The character of Batman is always towards the top of pop culture’s conversations in some way or another—comic, movie, or even television-related. At the moment, he’s on everyone’s minds because of the upcoming The Batman Part II and the question regarding what kind of iteration of the character will be in James Gunn‘s DCU. As Gunn prepares to introduce a new Batman to the newborn cinematic universe (as it is confirmed by him and Matt Reeves alike that Robert Pattinson‘s version will not be the DCU’s), it’s essential for everyone to remember and discuss the character traits that make Batman who he is.
There’s always been some argument over which character traits of Batman are most vital to his character, and whether or not he kills (a topic for another time). Are his determination and grit more important than his love? Is his trauma more important than his intelligence? It’s a tough call, but there are some traits that rise above the rest in importance.
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Intimidation
There’s no question that one of Batman’s most vital traits when it comes to crime-fighting is how he intimidates his enemies. He’s a hero who controls his city’s criminals through fear. Best stated in the introduction monologue of The Batman: “Fear is a tool. They think I’m hiding in the shadows. But I AM the shadows.” That quote perfectly describes and explains why his ability to intimidate others is so important.
It contrasts him with heroes like Superman and Nightwing in the best ways. He’s proof of the different kinds of ways heroes can keep their city safe. This, however, also doesn’t mean that he’s an inherently negative hero, but when it comes to the evil serpents of the night, he needs to be.
9
Intelligence
Batman is one of the smartest characters in the DC Comics universe. This has led to the stereotype of the character on the internet that he could beat pretty much anyone with enough prep time (whether that’s true or not is probably never going to be definitively answered). It’s a lot of people’s favorite aspect of the character, because his intelligence is the biggest part of what helps him stand alongside heroes with madly powerful superpowers.
He’s got gadgets, vehicles, strategies, and more that allow him to feel prepared for anything (a great example of this is the entire plot of the animated film, Justice League: Doom), which is all made possible via his smarts and genius. It also gives him the iconic title of World’s Greatest Detective. He’s not only gadget-savvy, but he can solve crimes and mysteries unlike any other hero in both DC and Marvel alike.
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Rationality
While he may be a hero who has a lot of anger and trauma, thanks to his tragic origin story, he doesn’t let it get the best of him (usually) and keeps himself thinking rationally. It can be argued that this is part of his intelligence, but rationality really is a whole different beast. He typically doesn’t act on emotion alone and thinks through his actions.
This allows him to be a fair hero. Often, when a hero acts on just their emotions, it can lead to undeserved punishments, emotional outbursts, and mistakes. Unless something horrific happens to him, like the murder of his second Robin, Jason Todd, Batman has a plethora of rationality. He doesn’t jump to conclusions and always considers every answer to a question, and outcome to every scenario.
7
Anger
While he generally doesn’t let it get the best of him (thanks to rationality), the anger Batman holds for the absence of justice and crime in general is absolutely vital to who he is as a person and hero to Gotham City. His anger drives him, and is the source of a lot of his best qualities, like his incredible determination (more on that later).
His anger at the lack of a fair and just justice system—not just in Gotham City, but the world—is what inspired him to become Batman in the first place. His tragedy pointed him to anger, and that anger, rather than making him a villain, made him one of the greatest superheroes of all time. Again, like the result of his intimidation factor, his anger doesn’t make him an inherently negative person, but rather acts as the source of what would make him the great man that he is.
6
Honor
Above his anger, Batman is an honorable man. He holds an honest heart and mission that drives people to admire him and see him as their favorite superhero. It helps him be fair and just. Characters like Batman, who are depicted in a more gritty and dark manner, don’t hold the same honor that he does. They’re willing to push the lines morally, but Batman is not.
He has a work ethic unlike any other and doesn’t fall prey to the darker parts of himself. He’s willing to make sacrifices for the greater good, even taking in numerous lost souls across the years, building an entire Bat-Family founded on his honor of helping others, even if he doesn’t necessarily enjoy the person, sometimes (he and Red Hood don’t get along very well, but he still loves him).
