List of Batman supporting characters

Throughout the stories published in DC Comics and in adaptations in other media since 1939, the Batman character has accumulated a number of recognizable Supporting characters. The first Batman supporting character was Commissioner James Gordon, who first appeared in the same comic as Batman (Detective Comics #27), and is Batman's ally in the Gotham City Police Department. Robin, Batman's sidekick, was introduced in the Spring of 1940 and Alfred Pennyworth, Batman's butler, was introduced in 1943. Batman also forms strong bonds or close working relationships with other superheroes, including Justice League members Superman, Black Canary, and Green Arrow, as well as members of the Outsiders superhero team. Others such as Jason Bard, Harold, Onyx, and Toyman work for him. In addition, Batman has perhaps the most well known rogues gallery in fiction, including The Joker, Catwoman, and The Penguin.

Gotham City Police Department
The most notable member of the GCPD is Commissioner James Gordon, the police commissioner of Gotham City. Appearing alongside the main character in his first appearance, Gordon was the first Batman supporting character. Batman has a strong (though secret and unofficial) working relationship with him. Gordon, like other characters, has changed considerably over the years. Of particular note, is that in the early days of the characters, Gordon was not allied with Batman, and was more antagonistic towards him. However, he was a friend of Bruce Wayne. In "Batman: Year One", Gordon is portrayed as one of the few honest, non-corrupt Gotham cops. During "No Man's Land", Bruce offered him the knowledge of his secret identity, but Jim (still angry for Batman's early abandonment of Gotham in the days near the beginning of NML) refused to look and find out, hinting he may already know. Jim retired several months after NML, but returned to duty in the One Year Later storyline.

Members of the Gotham City Police Department have played prominent roles in Batman's extended 'family.' The GCPD were featured in their own series: the limited series Batman: GCPD and the ongoing series Gotham Central, in which they investigate the unusual crimes that plague the city, in a personal effort to minimize Batman's involvement. Gotham Central series ended its 40 issue run in 2006.

Batman Family
"Batman Family," is the informal name for a group of characters closely associated with Batman, generally costumed vigilantes who either have been trained by Batman or operate in Gotham City with his tacit approval. The group functions like a tactical unit of similarly-minded superheroes who operate in and around Gotham, with Batman as its team leader and, in many cases, its dispatch. Various members of the group are usually seen interacting with one another and assisting in each other's cases, even within their respective series. Although some members occasionally resent Batman’s intrusion into their lives, all respect him as a legend within the superhero community and rarely dare to challenge his authority. Most of the members also have a strong rapport with the Dark Knight due to their long and close relationships with him over the years, and consider him a close friend and ally, and acknowledge that he most likely shares that sentiment, no matter how averse he is to actually showing it. In a 2002 storyline in which Bruce Wayne is accused of murder, Batman's friends gather to prove his innocence. It has also been implied through Batman's history that this network serves as a surrogate family for Batman and keeps him from slipping too far into his ruthless vigilante persona.

Current members

 * Batman (Bruce Wayne) – The "patriarch" of the team, young Bruce Wayne witnessed the brutal murder of his parents as a child, and used this trauma and his vast personal wealth to travel the world and acquire the skills needed to wage his war on crime. Recently, Wayne revealed to the public that he had been secretly funding Batman's activities for years (stopping short of admitting that he is Batman) and would use a new corporation, Batman Incorporated, to take Batman and his mission around the world. In the DC Universe, Batman is seen as something of an outlaw, although holds a high reputation with many people due to his status as a member of the Justice League.
 * Nightwing (Dick Grayson) – An orphaned child acrobat who originally served as Batman’s first sidekick, Robin, and became Bruce Wayne's ward and later adopted son. As an adult, he took up the identity of Nightwing, and served as protector of Blüdhaven, Gotham's ugly sister city to the south. During an extended absence of Bruce's, Dick temporarily served as Batman. Grayson has since returned to the identity of Nightwing.
 * Alfred Pennyworth – The Wayne family butler and father figure to the rest of the Wayne family. Alfred raised Bruce Wayne after his parents were killed.
 * Red Robin (Tim Drake) – The adopted son of Bruce Wayne and heir to Wayne Enterprises & Wayne Manor. Another teenage crime fighter whose skill drove him to want to assist Batman after the death of Jason Todd. After his family is threatened and moved into witness protection, he is adopted as Bruce Wayne's son and becomes the hero known as "Red Robin." Tim later leaves Gotham, and leads a new team called the "Teen Titans."
 * Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) – The daughter of Gotham police commissioner James Gordon, Barbara began operating as Batgirl soon after the first appearance of Robin. After she was left paraplegic by the Joker, she became Oracle, the information broker to the DC Universe, and founded a covert team of female operatives called the Birds of Prey. Following a miraculous and as-yet unknown method of recovery, Barbara began to serve as Batgirl once again.
 * Red Hood (Jason Todd) – A young street orphan that Batman caught trying to steal the tires off the batmobile. Batman recognized some skills in the kid and took him in as the second Robin. He later gets murdered by The Joker. Six months later, he was resurrected in a damaged state before Talia al Ghul tossed him in the Lazarus Pit which healed him completely. When Jason learns that Batman never avenged his death by killing Joker, he became Red Hood, his murderer's former alias and became at odds with the Batman Family. In The New 52, he makes an uneasy truce with the Bat-Family and wears the Bat-Signal on his costume. He forms a team with Starfire and Arsenal to investigate a group called "The Untitled".
 * Ace the Bat-Hound – In 1955, a few months after the Superman mythos saw the introduction of Krypto, the Batman mythos saw the introduction of Ace the Bat-hound, a German shepherd with a black mask covering most of his head, who helped Batman and Robin on various cases. Ace later reappeared as Bruce's guard dog and companion in the television series Batman Beyond (in which Ace is portrayed as a black Danish hound), the 2005 television series Krypto the Superdog. He also makes appearances as Batman's crime-fighting partner on TV show Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The modern comic book version of Ace depicts him as a companion to Harold, rarely playing a role in the plotlines. In the new Batman and Robin, Bruce adopts a Great Dane for Damian. He names the dog Titus. Damian, at first doesn't like the dog, but the two eventually bond. Bruce and Damian call the dog Ace as a nickname. It is unknown if Titus will become Ace the Bat-Hound.
 * Batwoman (Kate Kane) – A wealthy heiress and disgraced former West Point cadet who became a superhero, Kate Kane appeared after the timeline-altering Infinite Crisis in the pages of 52. for several months. For a portion of 52, she fought alongside Nightwing. In the wake of Bruce Wayne's apparent death, Batwoman was the feature character in Detective Comics for a short time, which prompted the launch of a Batwoman solo series with the onset of The New 52.
 * Catwoman (Selina Kyle) – One of Batman's early adversaries. In later years, she becomes his frequent love interest and defender of Gotham City's East End. One year after the events of Infinite Crisis, she retired (allowing Holly Robinson to take the mantle of Catwoman) and gave birth to a baby girl named Helena. Batman calls her out of retirement to infiltrate an Amazon sect. Following a series of kidnappings of her baby, Catwoman gives her daughter up for adoption. In The New 52, Selina is a 23 year-old thief who is in a sexual relationship with Batman.
 * The Huntress (Helena Bertinelli) – The daughter of a slain mafia family. She rejected crime and took to patrolling Gotham as an antiheroine. She serves as an agent of Oracle, one of the Birds of Prey. While her relationship with Batman has been tenuous, she recently earned his respect. Following the Flashpoint event that altered DC Comics continuity, it has been revealed that Helena Bertinelli has been dead for a while, while The New 52 Huntress has been revealed as Helena Wayne, the daughter of an alternate universe version of Bruce Wayne (Batman) and Selina Kyle (Catwoman).
 * The Birds of Prey – A covert group of heroes formed by Oracle that largely fight crime in Gotham. Prominent members have included Black Canary, Huntress, Lady Blackhawk, Savant, and Creote. Following "Flashpoint", the team has been rebooted with Black Canary as the leader, Starling, Poison Ivy, Katana, and Stix, with Batgirl assisting the team on occasions.
 * The Outsiders – Becoming fed up with the politics and practices of the Justice League, Batman formed the Outsiders to have his own unit to perform on his terms. Drifting through various incarnations, Batman restarted the team and operated as its leader until his disappearance in Final Crisis. In the wake of his death, he charged Alfred with assembling and maintaining a new team of Outsiders in an attempt to replace all of the individual skills of Batman through the various members. In Batman Incorporated, Batman forms a new Outsiders team, which acts as a black-ops wing of Batman Inc. Freight Train, Looker, Metamorpho, Katana, and Halo rejoin the team and Red Robin becomes the new leader. The new team didn't last long since all of the members except for Red Robin were caught in an explosion that Lord Death Man set off in Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes. The team turned up alive in the first issue of The New 52 Batman Incorporated series.
 * Hawkfire (Bette Kane) – A perky, blonde teenager and professional tennis player, Bette Kane became the original Batgirl to pursue the original Robin, Dick Grayson. Now known as Flamebird, Bette is pursuing her dream to become her cousin, Kate Kane's apprentice. In The New 52, Bette has become Batwoman's sidekick and goes by Plebe and wears a grey jumpsuit after Kate burns her Flamebird costume. She and Batwoman get into a fight and she goes out on patrol alone as Flamebird, but ends up injured in a gang fight. After she is released from the hospital, she acquires a new high-tech costume with actual pyrotechnic accents and becomes Hawkfire. She is now currently trying to get Kate to reconcile with her uncle, Kate's father.

