There is no doubt that everybody loves Batman. He's one of the biggest icons in entertainment and for good reason: he's dark, complex, and faces off again the biggest villains. However, the Bat-Family has its fair share of great members who deserve as much love as he gets.
Enter: Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Commissioner James Gordon. From Batgirl to Oracle, Barbara has evolved to become her own hero in Gotham City. She is not just a great friend and protege to the Dark Knight but one of the most valuable members of the expansive Bat-Family.
10 She Is A Genius
Being able to take on a group of thugs with her bare hands is awesome. It shows her resolve and effectiveness as a vigilante but Barbara's most powerful asset is her mind. Barbara is actually one of the DC universe's most intelligent heroes. There's almost nothing she can't hack into. She's a tech whiz, and due to her father being Jim Gordon, she has the knowledge of a cop. That's why she's just as effective as Oracle as she is Batgirl.
9 No Tragic Backstory
Most DC heroes, especially members of the Bat-Family, get their start through a dark tragedy similar to Batman himself. With Barbara, however, she simply became Batgirl because she believed that the justice system was flawed and agreed with Batman's methods.
Rather than the broody personality that comes of a dark origin story, she's fun loving but firm when she needs to be. Barbara is someone who just wants to do what is right, which is refreshing from the typical origin story.
8 Barbara Is The Most Mature Member
Out of all the Bat-Family members, Barbara seems to be the only one who can act like an adult. Dick Grayson (her on/off boyfriend) is a cocky, quip spewing rogue who can't sit still. Jason Todd's temper turns him into a volatile man. Damian Wayne is... well, Damian Wayne. Tim Drake comes close but he's still a kid in many ways.
Barbara, on the other hand, has been through a lot but she doesn't let rage get the better of her. She's a genius but is not condescending. She's kind and caring but can be firm when the situation calls for it. Barbara has all the qualities of a good leader should Bruce go missing like in the new Gotham Knights video game.
7 Barbara Was Never A Sidekick
When Barbara first donned the moniker of Batgirl, it was never at the command of Batman. Instead, Batgirl operated on her own and proved to be effective in the field thus earning the attention of Batman and Robin. Batman didn't even want another partner but he still accepted Barbara into the Bat-Family. And Batgirl's heroism is not defined by the Bat-Family: she has plenty of solo adventures, her own team with the Birds Of Prey, and even helps out the Justice League on occasion.
6 Her Own Roster Of Villains
Much like Nightwing, Barbara deals with plenty of Batman's foes, being stationed in Gotham City and all. Batgirl has her own gallery of rogues that range from ludicrous to terrifying. Foes like Velvet Tiger, Blacksun, and Agrippina all prove to be great threats to the young hero.
DC could have easily just made Batgirl fight nothing but Batman villains or C-listers from the rest of the DC world. Instead, writers have further shown that Batgirl is very much her own woman by having unique villains.
5 Family Matters
One of the best dynamics to come out of Barbara's tenure as both Batgirl and Oracle is her relationship with her father. Though Jim Gordon works with Batman, he would not approve his daughter moonlighting as a costumed vigilante. After all, he is the police commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department.
It makes for an interesting conflict since most of the Bat-Family have little to no connection outside of their vigilante life. Barbara, meanwhile, has to keep her identity secret from a family member; she loves being a vigilante but she hates having to lie to her father.
4 Barbara Got Her Own Arkham Campaign
Robin, Nightwing, and Catwoman were only given one small DLC story in Batman: Arkham Knight, whereas Barbara was given her own mini-campaign as DLC in which she was playable & could explore a small map.
This shows how much fans loved her character in the Arkham series. After three games, everyone wanted Batgirl to finally show up and get her due: Rocksteady delivered and more with her story. It focuses on Batgirl and Robin trying to stop the Joker and Harley Quinn before the events of Arkham Asylum.
3 Barbara Trains The Next Batgirl
Similar to Robin, the moniker of Batgirl is not limited to one person. While Barbara was Oracle, Batman took in yet another protege in the form of Stephanie Brown as Robin: an eager but challenging apprentice. Batman had trouble training her which led to Stephanie coming to Barbara.
With the help of Wendy Harris, the three formed Team Batgirl. Barbara was hesitant about the idea at first but became proud of Stephanie once she excelled and made Batgirl her own.
2 A Hero As Oracle
As Batgirl, Barbara Gordon proved herself to be a dedicated hero and a fighter. This makes her crippling at the hands of the Joker much more heartbreaking. Does that stop the young woman? No way, she trades in fighting with her fists to battling evil with her brain as Oracle.
As Oracle, Barbara proves to be one of Batman's most useful allies even without the use of her legs. That doesn't mean she's useless in a fight: she keeps herself ready to battle anybody who attacks her. It seems nothing can stop Barbara from bringing justice to the city.
1 From Oracle Back To Batgirl
There's no doubt that Barbara was still an effective and beloved member of the team as Oracle. However, Barbara is not the kind of person who prefers to fight from the sidelines. She got experimental surgery, trained, and managed to get back onto her feet.
Barbara returned to the frontlines as Batgirl, proving that she is indeed an inspiring hero. This feat was also accomplished by Batman himself, who recovered from a broken spine after a battle with Bane. When someone can match Batman like that, it's impossible to deny them the credit.