Ranking Batman's Robins: Happy 80th Birthday Boy Wonder

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of Robin the Boy Wonder’s debut, Comingsoon.net is looking back at adaptations of the character. Check them out in the gallery below!

Batman made his comic book debut in Detective Comics #27 in May, 1939. While the caped crusader was instantly popular, it became clear that the character was missing something: a side-kick. Every great detective has someone they can talk to—the Watson to their Sherlock. About a year later, in 1940, Dick Grayson AKA Robin was introduced in Detective Comics #38 (published March 6 with a cover date of April).

The two vigilantes have become inseparable. When you think of Batman you think of Robin. The character of Robin resonated with children, making the story of Bruce Wayne accessible to people of all ages; if you weren’t the caped crusader than you were his protege and eventual successor. After Dick Grayson grew up and became Nightwing, Jason Todd took up the mantel of Robin. After him, it was Tim Drake and then it was Damian Wayne (the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul).

For the most part, outside of Terry McGinnis, Bruce Wayne has been the one wearing the cape and cowl. However, more than a few people have worn the Boy Wonder’s costume. The following slideshow ranks iterations of the character in television and film, along with the actors that portrayed them.

Robins

15. Chris O'Donnell, Batman Forever (1995) & Batman & Robin (1997)

Unfortunately for Chris O’Donnell, his take on Dick Grayson starred in two of the most criticized Batman films to date. Also, this Boy Wonder is kind of an asshole; he disrespects Alfred Pennyworth, steals the Batmobile, and is as negligent and self-indulgent as his failed franchise. Grayson deserved a better adaption, one that didn’t ruin the character’s cinematic legacy.
14. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

The Dark Knight Rises focuses a lot on Joesph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake. The GCPD detective story parallels that of Bruce Wayne’s; he’s an angry orphan who eventually becomes disillusioned with the law’s effectiveness. His status as Robin isn’t as concrete as anyone else on this list. At the end of the film, after Bruce Wayne has retired from his life in Gotham, he leaves Blake his legacy. It is revealed that Blake’s real name is Robin as the former detective discovers the Batcave. The ending implies that this “Robin” will take up the mantel of Batman.
13. Douglas Croft, Batman (1943)

The 1943 Batman serial embraced the boy in “Boy Wonder.” Douglas Croft was only a teenager when he appeared as Dick Grayson—the first on-screen portrayal of the character. As Batman’s (Lewis Wilson) ward, Croft was a true vigilante in training; he even does a fake paper to help thwart a Japanese sabotage ring in Gotham.
12. Johnny Duncan, Batman and Robin (1949)

Johnny Duncan’s Dick Grayson was a very faithful adaptation of his DC Comics counterpart. The 15-chapter movie serial had full Robin-centric episodes. The character was crafty, heroic, and loyal to Bruce Wayne. Duncan’s Robin, being older than Croft’s yet still young, laid the groundwork for all adaptations that would succeed it.
11. Patrick Cavanaugh, Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008-2011)

The Brave and the Bold’s Dick Grayson hearkened back to the action/comedy balance of earlier adaptations. This Robin, animated with a more formidable frame, still isn’t as threatening as the caped crusader himself. Voiced by Patrick Cavanaugh, Grayson becomes “Boy Blunder” — a quirky hero who wants desperately to prove himself, ultimately shedding the mantel of Robin and becoming Nightwing.
10. Michael Cera, The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)

Michael Cera’s Robin is pure fun—the most flamboyant one yet. This younger, energetic take on the character is just happy to be invited to the Batcave—sliding around on tables and trying to hug Batman. Many have called this Dick Grayson the best part of The Lego Batman Movie; he’s not sassy but innocent and wide-eyed, winning over the audience in almost every scene he’s in. His idolization of Batman may be over-played but it elicits some of the film’s biggest laughs.
9. Mathew Valencia, The New Batman Adventures (1997-1999)

