Dick Grayson is seen by many as the Bat-Family’s best hand-to-hand fighter,more skilled than even Batman himself- however,Nightwingshockingly admitted that anotherRobincould beat him in a fight, and fans genuinely won’t believe who he chose. While the answer is shocking, it’s backed up by comics lore, showing that fans havevastlyunderestimated one notable version of the Boy Wonder.
Over the years, Batman has taken on various sidekicks, but only a few have been handed the coveted Robin name: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown and Damian Wayne. Thanks to the pressures of working in Gotham and the violent natures of Bat-Family heroes like Red Hood and Damian Wayne, Nightwing has gone up against each other Robin at one time or another. However, his incredible acrobatic training and unparalleled experience reliably see him come out ahead.
That’s why it’s so shocking that - in James Tynion IV, Javier Fernandez, David Baron and Carlos M. Mangual’s ‘Boy Wonders’ fromRobin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1- Nightwing admits that Tim Drake could beat him in a fight. Most Bat-Family fans will be shocked by this reveal, since Tim is generally seen as the worst fighter in the family, but Nightwing has a compelling argument for how Tim would win - andonce you’ve seen Tim take down Doomsday, you’ll agree.
Every Version of Nightwing Across DC Continuity - Including Superman’s Son (Ranked Weakest to Strongest)
Dick Grayson is one of a kind, but across DC’s history and multiverse, several different characters found themselves adopting the Nightwing persona.
Nightwing Knows Tim Drake’s Robin Can Beat Him
Prep Time Is the Deciding Factor
In ‘Boy Wonders,’ Nightwing and Tim Drake discuss the future, leading up to Robin pitching a new crime-fighting team to Batman - the one fans saw in Tynion and Eddy Barrows’Detective Comicsrun, recruiting surprise membersincluding Batwoman and Clayface. Dick counsels Tim on where to go next, telling him that"You are demonstrably smarter than me. I think I could kick your butt if I wanted to, hand to hand.“This is the status quo as most Batman fans understand it -Tim is often lauded as a detective on par with Batman, with even Ra’s al Ghul honoring him with the ‘Detective’ nickname. Tim’s scientific and tactical smarts are second to none, but he’s never been celebrated as the greatest fighter - even acclaimedBatmanwriterTom Kinglisted Tim tenth on his informal ranking of Bat-Family fighters.
However, it’s exactly Tim’s genius that gives him a chance against Nightwing. In response to Dick’s statement, Tim responds,“Not if I had time to prepare,“to which Nightwing responds,“Exactly.“Batman fans have embraced the meme that Bruce Wayne cando anything with enough prep time, often joking that the Dark Knight could take down pop culture powerhouses like Goku and Thanos if he only had time to get ready. This trait is something that also defines Tim Drake, witheven Nightwing admitting that while he could take down Robin in a fight, he’d lose if Tim had time to prepare.
Some fans of the Bat-Family may balk at the idea that Tim Drake’s Robin could beat Nightwing with enough prep time, but thosefans haven’t seen the dark hero Tim could become - one who is capable of taking out Superman and Doomsday.
Tim Drake Is The Smartest (And Most Dangerous) Robin
Tim Drake is often overlooked as a member of the Bat Family, but he has the potential to be the most dangerous of Batman’s partners.
As Savior, Tim Drake Beat Superman
Knowing He’s Not the Best Fighter Turned Tim into Something Way More Dangerous
Introduced inTeen Titans/The Legion Special #1,Savior is a version of Tim Drakefrom a future where Batman is assassinated by Batwoman. Tim Drake becomes a gun-toting Batman, while his fellow Teen Titans become a new generation of darker, more absolute vigilantes. This future was originally visited by the Teen Titans, but the adult Tim later traveled back to DC’s present, becoming the antihero Savior.
In becoming Batman, Tim Drake leans full-tilt into the idea of preparing for every possible fight he might get into. Knowing that he’s not the fighter Bruce Wayne was, Tim develops contingency after contingency, including for his fellow heroes and their biggest enemies. InDetective Comics #965by James Tynion IV and Eddy Barrows, the older Tim defeats Doomsday using synthetic kryptonite bullets prepared for the occasion. After that, inSuperman Volume 4 #37by Peter Tomasi, Patrick Gleason and Jorge Jiménez, Tim takes out the mainstream Superman by tricking him into a trap lined with red kryptonite, later downing the entire Teen Titans roster including Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy.
While Savior represents Tim Drake at the end of his evolution into a Batman-level operator, this future self also shows how Tim is uniquely able to prepare for fights and think his way to devastating victories even over Kryptonian-level powerhouses. In this context, it’s pretty clear that Nightwing is right - in an immediate one-on-one fight,Nightwingis the more skilled fighter than Tim Drake’sRobin, but once prep time is factored in, the Boy Wonder could steamroll his ‘big brother’ in ways no-one else has even imagined.
