All of Batman’s Sidekicks, Ranked

Batman is DC’s most popular superhero and is easily one of the most popular fictional characters of the last hundred years. Batman took the superhero iconography created by Superman and combined it with pulp heroes like the Shadow to create a flavor of superhero that would become one of the most fruitful ever. Batman also gave fans an entirely new kind of superhero — the kid sidekick. While other heroes copied Batman by adding a sidekick, Batman’s sidekicks have become a much more important part of the character. Batman has always had at least one sidekick, and right now has an entire family of sidekicks to work with. The Bat-Family, as they are now called, is one of the coolest teams of heroes in comic history, all linked by their partnership with Batman.

Some of these sidekicks have become icons in their own right, their time spent with Batman making them into something special. Batman’s sidekicks run the gamut of young heroes learning the ropes to seasoned professionals who can handle protecting their own cities to former villains. Some of Batman’s sidekicks are better than than the others, and this list will rank the greatest of Batman’s sidekicks (allies like James Gordon, Superman, Martian Manhunter, Barry Allen, and other superheroes aren’t considered sidekicks for the purposes of this list, so they won’t be included).

10) Huntress

Huntress has an interesting history with Batman. The original Huntress was from Earth-Two; she was Helena Wayne, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman. When Crisis on Infinite Earths destroyed the multiverse, Helena faded from existence, but much like her best friend Power Girl, she would show up in the new singular universe. However, instead of being Batman’s daughter, she was Helena Bertinelli, the daughter of a mobster who became a vigilante after the death of her family. Two new versions of Helena would be created for the New 52/Rebirth DC Multiverse, with a new Helena Bertinelli becoming a member of the group known as SPYRAL. A new version of Helena Wayne would appear hailing from the New 52 Earth-2. Helena has been teased as the future daughter of Batman and Catwoman, most recently in Justice Society of America (Vol. 3) as the Huntress, having traveled back in time to save the Justice Society. The Helena Bertinelli version of Huntress was often too violent for Batman’s taste, making their partnership rife with strife. The various Helena Waynes were better sidekicks to their father, but only the pre-Crisis one worked a lot with a Batman. Huntress has never reached the level of the other Batman sidekicks, and her rather convoluted history make her a bit too complicated for the casual Batman fan.

9) The Signal

The Signal is Duke Thomas, and is one of the more unfortunate Batman sidekicks, just not for the reasons that most fans think. Thomas was introduced by Scott Snyder in the fan-favorite New 52 Batman series, with artist Greg Capullo, helping Batman defeat the Riddler in the Batman origin story “Zero Year”. Snyder certainly meant for Duke to be an important part of the Batman mythos, and he joined the cast of We Are Robin, leading a street gang of Robins to help fight crime in Gotham. Batman would take him in after a Joker attack caused his parents to go insane, and eventually he would gain metahuman powers, giving him control over light energy, and becoming the Signal. Duke was positioned to be a new Robin, but DC never pulled the trigger on that. Instead, they made him the Signal, giving him the job of protecting Gotham during the day because of his powers, and that was something of a step down for a character that should have been more important.

8) Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain

Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain have become something of a package deal lately, which is why they’re being put together in this entry. Stephanie started her career as the Spoiler, working against her evil father the Cluemaster. She entered into a relationship with Tim Drake, and would eventually have a disastrous stint as Robin. She and Batman never gelled, and she activated his “War Games” plans to destroy crime in Gotham to impress him, leading to her faking her death. She came back as Batgirl, and disappeared in the New 52 before being brought back in the Rebirth universe as the Spoiler again, eventually becoming Batgirl once again. Cassandra Cain is the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva, escaping her life as an assassin to become Batgirl. She worked well with Barbara Gordon and Batman, went evil for a time, and then became known as Orphan in the New 52/Rebirth universe. She’d eventually go back to being Batgirl as well, and her and Steph began working together. These two characters have had their ups and downs with Batman over the years, and their current place in the Bat-Family puts them on the periphery. They do a lot of good, but are still in the lower tier of the Bat-Family.

7) Jason Todd/Red Hood

Jason Todd was the second Robin, taking Dick Grayson’s place when Dick left Batman for college and leadership of the New Teen Titans. Jason was played as the mouthy, angry Robin, testing his relationship with Batman constantly. He was killed by the Joker, who took advantage of his quick temper and mother issues to lure him to his death. Jason Todd was eventually resurrected — sometimes by Superboy-Prime hitting the walls of reality and other times by Talia al Ghul resurrecting him with a Lazarus Pit — and returned as the villainous Red Hood, battling Joker and Batman for revenge for his death, and trying to take control of the Gotham underworld. Eventually, he’d return to the side of angels, rejoining the Bat-Family. Jason is one of the toughest members of the Bat-Family, but the chip on his shoulder has never gone away. This has made him a difficult sidekick to work with, and he’s often considered the biggest trouble maker in the Bat-Family. Jason is a good partner to have, but only if you’re cool with someone who isn’t going to listen and whine about his death.