5
Sense of Justice
It’s commonly agreed upon that if there’s a hero who is the literal embodiment of justice, it’s the Caped Crusader of Gotham City. His traits of anger and rationality, as already stated, are sourced from the lack of justice across the world, which means that Batman is dedicated to delivering justice. Justice doesn’t always just mean putting criminals in jail, though, which Batman understands better than most.
Batman doesn’t deal out punishments that aren’t deserved. If someone deserves to be in jail, he will put them there. If someone can be saved, though—redeemed—he will prioritize doing that over anything. In fact, the number of villains Batman has redeemed and saved rather than just punching them and throwing them away is large. Above anything, that is true justice, and no one understands the balance of such like the Bat.
4
Perfectionism
Not only is Batman intelligent, but on top of said smarts, he has a massive sense of perfectionism.When he’s creating a gadget or vehicle, he ensures that, no matter what, it works perfectly and with precision. It is most likely under one percent of the time that Batman creates a gadget that doesn’t work or is faulty because of his own craftsmanship.
When developing a strategy, he makes sure that he’s got every option and scenario covered. This allows him to have the numerous successes he has had over the years. He makes sure that he’s always prepared and whatever he crafts is as close to perfectly working as he can get it. A sense of perfectionism like this makes him an extremely proficient hero.
3
Restraint
If there’s anything Batman consistently practices, it’s restraint, for better and for worse. It can be a massive character flaw when he gets in the habit of restraining his emotions and vulnerability, but it is also a great thing for any hero to have when developing a moral code. Batman doesn’t kill. It’s a topic of debate among fans, but as The Dark Knight has evolved over the years, the writers of his comics and other media have established a strict no-kill rule (for most universes).
Most of the time, if a writer does break his no-kill rule, it’s used as an example of exactly why he should have one in the first place. This can be seen in Batwoman Season 1, Episode 9, “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two”, where Kevin Conroydepicts a Bruce Wayne who has fallen to killing, and it deteriorated him as a person. His restraint makes him abundantly noble.
2
Empathy
Batman cares about people. Batman cares about everyone. The Caped Crusader even cares about the likes of one of the worst people on the planet, the Joker. When Bruce Wayne decided to take up the cape, he did so because he vowed not to let what happened to him happen to anyone else. It’s the entire reason he’s taken in most of the Bat-Family over the years. His empathy is for everyone, though, not just his closest.
One of the greatest and strongest things a hero can do is show empathy to even his worst enemies. He may hate some of his villains because of the absolutely horrific things they have done, but he still finds empathy for them. If he didn’t have empathy, he wouldn’t believe that even the Joker could be saved. He knows that everyone deserves the chance at redemption. The fact that he’s flawed and acknowledges that he wishes he could be more brutal, occasionally, but holds himself back because he knows its the right thing to do, makes this point even more impactful and important.
1
Determination
Batman’s greatest strength, however, is his undying determination. All of the traits he holds that make him great could easily fall away if he didn’t have the determination to keep going and keep being who he is, no matter what. He doesn’t kill, no matter how much he truly may want to, at times. He doesn’t unjustly punish someone, no matter how much he wants to, sometimes. He keeps to his morals and sense of self, always.
Most importantly is that, regardless of what’s in his way, he never—ever—gives up. If he thinks he will die by continuing to push forward and do the right thing in a situation, he will. He does not stop. He is an unstoppable force because he so firmly believes in what he does and knows that if he were to stop, people could die. What happened to him as a child could happen to someone else. So, he never halts in his mission, no matter the cost.
- Release Date
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1992 – 1995-00-00
- Network
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FOX, Fox Kids
- Showrunner
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Bruce Timm
- Directors
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Kevin Altieri, Boyd Kirkland, Frank Paur, Dan Riba, Dick Sebast
- Writers
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Michael Reaves, Brynne Stephens, Randy Rogel, David Wise, Len Wein, Marty Isenberg, Richard Mueller, Sam Graham, Peter Morwood, Dennis O’Neil, Carl Swenson, Beth Bornstein, Steve Hayes, Chris Hubbell, Martin Pasko, Henry Gilroy, Elliot S. Maggin, Eddie Gorodetsky, Diane Duane
- Franchise(s)
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Batman
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Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
Alfred Pennyworth (voice)
