10 Most Unique Robin Costumes in All of DC History (That Did Something New)

Oct. 12, 2024, 8:30 p.m.

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10 Most Unique Robin Costumes in All of DC History (That Did Something New)

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Characters are always getting new costumes if they're around long enough, and few characters have been in comics as long as Robin. From Dick Grayson to Damian Wayne, each Robin brought a new look to the role, and some creators decided to go even further in the Multiverse and get really creative with the iconic costume.

For a character who has been around as long as Robin and with DC's entire multiverse to pick from, there have been tons of looks for the Boy Wonder over the years. While everyone knows the classic red, green, and yellow that Robin typically wears, some creators have gone a different route in the past. Be it evil versions of Robin or just entirely new ideas for the iconic look, Robin has some of the most surprising costume variants in all of DC history.

10 Robin's Most Grounded Depiction Made Him A Mini-Batman

Batman: Dark Age #5 by Mark Russell, Michael Allred, Laura Allred, and Dave Sharpe

Batman: Dark Age is an interesting look at a more grounded, historical version of Batman. Instead of traveling the world and learning from the best of the best to become the Caped Crusader, Bruce instead learns these skills from serving in Vietnam. Robin's backstory is likewise updated; instead of Dick Grayson being a circus acrobat, he's a street kid who was pushed into selling drugs by the powerful criminals of Gotham City, eventually leading to Dick being taken in by Batman, and he's shown off two Robin outfits since then.

One outfit is used specifically for saving civilians from fires, where he essentially just looks like a mini-Batman, with the only difference being the R on his chest instead of a B. When he's not in this outfit, he's in the "classic" Robin outfit, which is still pretty visually distinct from what fans are used to.

9 The New 52's Earth 2 Had a Brand-New Look for Robin

Earth 2: World's End #1 by Marguerite Bennett, Mike Johnson, Daniel H. Wilson, Eddy Barrows, Jorge Jiménez, Paulo Siqueira, Ardian Syaf, Eber Ferreira, Sandra Hope, Danny Miki, Cam Smith, John Kalisz, Allen Passalaqua, Jason Wright, and Dezi Sienty.

Earth 2 was very different from the Earth Prime that most fans know. During Darkseid's first attack on the planet, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman sacrificed themselves to defeat Darkseid. While peace returned to Earth, it didn't last forever. Darkseid returned, and that's when a new wave of heroes stepped up.

This Earth's version of Robin is John Grayson, the son of Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon. After a very long journey, John eventually discovers that his father was the second Batman, and he then becomes his Robin. Due to Ultra-Humanite's genetic experiments, John had the power of flight, super-strength, and thermal energy manipulation. His costume is unlike anything fans have seen before, with a neat design for the cape that is held in place by a Robin pin.

8 Jeyvone Was Almost DC's Darkest Robin

Batman: City of Madness #3 by Christian Ward and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Lots of stories have introduced one-off Robins that readers never get to see again, which allows the creators to get as creative as they want with the Robin suits. One of these Robins was Jeyvone, a boy who lost his father to violent crime in the world of the Black Label miniseries City of Madness. Wanting to get revenge, he traveled to Gotham City and ran into the Batman Below, who promptly took the young boy as his own twisted version of Robin, including giving him his own suit.

This Robin suit is a fantastic iteration of the classic one that everyone knows, and it's a far more armored look than what Robin usually gets, which reflects Jeyvone's character. Instead of being taken in by Batman and taught to be a hero, Batman actually got him to a therapist and helped him move past his trauma differently. Jeyvone didn't need vengeance, he needed protection, which is reflected perfectly in his armor.

7 Tim Drake's Glowing Multiverse Costume Is the Perfect One-Off Costume

Batman #134: "The Toy Box: Part 4" by Chip Zdarsky Miguel Mendonça, Roman Stevens, and Clayton Cowles

During the time that Batman was trapped in the Multiverse after being sent there by Failsafe, it seemed that no one was willing to save him. No one, that is, except Tim Drake. With the help of Mr. Terrific, Tim created a multiversal travel suit that he would use to track down his lost mentor. This suit has a giant R on its chest that also lights up.

As far as Robin looks go, it's one of the more over-the-top. But when Batman is lost in the multiverse, there really isn't any other option than a Robin with his very own signal light to pull him out of the darkness. As absurd as the suit was, it worked for the character, and Tim was eventually able to track down and save Batman when no one else could.

