The Lazarus Pit has been part of Batman lore for some time, often intricately tied to Ras Al Ghul and the League of Assassins. It was his main source of staying alive as long as he did, eternally keeping himself in charge until a worthy successor could be found. However, Ra's al Ghul is far from the only person to use it.
DC villains and heroes alike have dipped themselves into the Lazarus Pit, both willingly and unwillingly. More often than not, it's a way to bring back a character from what seemed like certain death. This has led to some interesting story arcs, like the resurrected Jason Todd becoming Red Hood.
Updated by Sage Ashford on June 29th 2023: The Lazarus Pits continue to extend the lives of characters, allowing DC to continue telling stories with some of their most popular characters. This list has been updated to add some additional people who have used the Lazarus Pits.
15 Ra's Al Ghul
As the man in charge of the League of Assassins, not only is Ra's one of the first to use it, but he's also one of the few who've sunk into its waters multiple times. Refusing to let anyone inferior than himself take care of his legacy, Ra's has embraced the Pit's risks time and again.
Supposedly, Ra's goal is to sustain himself through the Lazarus Pit until he can find a worthy heir, like Batman. However, it's unlikely a man with the supernatural power to exist for centuries would ever let go of the power Ra's possesses.
14 Jeffrey Franklin Burr
During the Pre-Crisis Era, Jeffrey Burr was one of the few people with as much mastery over the Lazarus Pits as Ra's Al Ghul. When Batman met him, Jeffrey had not only discovered the Lazarus Pits, but had mastered them to the point he knew their unique formula.
Jeffrey Burr used the Lazarus Pit to extend his life and increase the power of his criminal empire. He submerged any dead person into his Pit, bringing them back under his control. Meanwhile, Jeffrey could also use the Pit to submerge living people, killing them so that he could bring them back to life.
13 Nyssa Raatko
As the lesser-known sibling, DC fans rarely see Nyssa on the same level as Ra's al Ghul's other daughter, Talia. That didn't change the fact that Ra's respected Nyssa's strengths and talent so much that he allowed her to keep one of the Lazarus Pit's for herself — even after she rebelled against him.
It was Ra's al Ghul's final gift to his daughter, and one Nyssa took full advantage of. Nyssa discovered a way to let a user utilize the same pit multiple times when it was long thought it could only be used once.
12 Batman
Bruce has had more than one encounter with the Lazarus Pits. In the early '90s, Bruce's obsession with taking down Ra's lead him on a trip around the globe. With Ra's on a mission to "purify" the planet, Bruce stopped at nothing to track him down.
In the end, the mission led Batman where it always does with Ra's: a fight to the death. Ra's experience and Bruce's exhaustion led to Bruce's loss and a shovel rammed in his chest for the trouble. However, Bruce plunged them both into the Lazarus Pit's waters, restoring both their lives and causing their war to continue.
11 Wonder Woman
The magical powers of the Lazarus Pits have always had strange effects on its users. For Wonder Woman, the Pit became necessary after encountering a Bizarro controlled by Ra’s Al Ghul. Despite her superior skill, Bizarro’s strength speed caught Wonder Woman off-guard, leaving her battered and injured.
After being stabbed by one of Ra’s al Ghul’s assistants, Diana plunged herself into the Lazarus Pits to recover. She emerged shortly afterwards, completely healed. Since the Pit's magic drastically affected Wonder Woman's personality, she retreated to the Island of Themyscira to recover.
10 Jason Todd
Jason is perhaps the most well-known recipient of the Lazarus Pit's healing power, helping shape the character he's become today. Rather than being used to restore his youth, Jason used the Pit to recover his memories, since many had been lost once after he came back to life.
The Lazarus Pit did its job too well. Jason Todd became filled with hate, striking out at Batman and Gotham as a whole for what happened to him,. This led the former hero to become a violent vigilante, adopting the codename: Red Hood.
