Not even a year after Batman appeared, Robin showed up in Detective Comics #38. The character has been a partner to Batman almost from the very beginning, but in eight decades Robin has actually undergone just as many changes as Batman, if not more.
Though the role originally belonged to Dick Grayson, these days it's fallen into the hands of Damian Wayne, the son of Bruce Wayne, and Talia Al Ghul, the daughter of one of Batman's greatest enemies. In that time, not only did the identity of Robin change, but the meaning behind the identity and the threat the role can be to the people behind the mask were transformed too.
10 They Added Pants To The Costume
Robin was never actually going out without pants on. Or at least, he wasn’t meant to. Dick Grayson built his Robin costume off the basis of his old acrobatic costume, which means he wasn’t going out without pants but rather in a leotard. This of course was later lost to readers, and everyone believed Dick was simply shaving his legs to manage the smooth look of the costume.
Of course, since then the outfit has been “upgraded” to give him a pair of pants that fit with the color scheme of the costume and provide armor as well.
9 Became The Leader Of The Teen Titans
The Teen Titans wouldn’t come about for decades after the idea of Robin was introduced to fans. Dick Grayson appeared not long after Batman did, and the character was immensely popular for giving kids a character they could put themselves in the shoes of, working alongside Batman.
By 1964 though, the people at DC decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to start a team of superheroes made up of all the teenaged sidekicks that worked with the main heroes. Since then, Robin has been either the leader or second-in-command, offering tactical advice that comes from having trained with Batman.
8 The Robins Started To Get Other Identities
Nightwing is such a popular character primarily because no one ever thought what he stood for could exist. The entire purpose of Robin was that one day he would become Batman when Bruce could no longer do the job.
But as fans realized, Batman would exist forever, the dream of the sidekick felt like something that would forever remain only a dream. So when Dick Grayson created his own identity, it felt like a sidekick growing up and becoming their own person, which almost felt better than them becoming Batman in the first place. Since then, other Robins have found their own identities, with Jason Todd becoming Red Hood, and Tim Drake becoming Red Robin.
7 Became Known As The Leader Of Young Justice
The Teen Titans weren’t the only team Robin was known for leading. In the ’90s, the Teen Titans weren’t exactly the most popular team. The normal version of the team fell off, and there was a different Titans line-up with none of the usual members involved.
This resulted in DC realizing they needed an entirely new team for their young heroes, and thus we got to the creation of Young Justice. Created by Tim Drake, Kon-El, and Bart Allen, with Cassandra Sandsmark, Cissie King-Jones, and Secret joining later, Young Justice was the super-team for the late ’90s and early 2000s.
6 Started Having Solo Adventures
When Robin was introduced, it was meant to be as a partner to Batman. Batman could go have adventures on his own, but Robin couldn’t ever accomplish anything without Batman at his side.
Eventually, the character reached college age though, and at that point, he struck off on his own. He would get back-ups in Detective Comics and be featured in Batman Family, which would eventually lead to Tim Drake getting his own comic book in the early ’90s.
5 Robin Got His Own Rogues Gallery
As an extension of Batman, Robin never really needed a rogues gallery of his own. The character would work with Batman to solve his cases, so why would he need his own enemies?
But as Dick Grayson joined the Teen Titans, and Tim Drake got his own comic, this started to change. By the time Tim had his Robin comic book in 1993, they were introducing villains for him left and right, like Anarky and The General.
4 The Role Started Going To Women
From the forties until the ’80s, Robin was entirely a role designed for young, teenage men. Dick Grayson and Jason Todd alike were both men, but then later Frank Miller introduced Carrie Kelley in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, and from there the role opened up.
During the mid-2000s, the role would briefly go to Stefanie Brown as Tim Drake retired from being Robin. And in the New 52, Bruce and Selina’s daughter, Helena Wayne, would take on the role of Robin in the Earth-2 comic.
3 Became The Serious Partner
Robin has always been the light-hearted side of Batman and Robin. That was the point of introducing the character in the ’40s, and it was the point of introducing Tim Drake in the ’80s.
When Grant Morrison did their own take on Batman & Robin in the late 2000s, they flipped the entire dynamic on its head. With Dick Grayson suddenly taking on the light-hearted, wise-cracking Batman and Damian Wayne being dour and serious, it presented a new version of a classic dynamic that fans identified with.
2 Most Of The Robins Have Been Revived
It’s difficult to get rid of Batman because he’s so popular, but Robin is closely connected enough for people to care, but not so irreplaceable that he can’t be gotten rid of. As a result, over the years pretty much every Robin has either died or people believe them to be.
That goes for Dick Grayson who was thought to be killed during Forever Evil, Jason Todd who was revived by the Lazarus Pit, Tim Drake who was believed to be killed on a mission with Batman, and even Damian Wayne who was killed at the hands of a clone of his. It’s a dangerous job, but someone has to be Batman’s partner.
1 The Costume Has Undergone Major Changes
Robin’s costume has gone through some fairly drastic changes over the years. It’s not just pants, even the color scheme of the costume has changed. Originally it was bright red and green, but in the Tim Drake years, it became more of a red and black ensemble.
As Damian Wayne takes on the role again, he’s shifted towards red, grey, and black to push the character’s difference in how he handles the position.