6) Damian Wayne

Damian Wayne is a supremely skilled Robin, having been trained from birth by his mother Talia al Ghul to be his father’s perfect partner. He was taken in by Dick Grayson after Batman’s “death” and trained to become Robin, and took his place by his father’s side when Bruce Wayne returned from the past. Damian has proven to be an amazing Robin, but it’s taken him years to actually gel with his father as Robin. The biggest reason for this is his own arrogance: Damian was raised to be the heir to both the Batman and al Ghul mantles. He was always told that he was better than everyone else as a human being, and he’s brought that to his superhero career. It makes him an entertaining character to read about, but it also makes Damian very hard to work with for a lot of heroes, including his father at times. However, Damian’s massive skill set makes him a nice sidekick to have.

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5) Tim Drake

Tim Drake is the best all-around Robin. Tim Drake isn’t the best at any one thing, but he’s very, very good at everything. Tim Drake earned his place as Robin in a way that no other one did. Tim was a Batman fan and he noticed how much Batman had changed since Robin had died. He decided that Batman needed another sidekick, then figured out who Batman was in his civilian identity, and presented himself to the hero. Batman allowed him to become Robin and Tim immediately showed he had what it takes, battling villains like the Joker. Tim adventured on his own as much as he did with Batman, helping found Young Justice and later helping bring the Teen Titans back into the world, and became the most respected hero of his generation. Tim was an amazing Robin, and he did a remarkable job of working with Batman. There’s an argument to be made that Tim is the best Robin, showing just how great a hero he can be.

4) Barbara Gordon/Batgirl/Oracle

Barbara Gordon joined Batman’s quest as Batgirl in the Silver Age, and became one of Batman’s best sidekicks immediately. She worked with him and Dick Grayson, building a major relationship with the first Robin that would become a recurring part of their life. Joker paralyzed her in Batman: The Killing Joke, and this led to her best form, that of Oracle. As Oracle, Barbara Gordon became the brains of the Bat-Family, and later the Birds of Prey and the DC hero community in general, gaining a new stature. She’d regain the ability to walk and became Batgirl again, mostly working on her own or with the Birds of Prey, and in recent years has combined her life as Oracle and Batgirl, working with Dick Grayson in Bludhaven. Barbara Gordon has worked with Batman for ages, and knows how his mind works. She’s helped him in a million ways over the years, and has proven herself in ways that no one would have expected from her if she had stayed as Batgirl.

3) Catwoman

There are some who would say calling Catwoman a Batman sidekick is a bit disrespectful; she’s done a lot on her own, as both a hero and a villain, and could be considered more of a partner for Batman than a sidekick (that’s the reason that Batwoman isn’t on the list; she’s more of her own hero than a Batman sidekick and if she was anyone’s sidekick it would be the Question). However, Catwoman is an integral part of Batman’s life and mission, and has worked as closely with him as anyone. In fact, taking into account their romantic relationship, she’s worked closer with him than anyone. Catwoman and Batman have had their problems over the years, but they work together nearly seamlessly. Catwoman and Batman have made a nearly perfect partnership over the years, jumping to the top of heap of Batman’s sidekicks.

2) Dick Grayson/Nightwing

Dick Grayson is the original sidekick, the first Robin. Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne both lost their parents to crime, and Bruce took in the young boy, forming a new family with him and Alfred. Bruce trained Dick, and this allowed the two of them to work together in a way that no other Batman sidekick does. However, Dick grew beyond his mentor, becoming a hero in his right as Nightwing, leading the Teen Titans and the Titans, and even becoming Batman twice. There’s even an argument to be made that Dick Grayson is the best Batman. Batman and Nightwing have a relationship unlike the one between Batman and any of his other sidekicks, save one. They trust each other to a nearly unbreakable extent, and will always be amazing partners.

1) Alfred Pennyworth

A lot of Batman fans wouldn’t consider Alfred a sidekick of Batman, but there is no one else in the world that has made Batman possible like Alfred did. Alfred raised Bruce Wayne and did everything he could to give the sullen, damaged boy a happy childhood. As Bruce trained to become Batman, Alfred was there making sure he could focus on his training. Once Bruce started fighting crime as Batman, Alfred was there to keep him alive and fed, often forcing him to rest. Alfred was the key to Batman’s war on crime until his death. He was Batman’s first and most trusted confidante. Alfred didn’t put on a costume and fight alongside Batman, but he was as much Batman’s partner as anyone else.

How do you rank Batman’s sidekicks? Sound off in the comments below.