One of DC Comics' most beloved superheroes who have had a lot of live-action adaptations is Dick Grayson a.k.a. Robin, Batman's first Boy Wonder. While Dick has evolved beyond his Robin days as he became the superhero Nightwing, his time as the sidekick gave DC one of the most iconic costumes of all time. As Batman went with a completely black suit that has evolved over time, Robin ended up getting a costume that was all red, green, and yellow.
While the design may have its funny elements to it, it doesn't change the fact that it's still a beloved superhero costume. As Robin has appeared in multiple projects throughout the decades, his costume has been adapted with some versions better than others. With several incarnations seen on-screen, these are the 8 best Robin live-action costumes in TV and film.
Batman 1949's Robin Suit
Robin's media appearance goes all the way back to the late 1940s where Johnny Duncan was cast as Dick Grayson a.k.a. DC's first Boy Wonder. Back then, seeing any superhero costume come to life at all was a major deal. While the times have changed, it doesn't mean that the Batman serial shouldn't be recognized.
While it's a very simple design, seeing what they could even do back in the old days is still impressive. The only downside to it is the humongous mask they went with for their Robin as most fans are used to the domino mask.
Batman '66's Robin Suit
Another beloved version of Batman's first sidekick was Burt Ward's version in Batman '66 where the Dark Knight and his mythology were as family-friendly as it could get. While it was a more light-hearted version of the Caped Crusader, that was also the case for Robin.
With his costume, it's a step-up from the Batman serials while still having a very basic, but still appreciated design. This was probably the last live-action Robin costume that was easy to cosplay as following iterations began to shy away from the spandex.
Grayson's Robin Suit
While fan-films don't get the recognition they deserve, there is one Robin project that ended up getting a lot of attention back in the early 2000s. Back in 2004, a 5-minute long trailer for a fan-project called Grayson surfaced online. Filmmaker John Fiorella portrayed an older Robin while also being responsible for directing and writing it. The premise that is given from the trailer is that Dick comes out of retirement after Batman had been murdered. Suiting up as the Boy Wonder once again, Dick makes it his goal to find who killed his father figure.
When it comes to the costume, it's evident that a good chunk of their $18,000 dollars budget went into producing the suit. The trailer showcases Dick in the suit and it is a solid design that helped Robin look more modern in comparison to the pre-2000s versions.
Batman Forever's 1.0 Suit
The big-screen version of Dick Grayson is one of controversy with Batman Forever and Batman & Robin killing the franchise that Tim Burton had begun in 1989. In the third film, Chris O'Donnell was hired to play the iconic sidekick and fans still have a very mixed reaction to his performance.
While the Robin-nipples will never stop being funny, the first costume Dick wore was a pleasant surprise. Rather than being a traditional spandex suit, the costume was now a rubber-based one. But the solid coloring of the costume helped it look really good in what was a weak Batman sequel.
Batman & Robin's 3.0 Suit
In Batman & Robin, Dick ends up having two Robin costumes that still insisted on having the infamous nipples on them. By the end of the film, Dick, Barbara, and Bruce are all sporting black and white versions of their suits.
Even though they do look ridiculous, Robin wearing a black-and-white outfit surprisingly worked for him. The franchise may have died because of this film, but at least they looked good.
Batman & Robin's 2.0 Suit
When The New 52 happened back in 2011, Nightwing ended up getting a costume change as he ditched the blue-and-black for red-and-black. While the look was not a favorable one with readers, it wasn't the first time Dick was wearing a red-and-black costume. In Batman & Robin, Dick's first new suit is literally what Nightwing wore in The New 52.
Ironically, the R-logo was nowhere to be seen as they had literally replaced it with the Nightwing logo, despite Dick still being Robin at that point. It was later revealed by O'Donnell that he was set to have his own spin-off which is maybe why the fourth film introduced a Nightwing-looking suit.
The DCEU's Robin Suit
Dick hasn't been seen in the DCEU and apparently, he will never show-up because, in that universe, the first Boy Wonder is dead. During Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Bruce walks past a Robin costume that is in a display, but with a horrifying twist. Sprayed with graffiti, it's revealed that this Robin was murdered by none other than The Joker. Initially believed to be Jason Todd, Zack Snyder confirmed later on that it was Dick who suffered the horrible fate.
As tragic as that is, it doesn't take away the fact that this is the best Robin costume that has been on the big screen. It has the same tone and vibe that Ben Affleck's Batsuit has, leaving many wanting to see what it looked like in action before being sprayed by Joker's mocking graffiti-message.
Titans' Robin Suit
While the DCEU has the best Robin costume that has ever been made for films, Titans win the price for the best Boy Wonder suit on television. Designed by Laura Jean Shannon, there is no spandex or rubber on this one. This design is more armory and very much like the suit designs in the Batman: Arkham games. When the first image was released, it was a major moment for eager fans as the costume gained a lot of buzz on social media.
Despite only wearing it for one season, it doesn't change the fact that Titans did a splendid job in adapting the iconic Robin suit. While Brenton Thwaites, who portrays the latest live-action Dick Grayson, has evolved into Nightwing, he looked phenomenal in the Robin outfit. It looks just as good in action as it does when just being on display.