Is Robin Gay, Bisexual or Straight? What Is DC Canon?
The most iconic sidekick of all time, Robin has been part of the DC comics from the beginning. Batman‘s sidekick changed over the years and we got six different Robins over half of the century. Every single Robin was unique in their own way, and because of that, we started to wonder what is each Robin’s sexuality. Therefore, in this article, we will discuss whether is or are Robin is gay, bisexual, or straight, and what is truly a DC canon.
Timothy Drake is actually bisexual. Recently, or last year, it was confirmed in the comic book anthology series called Batman: Urban Legends. The third Robin struggles a lot with his identity in the comic book storyline, and when a boy named Bernard asks him on a date, he accepts. This is a definite confirmation that at least one of the six of Batman’s sidekicks is queer.
We will discuss each Robin’s sexuality and investigate what are their preferences in the comics. If you are interested in this topic, stay with us until the end of the article.
All of Robin’s Relationships in the DC Comics
The first Robin, and eventual Nightwing, Dick Grayson, is a certified ladies’ man. This is not secret, and canonically, he had more than ten legitimate relationships in the comics. The most iconic relationship in the comics, Nightwing shared with Batgirl, also known as Barbara Gordon. Babs and Dick were an iconic couple of the younger generation of Gotham superheroes, however, some fans did not like them together – they thought they were too toxic to each other.
Moreover, some fans thought that both of these characters acted too out of character to actually be in a legitimate and good relationship. Dick also had, a blossoming I would like to say, relationship with Starfire, also known as Princess Koriand’r. Their relationship is another fan favorite, especially after the very notable cartoon Teen Titans, where they look very happy together.
Second Robin, this time Jason Todd, is a tragic character. After tough childhood where he experienced unimaginable trauma when he finally settled with the Bat Family, he got killed by Joker. When he came back from the dead, he was jaded, psychologically damaged, and just overall in a really bad spot as a man. Even though he is trying really hard to get better again, when it comes to relationships, we truly do not know his preferences – maybe because he does not have time for that.
He is seen flirting with other women in the comics, but it wouldn’t be impossible for him to be bi or gay.
The third Robin, Tim Drake, came after Jason Todd was killed by the Joker. He was always the soft-spoken of the bunch and wanted to protect everyone he loves. His most notable relationship is with no other than Stephanie Brown, which we will mention later, and their relationship ended when Tim Drake started going to the boarding school. His other relationship was with Cassie Sandsmark, also known as Wonder Girl, a sidekick of Wonder Woman. Finally, in his most recent relationship that was used as his coming out story, Tim Drake is involved with his school friend, Bernard Dowd.
Fourth and brief Robin was Stephanie Brown, who was also acting under Batgirl and Spoiler personas. She is the best friend of Cassandra Cain, and a good friend of Barbara Gordon, but her only relationship was with Tim Drake.
Damian Wayne, or fifth Robin, was at first an estranged son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul. He is only a thirteen-year-old boy, and his preferences are unknown. However, we saw in the notable cartoon Teen Titans GO! that Raven is interested in him, and Damian likes her back, so that is still in the air.
Finally, Carrie Kelley, and the only full-time female Robin, does not have a known relationship or preferences since she is also a young girl like Damian Wayne.
All in all, most of the Robins were with someone at some point in the DC comics, but as we can see, like Jason Todd, and Damian Wayne, their sexuality still has the possibility to change in the future.
Now, to the main question of the article, is one of the Robins queer?
Is Robin Gay, Bisexual or Straight?
Once again we wonder, what is DC canon? One of the most confusing things about comics is the inability of the stories to be consistent because the writers are interchanging nonstop. However, that also gives the opportunity for the writers to write their own stories, and enhance the ultimate comic book experience, whether that are characters or the plot itself.
After going through all Robins’s backgrounds, their stories, and mentions of partners and relationships, we got a confirmation that Tim Drake is the only true “out” character of all Robins. In the recent anthology story called Batman: Urban Legends which started its release in 2021, and it’s still going, Tim Drake has an identity crisis – he does not know what it means to be Robin.
The whole arc includes Tim’s struggles and trying to find himself. After one situation where he is Robin, Tim is fighting alongside his friend Bernard Dowd, against a few brutes and Tim realizes something – it feels great fighting alongside his friend. The situation is famous now by the phrase “Tim’s lightbulb” moment, and later Tim accepts to go on a date with Bernard.
There is a possibility that more Robins will come out but we will hold our breath for now and for more updates, and until then, we can definitely confirm that DC canon states this – Tim Drake, also known as Robin, is a bisexual character.
