What's Batman without Robin? The term Dynamic Duo or Caped Crusaders didn't just arrive overnight, it took a lot of effort by DC, and years of polishing the character of Robin, that the latter now embodies the true meaning of side-kick. Batman and Robin have been warding off crimes since the beginning and have been doing a pretty good job of it.
Whilst Batman has remained Batman (for obvious reasons), Robins have come and gone. The chief reason having to do with Robin's young age, he/she is the Boy Wonder, after all. It therefore happens, that you cannot have an aging Robin. There are seven different characters known who have held the prestigious mantle of Robin, some iconic, others not so great.
7 CARRIE KELLEY
The miss goody two-shoes Robin, who is the least talked of all. Carrie Kelley, the 13-year-old girl, made her debut with Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1989). Although Carrie Kelley outshined herself in The Dark Knight, there is nothing more to her character than that saga. She did make her presence in Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again and The Dark Knight III, but that was that.
There is no doubt about the greatness of Carrie Kelley's debut, in Frank Miller's classic piece of artwork. But as DC evolved, there was little room for Carrie Kelley's child-like innocence. Carrie's weapons of choice, sling, and firecrackers, went obsolete, nonetheless her face off with The Joker has etched a place in hearts.
6 STEPHANIE BROWN
Stephanie Brown's brief role (2009-2011) in Batman is hard to ignore. She is the only woman to have played both Robin and Batgirl. She is best known by the name Spoiler. The only thing that was detrimental to Stephanie was her devil-may-care attitude. Stephanie is special for the reason that she dated Tim Drake and upon her boyfriend's resignation, forced Batman to train her as the new Robin.
Stephanie was a bad team-player, and her lack of regard for Batman's orders had her getting fired. It gets worse, adamant to prove herself, she enacted Batman's long-term plan all by herself and typhooned the city of Gotham into a gang war. She was tortured to near-death by Black Mask and died in a clinic, shortly reconciling with Batman before her death.
5 JASON TODD
Stephanie and Spoiler ended up being the runt of the litter on account of DC not giving them enough time, space, and character development. But Jason Todd, hands down, remains the Robin that fans have hated the longest. Didn't fans call-in to vote for Jason's death? And died he did, with a crowbar from The Joker! Jason's cockiness and haughty attitude made him hard to like, although he was a fan-favorite at the beginning being introduced in Batman #357.
1985 onwards, Crisis On Infinite Earths led to Jason's downfall, as Crisis on Infinite Earths allowed writers to retcon the DC universe. Todd was found guilty of stealing the Batmobile's tires. And it is to be remembered that Jason Todd was supposed to be a mirror copy of Dick Grayson, only to become a disrespectful and violent personality in the end. So when fans saw the first opportunity to have him killed, they took it.
4 DUKE THOMAS
Never designated as an official Robin, Duke successfully managed to enter the Bat-Family. He is best known from the series We Are... Robin. Duke stood out from amongst civilian teenagers to fight for their city, and ended up becoming the vigilante- The Signal. The boy stood his own ground when Batman offered him the position of Robin, saying he wouldn't become just any Robin. The result: Duke donned a yellow suit and learned the ABCs of becoming a professional vigilante in Batman: Rebirth.
Duke is best known for helping Wayne during his Zero Year arc. Whilst there is nothing off-putting about Duke as a vigilante, the thing is, he was never destined to fit in the role of a side-kick, he was always more than that. From Robin-esque to The Signal, Duke Thomas achieved his own superhero identity and was revealed by The Joker to possess photokinetic vision. Duke quickly shed his Boy Wonder image for something larger, therefore not so great a Robin.
3 DAMIAN WAYNE
Damian Wayne shares Batman's genes, on account of being his son. So the whole concept of him being an unrelated-sidekick is a little unjustified. In that, Damian Wayne is technically justifiable in laying claim to Batman's legacy. He is Bruce Wayne's only son, who made his first appearance in Batman #655 (2006).
Damian, best known as a lover of animals and businessman has many more capabilities, unmeritedly gifted to him on account of his birth. He is Talia al Ghul's son, artificially made using Batman's DNA, so in him rest the genes of Ra's al Ghul, the deadly assassin and Batman's teacher. Damian practically grew up amongst the League of Assassins, so violence became his first nature. And that probably contributed to Damian and his father being cross with each other most of the time.
2 DICK GRAYSON
Dick Grayson has second-best handled The mantel of being Robin. He first made his debut in Detective Comics #38 (1940). Dick Grayson's story almost parallels the tragic Batman arc, by which he performed as a circus boy with his parents, until they were murdered by gangsters. Batman, by nature of his duties was tracking the same gangsters that murdered Dick's parents, came across Dick as a young orphan with tremendous potential.
Since that day Batman took Dick under his wing, the latter hasn't looked back. Dick Grayson emerged from a circus boy to a strong member of the Bat-Family. He holds the reputation for being the best acrobat and detective of in the Bat-family.
1 TIM DRAKE
Tim Drake wasn't placed on the same pedestal as Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, or for that matter Jason Todd. First introduced in Batman #436 (1989), his world revolved around Batman and Robin, so much so that he deduced Batman's identity in no time. Tim Drake saved Batman from going into an abyss after the brutal murder of Jason Todd, and his relationship with Batman thoroughly complemented each other. One had lost a Robin and the other his parents.
Tim was thrust into the limelight with The New Batman Adventures cartoon in the '90s and the Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker. Although he didn't get as much mainstream coverage as other Robin's did, on account of various DC animated movies, comics, etc. Tim Drake is easily the most intelligent of the Robins who led the Teen Titans and founded Young Justice.