Batman Inc.

 * Black Bat (Cassandra Cain/Wayne) – A martial arts prodigy and daughter of the assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva. Batman and Oracle trained her as the next Batgirl. After abandoning this role, she briefly became leader of the League of Assassins. It is revealed later that the mercenary Deathstroke is responsible for brainwashing and influencing Cassandra's villainous activities. She has since been legally adopted by Bruce Wayne as his daughter. After the event of Batman: RIP, Cassandra ceased being Batgirl due to apparent frustration and passed her Batgirl identity to her close friend Stephanie Brown. After Bruce Wayne returns, it is revealed that Cassandra's disillusionment was a ruse, and that she had willingly handed over her Batgirl mantle to Stephanie under her mentor's request she do so in the event of his death or disappearance, so that her friend could grow as a hero even without Bruce's involvement. Tim Drake is revealed to have been in regular contact with her. She now operates as Black Bat, Batman Inc.'s representative in Hong Kong. She returned to Gotham during the events of Batman: Gates of Gotham to help stop the Architect from destroying the city.
 * Batman (Jiro Osamu) – formerly operated as the second Mr. Unknown, now serves as the Batman of Tokyo as a member of Batman Inc.
 * Nightrunner (Bilal Asselah) – Batman Inc.'s representative in Paris, a Sunni Muslim and expert freerunner.
 * El Gaucho (Santiago Vargas) – renowned crime fighter in Argentina who was inspired by Batman, former member of Club of Heroes, now operates as a member of Batman Inc.
 * The Hood  (George Cross) – Maverick Special Government Agent of England, now operates as a member of Batman Inc.
 * The Dark Ranger (Johnny Riley) –Following the death of the first Ranger at the hands of Wingman, his former sidekick, the Scout, has taken up the mantle as the new Dark Ranger. Now operates as a member of Batman Inc. He appears to be of Aboriginal descent.
 * Batwing (David Zavimbe) – The Batman Incorporated representative from Tinasha in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A former child soldier, he currently operates as a police officer in his civilian identity.
 * Batwing II (Luke Fox) the new Batwing and son of Batman associate Lucius Fox.

Status unclear

 * Misfit (Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe), Misfit debuts as a shadowy figure, wearing a homemade variation of Barbara Gordon's classic Batgirl costume, accurate enough to be mistaken for the original article at night. The mystery girl agrees to retire her Batgirl identity, but not to abandon her heroic activities.
 * Bat-Mite, a reality altering imp from the 5th dimension Bat-Mite made many early appearances as Batman's "biggest fan." Current continuity has treated him as an apparition of Batman's imagination, most recently during Batman's psychological breakdown at the hands of the Black Glove organization. During this, Bat-Mite described imagination as the 5th dimension and described himself as, "the last fading echo of the voice of reason."
 * Talia al Ghul is the daughter of Ra's al Ghul and is the mother of Damian. After learning of her son's intention to remain Robin, as well as his new devotion to his father's family, Talia has disowned Damian in favor of another son she will create, and put a bounty on his head as well as declared a personal war on Bruce Wayne. The clone eventually kills Damian, which Talia did not anticipates, and leading the grieving Batman vindictive towards her and the clone.
 * The Question (Renee Montoya) - Detective Montoya was added into the comics in the 1990s as a character adapted from the animated series. Renee's sexual orientation was unwillingly outed by Two-Face. She later quit the GCPD when her partner Crispus Allen was murdered and the man responsible got off. Following this she became a main character in the 52 limited series. Renee, the second person known as the Question, occasionally fights crime with the current Batwoman, who is her on-again-off-again lover. During the Countdown, Oracle solicits the assistance of the Question and Batwoman. Although they promptly refuse "Bird" status, they have on at least two occasions worked under the orders of Oracle.
 * Holly Robinson is a former prostitute trained by Wildcat and her friend Selina Kyle, to briefly become the new Catwoman following the birth of Selina's daughter. In her civilian identity, retaining the skills she learned in training to become Catwoman, she was a main character in Countdown. The series saw her receive extensive Amazonian training as part of Granny Goodness' scheme to acquire new Female Furies. In the series' denouement, she and former supervillain friend Harley Quinn return to civilian life in Gotham, together.
 * Man-Bat (Kirk Langstrom) alternates from being able to control his monstrous persona to giving in to its instincts. When he does control it, he uses the Man-Bat for good. He was recently seen as part of the Network fighting crime.
 * Warlock's Daughter (Darla Aquista aka Laura Fell) is the daughter of a Gotham Mob Boss. When she dies in a brutal Gotham Gang War, Henry Aquista, her father, travels the world with his daughter's corpse, looking for a way to bring her back to life, and eventually comes back to Johnny Warlock, who he finds overseas. Johnny trades Henry's life for Darla's. She returns to the U.S. and finds Tim Drake in Blüdhaven, but is trying to kill Robin under orders from Johnny. Eventually, she fights alongside Robin and saves his life during a battle with metacriminals in Blüdhaven before she's taken in by the Shadowpact.
 * Simon Dark – A mysterious vigilante active in Gotham City, Simon Dark is a patchwork man constructed from the bodies of several dead children by a medical genius and a dark cult.
 * Jason Bard – A private investigator hired to be Batman's daytime liaison in the "Face the Face" story line, but after the onset of "Batman R.I.P.," Batman had not contacted him in some time. He then briefly worked for Robin during the outbreak of a gang war in Gotham City.
 *  Ragman - A similarly vengeful vigilante hero operating in Gotham, Ragman wears a mystical suit of living rags that functions as a kind of golem.
 * Azrael (Michael Washington Lane) - The "Third Ghost of Batman," one of a series of Batman impostors created by Dr. Simon Hurt, has recently become the new Azrael wearing a mystical suit of armor given to the original Batman by Talia al Ghul.
 * Proxy (Wendy Harris) - The daughter of the villain the Calculator was paralyzed during an attack when she served with her brother on the Teen Titans. She acts as Oracle's sidekick and assists the new Batgirl; however, her connection to the rest of the Bat Family at large is unclear. Pre-Crisis, Wendy was the niece of detective Harvey Harris, a mentor to a young Bruce Wayne.
 * Catgirl (Kitrina Falcone), is Catwoman's sidekick. Kitrina is known for her abilities as an escape artist, first escaping from a locked box while tied up and thrown in the water by her uncle, Mario Falcone, and escaping from Catwoman while tied in an "inescapable knot."
 * Lynx - Originally seen allied with Gotham's villains, Lynx would later be seen fighting alongside its heroes. After battling Red Robin, he comes to believe she's on his side.
 * The Spoiler - The daughter of Cluemaster who became a teenage superhero. She was Tim Drake's love interest. When Tim retired, Stephanie became the new Robin but was fired for disobeying Batman's orders. She became Spoiler again and went after Black Mask. Black Mask captured and tortured her. He then killed her. Later, Dr. Leslie Thompkins faked her death and hid it from Batman and Robin until later on. She became Spoiler again and fights by Batman's side. When Cassandra Cain left the mantle of Batgirl, Stephanie becomes the new Batgirl. In The New 52, Barbara Gordon became Batgirl again and the status of Stephanie Brown is unknown. A storyboard for an issue of Batman Incorporated shows her becoming Spoiler again but the issue came out before Flashpoint, so Stephanie has yet to appear in The New 52.
 * Creeper - A Gotham City television personality named Jack Ryder that lost his job and became a security guard which brought him into conflict with the mob. After he was almost killed, Ryder was saved by a scientist that made him into Creeper. Early in his career, he would team up with Batman and became a frequent ally, even joining the Outsiders. His status in The New 52 is unknown.

