Calling the relationship between Nightwing and Batgirl on-again-off-again would be an understatement. They've had feelings for each other since they met. They flirted during Dick Grayson's time as the first Robin, and they've gotten close to being serious several times in their long friendship.
However, Nightwing & Batgirl never canonically established their relationship as romantic until relatively recently. Nightwing is one of the pillars of the DC Comics universe and Batgirl has been an invaluable member of Batman's inner circle for years. It feels like the two ending up together is all but inevitable. Indeed, when readers examine their relationship closely, it feels like Nightwing and Batgirl absolutely belong together.
10 Batgirl & Nightwing Grew Up With Imposing Father Figures
Gotham City isn't an easy place to grow up in. Nightwing and Batgirl not only were raised in the DCU's worst city, but they grew up as vigilantes with high-profile father figures. Following his parents' death, Dick Grayson became the ward of Bruce Wayne, Gotham's richest citizen.
Barbara Gordon is the daughter of Gotham's top cop, Jim Gordon, who's also the mob's second-biggest target in Gotham. As soldiers in Batman's army, they built legacies of their own to uphold, but Nightwing and Batgirl started out with legacy as a high priority in both their lives.
9 Nightwing & Batgirl's Relationship Is Rooted In Friendship
Many successful relationships begin as friendships. This is definitely the case with Nightwing and Batgirl. Dick & Babs practically grew up together as teenagers and as Batman's sidekicks in their roles as Batgirl and Robin, and their lives and emotions are deeply connected.
Barbara and Dick knew each other extremely well long before they decided to act on their feelings for one another and become a couple. With friendship as the foundation for their loving relationship, the odds that the two are perfect for each other increase exponentially.
8 Barbara Was Dick's First Love
No one forgets their first love, and Dick Grayson has carried a torch for Barbara from the very beginning of their relationship. He's never let go of or gotten over the way she makes him feel.
Both Nightwing and Batgirl have gone their separate ways multiple times over the years. However, they always tend to drift their way back to one another. Based upon that, it's clear that Barbara has always been the one for Dick, no matter how far apart they've strayed from one another from time to time.
7 Dick Chose Barbara Over Starfire
Barbara Gordon may have been Dick Grayson's first true love, but she's by no means his only love. Indeed, during his time leading the Teen Titans in his roles as both Robin and Nightwing, it seemed like Dick was destined to end up with Starfire.
At one point, Nightwing and Starfire were engaged to be married to one another, but it didn't work out. Starfire is a superpowered alien princess from a distant world. All signs point to Dick Grayson choosing a fellow ordinary human to build a life with.
6 Babs And Dick Already Have A Dog Together
One of the biggest steps any couple can take to confirm their commitment to one another is by starting a family. Some couples have children, others adopt children. Adopting pets is also a significant step.
The addition of Dick Grayson's dog Haley - affectionately called "Bitewing" by Barbara and Tim Drake -was a big step for the couple. It may not seem like a big deal, but getting home to spend time with the dog is a big incentive for keeping Gotham's streets safe. It also ups the stakes for any future break-ups, since shared custody is difficult for canines.
5 Barbara Won't Let Dick Abandon His Dreams
In Nightwing #96 by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Caio Filipe, Adriano Lucas and Wes Abbott, the evil Blockbuster discovered Nightwing's secret identity. Dick responded by proposing that he and Barbara break up for the latter's safety.
However, Barbara refused to give up on the relationship. She knew the risks of the superhero game, but she wasn't willing to let Dick give up on their relationship for her sake. Teamwork is as valuable a skill in relationships as it is on the battlefield, and Barbara showed herself to be a real team player here.
4 Batgirl & Nightwing Both Survived Their Relationships With Batman
Working with Batman isn't easy. The Dark Knight has impossibly high standards for his teammates, and most of the time he doesn't even give them the courtesy of his full trust. Despite this, both Nightwing and Batgirl maintain a healthy relationship with their mentor.
It's easier for Dick, who grew up alongside a brooding Bruce Wayne and a violently intense Batman. But Barbara shows the same level of respect and patience for Bruce that Dick maintains, never allowing his dark side to override her own humanity.
3 Barbara And Dick Grew Up With Normal Lives
Although they've chosen the difficult double life of crime fighters, both Batgirl and Nightwing grew up in relatively normal families. Dick may have grown up in a traveling circus, and Barbara grew up with estranged parents, but they still had fairly average upbringings.
All of that may have changed when they became two of Batman's most accomplished proteges, but they still have that normal foundation to build on. It makes them better able than some of their Bat-family teammates - including Batman himself - to cope with the stressful lives they've chosen.
2 Nightwing And Batgirl Keep Each Other In The Light
Both Nightwing and Batgirl have made a commitment to bring hope to a bleak community. Whether it's in Gotham City or neighboring Blüdhaven, they fight crime in dire and almost hopeless circumstances. As a result, Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon are the light in one another's lives in more ways than one.
They've been educated to fight in the shadows, and they have endured more than their share of suffering. Through all the battles, deaths, and hardships, they've manage to help one another rise above their desperate circumstances.
1 Dick Grayson Promised To Always Return To Batgirl
Nightwing is arguably the most admired figure in the DC Universe. He's a man of unbreakable integrity, and he doesn't give his word if he doesn't intend to keep it. Dick and Barbara were engaged to be married once before, but Dick wasn't ready and broke it off at the last minute.
Before he left, he made Barbara a promise. He wrote her a letter promising he would return to her someday. Strong in the face of adversity, as ever, Barbara said to herself simply, "I'll hold you to that, Grayson." Not many people could sincerely make that promise or accept it under those circumstances. They really are meant to be together.