6 The Far-Future Robin's Cybernetic Hand Is Just Like the Batman of Today

Robin 3000 by Byron Preiss and P. Craig Russell

One of the strangest futures for the DC Universe was when aliens invaded Earth and took over Gotham City, including slaughtering the Batman of the era. This invasion leads a young Thomas Wayne, named after his distant ancestor, to be the final stand against the alien menace.

Wayne is aided in this quest by having a cybernetic hand that allows him to do a number of useful vigilante tasks, such as picking locks, firing out laser beams, using it as a microphone, hacking computers, and even welding. In his Robin outfit, he has the standard cape but much more of a focus on green and yellow in his suit. Overall, it's a strange look at a potential future version of Robin.

5 Tim Drake and Warren Worthington Fuse into an Amazing New Hero

Unlimited Access by Karl Kesel, Patrick Olliffe, Al Williamson, Gregory Wright, and Jim Novak

The Amalgam universe was the perfect fusion of DC and Marvel and the crossover that fans had long been asking for. This universe took characters that fans knew and loved and merged them together with others, creating new, interesting variants. Superman and Captain America became Super Soldier, and Batman and Wolverine became Dark Claw. This fusion of universes brought together two unexpected people by merging Tim Drake with Warren Worthington III, creating Warren Drake.

Considering Tim had his iconic red-breasted '90s Robin suit, and Warren is known for his wings, this character simply got the name Redwing. Trained by the legendary Bat-X, Redwing is an incredibly powerful version of Robin and has some of the highest mobility of any Robin, mixing his acrobatic skills with his ability to fly.

4 Damian Wayne's Vampire Apocalypse Robin Is the Darkest Robin Costume

DC vs. Vampires: Hunters #1 by Matthew Rosenberg, Neil Googe, Antonio Fabela, and Troy Peteri

The heroes can't always save the day, and DC has explored that outcome in a few different universes - one being DCeased and the other being DC vs. Vampires. In the latter, Damian Wayne is infected and transformed into a vampire. But curiously, he manages to keep his humanity, becoming a vampire who hunts other vampires. In honor of his dead father, Damian continues wearing his iconic Robin outfit, which is now torn and tattered.

It's a great look for Damian and perfectly fits in with the corrupt and gothic universe that he now resides in. Usually, in a post-apocalypse universe, characters die off too quickly to upgrade their appearance, or they simply stay in their iconic costumes. Not only did Damian avoid both of these fates, but he was able to wear something that was both iconic and perfectly fitting.

3 Zur-En-Arrh Created His Very Own Twisted Robin

Batman #147 by Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles

Every Batman needs a Robin. After Zur-En-Arrh escaped Bruce's body by taking over the Android Failsafe, he needed a sidekick that he could truly trust. Zur cloned a younger version of himself, creating his very own Robin. Just as Zur wears a twisted orange and purple outfit, Zur Robin has got his very own as well. It's a surprisingly sinister look considering how bright it is.

Unfortunately, this twisted Robin didn't get to stay around long; due to the cloning process, he aged rapidly and died in a matter of weeks. Still, this costume has stayed in fans' minds as an interesting look into what would happen if Robin had his very own Zur-En-Arrh personality that could take over now and again.

2 The Robin King Is the Most Terrifying Robin Variant

Dark Nights: Death Metal #2 by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia, and Tom Napolitano

The Dark Multiverse is home to the most nightmarish versions of DC's greatest heroes. These variants are born from the deepest fears of these iconic characters, and one of Batman's fears is that he's always been a broken, violent person deep inside. This fear manifested in Robin King, a brutal serial killer who first murdered his own parents before moving onto Alfred Pennyworth and then the world itself.

His costume is made up of black robin feathers on his shoulders, a tattered cape, and a crown of thorns which is actually a robin's nest. In some versions, he's even adorned with robin skulls around him. He also comes equipped with a utility belt that has a special horrific item to bring down any hero he comes across. As far as evil Robins go, this is by far the best look one has ever had.

1 Earth-2 Robin Is an Odd Mix of Batman and Robin

Justice League of America #55 by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, Sid Greene, Gaspar Saladino

The original Batman and Robin from the Golden Age lived and died on Earth-Two. This version of Robin had a very different future than the Dick Grayson fans are familiar with today. Instead of growing up and becoming Nightwing and moving out of Batman's shadow, this version of Dick Grayson just simply never stopped being Robin.

Even after Batman retired, and Dick Grayson was a fully grown man, he continued being Robin. It's a very strange look into what an adult Robin costume could look like. Sometimes it was a full adult Robin suit, sometimes it was mixed with a more iconic Batman look, a fusion of the two iconic costumes. Either way, this is by far the most unique that Robin has ever looked.