DC’s Boy Wonder, Robin is one of the most enduring aspects of the Batman mythos. It’s therefore no surprise that, over the years, some surprising heroes and villains have stolen his classic costume, tapping into the iconography of the definitive kid sidekick. Here are the best characters who stole Robin’s look, and why they did it.
5
Jenny Wren, aka Anita Jean
Created by Tim Seeley and Baldemar Rivas
Even before the first Robin, Dick Grayson, Batman experimented with taking on a vigilante protégé. To that end, he began training Anita Jean. The former sidekick of a villain called ‘the Escape Artist’, Anita joined Batman to defeat him, but ended up executing her former partner. This led Bruce to reject Anita, who faked her death and lay in wait.
Anita surfaced in 2022’s Robins, targeting the various heroes who Batman accepted as his ‘official’ sidekicks. As ‘Jenny Wrenn,’ Anita wore a dark robin costume with a feathery scarf and make-up mimicking Robin’s domino mask, ultimately taken down by an alliance of past Robins.
4
Robin, aka Dinesh Babar
Created by Tim Seeley and Javi Fernandez
The disturbing Gotham villain Professor Pyg is an expert at brainwashing, normally using his talents to turn innocent people into servile ‘Dollotrons.’ However, under the guidance of Batman’s demonic ancestor Simon Hurt, Pyg created his own Nightwing and Robin, resulting in the murderous Deathwing and the confused but heroic Dinesh Babar Robin.
Dinesh had his memories co-mingled with those of Damian Wayne’s Robin, wearing a tatty imitation of Dick Grayson’s original Robin costume to fight against Deathwing. Sadly, Dinesh died battling his villainous ‘partner,’ but did the Robin name proud by fighting for others.
3
The Robin King, aka Bruce Wayne
Created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
In one of the endless realities of the Dark Multiverse, Bruce Wayne was born a psychopath who murdered his own parents. The Robin King’s crimes grew more intense over the years, leading to him killing off the heroes of his home reality.
The Robin King specializes in sourcing unique weapons to target his enemies’ weaknesses, with an arsenal including a multi-colored Kryptonite ring, Nth metal handcuffs and an anti-Speed Force toxin. The Robin King is an the embodiment of Batman’s fear that he was always broken and violent, and that his parents’ deaths are just an excuse for his true nature.
The Robin King took his name from a robin singing at his parents’ funeral, which expressed the joy he felt inside at that moment.
2
The Robin of Zur-En-Arrh, aka Bruce Wayne
Created by Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jiménez
When the pure essence of the Dark Knight – the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh – took physical form, he created his own trusted sidekick by cloning Bruce Wayne. The result was the hyper-violent Robin of Zur-En-Arrh, who wore a dark version of the iconic Robin costume, while also carrying a spear modeled on Tim Drake’s bo staff.
Ultimately, the Robin of Zur-En-Arrh was freed from his master’s control, but was revealed to age at an accelerated rate. Ultimately, the only sidekick that the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh could trust was one who wouldn’t live long enough to question him.
1
The Joker
Created by Jerry Robinson, Bill Finger and Bob Kane
The Joker has dressed up as Robin on countless occasions, wearing versions of Dick Grayson’s costume to mock Batman – especially in regards to his murder of the second Robin, Jason Todd.
However, Joker’s most noteworthy imitation of Robin was in Scott Snyder, Jonathan Glapion and Greg Capullo’s Batman: The Last Knight on Earth. Taking place in a distant, dystopian future, Batman discovers the Joker as a vivified head, driven past the point of madness by solitude. Joker eventually joins Batman’s side utilizing a mech body, and wears the Robin uniform as a sincere ally of the Dark Knight.
Those are the top heroes and villains who stole Robin’s classic look – but they’re not the only ones. Let us know in the comments below which other characters made Robin‘s iconic costume their own.