9 The Joker
The Lazarus Pit's restorative properties can never be questioned after what it did to Joker. The Pit staved off his erratic behavior and restored him to what he once was. This change proved an interesting shift for a character often known for his unpredictability.
His quieter frame of mind didn't last long, and soon Joker slipped back into the role of the Clown Prince once again. Of course, considering how iconic a villain the Joker is, it's unsurprising DC undid the Lazarus Pit's effect.
8 Black Canary
In the pages of Birds of Prey, Black Canary received a grievous injury, one that pushed her to the brink of death. The Lazarus Pit managed to not only save her but also return her metahuman powers that had been stripped away.
Black Canary could once again use her Canary Cry and even gained the ability to have children again, something she'd long been incapable of. It was a little convenient that the Pit waved away some of her flaws, but when in the service of a greater story, fans were happy to ignore it.
7 The Riddler
During the Hush storyline, Riddler developed cancer by way of a brain tumor. He searched for a way to cure himself, eventually finding his way to a Lazarus Pit.
The Pit not only took away Riddler's cancer but also cured him of some of his mental illness, letting him think clear enough to figure out Batman's secret identity. Naturally, Batman had a way around that, threatening to tell the League of Assassins that Riddler had used one of their pools.
6 King Snake
Even minor and unimportant characters have managed to take a dip in the Lazarus Pit. Unlike others, King Snake didn't use it to stave off death. Instead, he used the Pit to regain his sight.
With his vision returning, King Snake continued his journey to become Naja-Naja of Kobra. Along the way, he ended up gunning down his son, Bane — leading the famous Batman villain to plunge into the Lazarus Pit as well.
5 Isis
The Lazarus Pit's process is often perfect, bringing people back without side effects. However, it hasn’t always succeeded. In 52, Black Adam lost his wife Isis thanks to a plague that attacked his homeland. After he got revenge, he made his next goal finding a way to bring back Isis.
Black Adam’s first attempt to revive Isis involved collecting her remains and plunging them into the Lazarus Pit. Unfortunately, since he didn’t completely collect her remains, Isis was only partially revived and soon passed away once again.
4 Bane
The battle with King Snake led to some interesting developments, such as Bane learning who his father was and losing to an unexpected foe. Perhaps more surprising was the fact that it led to Bane and Batman working together for a change.
Though each had their own reasons, both Batman and Bane were eager to bring down King Snake. Their partnership went so far that Bane protected Batman from gunfire, receiving a mortal wounded. As a show of gratitude, Batman saved Bane by placing him in the Lazarus Pit.
3 Kate Kane
After Final Crisis, the Bat-Family was forced to accept that they'd lost their leader, Batman. However, Dick Grayson attempted to bring him back with the help of a Lazarus Pit. Unfortunately, the corpse was actually a trap from Darkseid — leaving Dick, Batwoman, and Knight and Squire fighting a monster.
When their battle triggered a collapse of the cave they were in, it left Kate in a dangerous situation. However, because they were close to the Lazarus Pit, Dick and the others dug their way back to it and submerged her. Revived and at full strength, they defeated the fake Batman once and for all.
2 Nora Fries
No one instantly regretted their decision to use the Lazarus Pit quite like Mr. Freeze did when he placed his wife, Nora, inside. Due to years of being altered while on ice, her body absorbed the pits chemicals, morphing it into a walking Lazarus Pit.
Nora received the ability to conjure flames and reanimate the dead, renaming herself Lazara. The effects eventually reverted, and Freeze was forced to deal with his own mistake, making him more sympathetic than ever.
1 Cassandra Cain
Much of Cassandra Cain's early run as Batgirl entailed finding out who she was, as both a person and who her parents were. David Cain had long since been outed as her father, but her mother's identity remained a mystery.
Cassandra Cain's journey led her to the League of Assassins and her near-death at the hands of brother Mad Dog. Cassandra easily would've died if her mother, Lady Shiva, hadn't saved her life by dropping her into the Lazarus Pit.