Deceased members

 * Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley) – Azrael was a genetically modified assassin of the Order of St. Dumas who once replaced Bruce Wayne as Batman when he was badly injured by Bane. Valley defeated Bane, but grew increasingly paranoid and violent. Bruce was forced to reclaim the mantle of the Bat. Valley returned to the Azrael identity and attempted to regain Batman's trust. After many years, he managed to find his way back into Batman's graces and served as an "Agent of the Bat" until his death. Because his body was never found, speculation arose as to whether or not he had actually died, but that speculation was laid to rest when Valley's body was reanimated as a member of the Black Lantern Corps during the Blackest Night.
 * Orpheus (Gavin King) – Orpheus was an agent of a shadowy organization that had outfitted him with crimefighting equipment and training. He became one of Batman's agents and posed as a crime boss, but was later killed by Black Mask.
 * Harold Allnut – Harold was an aide of Batman's who helped design, make, and repair many of his gadgets. Harold was later killed by Hush.
 * Batwoman (Kathy Kane) – Kathy Kane was Batman's ex-girlfriend, and along with Bette Kane, was one of the first female crime fighters in Batman franchise. However, she soon was assassinated by League of Assassins.
 * Deadman (Boston Brand)– Boston Brand was murdered by a member of the League of Assassins and returned to life to ask Batman for help in solving his murder. When the organization behind it comes to light, the pair work together to topple the group.
 * Knight - The name of two of Batman's allies. The original was the sidekick of Shining Knight during WWII as Percival Sheldrake as Squire. He became the Knight as an adult and made his son, Cyrus the new Squire and team up with Batman. When Percy died, Cyrus became the new Knight and adopted Beryl Hutchinson as his new Squire. After he joined Batman Inc., he was killed by a henchmen of Leviathan.
 * Robin (Damian Wayne) – The biological son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul. Damian is raised largely by subordinates in Ra's al Ghul's League of Assassins and trained by his mother until he began living in Gotham with the Wayne Family. After Dick Grayson takes up the mantle of Batman, he chooses Damian to be the new Robin. Damian continues to operate as Robin, actively serving with his father upon his reemergence and Grayson's reemergence as Nightwing. In issue 8 of The New 52 "Batman Incorporated" series, Damian gets stabbed in the stomach with a sword by his clone, The Heretic and dies.

Former members

 * Harvey Dent was the former District Attorney, and previously known as the villain Two-Face. He was deemed cured after his facial reconstruction surgery by Dr. Thomas Elliot.  Dent was requested by Batman to watch over Gotham City during his one year absence with Robin.  Dent's style of justice has been more brutal than Batman's precision-style vigilantism.  Upon Batman's return to Gotham, a series of grisly murders of several members of Batman's rogues gallery points to Dent.  When confronted by Batman, Dent blows up his apartment.  The inner turmoil created by the situation forced Two-Face out of his psyche once again, and he's seen re-scarring his face with a scalpel and acid.
 * Bane would come to be an ally to Batman following their initial encounter however in the events surrounding Infinite Crisis, he appeared to return to his evil ways. Yet, he proves to walk a fine line as observed in the Secret Six.
 * Edward Nygma aka the Riddler, after waking up from a coma, he has gone "legit" and formed a well-known detective agency that sometimes helps Batman. When Riddler gets caught in a bomb explosion, the explosion re-awakened his psychosis.
 * Deadshot (Floyd Lawton) entered Gotham as what appeared to be another crimefighter. However, he would try to kill Batman to be the city's only hero. He would return later in the Suicide Squad forced to help people but when he learned he had a daughter, he sought to wipe out gangs that threatened her home. As a member of the Secret Six, he often walks a line between cold-blooded killer and murderous saint.
 * Catman (Thomas Blake) started his career modeled after Catwoman and Batman as a foe to the latter. Catman would also work for the Shade to help destroy remnants of Green Arrow's life as a hero after his apparent death, seemingly giving up crime and retiring. As a member of the Secret Six, Blake seems motivated to do good but is haunted by his violent, animal-like nature.
 * Cheyenne Freemont, fashion designer and daughter of two metahumans, she is reluctant to use her abilities as her parents were run out of town for using theirs. Briefly involved with Dick Grayson, she creates a costume similar to Nightwing's and uses her powers to help Nightwing save Jason Todd from the Pierce brothers before retiring as the female Nightwing.
 * Sasha Bordeaux, Bruce Wayne's former bodyguard. Events forced her from his side that resulted in a long journey, arriving at the government organization known as Checkmate.  After being turned into a partial OMAC cyborg, she now holds the title of Black Queen in the organization.
 * Onyx (Onyx Adams) was Orpheus' bodyguard and protector. She took up his position as gang leader after Orpheus' death. A bond developed between Onyx and Cassandra Cain.  After the events of Infinite Crisis, she was not seen in Gotham until Birds of Prey #114 in 2007, which reveals she has remained an active vigilante and a contact of Oracle.
 * Club of Heroes was an international group of heroes largely made up of those inspired by Batman (counting him among their number). They would later disband but would reunite when the occasion arose. Several of their number went on to join Batman Inc.
 * Manhunter is the name of three associates of Batman. Paul Kirk was a masked man during WWII that became a pawn for the Council when they genetically altered him into an assassin. When Kirk learned that the Council was using him and created clones of him as their soldiers, he joined with ninja master Asano Nitobe and Interpol agent Christine St. Clair to destroy the organization and kill his doubles. Kirk would add Batman to this group before his demise in his mission, the remaining trio continuing his work posthumously. An exception in this would be made for the clone Kirk DePaul.
 * Mark Shaw was a human infiltrator for the Manhunters that would later distance himself from the group and become the super-villain Star-Tsar, infiltrating the Justice League as the Privateer. After some time in prison, he wiped his record with service in the Suicide Squad. Afterward, he would again go by the name Manhunter as a bounty hunter working with Oracle operating largely out of New York. Shaw would take down several of Batman's rogues before the two met battling the Sportsmaster.


 * Kate Spencer is the grand daughter of Phantom Lady that took up the title Manhunter and later joined the Birds of Prey. She is currently the district attorney for Gotham City where she at one point continued to operate alongside the Birds as Manhunter.


 * Jason Blood is a demonologist based out of Gotham. Generally when dealing with such matters, Batman has consulted Blood (and employed help from Blood's "companion," the demon Etrigan). When the Justice League was stuck in the past, Blood was recruited to form a new version of the group based on a contingency plan established by Batman.
 * Nimrod the Hunter (Dean Hunter) was framed for a crime he did not commit by the criminal named Chancer. Breaking out of prison, he stole a military suit of armor and sought to clear his name with Batman's help.

Other superheroes
Batman regularly interacts with other DC superheroes in titles such as the Justice League of America. A few, however, have a marked presence in the core Batman titles:
 * Superman (Clark Kent/Kal-El): As the two earliest superheroes, Batman and Superman are frequent costars in each other's titles, and are often used to highlight differences between vigilante and lawful crimefighting. In the early crossovers, the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight were usually depicted as good friends who cheerfully assisted one another against foes who were too big to be dealt with alone.
 * In more recent times, their friendship has been depicted as more uneasy, but still with a deep amount of respect. In the current chronology, Batman and Superman first encounter one another early in their careers when Superman arrives in Gotham City to arrest the notorious "outlaw" known as Batman, just as Batman is investigating a murderous criminal named Magpie. Superman left this encounter with Batman, believing he had the best of intentions, though disagreeing with Batman's methods. As Superman flew back to Metropolis, Batman lamented to himself that Superman was a remarkable individual and that "perhaps, in another lifetime, he might call the Man of Steel his friend."
 * They have collaborated many times in the years since then, learning each other's secret identities, recognizing that their goals are essentially the same, and despite their frequent tense relationship, close allies and friends. Superman has entrusted Lex Luthor's Kryptonite ring to Batman, as a weapon to be used against Superman in case the Man of Steel should ever be turned against the people of Earth. In keeping with that attitude, Batman and Superman are often depicted as being the opposite sides of the same coin, both products of their environments, as indicated in their vastly different styles of crime fighting. Superman became a hero because he subscribed to wholesome idealism, while Batman was motivated by personal tragedy and a troubled past. Regardless, after one instance of Batman using the ring to prevent a mind-controlled Superman from wrongdoing, Superman told Batman that he knew he, "gave the ring to the right person." Batman shook his hand, and simply said, "What're friends for?"


