When it comes to the moniker of Batgirl, most are inclined to instantly think of Barbara Gordon as she is the most famous user of that codename. However, much like Robin, she is far from the only one as several other young women have taken on the name over the years.
Each put their own unique stamp on the role as well as their own style of fighting. It made it so they all brought something different to the table when it came to handling the villains of the DC universe. That brings up the question: which version of Batgirl is the best fighter?
Bette Kane
Though Barbara is the original Batgirl, there was a Bat-Girl before her with Bette Kane. She was the niece of the original Kate Kane and just like her aunt, Bette was merely created to be a romantic interest. Both characters did not last very long before they were written out of the comics completely.
Bette Kane as Bat-Girl barely did any noteworthy crimefighting during her tenure other than saving Batman and Robin once. Most fans tend to forget Bette Kane as Bat-Girl and remember when she was rebooted as Flamebird, similar to how Kate Kane would be rebooted as a stronger version of Batwoman down the line.
Tiffany Fox
In the Future's End event, fans were reintroduced to Tiffany Fox, daughter of Lucius Fox, as a member of a team known as the League Of Batgirls. With only two appearances, fans were only given a glimpse at the character's potential which showed that she was indeed a capable fighter under the guidance of Bête Noire AKA Barbara Gordon.
This character did get an adaptation in Batman: The Telltale Series which allowed players to guide her fate. In one of the endings of Season 2, Tiffany becomes Batman's first partner in crime-fighting. Fans were thrilled to see a person of color take on the Batgirl mantle but sadly, she has yet to return as a vigilante.
Stephanie Brown
Stephanie is the daughter of the villain Cluemaster but she tries to fight her father, becoming a vigilante known as Spoiler. After that, Stephanie would be recruited as one of many versions of Robin. However, she would be given the role of Batgirl by Cassandra Cain and be mentored by none other than Barbara Gordon herself.
This led to Stephanie Brown becoming the new face of Batgirl comics and a welcomed one as she proved to be a strong and determined vigilante. She fought Scarecrow, even managing to conquer his fear toxin which likely helped in her becoming a member of Batman, Inc.
Harley Quinn
Yes, there was a brief period where Harley Quinn donned the cowl as Batgirl. It was in Harley Quinn #10 in 2001, as she simply took on the guise because she was being hunted by the criminal underworld. It did not last, especially when the Bat-Family discovered what she was up to.
Harley Quinn is already a capable fighter and she is much smarter than she presents, able to pick fights with dangerous vigilantes and metahumans alike. One of Batman's unfortunate flaws is that he always underestimates Harley; she is able to use her mix of acrobatics and unpredictability to beat the likes of Batman, Green Lantern, and even Deathstroke.
Helena Bertinelli
During the No Man's Land event, Helena took on Batgirl to instill fear back into the hearts of criminals roaming the streets of Gotham. Batman would then order her to give it up which led to Cassandra Cain becoming Batgirl later on. Helena would return to her more famous moniker: Huntress.
As the Huntress or Batgirl, Helena Bertinelli is one of the world's deadliest vigilantes thanks to her mastery of martial arts and the crossbow. In fact, she could have been a grand member of the Bat-Family but her tendency to kill criminals puts her at odds with Batman.
Barbara Gordon
Whether she is the iconic Batgirl or Oracle, Barbara Gordon is a total badass. As Batgirl, she never was trained by Batman nor was she even a member of the Bat-Family at first. She simply believed the justice system was broken and she respected Batman so much that she became Batgirl, believing in his methods.
Even before she became Batgirl, Barbara Gordon was an acrobat and a fighter who took on Victor Zsasz, The Mirror, The Penguin, and more. In the Zero Year storyline, Barbara saved a group of survivors from a flood. Even as Oracle, she is able to fight in her wheelchair with ease using her batons, even saving Nightwing at one point.
Nissa
Introduced in modern Batman Beyond comics, the mysterious Nissa is the first Batgirl Beyond. Unlike most Batgirls, she takes more after Bruce Wayne by going for intimidation and brutality. She stalks from the shadows and protects the lower-class areas of Gotham City from the corrupt.
Nissa's fighting skills are shown to be advanced, using hand-to-hand combat and melee weapons to take down rooms of foes with relative ease. However, much like Terry McGinnis' futuristic Batman Beyond, she has an edge due to having more advanced technology on her side to get the job done.
Cassandra Cain
Young Cassandra Cain is the daughter of Lady Shiva and David Cain, two of the world's deadliest assassins and martial artists. Cassandra was trained since birth to be nothing else but an assassin; she was even taught never to speak. However, that did not stop her from becoming the Black Bat AKA the second Batgirl.
Though she can't talk, Cassandra Cain is able to read the body language and predict perfectly what someone will do next. This allowed her to not only beat Lady Shiva but members of the Bat-Family. There is even an argument that Cassandra Cain's abilities surpass even Batman's. This is why fans of the character were not happy with her cinematic debut in Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey.