15 greatest sidekicks in comic book history

2. Batgirl

Over the years there have been a number of women who fought alongside Batman as Batgirl. While Betty Kane may get the title the original Batgirl, there’s none more synonymously famous for being Batgirl than, Barbara Gordon. Barbara, may or may not be the daughter of longtime Batman ally Jim Gordon, but she was the first modern-day version of the hero. She earned the title after successfully saving Bruce Wayne’s life. With her ambition and fighting skills Bruce, though initially against it would opt to mentor the ambitious hero. Now that Barbara was on board a duo became a trio as she fought alongside Batman and Robin.

Barbara’s run as Batgirl wouldn’t last long. Her popularity grew because of the Batman TV show and forced DC to feature her in a more prominent role. Barbara would return as Batgirl and team up with Robin and even helped Superman and Supergirl out. Her sidekick days came to an end when she became paralyzed after being shot by the Joker. She would take on the name Oracle and assist Batman before starting her own group, Birds of Prey. Barbara would eventually regain the use of her legs and once again become Batgirl.

However, Barbra was succeeded by a couple of other women. Helena Bertinelli would wear the cape but her grey area antics and savage ways would cause her to give up the mantle. She would join Barbra and Dinah Lance to form Birds of Prey. Cassandra Cain would be the next Batgirl and easily the most skilled version of the three, after all, she was the daughter of the greatest assassin in all of comics, Lady Shiva, and breed since birth to be one herself. Cassandra would work with Batman on a number of cases including going undercover. Although characters like Charlie Gaga-Radcliffe and Stephanie Brown (also Robin) would wear the suite, none of them was a true sidekick to Batman. Still, there’s something in a name and Batgirl’s popularity and longevity make her worthy of the list. When you consider that there’s a movie in the works, it’s no reason why she’s the No. 2 sidekick on our list.