Batman’s Love Interests, Ranked (And Catwoman Isn’t Number 1)

Batman has been around for decades, with his story carrying over from comics to movies, shows, games, and pretty much any form of media creators could think of. As such, he’s seen it all, from the rise of new villains to countless heartbreaks. Today, we’re here to talk about the latter. Bruce Wayne/Batman is not immune to falling in love, as much as he may wish this weren’t true. He has fallen for many characters throughout his series, and the multiverse opened the door to even more romances. At the end of the day, everyone has a favorite Batman romance, though some are arguably more popular than others.

Given Batman’s history with women in and out of the comic book industry, it isn’t really possible to list every single romance, not while doing each character justice. Instead, let’s try to focus on some of the more popular or contentious romances stemming from Batman’s time in the comic book world. Realistically, people are always going to fight about who the best love interest is for Batman, and that answer will always change based on who’s writing his story at any given time.

12) Jezebel Jet

Bruce Wayne has a way of picking tragic romances, or does he make them tragic? Whatever the case, it’s safe to say he was not prepared for Jezebel Jet. The two first met in 2006, and things quickly went off the rails. Bruce and Jezebel began their courtship, though Jezebel was openly concerned about Bruce’s reputation (the whole playboy bit probably doesn’t work on all the ladies). Bruce finally convinced her to date him, though this led to her uncovering his dark secret. Unfortunately for Batman, that may have been the plan all along, as Jezebel was working for the Black Glove organization.

11) Silver St. Cloud

People love a good scandal, and Bruce Wayne’s romance with Silver St. Cloud was destined to become one. Silver St. Cloud was a socialite first introduced in the 1970s. She had a sharp wit, which explains why Bruce was attracted to her. Unfortunately for Bruce, Silver was sharp enough to put together the pieces of his puzzle, and she wasn’t interested in helping him maintain this double life. We can hardly blame her for walking away, given the risks she’d otherwise endure watching him walk into.

10) Barbara Gordon

Barbara Gordon is an iconic member of DC Comics. She has carried a few mantles since her introduction, including Batgirl and Oracle. As the daughter of Commissioner Gordon, Barbara was raised to believe in justice, eventually putting her on a path to meet Batman. While Batman is often portrayed as Barbara’s mentor (and sometimes more of a father figure), the two unfortunately do have a bit of a romantic past, and most people are not a fan of this fact. Once, Batgirl even got in a fight with Wonder Woman over Batman, which feels wildly out of character for both of them. Later, Batman and Batgirl were confirmed to have been in a relationship at the beginning of Batman: The Killing Joke, which made fans all sorts of uncomfortable. Details from Batman: Beyond (the comics) would confirm that the two continued a relationship later, which we could have lived without learning.

9) Wonder Woman

Love it or hate it, Wonder Woman and Batman have courted each other a few times over the years. These heroes are two parts of the Trinity, and thus have had plenty of reason to get close. As with many other romances in this list, their love transcended the multiverse. Likewise, their romance has survived reboots and the transition into different media. One of their first attempts to make it work was actually a ruse, a way of getting close to Copperhead. However, this moment unintentionally made them acknowledge their feelings, kicking off something that never quite comes full circle. Since then, they have had many other near-misses, including a moment in Justice League (2005) and a temptation during “The Realm,” in which the two were trapped facing endless hordes. Ultimately, these two have never made it work, with their courtship hardly ever going anywhere. Most people believe these two should stay friends, and it seems like the characters agree.

8) Kathy Kane, aka Batwoman (First Iteration)

Long before Kate Kane became Batman’s cousin, there was another Batwoman on the scene. That detail is important to keep in mind because Bruce Wayne did not date his cousin. Kathy was introduced during the 1950s, when people began to wonder whether or not Batman was straight (because he always had Robin at his side). Batwoman was meant to put the debate to rest, but it really just made things a bit more complicated in the long run. Kathy Kane and her sidekick, Bette Kane (aka Bat-Girl) didn’t last for very long, but they did put the thought of Batwoman and Batgirl into the universe, so we can’t complain about the legacy they left behind.

7) Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn and Batman may not seem like an obvious pairing, but they made it work in at least one universe. The two have had plenty of time to get to know one another, as Bruce watched Harley fight her way out of an unhealthy relationship, rebuilding herself from the ground up. In a way, it’s always seemed like the two have had a soft spot for each other. From Harley’s perspective, she never hid her attraction to either version (Bruce or Batman), while Batman probably saw the potential good in her (or the victim side of her story). During the events of Batman: White Knight, Harley and Bruce found love and solace in one another, eventually getting married. Their relationship is far from perfect, but it was shockingly human and healthy.

6) Vesper Fairchild

Vesper Fairchild is a love interest nearly lost to time, yet she did something that few others could ever dream of accomplishing; she almost got Bruce Wayne to walk away from Batman. Vesper was a radio host who drew the attention of Bruce Wayne. One thing led to another, and the two quickly formed a strong bond. There’s no denying that Bruce cared deeply for Vesper, which makes everything that followed all the more tragic. Later in their relationship, Bruce would begin falling for another character (Sasha Bordeaux), but before he could decide what to do, Vesper was murdered at the orders of Lex Luthor. Lex never really saw a fitting punishment for what he did.

[RELATED: DC Gives Batman a New Love Interest (And She May Have Figured Out His Identity)]

5) Natalia Knight, aka Nocturna

Everybody knows about Batman’s romance with Catwoman, but they might not know she’s far from the only criminal he dated. Natalia Knight, otherwise known as Nocturna, first debuted during the 1980s. Her story gets complicated fast, as she briefly became the adopted mother of Jason Todd. Unfortunately, Natalia’s favorite perfume, which was laced with narcotics designed to attract men, became her downfall. While Nocturna seemed to have real feelings for Batman, it’s unclear if Batman felt the same. The perfume muddles things, so readers will never know how much Bruce felt for her.

4) Julie Madison

Even the likes of Batman must have a first love, and thus, a first heartbreak. For Bruce Wayne, that heartbreak was named Julie Madison. She first hit the scene during the 1930s, and believe it or not, there was a time she was engaged to Bruce Wayne. As a longstanding character, Julie has been rebooted and retconned a few times. She has likewise made her way to the big screen (Batman & Robin, played by Elle MacPherson). Once an actress, Julie has also been the daughter of a gun runner.

3) Vicki Vale

Vicki Vale is to Batman what Lois Lane is to Superman. Interestingly, Vicki’s appearance didn’t immediately turn into a romance. Instead, the writers were content to let her life in Bruce Wayne’s life for years before pushing it into becoming something more. As a reporter, Vicki had plenty of reasons to track Batman’s antics, which in turn gave her reason to suspect Bruce Wayne. The creators likely hoped to capture/recreate the magic of Clark and Lois, but it never quite struck, despite their best attempts.

[RELATED: Forget Catwoman, This Is Batman’s Best Love Interest (And You Can’t Change My Mind)]

2) Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman

Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, is arguably one of the most iconic romances for Batman, at least in modern days. These two have been courting one another for decades, and we do mean that literally. Their dance began in the 1940s, and it’s safe to say their relationship has gone through a lot over the years. Their love transcended to the multiverse, with Earth-2’s romance resulting in the birth of Helena Wayne. Likewise, their story has appeared on the big screen, in many short runs, and in other forms of media. Most recently, their story hit a major high, as the two were set to wed. Readers know exactly how well that went.

1) Talia al Ghul

If there’s one thing fans have learned about Bruce Wayne’s romantic stories, it’s that he likes his villains. While Catwoman may be one of the most iconic relationships in Bruce’s current lineup, Talia al Ghul will always hold the title as best love interest, at least in our minds. Talia is the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, and yeah, that made their romance pretty complicated. Like her father, Talia is integrally linked to the League of Assassins, but she also has deep ties to Bruce Wayne, as the two have forged quite a story over the years. She is the canonical mother of Damian Wayne, meaning she will always have a place in Bruce’s life.