DC Comics' heroes are known for being exemplary, the perfect examples of what a hero should be. They're honorable to a fault, bringing out the best in those around them and inspiring everyone they meet. However, not all of them keep to strict codes of honor. They still get the jobs done, but they'll do things that their more honorable fellow heroes definitely wouldn't do.
These heroes have landed some of them in hot water over the years because of their loose honor codes. Still, many of them have risen to the top of the superhero community. They aren't exactly dishonorable, but they definitely aren't known for being the most trustworthy out there.
10 Booster Gold Doesn't Know Much About Honor
Booster Gold has always been an unlikely DC hero. A disgraced athlete from the future, he stole a bunch of technology and came back to the past to make his fortune as a superhero. This completely backfired on him, as Booster has never really reached the heights he thought he'd be able to. Booster has done some very heroic things, but he's not exactly honorable.
Booster's way of doing things is more about expediency than anything else. It's not out of malice or the idea that he knows better. He just wants to get things done and win so he can get a reward. This has led to his honor code having more holes than Swiss cheese.
9 Etrigan Is A Demon From Hell
Etrigan the Demon has always been a strange hero. Originally an angel who followed Lucifer into damnation, Etrigan is by definition an oathbreaker and hasn't exactly shown he has any code of honor since then.
Etrigan may be on the good side of things, but everyone knows he's a monster from Hell and not to be trusted completely. That is the problem with Etrigan in a nutshell. He's only trustworthy to an extent. He helps the heroes, but it's always because otherwise, Hell itself would be damaged. Etrigan isn't altruistic at all, and his definition of honor isn't anything worth writing home about.
8 The Chief Arranged For The Accidents That Created The Doom Patrol
The Doom Patrol are DC's misfit heroes. Robotman, Negative Man, and Elasti-Girl were brought together by the Chief, Niles Caulder, a man who wanted to give their wrecked lives meaning by being superheroes. The Doom Patrol was born, and Niles was their leader and mentor, the person they all thought they could depend on.
The truth about the Cheif is much worse. Caulder caused all of their accidents in order to make them into misfits that he could manipulate. Niles is a man for whom honor is little more than a word and one he doesn't use at all if he can help it.
7 Damian Wayne Wasn't Raised With Honor In Mind
Damian Wayne has sometimes been the best Robin, but he's definitely not an honorable person. In some ways, this isn't exactly his fault. Talia al Ghul raised him to be the best, and none of his lessons included anything about honor. He learned how to be Robin from Dick Grayson, which was a plus in the honor column, but then immediately partnered with his father, who was not the most honorable role model.
Damian has always been more about being the best than being the most honorable. His code of conduct as a hero is basically whatever gets the job done, something which has kept him from forming too many meaningful relationships among his fellow heroes.
6 Hal Jordan's Fearlessness Leads Him To Make Expedient Decisions
Hal Jordan's many adventures as a Green Lantern have shown a bit of a problem in the honor department. However, he also has a reckless streak that's a mile long. Jordan rose through the ranks of the Green Lantern Corps because he was fearless, but that approach to things has forced him to make decisions that aren't exactly the most honorable. Jordan has to think on the fly and make decisions to survive that aren't always honorable.
Jordan has his moments of honorable conduct; he didn't ignore Sinestro's fascism despite their friendship, for example. However, there have definitely been times when Jordan made decisions that didn't do his image any favors.
5 Green Arrow Has No Problem Stretching The Truth
Green Arrow is a great hero, but he's had a problem with the truth over the years. There have been multiple examples of this. He lied to his son Conner Hawke about not knowing he existed, even though he was at his birth. He's cheated on Black Canary. He's lied to her about his place in Checkmate.
Green Arrow is the type of hero who believes there are levels of truth. He's long been someone who lives by the term "need-to-know basis," and that mostly meant only he needs to know. Green Arrow has still accomplished laudable things; he's just kind of sleazy.
4 Lois Lane Will Do Anything To Get The Story
Lois Lane is part of DC's best married couple and married to the most honorable hero on Earth. However, her code of honor ends with making sure that the powerful are held to task for their sins. Lois Lane will go to any lengths to get a story. She'll lie, cheat, and steal. There are no rules in investigative journalism, and Lois Lane has no problem with that.
Lois knows the stakes of her stories. She knows what will happen if they don't get published. This is why she's perfectly willing to do rather dishonorable things in order to get the story. She cares more about the people than about being squeaky clean.
3 John Constantine Is Known For Being Untrustworthy
John Constantine and honor are ships that long ago passed in the night. Constantine found himself in a world where being honorable got people killed and went the other way. Constantine is the type of person who will do anything to get the job done. He's used and betrayed friends, lied to everyone, and tricked his way to victory on multiple occasions.
Even people that like John, basically just Zatanna, know that he's not always the most trustworthy person. John has sacrificed friends and loved ones during his quest to protect the world from magical threats. It's nice to know he'll do whatever it takes, but it's not so nice to know what that entails.
2 Barry Allen Has Done A Lot Of Damage To The Multiverse
Barry Allen used to be the Silver Age daddy of the DC Universe. Then he died, which was fine. He was brought back as copaganda Barry, which was bad enough, but then Flashpoint happened. This event showed the true hypocrisy of Barry Allen. For years, Barry fought to stop people from changing time and the Multiverse, but then he did it the first chance he got.
Barry's actions had a terrible effect on the DC Universe. Beyond that, he's basically treated Wallace West, the newest Kid Flash, like he didn't exist. Barry used to be an honorable man, but that has changed a lot in recent years, so much so that he's barely recognizable as Barry Allen.
1 Batman's Pragmatism Overcomes His Honor
Batman is the best vigilante, but he's nowhere near the most honorable. Batman is a very pragmatic man, to the extent that he's come up with secret plans to kill his friends in case they went bad. Considering how powerful the Justice League is, this isn't a terrible thing to do, but it's bad to keep it secret. That's been a big problem for Batman. He makes unilateral decisions that affect everyone but doesn't give them any input.
At this point, no one expects anything different from Batman. He has an honorable exterior, but everyone who knows him knows that's just a facade. Batman will do anything short of killing to accomplish his mission.