 * Green Arrow: Oliver Queen began as a character very much inspired by Batman. He had a youthful ward, Speedy, much like Robin, as well as an Arrowcave, an Arrowcar, and an Arrowplane, similar to Batman's equipment. Most of these gimmicks were stripped by the 1970s, when both Batman and Green Arrow were revamped into more serious characters. Batman and Green Arrow have often been partners, especially during the 1970s, when Batman's team up title, The Brave and the Bold, was one of the few places outside of the pages of JLA where the Emerald Archer could be found. As with Superman, early teamups between Batman and Green Arrow were very friendly, but their relations became strained in more recent incarnations. Batman and Green Arrow's interactions in the 1980s were often employed as counterpoints to differing techniques and political philosophies. Queen and Batman's relationship was further strained by the involvement of Green Arrow in the mindwiping events that happened in the pages of Identity Crisis, even though Queen voted against the mindwiping of Dr. Light and Batman, but this seems to have been forgiven for reasons unknown. Today, Green Arrow is frequently depicted as one of the few superheroes willing to stand up to Batman directly.
 * Black Canary: Dinah Laurel Lance is a former member of the Justice Society and of Oracle's covert team in Birds of Prey as well as being the wife of Green Arrow, a founding member of the Justice League of America, and its current chairperson. The relationship between Black Canary and Batman has not been stressed by the events of Identity Crisis, even though Black Canary was involved with the group who mindwiped Dr. Light.
 * Zatanna: Zatanna Zatara is a powerful sorceress, stage magician, and a former member of the Justice League of America. Her father, John Zatara, trained a young Bruce Wayne in escapology. Zatanna and Bruce have a working friendship in the comics, with Bruce calling her for assistance from time to time. Zatanna's standing with Batman after the events of Identity Crisis was initially very strained, but the pair made their peace to the point where she proposed that they start a relationship, but Bruce told her he cares too much about her to bring her into his world.
 * Wildcat: Ted Grant, an original member of the Justice Society of America and an ex-heavyweight champion boxer, trained a young Bruce Wayne at one point. The two have remained close allies, and Batman has been quoted as saying that Grant is one of the few fighters he respects.
 * Plastic Man: Eel O'Brian was a crook that developed super powers after falling into a chemical bath, deciding afterward to change his ways. Joining the FBI and the All-Star Squadron, he would make a life for himself in Gotham. During a case where the JLA fought the Injustice Gang, Plastic Man was brought in to the League by Batman to help, shortly thereafter joining the group. During this time, O'Brian became close to Batman and came to rely on him as a close friend, often the Dark Knight being the only person able to motivate the elastic hero to action.
 * The Question: Originally a Charlton Comics superhero, created by Steve Ditko, Vic Sage was revamped by Dennis O'Neil in 1987. Since the late 1990s, the Question has had a recurring supporting role in various Batman titles. Sage dies of lung cancer in 52 Week 38; former GCPD detective Renee Montoya is now the new Question.
 * Richard Dragon: As one of the martial artists in the DC Universe, Denny O'Neil's Richard Dragon appears occasionally in Batman-related titles. Dragon is involved in training the modern Huntress, and allusions are made to his involvement training Batman himself.
 * Toyman III: Hiro Okamura, a 13 year-old genius from Japan. He was recruited by Superboy and Robin (Tim) after he successfully created the composite Superman/Batman ship that saved Earth. He now works with Batman to create custom-equipment and weapons, replacing Harold. Hiro is revealed to be one of several robots, who fills in for the real Toyman while incarcerated, this was revealed in Action Comics #865.
 * Blue Beetle: Ted Kord was a close friend of Oracle (sometimes working with the Birds of Prey), served with Batman in the League, and an idol to Tim Drake. Before his death, his company became a subsidiary to Wayne Industries.
 * Alan Scott: Green Lantern of the Golden Age who works and lives in Gotham City.
 * Justice Society of America: Since the end of WWII, the JSA was headquartered in Gotham in a brownstone.
 * Nemesis: Thomas Andrew Tresser sought to clear the name of his brother, brainwashed by the Council into becoming an assassin, and take down that same organization. During the course of this, he would find an ally in Batman and the pair teamed together until Nemesis was successful in his goals.
 * Katana: Initially meeting at the formation of the Outsiders, Tatsu Yamashiro moved to Gotham in the penthouse that served as the group's base of operations. During her years as a member, Katana became close friends with Batman, occasionally teaming with him when he called upon her. When President Luthor formed a group of individuals led by Captain Atom to apprehend Superman and Batman, the Dark Knight entrusted Katana as his spy within.

Villains
Batman comics have introduced many classic villains. His rogues gallery is one of the most identifiable in modern fiction. The Joker, Two-Face, and the Penguin are some of the most recognizable foes; other notable villains include Catwoman, the Riddler, Poison Ivy, Ra's al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, Harley Quinn, the Scarecrow, Bane, Killer Croc, the Mad Hatter, and Clayface, among others. Some of Batman's rogues gallery are notable for sometimes functioning as allies as well as villains. Some examples of this are Catwoman, the Riddler, Poison Ivy, Two-Face (Harvey Dent), Red Hood (the Joker), Anarky, and Talia al Ghul. Recently, emphasis on the psychological motivations of Batman villains have painted them in a much more sympathetic light than in their earlier stories, most notably Mr. Freeze and the Ventriloquist in their Batman: The Animated Series incarnations.

Love interests
Batman has had many romantic relationships with various female characters throughout his years fighting crime. The following characters do not include the various female hangers-on that Bruce has employed to maintain his image as a playboy. Like his mentor, Dick Grayson, who assumed the identity of Batman after Bruce Wayne's "death" until his return, has had a lot of romantic relationships with many women in the comics throughout his time fighting side by side with Batman.

Bruce Wayne's love interests

 * Julie Madison:
 * In the earliest Batman comics, Bruce Wayne dates the often-imperiled Julie Madison. The two eventually separate and Julie weds into European royalty, much in the manner of Grace Kelly.
 * In Batman & Robin, Elle Macpherson plays Julie, though the character seems to have little in common with her comic book self. The character adds little to the plot, and many of her scenes were edited out of the film's final cut.
 * Linda Page:
 * Linda appeared during the Golden Age of Comics after Julie broke her engagement off with Bruce. A former socialite, she dedicated her time as a nurse for the elderly, instead of falling into the stereotype that rich women were spoiled and lazy. She dated Bruce for two years, but broke up with him when he would not explain why he seemed to be wooing another woman (trying to reform a disguised Catwoman).
 * Linda appeared in the first Batman serial (1943), portrayed by Shirley Patterson.
 * Vicki Vale:
 * In several 1950s stories, reporter for the Gotham Gazette Newspaper Vicki Vale, was shown as an occasional romantic interest of Batman. Vicki Vale returned in the early 1980s, brought back by Doug Moench.
 * Vale appeared in the second of Columbia's Batman serials, Batman and Robin, portrayed by Jane Adams.
 * Kim Basinger plays Vicki in the 1989 film Batman, although Batman Returns stated that she eventually left because she could not cope with his double life.
 * Selina Kyle (Catwoman)
 * Catwoman is one of the most common love interests of Batman/Bruce Wayne. In All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder Batman's feelings towards her are based on the fact that she's sort of a female version of himself: another dark, beautiful creature that prowls in the night. In the current timeline, Batman and Catwoman became romantically involved during the Batman: Hush story arc. right|150px|thumbnail|Catwoman and Batman in [[wikipedia:Batman: The Animated Series|Batman: The Animated Series|]] Batman ended the relationship because he was afraid if they had a relationship that Hush would use her to get to him and also doubted her loyalty to him questioning if she was part of the plot to destroy his life. Even when their romance rekindled later on, Batman still suspected that Selina's reformation could be a result of a personality-altering mindwipe by Zatanna. Later in "Batman: Heart of Hush" in an attempt to kill Bruce, Hush kidnaps Catwoman and cuts out her heart, when Bruce returns the heart he admits to Selina that she really was the only woman to have held his heart and that he would always love her.
 * In pre-Crisis continuity, the Earth-Two versions of Batman and Catwoman were shown to have married in the 1950s, and later Selina gave birth to a daughter, Helena Wayne (alias Huntress) in 1957.
 * In Tim Burton's film Batman Returns, Selina (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) seems to be the true love of Bruce's life, as not only their costumed identities but also their disturbed psyches are described as similar. Their relationship becomes intensely dramatic towards the end of the movie, to the point where Bruce actually implores her to abandon her vendetta against Max Shreck and come and live with him in Wayne Manor.
 * In Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight Rises, Selina Kyle (never referred to as Catwoman in the film) is portrayed by actress Anne Hathaway as she is in the comics as a thief who aids Bane in hopes of obtaining the "clean slate" drive to erase her criminal record and to see the rich and selfish of Gotham suffer. She later aids Batman in stopping Bane after realizing her mistake of betraying him to the terrorist, giving up her own chance to escape Gotham and leave him behind. At the film's end, she is seen in Italy wearing Martha Wayne's necklace (which she stole earlier on in the film) and dating Bruce Wayne, who has retired from the mantle of Batman.
 * In Batman: The Animated Series, Bruce Wayne regularly dates Selina Kyle. In Batman Beyond, Bruce hints at a relationship with Selina in his past, as well as comparing that relationship with Terry's and the current Ten of the Royal Flush Gang. As in the comic books, sexual tension between their costumed characters is a major story point in Batman: The Animated Series.
 * After The New 52, as it's Selina's early days as Catwoman she does not yet know Batman's identity, though it is evident they engaged in Sexual intercourse.
 * Wonder Woman: Diana and Bruce briefly dated within the pages of the Justice League of America comics but nothing came of the relationship and the two remain friends. This is echoed in the Justice League animated series, but Bruce and Diana seem to grow very close in the TV show, and even Batman hints at romance between them in the episode "This Little Piggy". In Blackest Night: Wonder Woman, their past relationship is referenced when Wonder Woman is able to use her feelings for Bruce to throw off the influence of her Black Lantern ring and join the Star Sapphires.
 * Kathy Kane (Batwoman)
 * In the original Pre-Crisis continuity Kathy Kane is a wealthy Gotham City heiress and former circus performer, decides to use her skills and resources to become a costumed crimefighter. This is partly out of altruism and partly to attract the romantic attentions of Batman. While Batman wished for Kane to retire from crimefighting due to the danger, she remained his ally. Kathy was romantically interested in Batman but Batman remained aloof until her death in the hands of Bronze Tiger.
 * In a pre-Crisis Earth-Two Kathy, who is a middle-aged woman is still in love with the now-deceased Commissioner Bruce Wayne.
 * In Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, while investigating the identity of Gotham's newest masked vigilante, Batman develops an affection to one of the suspects, Kathy Duquesne, daughter of mob boss Carlton Duquesne.
 * Talia al Ghul: The daughter of the supervillain, Ra's al Ghul, Talia's father has encouraged the relationship in hopes of recruiting Batman as his successor. Unlike Catwoman, Talia is more than willing to play second-fiddle to Bruce's mission.
 * The two are currently at odds, as Talia has been brainwashed into hating both her father and Batman; however, she claims to be the mother of his son Damian, introduced in Batman #656. However, after Damian is murdered by a clone created by her, Batman is no longer affectionate towards her as he was in the past due to her indirect involvement of their son's death, leading him increasingly vengeful.
 * In the now out-of-continuity graphic novel Batman: Son of the Demon, Talia bore his son (later named Ibn al Xu'ffasch).
 * In Earth-22's Kingdom Come, Talia admires Batman in his drive, determination, and nobility, but is always torn between him and the love for her terrorist father.
 * In Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight Rises, Talia is played by actress Marion Cotillard. In the film she is incognito as philanthropist and socialite Miranda Tate (a ploy used by her father with his false identity of Henri Ducard), and begins an affair with Bruce Wayne as well as becomes a Wayne Enterprises executive. Talia has assumed control of the League of Shadows and plans with Bane who saved her as a child, to kill Bruce and destroy Gotham to fulfill her father's mission and have vengeance for his death.
 * Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy): A peculiar relationship can be found between Batman and Pamela Isley, aka Poison Ivy. There has always been a sexual tension between the two, most notably in their canonical earlier encounters. In Batman & Poison Ivy: Cast Shadows, Batman filled Ivy's cell at Arkham with flowers as a gift. The relationship even briefly deviated from the Batman/Ivy relationship into a Bruce/Pamela one when, in the comic series Batman: Gotham Knights, he helps her return to normal. This relationship has not been carried over to the mainstream Batman comics. In other instances, however, she is more than willing to kill Batman to achieve her goals. She is portrayed in the 1997 film Batman & Robin by Uma Thurman.
 * Silver St. Cloud: A storyline in the late 1970s featured Silver St. Cloud, who managed to deduce the secret of Bruce Wayne's alter ego, but she could not handle being involved with someone in such a dangerous line of work. The two parted ways; a 2005 miniseries features a return appearance of Silver St. Cloud, although the romance has not been rekindled.
 * Rachel Caspian: In a 1987 storyline "Batman: Year Two", Bruce Wayne falls in love with Rachel. Unfortunately, Rachel's father moonlighted as a murderous vigilante who committed suicide once losing a battle against a gun-wielding Batman. Discovery of her father's evils drove Rachel to pay her father's penance on his behalf by enrolling in a nunnery and breaking off her engagement with Bruce Wayne, who had prepared himself to end his crimefighting career to marry her.
 * Natalia Knight: Nocturna aka Natalia Knight. Created by Doug Moench in the early 1980s. She was a jewel thief who briefly adopted Jason Todd and knew that Bruce Wayne was Batman. What made her remarkable was that she suffered from a rare "light sensitivity" disease and her skin was bleached white. She disappeared during the last days of pre-Crisis Batman after being stabbed by her brother Charles, floating into the crimson sky of the Crisis in her balloon.
 * Julia Pennyworth: The daughter of Alfred and a French Resistance fighter named Mlle Marie, Julia was brought in by Doug Moench in the early 1980s.
 * Vesper Fairchild: Fairchild's relationship with Bruce Wayne was established during Doug Moench's second run on Batman in the 1990s. A radio show host who left Gotham after the "No Man's Land" crisis, Fairchild was later killed by David Cain on orders from Lex Luthor as part of Luthor's attempt to get revenge on Bruce Wayne for his involvement in thwarting Luthor's attempt to take control of Gotham after "No Man's Land" ended.
 * Shondra Kinsolving: Shondra is a psychic and the half-sister of Benedict Asp. She had a brief love affair with Batman, having been brought in to help him when he broke his back. Before Bruce could officially commit to her, Benedict kidnapped her and turned her abilities to evil use. Batman eventually defeated Benedict, but the damage to Shondra's mind was too great. As she healed Bruce's lingering injuries, Shondra's psyche regressed back into childhood. However, she recently made a cameo in Batman: Hush as one of the doctors assisting in Bruce Wayne's operation.
 * Sasha Bordeaux: Assigned as Bruce Wayne's bodyguard, Sasha deduced that Bruce was Batman. She was framed for Fairchild's murder and later joined Maxwell Lord's Checkmate organization. During The OMAC Project, Bordeaux was turned into a cyborg OMAC, but this incident has since been resolved. While Sasha and Batman kissed near the end of The OMAC Project, their relationship seems to have passed on.
 * Dinah Lance (Black Canary): Although Black Canary has a relationship with Green Arrow, she has shown an attraction to the Dark Knight and she and Batman have shared kisses from time to time In All-Star Batman and Robin #7, the two show more of an attraction to one another.
 * Jillian Maxwell: In Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1, (reprinted in the trade paperback Batman: Haunted Knight) during the beginning of his career, Bruce find himself attracted to a woman who called herself Jillian Maxwell after meeting her at a costume party. However, Alfred's suspicion of her led him to checking her background, discovering a criminal record of a woman, whose description matches Jillian's, who used the aliases of Kathryn Cole, Christine Gherard, Diana Lopez, Pamela Weisman, and many other identities to seduce young wealthy men for their fortunes, then later arrange events that led to their deaths so she can have their wealth. After Alfred told Bruce of this, he was heartbroken, but Bruce kept an eye on the woman. When she used the identity Audrey Marguerite in Brazil, Bruce, as Batman, sent her a note, telling her to confess all her crimes.
 * Batman and Orion's wife Bekka, had a strong attraction to each other after she rescued him from Darkseid's forces on the planet Tartarus. She was later murdered.
 * Lorna Shore: In Batman Confidential - "Lovers & Madmen", Bruce met a museum curator Lorna Shore during the beginning of his career. It was love at first sight as Bruce was able to find peace when he was with her for the first time since he was 8 years old after his parents' murder. However, after his encounter with The Joker and realizing that there will be more enemies like him, he broke off their relationship to protect Lorna. Lorna later left the city, feeling that Gotham is not safe anymore because of Batman and The Joker.
 * Barbara Gordon (Batgirl): The current Batgirl and daughter of Commissioner Gordon. Though the two have never shared a romantic relationship in any canonical comics, they did have a romance in the universe of the Batman animated series. In the animated movie Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, we see that Barbara Gordon has a romantic interest in Bruce Wayne.  During the movie he doesn't return the feelings at first.  However we learn in the spin-off series, Batman Beyond that Bruce did eventually reciprocate the feelings and he and Barbara would have a romantic relationship.  They didn't stay together and it's been implied that Barbara would be the last meaningful love interest that Bruce ever had.  In the graphic novel Batman: Earth One, which set in another alternate continuity, where another version of Barbara, who is in her late teens, also develops a romantic interest towards Batman, who is in his twenties, after he saved her from the serial killer The Birthday Boy, with her father and Harvey Bullock.
 * Mallory Moxon: Mallory became involved in Bruce's life when Philo Zeiss wanted revenge on her father, Lew Moxon. Bruce has spent as a child a happy summer with her before his parents were killed. He meets her again years later in a reception to honor Moxon's return to Gotham City. The next night he dines with the Moxons, partly to renew his friendship with Mallory. However, he discovers that Mallory is as much a part of the criminal world as her father. She falls in love with Bruce and is protected by Batman. Mallory was still with her father during Bruce's conviction of being a murderer even though she knew what kind of man her father was.
 * Jezebel Jet: A wealthy former supermodel of African descent. She is said to own an African province. Like Bruce, she lost her parents at a young age. Though she resisted Bruce's affections at first, she ultimately began a relationship with him. As a result, she discovered that Bruce was Batman just before Batman R.I.P.. Later, she is revealed to be a member of the Black Glove, a villainous organization aimed at defeating Batman, with Bruce's relationship with her having been mainly maintained so that he could catch her off-guard and learn the full details of her planned assault on him. She was apparently killed by a flock of Man-Bats created by Talia, but was later hinted to have somehow survived in Batman Inc. #8. Her death was confirmed in Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1.
 * Dawn Golden: One time girlfriend, fiance and childhood friend of Bruce Wayne. When they first met, Bruce did not like Dawn too much but the two eventually grew closer and ended up dating until she apparently broke Bruce's heart in college. Years later, Dawn would grow into a Gotham socialite but mysteriously go missing. She was actually kidnapped by Killer Croc, hired by a vengeful Penguin whom she had humiliated along with her friends when she invited him in a dance where unattractive men would be their dancing partners. Dawn was eventually found by Batman, she was revealed to be placed in some sort of heating room, awaiting her death. Batman would also protect her from demons sent by her father, Aleister, to kidnap her. Dawn finally dies when her father stabed her with a knife, completing a ritual that would grant him eternal life.
 * Charlotte Rivers: A TV anchorwoman who's visiting Gotham City to cover gruesome slayings and has a romantic relation with Bruce Wayne.
 * Jaina "Jai" Hudson (White Rabbit):A charity fundraiser organizer who meets Bruce Wayne at one of her charity functions to raise funds for relief in Pakistan. During the event there was a flirtatious exchange between the two.
 * Natalya Trusevich: An accomplished pianist, and girlfriend to Bruce Wayne.
 * Mio (Penumbra): A young assassin who fell in love with Bruce Wayne during his training to become Batman.

Dick Grayson's love interests

 * Barbara Gordon: When Barbara started her career as Batgirl working with Batman and Robin, she and Dick began to grew closer time by time and eventually they began a romantic relationship. This relationship became a longtime on-and-off relationship continued even after Barbara's retirement. He at one point asked her to marry him, to which she accepted but called off feeling they weren't ready.
 * In the movie Batman and Robin, Dick meets Barbara Wilson, Alfred's niece, who later becomes Batgirl. In the film they have the same relationship that Dick has with Barbara Gordon in the comics.
 * In the most of the cartoon series such as Young Justice and Batman the Animated Series, Dick meets Barbara Gordon, as Batgirl. Both were shown to have similar history as their comic versions. In the Batman series, the two have an on/off again relationship.
 * Starfire: Having a longtime on-and-off again relationship with Dick Grayson during their time together in the Titans and Outsiders and beyond, the pair at one time almost married. Dick last wanted to keep Starfire as just a friend.
 * Catalina Flores: A former FBI agent dressed as the Tarantula in order to battle the corrupt police officers and gangland criminals of the city. Dick did not approve of the more extreme measures she took. When investigating the murder of Delmore Redhorn Nightwing discovered the murderer was in fact Tarantula, and that she was working for his nemesis Blockbuster. She had also manipulated an encounter with Nightwing in such a manner that Barbara Gordon broke up with him. Nightwing was able to have Tarantula arrested for the murder of Redhorn but she was out on the streets soon enough, and when the battle between Nightwing and Blockbuster heated up, Tarantula involved herself and shot Blockbuster. Allowing Tarantula to kill Blockbuster caused Nightwing to go through what appears to have been essentially a nervous breakdown, and Tarantula took advantage of his near catatonic state to have sex with him. During the following period of time, she ran off with him and attempted to establish a relationship. After a while, Nightwing came to his senses and turned himself in for the murder of Blockbuster. He was acquitted, however, and worked to bring in Tarantula, who was sent to jail.
 * Helena Bertinelli: Dick and Helena had a one night stand while out patrolling together, Dick wanted to start a serious relationship but Helena refused, since then the two have maintained a personal and professional friendship together.
 * Bridget Clancy: Bridget Clancy was Dick Grayson's superintendent when he moved to Bludhaven. The two of them shared a romantic interest, but it never developed into anything. She is Asian in appearance, but has a Scottish accent.
 * Emily Washburn: Emily was a young woman in Gotham City who in three years time had lost three husbands to freak accidents. Nightwing believed she was a black widow and decided to stop her from killing any more men. Thinking he could be her next target, he approached her in his civilian identity of Dick Grayson. They pair became close and Dick proposed. The two were wed in a fake ceremony that Dick staged. During their honeymoon in Hawaii, Dick and Emily ran into Emily's best friend Annelise. Annelise attempted to kill Dick but he was able to overpower her. It turned out that Annelise was attempting to punish Emily by killing any man she fell in love with. Dick learned that Emily's father had gotten Annelise's father arrested and Annelise was trying to get revenge. After Annelise's arrest, Dick revealed his plan to Emily. She was upset that Dick deceived her but grateful that he had cleared her name. Dick then offered to make a life with Emily and her son but she declined stating that Dick had other secrets he couldn't share with her.
 * Raya Vestri: Raya was a childhood friend to Dick, a trapeze artist at Haly's Circus as well as his first crush, the two began dating even though Raya at first wanted only a sexual relationship. Later, Raya allied with Saiko to kill Dick at a Haly Circus tribute to the Flying Graysons (Dick was present there for a memorial speech), but when she found out Saiko was trying to kill every member and audience of the circus, she betrayed him and turned herself over to the police. Later, the Joker freed Raya from her cell in [[wikipedia:W:C:DC:Blackgate Penitentiary|Blackgate Penitentiary, poisoned her with Joker venom, and forced her to fight Nightwing. Dick injected her with the antidote and Raya died in Dick's arms, telling him she was sorry for everything she had done.
 * Cheyenne Freemont: Cheyenne was a fashion designer and at some time a model who first met Dick when they had a one night stand together. The two formed a "no strings attached" relationship for a while. The relationship didn't last long due to Cheyenne wanting to start life for herself and to avoid the metahuman brothers tracking her.
 * Selina Kyle (Catwoman): Though they have never shared a romances in the comics, they did have a flirtatious team-up in the Batman: The Animated Series episode, You Scratch My Back. Where Catwoman tried, unsuccessfully, to get Nightwing to run away with her after stealing a famed emerald from Argentina.  This episode marks the only time in Batman history where Catwoman & Nightwing shared a kiss.
 * Zatanna: In the new series Young Justice, Dick flirts with Zatanna when they go on a mission to rescue after she is introduced to the team by her father [[wikipedia:Zatara|Zatara. In a latter episode Dick explains how he got a magical necklace from Zantana without her asking questions he expains that they have a 'special relationship'.
 * Bette Kane (Bat-Girl/Flamebird/Hawkfire): Bette has appeared many times as a love interest for Dick Grayson both in comics and in other media.
 * During the Silver Age when Dick was Robin and Bette was Bat-Girl, sidekick to her aunt Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Bette developed an crush on the Boy Wonder.
 * In the comic book tie-in of the TV show Young Justice, Bette spent a night with Dick, whose name she had forgotten. Dick revealed to her that not only he was a little bit older than her but in fact they both went to Gotham Academy. Bette said that she wanted to stay with him longer, but she had to go to work.

Film

 * Dr. Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman): Appears only in Batman Forever as the female lead. Kidman described the character as a "criminal psychologist who dresses like Jessica Rabbit." Rene Russo was originally cast by Tim Burton for this role whist he was still the director of the film and when Michael Keaton was still set to play Batman. However when Burton was fired as Director and rehired as Producer, Keaton quit in disgust. Joel Schumacher, who Burton brought on board in his role as producer, decided to cast a younger Batman, eventually Val Kilmer, and decided Russo was too old to play opposite a younger Batman. During recasting, Robin Wright turned down the role while Jeanne Tripplehorn and Linda Hamilton were also both considered. Chase is a psychologist working with the Gotham City police and falls in love with both Batman and Bruce Wayne. She assists Bruce in analyzing a series of befuddling threats sent to him by the Riddler and also witnesses the death of Robin's parents by Two-Face. Later, she learns Bruce is Batman after he invites her and tells her how he found the cave and is kidnapped by the Riddler and Two-Face in a trap designed to make Batman choose between her and Robin. In the Riddler's lair, she is chained to the sofa before Batman arrives, and when she says Batman will come for her, to which Riddler states that he's 'counting on it.' She and Robin are both placed in glass jars, bound and gagged, over a pit of water and metal spikes, with the Riddler able to release them at the touch of a button. He plans to determine whether Batman and Bruce Wayne can co-exist, will Batman save Bruce's love, or the Dark Knight's partner. Batman saves them both after distracting the Riddler by giving him a riddle and breaking the device and Chase promises to keep his identity secret. She visits the Riddler after he screams in the asylum he knows Batman's identity, but when she asks him, he says 'I am' and shows himself to have made bat-like wings from his clothes. Her name is a play on words; as a psychologist in love with Batman/Bruce Wayne, she is constantly "chasing" the psychological "middle" of her lover, Bruce Wayne/Batman, seeking to reconcile his two halves into one complete lover.
 * Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes/Maggie Gyllenhaal): In Batman Begins, Bruce hopes to become romantically involved with his childhood friend, now an assistant district attorney. He saves her from an attack by a criminal sent to kill her to prevent her prosecuting. She tells him that she cannot be with him until the time Gotham no longer needs the Batman. In The Dark Knight, Rachel is in a relationship with Harvey Dent. She is about to agree to marry Dent, and writes a note to Bruce Wayne telling him of her choice, reflecting that, while she believes there might come a day when Gotham will no longer need Batman, she no longer believes there will be a time that Bruce will not need Batman. However, the Mob kidnaps both Rachel and Harvey, resulting in Rachel's death in an explosion while Harvey is accidentally rescued by Batman, as The Joker lies by switching the addresses for Rachel and Harvey, and Harvey's transformation to Two-Face after part of his face is burnt. Alfred later burns the note so that Bruce will believe Rachel would have chosen him, reflecting that sometimes people need to believe that their faith will be rewarded.

