Batman has displayed the kind of enduring popularity that other superheroes can only dream to have. Part of it involves the relatable origin: the idea that anyone can become Batman if they work hard enough at it. But another part, perhaps just as important, are all of his gadgets and devices.
From the utility belt to everything in the Batcave, Batman has stayed on top of criminals in Gotham by having better tech than they did from the very beginning; even the Joker got jealous in the 1989 movie. Regardless of if he's working with Robin or alone, Batman always has everything he needs to deal with anyone on the mission.
10 The Batman Keeps A Collapsible Light Saber To Help Him In Close Combat
An item that Batman uses primarily in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, this is one of Bruce's coolest gadgets. The buckle of the utility belt becomes the handle, and Batman can pull the sword from his belt, made up of pure energy.
This probably could've been a regular collapsible sword, but why settle for that when it can be a laser sword? He's able to cut through anything with the blade, which makes him even more deadly. It fits with Brave and the Bold's more Silver Age storytelling, though.
9 Batman's Keeps The Most Useful Thing Any Hero Could Ever Have In His Utility Belt: Cash
Batman’s enormous resources are what allow him to do this job in the first place. Without Wayne Enterprises’ funding, he’s just The Question. He couldn’t be anywhere nearly as effective, and likely wouldn’t be able to help all of his allies in keeping Gotham under control.
Batman also happens to be known to carry cash in his utility belt, which is always a good idea in Gotham, though it might not be as useful when he’s working with the League.
8 Batman's Cowl Is Equipped With A Powerful Taser To Keep Enemies From Unmasking Him
It’s unsurprising that Batman would have access to tasers, but this isn’t a reference to any taser he might keep in his utility belt or even in his vehicles. No, this is about the electric taser he keeps for anyone who tries to remove his cowl if he’s knocked unconscious.
This has also been shown as gas to knock people out, but ultimately the goal is about protecting Batman’s identity should he ever be unable to fight back. Though it might not be a permanent solution, usually by the time someone tries he manages to wake up.
7 Smoke Pellets Allow Batman The Element Of Surprise When Fighting Large Crowds
This is probably the most basic of Batman’s gadgets, and something that people could actually have access to in real life. While he doesn’t need smoke pellets to annoy his best friend James Gordon, smoke pellets come in handy whenever he’s surrounded and needs to make a quick escape.
His ability to move swiftly and silently amidst the confusion allows him to escape everything from the police to the gangs in Gotham if things start to go against him.
6 The Lenses In Batman's Cowl Allow Him Access To X-Ray Vision As Well As Detective Vision
Batman’s lenses were once just colored white as part of an effort to scare off the bad guys. But as technology became more ubiquitous in the real world, Batman had to upgrade to keep up with everyone.
These days, the lenses in Batman’s cowl are able to do X-ray vision, check for fingerprints, and even provide the “detective vision” in the video games that has allowed him to reconstruct a crime scene and figure out what happened before everything went wrong.
5 Power Armor Allows Batman To Battle Superhuman Beings At The Same Level
Another gadget that doesn’t exactly fit into Bruce’s utility belt. Bruce has had multiple forms of powered armor over the years—enough that at this point Tony Stark should be calling him about copyright infringement.
He wore armor against Superman during Dark Knight Returns, and since then he’s always had a suit somewhere that can help him deal with more extreme and over-the-top threats. He’s even got a suit powerful enough to let him fight against Darkseid though it’s not something he can wear for long periods of time.
4 The Bat-Computer Helps Batman To Track Down Some Of The Most Dangerous Criminals In The World
Not exactly something within his utility belt, but an important gadget nonetheless. As the head of Wayne Enterprises, Bruce is able to get access to state-of-the-art technology and keeps his computer upgraded as frequently as possible.
The Batcave has access to computers that even the Pentagon could only dream of, complete with proper encryption and data on all the cases and villains Bruce has dealt with both by himself and with the Justice League.
3 The Grappling Gun Allows Batman To Attack From Above
These days Batman is just as lightly to have an anti-gravity belt or just hop in his Batplane to travel around Gotham. But Bruce’s first option for going through the skies was the Batrope (or the grappling gun). It was a simple grappling hook that could be fired out from a handheld device, magnetically sticking onto where ever it is and pulling Batman to his destination with the cord.
Originally, this was basically just a rope with a Batarang attached to it, but between the films and the video games, it got multiple upgrades until it became the form fans see today.
2 Batman's Kryptonite Ring Is The Only Thing That Could Protect Earth From Evil Kryptonians
Everyone talks about how Batman is able to shut Superman down with prep time. But the reality is if Superman had actually gone too far, prep time wouldn’t be able to save him. He would need an answer instantly, and fortunately, he has one.
A lead-lined pocket in his utility belt has a Kryptonite ring that was given to him by Superman himself in case Superman ever got out of control. How well that ring would help considering Superman’s super-speed is a major question mark, but it's better than having nothing at all.
1 The Batarang Is Batman's Best, Most Versatile Gadget
The signature weapon of Batman, this probably started all the Bat prefix gadgets and vehicles. They’re customized shurikens that happen to be in the shape of his Bat emblem. They lean into Batman’s roots as a ninja while managing to be an effective medium-range weapon that he’s learned to use to deal with a variety of situations.
What’s best about these things is how they’re infinitely customizable—he’s made everything from explosives to remote-controlled batarangs over the years and they all fit in his utility belt.