Batman is arguably the most famous superhero in the world of written fiction. His backstory and exploits are well-known by the mainstream public. Robin, his mentee, is arguably the most famous sidekick of all time. There have been several iterations of the character, but Robin was first introduced as Dick Grayson, an acrobat prodigy in The Flying Graysons. His family is tragically murdered while performing in the Gotham City Circus, and Bruce Wayne/Batman takes the young Grayson under his wing as his crime-fighting sidekick.
The next version of Robin was Jason Todd. A mischievous youth who scrapped his way through Gotham City’s mean streets, Todd became Robin when Grayson graduated to the mantle of Nightwing. Todd’s time as Robin was cut tragically short at the hands of a crowbar-wielding and murderous Joker. The death of Jason Todd shook the Bat-Family to its core, and Bruce Wayne was not in a hurry to replace his fallen Robin. However, the young Tim Drake passionately convinced his way into the Bat-Family after approaching Bruce Wayne and deducing that he was Batman.
Lastly, the most recent and current version of Robin is the young Damian Wayne. Damian is Bruce’s son, and was raised by The League of Assassins, as his existence was unbeknownst to Bruce until the boy was approximately 10. There have been and in fact are other sidekicks in the Bat-Family, but the aforementioned are the primary personas who have donned the mantle of Robin. Robin has existed in Batman comics since 1940, and has been appearing in live-action exploits for almost the same amount of time.
Douglas Croft as Dick Grayson In Batman (1943)
The very first appearance of the boy wonder was just three years after his first appearance in the comics. The 1943 Batman serial ran over 15 'episodes,' and did not actually involve any of the Dark Knight's famous rogues gallery. Instead, the story concerned Batman and Robin fighting against the Japanese, acting essentially as propaganda during the Second World War.
Douglas Croft was only 16 when he played the role, making him the youngest actor to portray Dick Grayson (so far). Croft himself actually served in the army during the war, but sadly passed away at the age of 37. While his version of Robin may not be as memorable as others, he does have the distinction of playing the role on-screen before anyone else.
Johnny Duncan as Dick Grayson in Batman and Robin (1949)
The next on-screen Robin would appear in another movie serial six years later. This time played by Johnny Duncan, Robin would share the title with Batman for the first time. This serial also ran in 15 parts, and concerned the heroes facing off against a villain known only as the Wizard. This particular serial did not gather the same sort of acclaim as the 1943 original, with critics pointing out how cheap the entire project looked at every turn.
Burt Ward as Dick Grayson in Batman (1966-1968)
Burt Ward brought a whimsical, boyish charm to the character, only being 21 years of age during his initial portrayal of Robin. Batman was aired during what is referred to as the Silver Age of comics, when violence was tossed aside in favor of wholesome, family-friendly content. Ward’s portrayal of Robin is faithful to his era and the tone of the beloved television show.
Together with Adam West’s Batman, Ward’s Robin fought against characters such as The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin, and many more.
Chris O’Donnell as Dick Grayson in Batman Forever (1995) and Batman and Robin (1997)
No actor portrayed Robin for nearly 30 years before Chris O’Donnell donned the cape and domino mask in 1995’s Batman Forever. Though not much older than Burt Ward was when he portrayed the character, the 25-year-old O’Donnell did not capture the boyish charm that Ward brought to the small screen.
O’Donnell’s portrayal of Dick Grayson is fairly emotive, but in Batman Forever it all feels very forced. It is as if Bruce Wayne is adopting a fully grown man rather than a teenage prodigy.
The bizarre turns to the cringe-worthy in Batman and Robin, in what is widely regarded as the worst live-action Batman film of all time. While George Clooney replaced Val Kilmer as Batman, O’Donnell reprises his role as Robin. Together, the dynamic duo fight against a pun-slinging Mr. Freeze, a seductive Poison Ivy, and a mindless Bane. The film has a critic score of 12% and an audience score of 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, cementing the notion that Batman and Robin’s greatest nemesis might have been director Joel Schumacher.
Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson/Robin in Titans Seasons 1, 2, and 3 (2018-2021)
Titans is a DC show that mixes harsh violence with timely comedy. It is fairly faithful to the source material, featuring an ensemble of DC’s greatest sidekicks as they grow into their own.
Brenton Thwaites headlines the show as Dick Grayson. In a departure from the source material, Grayson is a police officer by day and Robin by night. Furthermore, he is based in Detroit and not Gotham City. Aside from this, Thwaites's portrayal as Robin is far more violent than previous iterations – far from Burt Ward’s Silver Age antics and short shorts.
Curran Walters as Jason Todd/Robin in Titans Season 2 (2019)
At the request of Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson and the Titans welcome the young Jason Todd onto the superhero squad. At the time of the filming, Curran Walters was just 21 while portraying Robin, the same age that Burt Ward was when he started his role as Robin.
Walters’ Jason Todd takes over the mantle of Robin when Dick Grayson turns in the black and red for black and blue of Nightwing. Early in season three of Titans, the now Gotham-based squad discovers that Todd was murdered. After resurrecting himself and becoming The Red Hood, Todd goes dark and becomes an antagonist to the Titans.
Titans season 3 introduces the young Tim Drake, but Drake (portrayed by Jay Lycurgo) never dons the persona of Robin in season 3. Warner Brothers and HBO Max recently announced that the show would be returning for a fourth season, and it is fair to assume Drake will become the newest Robin sometime in the season.