Why Is Batman Called Batman? The Origin of the Dark Knight’s Name Explained

We all know that Bruce Wayne is best known by his alter ego, Batman. The Dark Knight of Gotham City is certainly one of the most famous superheroes ever, and his adventures have also been adapted in other media. And although everyone knows the name – Batman – I realized many might not know how and why Batman is called like he is. So, in this article, I will dwell on the origins of Batman’s name.

Batman is called Batman because his appearance resembles that of a large, humanoid bat. He took on that role because he himself was afraid of bats, and his fear inspired him to become a source of fear for Gotham’s criminals.

Now that we’ve given you a short answer to the question let us discuss the topic of this article in more detail. We will go over Batman’s history and see the full story behind Bruce Wayne’s superhero name!

Here’s why Batman is called Batman

When Batman started out with his crime-fighting endeavors, he wasn’t known as Batman. He was just a regular guy in a mask trying to fight crime. Frank Miller’s ‘Batman: Year One’ does a great job portraying Batman’s early crime-fighting career. But, at one point, Batman realized that a regular mask wouldn’t be enough, and one night, while pondering his plans, a bat flew in front of him.

This scene was truly important in Batman’s development, as the bat symbolized fear. Batman already perceived criminals as being a “superstitious, cowardly lot,” and the bat appeared to him as a symbol of that fear. Namely, due to a childhood incident, Bruce Wayne was afraid of bats, and when the bat appeared and frightened him, he saw it as a perfect symbol of his future career, saying: “I shall become a bat.”

And he did become one. He created a costume resembling a bat, and he became Batman, an actual vigilante and a symbol of fear among Gotham’s criminals.

But why is Batman called the Dark Knight?

Like many other superheroes, Batman is known for his nicknames. He has several of them, and we will talk about two of them and explain why he has them.

Batman’s most famous nickname is, without a doubt, the Dark Knight. Frank Miller popularised the nickname in his comic book ‘The Dark Knight Returns,’ and it was also used in the title of two of Christopher Nolan’s live-action movies – ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.

The Dark Knight is a rather obvious nickname for Batman. He is perceived as a knight-protector of Gotham City and mostly works at night, which is why he is called the Dark Knight. Likewise, his costume is either black or (dark) grey, which additionally contributes to his nickname. There is no exact story behind this nickname, but the Dark (or Black) Knight is an Arthurian archetype, and Batman is, in a way, an embodiment of that famous literary archetype.

And what about the Caped Crusader nickname?

Another one of Batman’s famous nicknames is the Caped Crusader. This nickname doesn’t have a specific backstory but references Batman’s design and roles in the stories.

Namely, as a Gotham-based vigilante, Batman aims to rid Gotham City of crime. In that aspect, his crime-fighting career can easily be interpreted as a crusade against crime, but without the word’s literal meaning, as his mission is not related to the medieval Crusades fought by the Christians. Batman is a crusader in the sense of his determination to rid the city of crime.

As for the caped part, that one is pretty much logical, is it not? Batman’s costume usually contains a cape, which always did when the nickname was coined. So, Batman is called the Caped Crusader because he is on a crusade against crime and has a costume with a cape – it’s that simple!