5 Characters Perfect to Be the Next Batman, and None of Them Have Been Robins

Batman is one of the most important legacies in all of DC, having inspired the biggest superhero family in the business. The idea of there being a Batman after Bruce has always been present, and most rightly assume the position would fall to Dick Grayson or one of the other Robins. However, they aren’t the only DC characters who have earned the right to inherit the cape and cowl. Today, we’re looking at five different characters who have never been Robin, but who all have a good to phenomenal case to argue why they should be the next Batman. Without further ado, let’s summarize Batman’s successors.

5) Jean-Paul Valley

Jean-Paul is most commonly known as Azrael, and he’s actually been Batman before. Of course, his tenure as the Dark Knight was doomed from the start. He fell into the violent, zealot programming used to turn him into Azrael, and soon became a walking monstrosity who attached literal flamethrowers to his Bat-Armor. He left Gotham in disgrace, and he’s had a complex relationship with sanity ever since. Jean-Paul proved that he was not the correct person to be Batman, between his implanted programming and mental health that lives on a knife’s edge, but that also gives him the chance to grow so much more than everyone else.

Jean-Paul should not be Batman, but if he became the Dark Knight again today, knowing what he did before and what being Batman means, his fight to stay on the righteous path would be incredible. He’s far more likely to fall and break than any other entrant on this list, but his journey would give the greatest redemption story. A major aspect of Batman’s character has always been about Bruce making up for his survivor’s guilt, and Jean-Paul is the perfect character to use the mantle as his own journey towards being better. Giving him the second chance would let him show everyone who he truly is, and whether he can overcome his demons or not.

4) Duke Thomas

Duke is a strange figure in the Bat-Family, as if you look back at his journey to becoming Signal, it’s obvious that he was meant to be the next Robin. However, Damian returned to life just as soon as he died, which killed Duke’s chances to wear the red and green in the main continuity. Still, even with the chance to be Robin, Duke has more than proven to be one of Gotham’s most effective heroes. He’s just as skilled and intelligent as every other core member of the Bat-Family, sporting a genius-level intellect and regularly sparring with Cass Cain. On top of that, he possesses some serious superpowers, being able to control both light and shadow. He’s the hero Batman trusts to take on crime during the day, being what is effectively the face of the Bat-Family.

It’s that last part that makes Duke stand out as a fantastic Bat-candidate. He carries a natural charisma and inspires hope in people in a way that can’t be taught, and if he became Batman, he would fully turn him into a symbol of hope as much as fear. Duke would bring Batman into the light in a way that nobody else can, connecting with people on the ground and making him even more of an inspiration than he already is. Duke is the perfect person to embody the same ideals that make Superman and Nightwing such amazing heroes, and he could do the same for Batman.

3) Helena Wayne

Helena is the future daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, and we’ve already seen numerous alternate universe versions of her take up her father’s legacy. Typically, she’s raised during a time after both of her parents have hung up their masks for good, with Helena taking the Huntress mantle as her first identity. Her origin is unique in that she grows up in relatively peaceful times, often not becoming a hero until she is, or is nearly, an adult. However, she’s still the daughter of Batman and Catwoman, which means that she’s just about the best in the world at everything she does, be that detective work or heroic use of theivery skills.

If Helena takes up the mantle, it would be to continue her parents’ lineage. She’d grow up watching a Batman at the end of his character growth, seeing him be content and fulfilled after having been Batman for decades, which means she sees the best of what Batman was while getting the lowdown on Bruce’s failings. She can pick the best aspects of the Dark Knight to embody and carry on in a special way. Bruce became Batman because of grief for his parents, but Helena could do so out of love for hers, which brings the entire concept of the character full circle, in a sense.

2) Terry McGinnis

I don’t think I need to sell anyone on why Terry makes a fantastic Batman, but while his place in Neo Gotham is assured, his presence in the current DC Universe is stranger. He’s often presented as a legitimate possibility for the current Batman’s future, but the idea that Terry’s specific reality comes to pass in the Prime Universe is downright insane, given just how much would have to go wrong for all of Gotham to get there. Instead of explaining why Terry deserves to be Batman, let’s imagine how his story could come to pass in the main DC Universe without destroying the legacy and family that fans love so much.

The simplest solution is that nobody becomes Batman after Bruce, with the mantle fading into the past as the next generation of heroes save Gotham City in their own way. Perhaps Gotham is even on the path to becoming a utopia before a tragedy strikes and changes it to its core, forging it into Neo Gotham. From there, Terry could rise with the same general backstory, finding a Bruce who now lives alone, and Terry could become the second Batman in a city of heroes. Heck, perhaps an even more future Terry could find an older Damian or the like and continue from there.

1) Cassandra Cain

Cass Cain is the fourth Batgirl, but she’s more than proven that she has everything it takes to be the Dark Knight. Starting with her skills, Cass is arguably the greatest martial artist in the world. At the very least, she’s proven that she’s Bruce’s better in that regard. She was raised with her only language being combat, which taught her to read people’s movements like speech, letting her predict how people will move before they do. It also grants her a unique ability to understand the pain and feelings of others, effectively making empathy her superpower. Cass is the greatest physical threat in the Bat-Family, and her detective work is nothing to scoff at, either.

The greatest reason Cass would make a perfect Batman is definitely her personality. She understands the Dark Knight on a level that nobody else does, even exuding the same aura to the point where multiple characters mistook her for Batman during her initial appearances. Of course, the greatest factor is her distinct combination of kindness and drive. She’s more dedicated to preserving life in all forms than anyone, possibly even Bruce himself, dedicating herself to everything the Bat has come to stand for. Everything Cass does is to atone for the life she took as a child and keep others from carrying the same burden, which is the exact type of drive that pushes Batman forward. Even embodying fear, Cass never forgets that compassion is what the city needs, and exudes it in all forms. Cass is just as much a Batman as Batman himself, and she deserves the chance to show it.

Which character would you want to take over as the next Dark Knight? Let us know in the comments below!

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