For nearly a century, Batman has tried to do good for Gotham City and the world. Most of the time, his tactics work. As a result, several villains reside in Blackgate and Arkham as the Dark Knight continues his quest to eliminate the criminal culture.
Yet, The Caped Crusader has experienced numerous failures in his life that have been larger than normal. These missteps have caused distress not only for Batman but also those in his "family." To prove this point, here are the 10 biggest failures in Batman's life, ranked.
10 The Death Of Damian
Apparently, Bruce didn't learn his lesson when Jason Todd was killed by the Joker. There's a chance a Robin will be killed if he isn't watched. This is how his son Damian Wayne was killed during the New 52 era.
Fighting an adult clone of himself known as the Heretic, Damian is impaled by a fiery blade. It's even worse than Jason's death because Damian is Bruce's son. The good news that came out of this failure is Batman doubled-down on his dedication to retrieve his son's body and resurrect him in the Lazarus Pit.
9 Does Not Keep Gotham City Safe
Bruce Wayne cherishes Gotham City, and he literally does anything to keep it safe from criminals that constantly want to take it down. No matter how he tries, he seems more like Sisyphus than a superhero. He fights crime 24 hours a day and spends millions of dollars on the city's infrastructure. Yet, some idiot always comes in to stop the progress.
Take the aftermath of "No Man's Land" or "City of Bane." In both cases, the city began to rise from the ashes of devastation thanks to Batman's help. Yet, some villains didn't want that to happen. It must be frustrating for Bruce to see regularly as it's a constant example of his failure to keep the city safe.
8 Let Stephanie Brown Become Robin
Despite his previous reluctance to continue her training Stephanie Brown as Spoiler, Batman decided to put her into the Robin costume. There are two reasons for this. One, Tim was retired after his father discovered his secret identity. Two, Batman always needs a Robin.
After disobeying Bats on several missions, she was fired. Still wanting to show her worth, Steph donned the Robin costume one more time to take down most of Gotham's underground. This is when she was tortured and severely injured. Thus, Batman was riddled with feelings of failure once again at not protecting his partner.
7 Letting Azrael Become Batman
It seemed like a good idea at the time. After his back was broken by Bane, Bruce decided Gotham still needed a Dark Knight. So, he called upon someone who could do the job -- Jean-Paul Valley, known as Azrael.
He seemed to fit into the role at first, then he got a bit flighty. He felt the past version of Bats wasn't violent enough to stop crime. So, he adjusted the bat suit to his likings and took justice into his own hands. Seeing the oncoming disaster he had wrought with his decision, Bruce willed himself out of rehab to confront Jean-Paul and correct his failure.
6 Not Willing To Become Batman Again
This is not the first time Bruce didn't want to be Batman. Nor was it the second time when he came back from the dead. It was the third time, when he lost his memory after battling Joker, that he decided he didn't want to be the old Bruce Wayne.
Deep inside, he probably regretted this. Why return to his old ways when Jim Gordon was doing okay as the new Batman? In the end, his sense of failure in hiding from his destiny made him bite the bullet and become the Dark Knight once again.
5 Not Protecting Barbara From Being Shot
This is a big one in Batman's life. At least until Barbara Gordon got the ability to walk again in the New 52 era. Not only was she shot while not on duty as Batgirl, Babs was attacked by Batman's number one rogue -- Joker.
Even for the Clown Prince of Crime it was a brutal move, and it reverberated across the Batman family for years. It's probably why Batman set Barbara up with high-tech equipment to help him and other heroes out as Oracle. It was his way to fight his feelings of failure.
4 Not Saving Alfred
"If a Bat appears in Gotham, Alfred dies." This was Bane's threat to the Batman family in the "City of Bane" storyline. Unfortunately, as Bruce tried to recover from previous injuries inflicted by the criminal, Damian entered the city as Robin to stop things.
Unfortunately, he was caught by Bane and Thomas Wayne, the Flashpoint version of Batman. In a single panel, Alfred's neck was broken by Bane while Damian watched in shock. Not only could Bruce not save Alfred but he also couldn't save his son from viewing the death.
3 The Death Of Jason Todd
As you can see, many of Batman's greatest failures are connected to the severe injury or death of someone close to him. Case in point, the demise of Jason Todd. Of course, he really shouldn't feel like a failure at his death. Technically, the fans voted for his termination.
So, the Joker tortured Jason then blew up the space around him. The result was the iconic image of Batman carrying Robin's frail and bleeding body from the wreckage while thoughts of failure screamed in his head.
2 The Death Of His Parents
It's understandable how Bruce could feel like a failure in this event. His parents were shot in cold-blood with him looking on at the devastation. Thing is, what could he do at that point? He was a tween at that time of his life. It's doubtful he could have saved them.
Yet, this curse has been a blessing for everyone. For it's the simmering failure of this event that caused Bruce to eventually become Batman. It's also the reason he returns to the role whenever he "retires" for a short time.
1 Letting His Demons Run His Life
For the most part, Bruce is a clear-thinking individual who has the plans necessary to confront street-level and superhuman villains. It's why people turn to him as a leader, even when he isn't an official one.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of times when he releases the inner demons that constantly berate him. When that happens, he goes on a rampage or sulks in the darkness of Wayne Manor. It's these moments when the thoughts of his failures are the strongest. It's also during these times where he stands up and goes on patrol, even though he believes it's pointless.