Nightwing Might Have His Own Sidekick, But Should He?

Nightwing was originally Robin, the first superhero sidekick who inspired every other teen partner since. He set the standard for every sidekick who came after him, and even though there have been four Robins since him, many still say they started with the best one. Now, years after becoming his own hero to step out of Batman’s shadow, he might be getting a sidekick of his own. The mysterious elder entity known as the Zanni has been manipulating the ongoings of Bludhaven for months, all to forge Nightwing into the leader he wants him to be so he can become the ringmaster of his Cirque du Sin. Bryce Moran, a young boy inspired by the former Boy Wonder, has become Nightwing-Prime, a Kryptonian with the dedication to change the world, but is this a good thing for Nightwing?

Nightwing sees Bryce as his responsibility, especially since he was transformed while trying to prove himself to the hero. He is going to become Bryce’s mentor, teaching him how to be a hero who can handle this level of power responsibly, but this might not be the right move for Nightwing. Ignoring how this is part of the Zanni’s plan, Nightwing is a fantastic character and would make an incredible mentor to a sidekick, but as of right now, this is not what his character needs.

Nightwing Is a Growing Hero

Nightwing shouldn’t have a sidekick right now, but that isn’t to say the idea is inherently bad. He had Damian Wayne as his Robin during the criminally short time he served as Batman, and their dynamic is one of the best in comics. He’s been a leader to his peers, and more recently the entire superhero community, for years and has shown that he is incredible in that role. He’s mentored less experienced heroes like Ravager before, too. Letting the original sidekick take on a sidekick of his own would be a wonderful full circle moment for his character, showing that he’s grown into his own as a hero. Dick is the type of character who works best when he has someone to bounce off of, so teaching a younger hero made to learn from him could bring out the best in him. However, while this is a great idea for the future, now isn’t the time for it.

Right now, Nightwing is in a very unique position of evolving. His popularity has been skyrocketing in recent years, and to match that DC has been pushing him towards the center of its universe as a pivotal figure. Nightwing has become one of DC’s de facto leaders, someone everyone can look up to who embodies all the strengths of both Batman and Superman put together, without their weaknesses. But he’s still establishing his identity in that role, and giving him a sidekick right now would not only put a ton of pressure on that new character, but take the focus away from Nightwing in a not great way. While it could help show that he is a fully established hero, it would also stretch him a bit thin, given that Nightwing would have to establish himself, be a model of heroism to his peers, and protect Bludhaven all at once. It might be one too many hats for him to wear at once.

Nightwing’s Cast Is Massive and Tiny

Another major reason why Nightwing shouldn’t have a permanent sidekick right now is because of the issues with his main cast. His cast of supporting characters is both too large and unstably small. Given his position as a key figure in the Batman Family and Titans, there are plenty of other well-established characters that he has decades of history with. However, all of these characters are superheroes, and bring with them their own baggage and abilities, which desensitizes them from being around too often at risk of turning Nightwing’s solo comic into another team book he leads. At the same time, Dick has very few side characters exclusive to him that aren’t other heroes, and the ones that he does have are all relatively new. Introducing a sidekick right now risks being one too many superheroes, while also having no non-hero characters to bounce off of.

All together, now just isn’t the time to give Nightwing a permanent sidekick. It’s pretty clear that Bryce won’t be that, given both the Zanni’s plan and the fact that he has Kryptonian powers which would clash with how Nightwing operates, but that’s for the best.

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All of Nightwing’s Costumes, Ranked