it means to be the Flash so completely that all future stories with every Flash harken back to Wally’s time in some capacity. Wally made every Flash before and after him better, and that’s exactly what a legacy character should do.

3) Blue Beetle — Jaime Reyes

Where Tim and Wally are the greatest examples of how to evolve a legacy while retaining what made the original so great, Jaime goes in the exact opposite direction. Outside of the name and theming, there isn’t much that’s similar about Jamie and Ted Kord, the other most popular Blue Beetle. Jamie’s take on Blue Beetle is entirely new. Instead of a Batman-like character who uses high tech, training, and jokes to fight his way through villains, Jamie is bonded to an alien Scarab that gives him insane superpowers and thrusts him squarely into far more dramatic, world-ending-stakes kind of stories. Jamie is completely different from Ted in just about every way, and it’s fantastic.

Jamie was a breath of fresh air that brimmed with creativity, sparking a love for the character that never existed before. Of course, he is also the prime example of how to reinvent a mantle and make it make sense. Dan Garrett, the original Blue Beetle, used the Scarab for magic instead of science. Jamie’s character completely reimagined it while paying homage to the legacy that came before and tying him to it. It’s a masterclass in retconning the right way, and just one part of what makes Jamie’s legacy as the Blue Beetle so awesome.

2) Mister Terrific — Michael Holt

Show of hands, who knew that Mister Terrific was a legacy hero? Terry Sloane was the original Mister Terrific. He was a Golden Age hero who was a genius and accomplished athlete, excelling at everything he attempted to the point where he grew bored with life. He even considered ending it all before being dragged into an adventure to save a boy from falling into gang violence, dedicating his life to heroism and ensuring that everyone got their fair shot. Michael’s own backstory actually mirrors Terry’s quite a lot, being an Olympic athlete and super genius who was at the end of his rope when he was inspired by the original Mister Terrific’s exploits.

In many ways, Michael is simply a second attempt at Terry, creating a second Mister Terrific to see if the character would stick this time. And it worked. Mister Terrific is a big name in superhero comics nowadays, to the point where most casual fans don’t even know that there was a Mister Terrific before him. Michael is the perfect example of a fresh take on an old concept. He was just a repackaged Terry Sloane, but he grew into one of DC’s most respected characters. He’s shown everyone the power of fair play, and his insane intelligence will continue to wow audiences for years to come, doing service to a legacy that saved his life.

1) Batman — Dick Grayson

The Trinity of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman will never be replaced. While every other hero can change and even pass on their identity, these three exemplify everything DC stands for and will always return to be the heroes leading the charge. However, if any of them were to be replaced, it would be Dick taking over as Batman, as he’s already proven. Dick has been painted as the next generation’s Batman since his earliest adventures as Robin, and he’s been around almost as long as Batman himself. When Bruce seemingly died and whenever he’s taken out of commission, Dick is the only hero trusted to act as the next Batman.

Dick is the perfect legacy hero. He has a rich history that makes his ascendence to the Batman mantle feel earned and natural. He embodies everything that makes Batman great, while also bringing his own spin, injecting humor and whimsy back into the Bat. Dick is Batman’s greatest success, being a child he saved from growing up bitter and angry like him. Dick would have turned out like Bruce, but thanks to Batman, he became an inspiration to people the world over. He’s the ultimate evolution of Batman, bringing all of his strengths and shrugging off his biggest weaknesses. Dick Grayson is the perfect next Batman, and he always will be.

Which legacy hero do you think best exemplifies their mantle? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!