Animation

 * Andrea Beaumont: In the animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, most of the relationship between Bruce and Andrea is told through flashbacks. Andrea was a major factor during Bruce's struggle into becoming Batman. Bruce admitted that the pain of his parents' death had lifted due to Andrea. Bruce decided to abandon his oath and proposed to Andrea. However, Andrea gave back the ring the next day and went to Europe. Bruce meets Andrea again in the film and is crushed by the discovery of her being the Phantasm. She would return decades later, being hired by Amanda Waller to help create a new Batman. She initially agreed but backed down later on, citing that doing so would dishonor all the Batman stood for. She was based on Rachel Caspian.
 * Lois Lane: In a crossover between Superman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures, World's Finest, Bruce Wayne dates Daily Planet star reporter Lois Lane after meeting her at Metropolis Airport. However, she breaks off the relationship after she discovers that he is Batman. Bruce points out the irony to Superman that she likes Bruce Wayne and Superman, but not their respective alter egos. This seems to have carried over to the comics, as Lois Lane knows Bruce Wayne is Batman. They still have a very close friendship and she helps him keep an eye on the "reformed" Penguin while at a party of Wayne's.
 * Zatanna: In Batman: The Animated Series, while a young Bruce Wayne studies escape artistry under Zatara the Magician, he has a relationship with Zatara's daughter. When she later becomes the magician crimefighter, Zatanna, she and Batman maintain a working relationship.
 * Cheetah: In Justice League, Cheetah was a member in a group of villains formed by Lex Luthor that has captured Batman. She was left alone to watch Batman and she told him her origin, and how she sees herself as a freak. Batman told her that he sees a determined woman who's willing to lose everything for a cause she believes in; they then share a kiss. Batman was actually seducing her only to avoid the explosion of a bomb planted there by the villains, the bomb was exploded outside the station and for that Luthor accused her to be a traitor, showing to the rest of the group a tape of the holding cell with Cheetah and Batman kissing. Lex orders Solomon Grundy to take care of Cheetah and he dragged her out of the room.
 * Susan Maguire: In the Batman: The Animated Series episode Chemistry, Susan was first seen at Bruce's friend's wedding. Bruce quickly fell for her and he proposed. After the wedding, on the honeymoon cruise, Bruce realized that Susan was "too" perfect and it turned out she was a plant-hybrid created by Poison Ivy to inherit Wayne's fortune after Ivy sank the cruise ship, killing Wayne and other rich company owner who had the perfect counterparts created for them as well. When Susan attacked him he locked her in their room, she most likely drowned after Ivy's plants sank the ship.
 * Dr. Bethanie Ravencroft: In Beware the Batman, Bethanie was a psychologist who formerly experimented on rehabilitating criminals. Bruce Wayne became her patient, when he was trying to find information about a former patient of hers, Magpie, who abducted Bethanie but fortunately Batman saved her. Not being his psychologist anymore they began dating. She later lured Wayne into a trap by the League of Assassins and she was revealed to be in league with Silver Monkey. Lady Shiva drained her soul and imprisoned it within the Soultaker Sword, leaving her alive, but a husk.

Other supporting characters

 * Joe Chill: The mugger who killed Bruce's parents.
 * Aunt Harriet Cooper, the maternal aunt of Dick Grayson, who appeared in the Batman comics and TV series in the 1960s.
 * Henri Ducard: Ducard is one of Wayne's few teachers who has had a continuing presence in the comics, having taught a young Bruce Wayne the art of the manhunt. Ducard's moral ambiguity led to future conflicts with Batman. In the movie Batman Begins, Ducard appears as Wayne's mentor in crime fighting, but it later turns out that he was actually Ra's al Ghul in disguise.
 * Lucius Fox: Although far less privy to Bruce Wayne's personal life than his business dealings, Lucius Fox is a trusted close associate of Wayne as his business manager responsible for both Wayne Enterprises and the Wayne Foundation. Depending on Fox's incarnation, Lucius may know nothing of Bruce's secret life; have some hints about it (such as Batman Begins), where he knows Bruce is doing something, but prefers not to know exactly what, for the purpose of deniability; or know about it entirely, as is the case in The Batman and The Dark Knight.
 * Dr. Thomas Elliot: A surgeon introduced in the Hush storyline, Thomas Elliot is a childhood friend of the Wayne Family. Elliot and Wayne parted ways at a young age, after the death of Elliot's father. Dr. Elliot later reveals to be secretly insane since childhood and leading a double life as the criminal mastermind Hush.
 * Legs: a homeless Vietnam veteran, and resident of the streets of Gotham City. The character was frequently featured in cameo appearances in various Batman comics during the 1980s and 1990s. The character has not been utilized in published material since the late 1990s and has fallen into obscurity.
 * Professor Carter Nichols, a hypnotist who developed a form of "time travel hypnosis" that led into many time travel adventures for Batman, Robin and even Superman in the 1940s and 1950s.
 * Daphne Pennyworth, niece of Alfred Pennyworth and daughter of Wilfred Pennyworth, briefly appeared in the late 1960s/early 1970s.
 * Lady Shiva: One of the most feared assassins in the world, Lady Shiva has often been a foe of Batman. However, after Batman broke his back fighting Bane, he went to Lady Shiva for training.
 * Bronze Tiger trained under Batman's ninja master Kirigi and was a member of the Sensei's League of Assassins (albeit brainwashed), at one point teaching Cassandra Cain. Tiger would best Batman in a battle during his mission leading members of the League to slay Kathy Kane. Thanks to Amanda Waller, he would be freed of the Sensei's programming and would return as an ally to Batman.
 * Dr. Leslie Thompkins: A lifelong friend of Thomas Wayne and Bruce's godmother. She is a strict pacifist and used to run a rehabilitation clinic for criminals and drug addicts. She had a falling out with the Dark Knight after Stephanie Brown's apparent death.
 * Martha Wayne: The mother of Bruce Wayne. Just like Thomas, she was shot by a mugger, which would be responsible for the creation of Batman. In the alternative timeline of Flashpoint, where Bruce died instead of Thomas and Martha, causing her to become the Joker.
 * Thomas Wayne: The father of Bruce Wayne. His death by a mugger, when Bruce was just a boy, inspired Bruce to become Batman. In the alternative timeline of Flashpoint, where Bruce died instead of Thomas and Martha, causing Thomas Wayne to become Batman.
 * Philip Wayne: Thomas' brother that would raise Bruce for a while after the loss of his parents.
 * Thomas Wayne, Jr.: Bruce Wayne's older brother. It has been said Thomas suffered brain injuries in infancy and was relegated to a life of care. However, one story tells of being left catatonic after the death of their parents and institutionalized. The brothers' uncle had told Bruce his brother had in fact died. Thomas would recover and choose to live a reculsive existence as an acrobat in a traveling circus. However, he would be brainwashed into becoming an assassin. The hero Deadman learned of this and decided to take over his life. Batman would later learn these facts and try to reclaim his brother. While Thomas was free of Deadman, he gave his life to save Batman by diving in front of a hail of bullets from his criminal companions.
 * Alice Chilton: Bruce Wayne's nanny after the loss of his parents. She was Joe Chill's mother, a fact only Alfred was aware of.
 * Slam Bradley: A private detective that largely operates out of Gotham, Bradley became good friends with Catwoman. Bradley's son, called Slam Bradley Jr., is a cop in Gotham and the father of Catwoman's daughter.
 * Vigilante: A murderous crimefighter that first troubled Nightwing before crossing swords with Batman.
 * Lock-Up: Initially an overzealous vigilante, Lock-Up would be tolerated during the events of No Man's Land as he controlled Blackgate Prison. However, he was seen acting alongside villains during Infinite Crisis.
 * Kirigi: Batman's instructor in ninjutsu who would also train several members of the League of Assassins.
 * David Cain: World renowned assassin who trained Bruce Wayne.
 * Tsunemoto: An assassin for the Yakuza who trained Bruce Wayne.
 * Chu Chin Li: A master of kung fu who trained Bruce Wayne.

