After the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne was left virtually alone. The deaths of his parents had inspired him to become a hero and his hope was to prevent crime from affecting others the way it had affected him. When he first became Batman, he was working by himself.
Over the years, his list of allies has continued to grow. The Bat-Family has gone from a small handful of people to a large cast of characters. Some of the members of the Bat-Family have become beloved characters while other members have come and gone, sometimes being completely forgotten. Still, many members of the Bat-Family have become as iconic as their patriarch.
10 Tim Drake Debuted In 1989
Tim Drake was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick. He first appeared in Batman #436. He was introduced as Batman's sidekick and was the third person to use the name Robin.
Tim is a brilliant character, having worked out the secret identity of Batman and the first Robin. He knew of Jason Todd's death and was worried about Batman's state of mind. He reached out to Dick Grayson, hoping to persuade Nightwing to go back to being Robin. Instead, Dick would nominate Tim for the position. Tim would endure a lengthy training process, Batman was unwilling for what happened to Jason to happen to him.
9 Jason Todd Debuted In 1983
Jason Todd first appeared in Batman #357. When the character first arrived on the scene, he was a carbon copy of Dick Grayson. Max Allan Collins rewrote the character's backstory in 1987 so that the character became distinct from Dick Grayson, but fans disliked the changes made to Jason.
The new version of Jason would be killed off in Batman: A Death in the Family. Jason's death would weigh heavily on Batman. Jason would eventually be returned to life in the 2005 story arc, Batman: Under the Hood.
8 Lucius Fox Debuted In 1979
Lucius Fox was created by Len Wein and John Calnan. He made his debut in Batman #307 and is a character known for his incredible brilliance. Lucius Fox is responsible for running Wayne Enterprises.
When he was first offered a job at Wayne Enterprises, it was hoped he'd be able to breathe new life into the then-struggling company. Typically, Lucius is unaware of Bruce Wayne's great secret, though it's sometimes implied that he secretly knows and keeps his knowledge hidden from everyone else. Still, his genius helps finance Batman's activities.
7 Barbara Gordon Debuted In 1967
The character was created by William Dozier, Julius Schwartz, Gardner Fox, and Carmine Infantino. DC editor, Julius Schwartz, hoped that the character would be added to the then ongoing Batman television show. The producers decided to adapt the character to the show after seeing the concept art. The new Batgirl was not meant to be a retooling of the previous Bat-Girl, but her own character.
Barbara Gordon quickly became a popular character, almost earning her own television show. As Batgirl, she worked alongside Batman and Robin for years. Her crime-fighting career took a hiatus after the Joker shot her, as the injury to her spinal cord left her in a wheelchair, but she would continue to help the Bat-Family using the name Oracle.
6 Bette Kane Debuted In 1961
Bette Kane was created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff. She was introduced in Batman #139 and she was originally the niece of Kathy Kane and was created to be the sidekick of her superhero identity, Batwoman.
As Bat-Girl, she served as a romantic interest for Dick Grayson's Robin. Her original costume was even designed to mirror Robin's green and red outfit. When Batman got a new editor, the character was retired along with her aunt.
5 Huntress Debuted In 1957
Helena Wayne was created by Paul Levitz and Joe Staton and he first appeared in DC Super-Stars #17. She was the daughter of Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne. Helena was brought into the world of crime-fighting after her deceased mother was framed for murder. She became Huntress to clear her mother's name.
In 1989, a reworked version of the character would debut in Huntress #1. The character was renamed, Helena Bertinelli. This Helena was the daughter of a crime boss. After witnessing the murder of her entire family, she decided to dedicate her life to fighting crime. She does so without Batman's approval and he would later admit to being worried she would end up injured as Barbara had been.
4 Kathy Kane Debuted In 1956
Kathy Kane was created by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff. She made her first appearance in Detective Comics #233. Kathy was a wealthy heiress from Gotham City who had formerly worked in the circus. Having been inspired by Batman, she began to fight crime using the name Batwoman.
Kathy was introduced to be a romantic interest for Batman. The character began fighting crime in an effort to win Batman's heart. Batman often tried to persuade Batwoman to retire from crime-fighting, worried that she would get hurt but Kathy would ignore his concerns.
3 Alfred Debuted In 1943
The original Alfred was created by Bob Kane and Donald Clough Cameron. His last name was originally Beagle. Alfred Beagle showed up at Wayne Manor one day and would offer to become Bruce's butler to fulfill a dying wish made to his father. Bruce resisted at first, worried that Alfred's presence may compromise his secret.
The character was reworked by Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson. The new Alfred, now with the surname Pennyworth, came with a new backstory. This new Alfred had worked for the Wayne family for years. Bruce had grown up with Alfred, and Alfred helped him establish his identity as Batman.
2 Selina Kyle Debuted In 1940
Selina Kyle was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. She debuted in Batman #1. Selina was introduced as a talented thief, although her backstory has been changed many times. Her original backstory is that she was a flight attendant suffering from amnesia.
Over the years, she would go from being a thief to an anti-hero. Her romance with Batman has lasted for decades. An early version of the character even married Batman and their marriage was almost revived in more recent years but ended with Catwoman leaving Batman.
1 Dick Grayson Debuted In 1940
Dick Grayson was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson. He debuted in Detective Comics #38. Dick Grayson served as Batman's sidekick and DC hoped that Robin's introduction would drum up interest in younger readers.
Dick began as a circus performer. His parents were killed by a plot begun by crime boss Tony Zucco. Bruce Wayne would adopt the boy and Dick's pain over the loss of his parents helped inspire his actions as Robin.