There can be only one Batman... right? Over the years, there have been plenty of different people who’ve taken the identity of Batman from Bruce Wayne in the main DC continuity. That’s the point of the mask, anyone with the proper training could be behind the cape and cowl.
DC has allowed other characters to take on that role, and it’s had varying degrees of success. Some have been great in the position, while others have allowed the shadow of the original Dark Knight to change them for the worse. Which characters have managed to be the best, strongest Batman of all time?
10 Jean-Paul Valley Designed A New Suit And Took Down Bane
During the early ’90s, Bruce needed someone to take the role of Batman over after his back was broken by Bane. Bruce chose Jean-Paul Valley, a man who the Order of St. Dumas trained to become a protector. To Jean-Paul’s credit, he was enough to take on Gotham’s criminals and he also took on Bane not long after Bane defeated Bruce. He put Bane down and made Gotham his city for a time. Eventually, the weight of being Batman got to Jean-Paul, and Wayne had to take the mantle back from him before he became a bigger threat than the enemies he was fighting.
9 Jace Fox Has The Training And Some Of The Latest Technology For A Batman Suit
Jace Fox is the newest man to take up the Batman outfit and title. He spent years training before returning to Gotham with a mission... which immediately changed the moment he discovered the Hibernaculum, which contained a special Batman armor and secret plans to design another suit.
With the help of his friend Vol, Jace built the suit and now patrols Gotham as a man of the people. Jace’s biggest problem is his lack of experience as a superhero, but he’s still surviving on the streets of Gotham despite that. It helps that he has access to one of the newest designs for a Batman suit yet, which places him ahead of everyone else in terms of technology.
8 Jason Todd Tried To Take Over Gotham As A Gun-Wielding Batman
Jason Todd was the Robin who replaced Dick Grayson. Like Grayson, he was trained hard and with the intention of being Batman’s partner. But things eventually went wrong for him, and he returned as the Red Hood. Jason was an off-and-on villain, and when Bruce died, he briefly took over the cowl alongside Dick Grayson and Tim Drake. Jason defeated a younger Tim Drake, and Dick Grayson forcefully took the Batman outfit and name from him to ensure that Gotham City had a real protector looking after it.
7 Thomas Wayne Protected His Gotham Without The Training His Son Had
Thomas Wayne was Bruce’s father, and in another timeline, it was Thomas and Martha who survived while Bruce was killed by the criminal in the alley. This event spurred Thomas on to become a Batman in his timeline. Unlike Bruce, he had no qualms about using guns, though he also lacked the training and special techniques that Bruce had.
After briefly spending time as a villain on the main Earth, Thomas has moved on to working with President Superman as a member of the multiversal Justice League Incarnate, becoming more experienced with technology and gadgets.
6 Damian Wayne Was Able To Save Gotham After His Father Fell
As seen in Batman #666 by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, Damian Wayne - the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul - eventually takes over for Bruce after Bruce falls on the job for an unknown reason. Gotham gets out of control before Damian becomes Batman, but over time he manages to wrest back control and make Gotham... somewhat livable. In the few adventures they’ve shown, Damian’s demonstrated more than enough skill for the job, even if he’s far darker than his father ever was.
5 Terry McGinnis Has A Powerful Exo-Suit And Training From Bruce
Terry McGinnis is the Batman of Neo-Gotham in the near future. Eventually, it’s learned that Terry is actually Bruce’s genetic son, and while he doesn’t have the training that Bruce does, he does have Bruce whispering advice in his ear. He’s also got access to a Batman suit that allows him to fly and grants him super-strength, which makes him one of the most powerful Batmen. But power alone doesn’t allow someone to survive as a hero as long as Terry has. He’s the real deal and has as legitimate a claim to being Batman as any of the other descendants who take over the role.
4 Tim Drake Has Defeated All The Other People Attempting To Be Successors
Tim Drake is probably the “best” Batman successor in terms of the actual job of being Batman, but it’s actually a failure state for Tim as a person. Whenever he becomes Batman, he always becomes evil, going against Bruce’s wishes and taking lives as he believes it’s the only way to “fix” Gotham.
That said, Tim has defeated every member of the Bat-Family except Bruce himself, and has actually fought them all at once before and held his own. If he could figure out how to be Batman without letting the shadow consume him, he could surpass them all.
3 Dick Grayson Brought Peace To Gotham While Bruce Wayne Was Gone
Dick Grayson is the most legitimate successor to Batman's. He has all the training that Bruce Wayne had, but without any of the darkness. He also has a better relationship with the heroes of the DC Universe, making him a fitting leader for the Justice League the same way he is the Teen Titans.
Dick took over Gotham City alongside Damian Wayne, and the two of them managed to protect Gotham even as it got more dangerous with Bruce missing. Though he was reluctant to take the job, Dick settled into the role and proved he could do it just as well as his mentor believed he would.
2 Bruce Wayne Has Been Batman The Longest For A Reason
Unsurprisingly, no one can replace Bruce Wayne as Batman. Even though they’re constantly standing in for him, there’s a reason he always returns. Bruce has defeated multiple people who attempted to take the job from him, and he’s managed to save Jim Gordon and Dick Grayson when they needed him most. He’s the person who’s most capable of watching out for Gotham, and even though Fear State might see him leave Gotham for now, eventually he’ll return to help the city when it needs him the most.
1 Clark Kent Has Taken Over The Role Of Batman Before
Clark Kent has been Batman a few times before. In continuity, he became Batman in a Superman/Batman storyline where he and Batman switched powers. Batman got the powers of Superman, while Clark Kent became a normal person. Still, he would go on to wear a special armor made by Alfred to fight crime... and eventually, fight Bruce Wayne as well. But out of continuity, Kal-El once grew up as Bruce Wayne in the storyline Superman: Speeding Bullets. In that story, the alien infant was found by Thomas and Martha Wayne, who adopted him. After they lost their lives in a tragic mugging, this version of "Bruce" would become Batman, using his Kryptonian powers to protect the city.