Rockin’ Robin: World’s most famous sidekick turns 85
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Robin, the crime-fighting partner of the perennially popular superhero Batman, turned 85 years old in 2025.
ST GRAPHIC: BILLY KER
Follow topic:
Bruce Wayne/Batman is one of the first comic book superheroes, having debuted in Detective Comics in 1939. Less than a year later, he was joined by the “sensational character find of 1940” – Robin, the Boy Wonder.
The Straits Times’ correspondent Yamini Chinnuswamy and executive artist Billy Ker look back at 85 years of the world’s most famous sidekick.
Did you know?
Robin appeared even before most of Batman’s other famous allies, including butler Alfred Pennyworth and on/off love interest Catwoman.
Dick Grayson (1940 to 1984)
Dick Grayson, Robin, was created to be Batman’s sidekick in 1940.
ST GRAPHIC: BILLY KER
First appearance: Detective Comics #38 (1940)
Comic appearances: 10,028 issues
Richard John Grayson was a young circus acrobat whose parents were murdered when gangsters rigged their trapeze.
Grayson and Batman, who had taken him in, solved the murder together. Eight-year-old Grayson then became Robin – Batman’s partner in crime-fighting.
Robin’s bright costume was inspired by Grayson’s acrobat attire. It also helps him provide a literal and metaphorical counterpoint to Batman’s “dark knight”.
From 2009 to 2011, Grayson served as Batman when the latter was presumed dead.
Grayson is currently operating under the moniker of Nightwing, which he has used on and off since 1984.
He remains one of DC Comics’ most popular characters. According to Google, Nightwing was the 12th most-searched Halloween costume in 2025.
Jason Todd (1984 to 1988)
Jason Todd was the second character to take up the Robin mantle in the comics.
ST GRAPHIC: BILLY KER
First appearance: Batman #357 (1983), but became Robin only in Batman #368 (1984)
Comic appearances: 1,941 issues
Initially, Todd’s origin story was nearly identical to Dick Grayson’s: He was also a circus acrobat whose parents had died in a trapeze accident.
After a line-wide reboot from 1985 to 1986, Todd became a street kid who tried to steal the tyres off the Batmobile.
The character was unpopular among readers, who voted to kill him off in 1988.
Todd was revived in 2005 as the villainous Red Hood who used guns and killed people, going against Batman’s code of not doing so.
Todd has since become the resident anti-hero of the “Batfamily”.
Tim Drake (1990 to 2009, 2020 to present)
Tim Drake became Robin in the early 1990s.
ST GRAPHIC: BILLY KER
First appearance: Batman #436 (1989), but became Robin only in Batman #457 (1990)
Comic appearances: 3,530 issues
Created to succeed Jason Todd as Robin.
His origin story is a nod to Batman’s title as the “World’s Greatest Detective” – Tim Drake deduced the identities of Batman and the first two Robins.
He gave up the Robin role in 2009, and took on the code name of Red Robin for the next decade.
Drake reclaimed the Robin mantle in 2020 and shares the role with the fourth Robin, Damian Wayne.
Drake came out as bisexual in 2021.
Damian Wayne (2009 to present)
Damian Wayne is the biological son of Bruce Wayne.
ST GRAPHIC: BILLY KER
First appearance: Batman #656 (2006), but became Robin only in Batman: Battle For The Cowl #3 (2009)
Comic appearances: 2,167
Batman’s biological son whom he did not know about, via his on/off lover Talia al Ghul, alternately his ally and foe.
Damian Wayne was initially Robin to Dick Grayson’s Batman, as seen in the acclaimed Batman And Robin (2009 to 2011) comic book series by legendary Scottish creators Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.
Damian died in 2013 but was resurrected in 2014.
He became close friends with Jon Kent, the son of Superman and Lois Lane, in the Super Sons (2017) comic book.
Damian has also appeared as Robin in other media, such as the animated film Son Of Batman (2014).
Bonus Robins
(From left) Carrie Kelley, Helena Wayne and Stephanie Brown.
ST GRAPHIC: BILLY KER
Bespectacled redhead Carrie Kelley was Robin in The Dark Knight Returns (1986), an acclaimed miniseries by American comic book artist Frank Miller.
Helena Wayne – the daughter of Batman and Catwoman in the parallel reality of Earth-2 – served as Robin to her father’s Batman.
Stephanie Brown, Tim Drake’s erstwhile girlfriend, was briefly Robin in the main Batman comic series in 2004. She later became Batgirl.
Robins in other media
Robin has appeared in other media beyond comics.
ST GRAPHIC: BILLY KER
Wayne Family Adventures (2023 to present): A free mobile comic on the Webtoon platform starring Batman, all his Robins and other allies.
Teen Titans franchise (1964 to present): Robin is a founding member of this teenage superhero team, which debuted in DC Comics’ The Brave And The Bold in 1964. It includes Cartoon Network animated series Teen Titans (2003 to 2006) and spin-off Teen Titans Go! (2013 to present).
Harley Quinn adult animated series (2019 to present): Features occasional cameos by Damian Wayne as Robin.
Batman ’66 (1966 to 1968): A popular TV show in its time, which has since become a pop culture joke due to its light and cheesy tone.
Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997): Robin has officially appeared in only two live-action movies to date, where he was played by American actor Chris O’ Donnell.
In 2023, DC Studios boss and American film-maker James Gunn announced the development of Batman: The Brave And The Bold, featuring Damian Wayne as Robin.
Dynamic Duo (2028): An upcoming “puppetry animation” movie featuring Dick Grayson and Jason Todd as Robins.
