Holy Funding Adjustment, Batman! No discussion about sidekicks can ever be complete without a mention of Robin the Boy Wonder, the original comic book sidekick.
Robin first debuted in Detective Comics issue #38 in 1940 as a part of an effort to make the previously grim and dark Batman more light-hearted and kid-friendly (mission accomplished). Within a relatively short time Batman went from skulking in the shadows to leading parades down Main St. in broad daylight, grinning ear to ear with his brightly colored sidekick ever by his side. It’s this delightfully corny version of the “dynamic duo” that would cement into the public consciousness as a part of the Batman TV show in the 1960’s (“Pow!” “Zap!” “Biff!”).
Robin’s alter-ego was Dick Grayson, a circus acrobat that was orphaned in a similar fashion to Batman and was subsequently taken in by Bruce Wayne as his “ward” (not to mention crime-fighting sidekick). His Robin costume was initially inspired by the character Robin Hood, although the in-story explanation was that of a bird, the “robin redbreast”. His fanciful costume (like most of the comics golden age era) was patterned after circus performers of the time. It was deliberately made to contrast Batman’s darker tones, creating a balance between the two that many attribute to their longevity as a crime fighting duo that has endured over time.
Robin is a rather unique comic character in two ways:
Robin, as Dick Grayson, was allowed to grow up. Most comic book characters are frozen in time, never really aging or progressing. Dick Grayson however actually progressed through high school (an era where he transitioned to being called the “Teen Wonder”), then graduated and left to attend college at Hudson University. He co-founded the popular teen superhero team, The Teen Titans and actually was the teams leader. All of this culminated in him eventually transitioning into adulthood where he shed his Robin (and therefore sidekick) alter-ego and became the solo superhero, Nightwing. As Nightwing he adopted his own city to protect and continued to inspire and lead in the superhero community in ways even Batman never did.
Robin, as a character, has a massive legacy. He was the OG sidekick in comics and his popularity led to an explosion of other sidekick characters being introduced (Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Aqualad, etc.), altering the genre and creating generations of heroes. He would then lead a group of those sidekicks in the aforementioned team, Teen Titans, a comic series that was a massive hit and continues to this day. Back home in the batcave, his Robin identity would become a legacy mantle, passed down and assumed by multiple characters (Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Carrie Kelley, Damian Wayne), each contributing to legendary storylines and even helming an independent Robin comic.
There is perhaps a third way…I would argue that Robin broke the 4th wall and was able to inspire many of the young readers who picked up the comics he appeared in. Myself personally, Nightwing is my favorite superhero in large part because he demonstrates that one can grow and evolve beyond one’s beginnings, stepping out of the shadow of your past and becoming something unique and all your own.