The New Batman Adventures introduced Tim Drake, the son of one of Two-Face’s thugs. Drake idolized Batman (like every Robin), who saves him from being executed by Two-Face. Batman then adopts Drake and trains him to be the next Robin. His over-arching story in the DC animated universe is a tragic one; later in his Robin career, he is captured by the Joker and Harley Quinn who torture him. Using a combination of electro-shock and chemical injections (also, planting a chip of Jokers consciousness in his head), Drake is turned into “Joker Junior.” He is saved by Batman and Batgirl but, given the physiological and psychological trauma he endured, never dons his cape again.
8. Evan Sabara, The Batman (2004-2008)

The Batman didn’t introduce Robin as the caped crusader primary side-kick (instead, focusing on Batgirl) until season 4. The origin story we got for Dick Grayson was as good as anything we had seen before, highlighting the parallels between him and Bruce Wayne. This punk-like Robin is one of the most likable in the DCAU, ultimately becoming a leader worthy of his mentor.
7. Brenton Thwaites , Titans (2018)

Titans is essentially a gritty live-action adaptation of Teen Titans. The series begins during Dick Grayson's transition from Robin to Nightwing, leaving Jason Todd to step in as his successor. Thwaites plays Grayson, the leader of the Titans. The Thwaites-led series has given us the closest thing we've ever gotten to faithful, live-action adaptations of Robin in contemporary entertainment.
6. Curran Walters, Titans (2018)

Curran Walters' Jason Todd is just a better Robin than Dick Grayson. As Grayson's hot-headed successor, Todd is a far more interesting character. Having a strong desire to prove himself, his detective skills appear to be better than Grayson's and he's seriously impressive in battle. The only thing holding him back is time.
5. Burt Ward, 1960s & 70s Batman

Burt Ward pioneered live-action Robin, bringing everything Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, and Bill Finger envisioned for the character. He was campy yet smart, reliant on Batman yet independent. When Adam West asks a question Burt Ward has the answer. Ward portrayed Robin in the 60s television show, Batman, its theatrical feature, a handful of animations throughout the 70s, reunion animations in recent years, and the live-action event, Crisis on Infinite Earths last year.
4. Scott Menville, Teen Titans (2003-2006)

Teen Titans’ Robin is an amalgamation of every Robin however, it is implied that this is Richard John “Dick” Grayson (the series seems to happen simultaneously with The Batman animation). He’s heroic and determined to be a true leader; that said, he is a founding member of the Teen Titans. The darker series was dropped by Cartoon Network and then revived as the less impressive and over-the-top Teen Titans Go! in 2013.
3. Jesse McCartney, Young Justice (2010)

The Jesse McCartney-voiced Robin in Young Justice is the most confident and formidable Robin in any animation, laughing at his enemies in a way that is both creepy and cool. This Dick Grayson only operates under the mantel of Robin for the first season, he becomes Nightwing and Jason Todd and Tim Drake step in as Robin. Drake lacks the humor and confidence of his predecessor, who beat Batman in a fight.
2. Loren Lester, Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)

Batman: The Animated Series is arguably the best Batman animation ever produced. Loren Lester voiced Dick Grayson AKA Robin in the series and the 1998 film Batman & Mr. Freese: SubZero alongside Kevin Conroy's inimitable Bruce Wayne. This adaptation of Robin is as faithful to its source material as one can imagine—a benchmark for everything that has been done with the character since.
1. Jensen Ackles/Neil Patrick Harris, Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

Under the Red Hood contains one of the greatest foils to a superhero in comic book history. In the film, Neil Patrick voices his fantastic Dick Grayson AKA Nightwing and Jensen Ackles's voices Red Hood AKA Jason Todd AKA Robin. After becoming a victim of the Joker, Jason Todd returns as the unethical Red Hood; a paragraph cannot do this film’s brilliant voice acting (particularly Jensen Ackles’, who goes full angry Dean Winchester) nor the reveal of Todd as Red Hood justice. The story of a former Robin turned "villain" is arguably one of the strongest and most emotionally resonant Batman films ever made, all thanks to the Boy Wonder.