Among the many reasons that Bruce Wayne first decided to put on the suit is the fact that Batman could accomplish things that a normal man could never hope to. Batman could not only be used as a myth used to frighten the criminals of Gotham, but he could become an everlasting symbol used to bring hope to the citizens of Gotham.

Over the years there have been many different figures to don the mantle that old Brucie first created, but have any of them managed to exceed the example Bruce first laid out? Or has Bruce always remained the one true bat?

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10 Jean-Paul Valley

Jean-Paul Valley’s tenure as the Batman is complicated, to say the least. A victim of brainwashing by the Sacred Order Of Saint Dumas for his entire life, as Batman, Valley would be forced to fight not only against the villains of Gotham, but against his psychological programming, as well. Though Valley had a natural aptitude when it came to donning the mantle of the Bat (after the events of Knightfall), Valley would soon succumb to his programming and begin allowing villains to die. It was a decision which would inevitably bring Bruce back to take his rightful place as Batman.

9 Jason Todd

Jason Todd as Batman in Battle for the Cowl

Though Jason Todd hasn’t always been the most loyal of Batman’s proteges, during the events of Final Crisis, when Bruce Wayne had seemingly been killed, Jason decided that it was time for a new, more extreme version of the Batman.

Jason’s version of the Batman was unafraid to use lethal force, unafraid to wield weapons and take actions that would ensure that the enemies of Batman would never again inflict pain on others. Luckily, Bruce did eventually return, and Jason would eventually become a much less violent version of the hero he used to be.

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8 Thomas Wayne

One of the hallmarks of Bruce Wayne’s Batman is that he refused to take a life, any life, no matter how serious or tense the situation is. Unlike Bruce, however, Thomas, rather than being killed, was forced to watch his only son die right before his eyes. While Bruce would be inspired to fight the criminals of Gotham (and the world) without using lethal force, His father would go down a much darker path, and his mother, well, she’d fall into much darker depths.

7 Damian Wayne

Damian Wayne as Batman

While Damian is, in fact, the biological son of Bruce Wayne, when he takes over the mantle of Batman in Batman #666 (by Grant Morrison, Andy Kubert, and Jesse Delperdang), he’s much more similar to his paternal (and maternal, for that matter) grandfather.

Without a strong role model like his father of Dick Grayson around to guide him, Damian succumbs to his killer instinct. It becomes clear that Damian was not ready to don the mantle of The Bat and it ends being Gotham that pays the price.

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6 Tim Drake

Time Drake has a complicated history with the heroes and villains most commonly associated with Gotham. At different periods in time, Tim could be found donning the mantle of Robin, Batman, Batman Beyond, and even the Joker. During the events of Final Crisis, Tim knew that he could not allow Jason to become Batman, so he donned the mantle and fought against him for the honor of becoming the Bat.

It was a battle that he lost. More recently, however, (future) Tim would not only pick up the mantle of the Bat, but he would pick up the gun responsible for killing Bruce’s parents and “redeem” it through the pursuit of his version of justice.

5 Clark Kent

Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne share bed Superman Batman annual

Though many of Batman’s greatest partners and proteges have taken on the mantle of Batman, a vast number of them simply were not capable of handling the pressure. As this article has highlighted already, many of the proteges that Batman had trained to carry on his mission would one day betray all of the lessons that he had taught them in his time with them.

Clark Kent, however, is neither a protege or someone that would falter under the pressures of the mantle. While they have been few and far between, Supes has donned the cowl several times in order to spar Bruce’s secret identity and help out in times of need.

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4 Jim Gordon

After Bruce is presumed dead after a climactic battle with the Joker underneath the streets of Gotham, Gotham PD is left with no other choice but to make a Batman of their own. While the police force begins training several of its staff to perform the duties left behind by the Bat in a special task force, it is eventually Jim Gordon who rises to the occasion and dons the cowl (or crazy robot suit).

Having been Batman’s closest ally on the police force for years, Jim is a natural fit to fill the void left behind by Bruce’s disappearance and he even manages to uphold Batman’s ethical code.

3 Bruce Wayne

Ah, yes. Bruce Wayne, the original Batman. This placing will probably offend a lot of Batman fans, but the evidence against Bruce being the best Batman is simply unavoidable. Yes, Bruce has many strengths as Batman, but his weaknesses are numerous and unmistakable.

Bruce is by far one of the least mentally stable people to have ever taken on the burden of the cowl. Beyond that, Bruce is extremely abrasive, untrusting and altogether not a very teammate (not to mention leader). Yes, Bruce’s lack of faith in others and abrasiveness have served him well in the past, but they’ve also served to devastate those he works with and splinter teams as tight-knit as the Justice League.

2 Terry McGinnis

Okay, this one will definitely come under some flak. For starters, when Terry first began his career as the dark knight of Gotham’s future, he wasn’t exactly fit for the job. He’s relied on Bruce’s help to get him through most situations and needed the help of a high-tech batsuit and batmobile to get him through the rest.

But, as Terry matured, he became more and more like his mentor (and biological father), even reaching a level (around his thirties) where his skills as Batman were even comparable to Bruce in his prime. The thing that brings Terry a step ahead of Bruce is that not only was he able to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the master, but he was untethered by the emotional trauma that he faced growing up—a factor that always weighed Bruce down.

1 Dick Grayson

Dick Grayson as Batman

Dick earns his place at the top because he contains the best aspects of all of the best Batmen. He’s just as capable, if not more so, than Bruce ever was as Batman. He’s unburdened by the traumas of his past and has actually managed to use them to become not only a better, more empathetic hero, but a better person in general.

While many might argue that Dick never wanted to don the cowl and become Batman, there are those that would argue that’s exactly why he’s the best Batman. Dick knows that Batman shouldn’t be a permanent position, and he understands the limits of the cowl without succumbing to the burdens of it—something that no one else in this article has accomplished. He also doesn’t need Bruce in his ear to do the job, which helps him to beat out Terry.

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