Characters from alternate continuities
Several characters featured outside of modern Batman canon are of note:
 * Batman is the lead character on the animated series Batman Beyond. Set in the near future of earth 12 one of the 52 parallel earths to the original earth 1, the series depicts the adventures of a new, younger Batman mentored by Bruce Wayne. Terry is always treated similarly to the way Bruce treated Dick Grayson and Tim Drake in this continuity. Bruce has a respect for him and has found him to be a worthy person to wear the mask and that he is the one that makes Batman a good person. In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue", it is revealed that Terry is the biological son of Bruce due to Amanda Waller's involvement in creating a new Dark Knight under Project Cadmus' final project, Project: Batman Beyond. In 2011 he enter the official DCU.
 * Batman (Tlano) is an alien that brought Batman to his world Zur-En-Arrh to help him become his planet's hero and to battle robot invaders.
 * Harvey Harris: Harvey Harris was a detective from Gotham City (Earth-One continuity). He trained young Bruce Wayne in the art of criminal detection and provided the young boy with his first costumed identity - Robin. Bruce helped his mentor try and stop the KKK in Detective Comics Annual in 1989. Harris is good in combat, claims to have a black belt and uses a gun.
 * Carrie Kelly: Carrie Kelly became the first female Robin (chronologically though not canonically) in 1986's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. In Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, the follow-up to DKR, Carrie is called Catgirl, as a homage to Catwoman.
 * Helena Wayne: Pre-Crisis, the Huntress was Helena Wayne, daughter to Earth-Two's Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle (Catwoman). The modern Huntress has no biological relations to Catwoman or Batman.
 * Blackwing (Charlie Bullock) was a lawyer that become a hero patterned after Batman (after the hero's death) on Earth-2. He would team with that Earth's Huntress.
 * The Ninja (Kyodai Ken) was Bruce Wayne's rival in the way of the samurai under Yoru in Batman: The Animated Series. He would later return as an enemy in the series.
 * Bat-Ape was the masked identity of Mogo, a circus gorilla that helped Batman.
 * Proto-Bot was a prototype Bat-Bot introduced in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
 * Bat-Horse was the steed of Bat-Hombre, who turned out to be an agent of El Papagayo. So, Batman took on the identity of Bat-Hombre and rode Bat-Horse in his stead.

Supporting Characters in other media

 * Detective Ethan Bennett (appeared in The Batman, voiced by Steve Harris) - Bennett is a detective at the GCPD and is one of the three officers that interact with Batman. Unlike Chief Angel Rojas and Detective Ellen Yin, he supports Batman's motives and is Bruce Wayne's best friend. He appeared in the majority of season one. At the end of the first season, he becomes Clayface after being exposed to the Joker's "Joker Putty". He attempts to kill both Chief Rojas and the Joker, but is stopped and defeated by the efforts of Batman and Detective Yin. He reappeared in the season two episode "Meltdown", where he attempts to reform, but he fails and goes on a crime spree as Clayface. He is defeated again by Batman. In "Grundy's Night", he impersonated Solomon Grundy to get revenge on Batman, but fails. In his final appearance, "Clayfaces", he breaks out of prison and he helps Batman and Robin battle another Clayface, Basil Karlo. In the end, he and Karlo are cured, and Bennett tries again to restore his image. However, it seems Karlo's powers were returning at the final scene, so it is unknown if Bennett's powers were restored as well.


 * Detective Ellen Yin (appeared in The Batman, voiced by Ming-Na) - Yin is a new transfer to the GCPD since she left Metropolis. During the first season, she is reluctant to accept Batman as a vigilante. After she helps Batman fight Clayface at the first season's finale, she grudgily accepts Batman as a vigilante. Her final appearance was in the season two finale.


 * Chief Angel Rojas (appeared in The Batman, voiced by Edward James Olmos in his first appearance, voiced by Jesse Corti in other appearances) - Chief Rojas is the head of the GCPD and does things by the book. Unlike Detective Bennett, who sees Batman as a hero, Rojas distrusts Batman and sees him as a potential threat to all of Gotham.


 * Alexander Knox (appeared in Batman, portrayed by Robert Wuhl) - Alexander Knox is a reporter for the Gotham Globe. In the film, he works with Vicki Vale to investigate Batman's actions. When Vicki becomes suspicious of Bruce's actions, she asked Knox to show footage of the alley where Bruce's parents were killed. During the climax, Knox is nearly killed after being exposed to the Joker's gas. At the end of the film, he recovers from his injuries.


 * Lieutenant Maxwell "Max" Eckhardt (appeared in Batman, portrayed by William Hootkins) - Eckhardt is a corrupt officer who works for crime boss Carl Grissom and criminal Jack Napier (who will later become the Joker in the film). He is later betrayed and killed by Napier before Napier becomes the Joker.


 * Fred Stickley (appeared in Batman Forever, portrayed by Ed Begley)- Stickley is Edward Nigma's ill-tempered supervisor at Wayne Enterprises. At the beginning of the film, he terminated Edward Nygma's invention when he feared it would cause Wayne Enterprises to go bankrupt. When he learned about Nygma's true intention of the invention, Nygma killed him in retaliation and used computer forgery to make it look like Stickley killed himself.


 * Dr. Lee (appeared in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, portrayed by Michael Paul Chan) - Dr. Lee is a research scientist at Wayne Enterprises. He made a cameo appearance in Forever, where he comforted Edward Nygma. He had a more important role in the sequel, where he and another research scientist were kidnapped by Mr. Freeze. They were rescued by the efforts of Batman, Robin, and Batgirl.

Enemies in other media

 * Roxy Rocket (appeared in The New Batman Adventures, Superman: The Animated Series, and Batman: Chaos in Gotham, voiced by Charity James) - Roxy Rocket is a minor supervillainess. Her first appearance was in TNBA episode "The Ultimate Thrill", where she works for the Penguin to steal valuable jewelry. Her crimes were benign, unlike other Batman villains in Gotham City. At the end, she was defeated by Batman and was taken to Arkham Asylum. Her next appearance was in Superman: TAS episode "Knight Time", where she attempts to relocate to Metropolis. She failed, as she is easily defeated by Superman. When Superman had asked her why Batman's enemies are relocating to Metropolis, she explains that Batman has been missing for some time. Her final appearance in the DCAU was in the game Chaos in Gotham, where she is one of the inmates that escaped Arkham Asylum. Her first appearance in the DC Universe was in Detective Comics #822, where she has stolen an ionic thruster from S.T.A.R. Labs' Gotham bureau, but her first comic book appearance dates back to 1994, where she appearance in The Batman Adventures Annual #1.


 * Red Claw is a fictional character, an enemy of Batman, making her debut in Batman: The Animated Series and appearing in three episodes of the show. In her first appearance in the series, Red Claw is revealed to be the enigmatic leader of an international terrorist organization named Red Claw, and also known as the "most ruthless terrorist alive", in Commissioner Gordon's words.


 * Condiment King (appeared in Batman: The Animated Series, voiced by Stuart Pankin) - In his first and only appearance in the DCAU, he attacks the Crown Restaurant, only to end up fighting Batman. He was identified as Buddy Standler, a former stand-up comedian who was brainwashed by the Joker, who was using the Mad Hatter's mind-controlling devices. When Batman defeats the Joker and his plans were exposed, it was assumed that Standler was cleared of all charges.


 * HARDAC (appeared in Batman: The Animated Series, voiced by Jeff Bennett) - HARDAC stands for Holographic Analytical Reciprocating DigitAL Computer. In its first appearance, "Heart of Steel", it was created by Dr. Karl Rossum as a supercomputer. It later has a mind of its own by duplicating Gotham's powerful citizens and law enforcement. Rossum revealed that he created HARDAC because he wanted it to duplicate his late wife and daughter when they died under mysterious circumstances. HARDAC learns Batman and Bruce Wayne were the same person when Batman learns about HARDAC's plan. It was destroyed by the efforts of Batman and Batgirl. In its final appearance, it creates a duplicate of Batman. It was awaken when three thieves hide out in an abandoned warehouse. Using the clone, HARDAC connects to the Batcomputer, and fights the real Batman. Batman fakes his death when the duplicate pushed him off a cliff, causing the duplicate to kill itself as well. Batman begins to wonder if HARDAC was beginning to have a soul.