Batman's sidekicks are among some of the most iconic characters in the comic book world. Here are Batman's top 10 best sidekicks, ranked worst to best!
Unlike many other characters, Carrie Kelley took the initiative to become Robin, after first having been saved by the Caped Crusader from the Mutant gang. She purchased a Robin suit and began fighting crime, eventually saving Batman himself from the Mutant leader, which was more than enough to convince the Dark Knight to appoint her as the new Robin. Although she spent quite a bit of her time as Robin, Kelley moved on to become both Catgirl and Batgirl, thus making her one of the few characters ever to be both Robin and Batgirl.
Stephanie Brown has been a number of characters in the DC Universe, all of which have been vigilantes. Despite being the daughter of supervillain Cluemaster, Brown turned to a life of crime-fighting early on as the vigilante Spoiler. She would later temporarily take on the mantle of Robin as well as Batgirl -- the only (canonical) character ever to be both of Batman's sidekicks.
I'm almost stretching the term sidekick with this character, but it seems only fair to include the Angel of Death himself, Jean-Paul Valley aka Azrael, for he has not only fought alongside Batman against the criminals of Gotham but also temporarily took up the mantle of Batman. As the latest in a long line of assassins who work for The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas, Jean-Paul Valley was tasked with finding his father's killer, who was also a member of the Sacred Order.
Shortly after Dick Grayson became Nightwing, Batman appointed Jason Todd -- who he found attempting to steal the tires off the Batmobile -- the second Robin. However, the effort by DC Comics to replace Grayson would be short lived, despite the character initially being popular amongst Batman fans.
Barbara Gordon is one of the most important characters in Batman comics, having been the first member of the Bat-family to be consequentially injured. As a result of being shot by The Joker and rendered paraplegic in Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's iconic graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke, Barbara Gordon could no longer carry the mantle of Batgirl. Although the character was officially retired in Batgirl Special #1, Barbara's final appearance as Batgirl was in The Killing Joke, which released later the same year.
Despite the fact that he was never Batman's sidekick, Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon deserves a spot on this list for being the Dark Knight's oldest friend and ally. Having made his debut in Batman's first issue, Detective Comics #27 in May of 1939, James Gordon has fought crime alongside Batman in the hero's crusade to save Gotham City since the very beginning.
Bearing witness to Batman's declining righteousness following the death of Jason Todd, Tim Drake intervened and sought the position of Robin, for he believed Batman ultimately needed a sidekick to keep him morally grounded. The thing is, Tim Drake might have become too popular amongst fans. He is the only Robin to have been given a solo series (though it lasted only for a short while). Tim Drake was the embodiment of Batman's sidekick: an expert fighter and skilled detective -- which is why Dick Grayson always saw him as an equal.
Unlike every other character on this list, Barbara Gordon is listed twice: once for Oracle and once for Batgirl. Although many other characters on this list have organically evolved from being one sidekick to another (or, in some cases, into their own superhero), Barbara Gordon transformed into a new role out of necessity (which was previously detailed). But before Barbara became the computer hacker Oracle, she was Batgirl.
Although not exactly a sidekick, Alfred Pennyworth has acted as Bruce Wayne's confident -- in addition to being his butler -- and Batman's ally. The fact is, Alfred is the closest person Bruce Wayne has to family (blood-related family, that is). He has been there since the beginning of Batman's career, having first appeared in Batman #16 in April of 1943.
Dick Grayson aka Robin the Boy Wonder is an icon. Not only is he the world's first superhero sidekick, but he is also the most prominent, having been Batman's partner in crime-fighting for over 40 years -- from his debut in 1940 to when he assumed the superhero identity of Nightwing in 1984. For this reason, alone, Grayson deserves the top spot on this list, but the fact is, he is so much more than Batman's sidekick. Over the course of his career, Grayson has evolved from being Robin the Boy Wonder to Nightwing and, eventually, Batman