The DC Universe was forever changed when the Wayne family took that fateful detour into Crime Alley and Bruce Wayne was orphaned due to Joe Chill. He vowed to become the protector Gotham desperately needed and spent years traveling the world to hone his skills.
He sought out the greatest teachers to prepare him physically, mentally, and spiritually for his daunting task. Without them, Batman wouldn't be the hero that he is today. Among his many mentors, these are the top ten most important.
10 Alfred Pennyworth
Batman's loyal butler has gone above and beyond as a caretaker and guardian. In addition to looking after Bruce as a child and assisting him on late-night excursions, Alfred has also shared his expertise as an actor and field medic. Thanks to Alfred, Bruce picked up acting, combat medicine, disguising, and voice mimicry. While these skills rarely come into play during combat, it's helped Bruce go undercover into Gotham's seedy underbelly and tend to his wounds after his battles. Now if only he could have taught Bruce how to make himself breakfast.
9 Ted Grant
Wildcat doesn't get enough credit for his contributions to the DC Universe and the development of its heroes. Along with Selina Kyle and Black Canary, he's also served as a mentor to Bruce Wayne. Considering the numerous forms of martial arts Batman has mastered, one would think he wouldn't need to worry about boxing. However, it is also important to remember that he isn't always facing ninjas or martial artists but common thugs. As such, it's important to study fighting styles they would be familiar with.
8 Richard Dragon
Wildcat isn't the only one who's served as a mentor to vigilantes. After mastering martial arts from Bronze Tiger, Dragon would go on to instruct the likes of The Question, Barbara Gordon, Huntress, and of course, Batman.
Unlike the other mentors on this list, Dragon did not teach Bruce Wayne before he became Batman but rather he helped him recover and grow stronger after Bane broke Batman's back. If not for Dragon, Batman may not have recovered from his injuries and returned to protect Gotham. He proved to Batman there was always room for improvement.
7 John Zatara
If there is one thing that all superheroes must be familiar with, it is how to escape from a trap. Batman has nearly met his hand after a supervillain locked or tied him up to some sort of contraption but has always managed to break free. Thanks in part to his trusty utility belt and his training under John Zatara. While Bruce traveled the world, he spent time with the great magician mastering escape artistry who felt guilty for not stopping his parents' murder. Batman would go on to work alongside his equally gifted daughter.
6 Sergei Alexandrov
Considering all the gadgets Batman utilizes and the weapons his powerless enemies make use of, it makes sense he should know a thing or two about engineering. Hence, why he served under the inventor Sergei Alexandrov. He taught Bruce how to construct gadgets and think unconventionally to solve his problems. Who could have guessed that would come in handy when going up against tech-savvy criminals like the Riddler. Hopefully, Alexandrov makes another appearance if nothing else but to show off his pet cyborg monkey.
5 Henri Ducard
Fans of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy should recognize Henri Ducard as the alias of Ra's Al Ghul. In the comics, he is a dangerous manhunter (and not the Martian kind) who taught Bruce how to track down wanted criminals.
He quit in protest once he realized Ducard killed his targets but his lessons clearly stuck with Bruce. It's how he's managed to pursue criminals that continually evade the police. It helps that some villains stand out more than others.
4 Don Miguel
People can argue that Batman should leave the crime-fighting to the cops but it's unlikely that they are prepared to deal with high-speed car chases involving rocket launchers. Batman on the other hand has learned from the best when it comes to car chases, Don Miguel. He's a notorious criminal that showed Bruce how to use specialty cars that would prepare him years later for driving the Batmobile. If not for him, there's no telling how many times Batman would have crashed and failed to catch a getaway car. It's a shame he turned on Miguel and left him for the police but to be fair Don has killed his fair share of people.
3 Kirigi
Among the many Eastern mentors that he's studied, Kirigi's martial arts have proved to be a vital part of his training. Master of the lethal vibrating palm technique, it is considered a great honor to study under him.
So much so that Ra's Al Ghul had him train his assassins. If not for Kirigi, the League of Assassins could have beaten Batman with the one fighting technique that only Kirigi could offer. Good thing Bruce made sure that he didn't miss any fighting styles.
2 Harvey Harris
Long before Batman began his partnership with Commissioner Gordon, he started with the underrated private detective Harvey Harris. On Earth-One, he trained a young Bruce Wayne, helped come up with the name Robin, and deduced his identity. However, on New Earth, he reluctantly instructed Bruce in the ways of being a detective while apprehending white supremacists. Although he met an unfortunate end, Harris imparted pivotal knowledge to the orphan and more importantly taught him to focus his anger. Seems like Bruce has a bad track record when it comes to Harveys.
1 Shihan Matsuda
There are many reasons why Shihan Matsuda earns a place so high up in this list. During his tutelage, Bruce mastered the katana and learned to control his body temperature but that's not all he took from his experience. During his stay, Bruce fell in love with a girl who turned out to be an assassin hired to kill Matsuda. With his dying words, Matsuda warned Bruce that personal relationships like this would end in his demise. For those that wonder why Bruce has to keep his loved ones at a distance, just to look to Shihan Matsuda.