Batman is one of the greatest superheroes ever created, a Dark Knight who defends Gotham City against some of the most dangerous criminals imaginable. He’s a linchpin of the DC Universe, with his plans helping the Justice League triumph over anything and everything thrown at them. He’s been through a lot of changes over the years, becoming a more well-rounded character.
Batman has had many influences during his career, some of whom have helped become better and others who did anything but. Both types of influence have played a huge role in the Caped Crusader’s life and he wouldn’t be the hero he is without the good and the bad.
10 Great Influence: Superman Taught Batman What Being A Superhero Really Meant
Before he met Superman, Batman was a hero. He saved lives, solved crimes, and protected the innocent. It wasn’t until he met Superman that he became an actual superhero. While their relationship hasn’t always been the best, the two have since become the world’s finest duo, combining the bring optimism of Superman but Batman’s dark pragmatism.
Superman taught Batman to look at the greater world beyond Gotham and gave him an example to follow. The two became friends despite their massive differences and continue to inspire one another in little ways all the time.
9 Toxic Influence: The Death Of The Waynes Put Batman Down The Road Of Pain
Events can have just as much of an effect on someone as anything else and it’s hard to argue with the toxic effect the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne had on Batman. Young Bruce Wayne’s reaction to that death sent him down a road that would consume his life and take all happiness away from him. Everyone deals with grief differently but Batman’s method is objectively unhealthy.
As much good as Batman’s done in the world, it can be argued that he would have been better off spending that money on helping the poor of Gotham instead of beating them up for committing crimes. Batman’s quest has hurt his life, along with the lives of many others, and things would have been better for everyone if he went another way.
8 Great Influence: Catwoman Showed Batman That Love Was Possible
For years, Batman’s romantic relationships weren’t great— and that’s putting it nicely. The women usually ended up dead, were evil, or left because his being Batman took up his whole life. But Catwoman was different. There was always something between the two of them that shone through and the fact that they had similar nocturnal habits meant that wasn’t a problem.
Catwoman showed Batman that love was possible in his life, something that never really seemed like a thing for him. They make an amazing team, constantly making the other better. Catwoman has made Batman’s life immensely more satisfying.
7 Toxic Influence: Talia al Ghul Is The Ultimate Disaster Girlfriend
A disaster girlfriend is someone who breezes into their significant other’s life and wrecks everything. On the surface they seem perfect, but they’re just a roiling engine of chaos in human form. That’s Talia al Ghul in Batman’s life. Beyond Damian Wayne, Talia al Ghul has brought nothing good into Batman’s life, showing up and wreaking havoc before leaving again.
Talia is the definition of toxic. She rams her way into Batman’s life, tantalizes him with her beauty and “love,” then breaks everything when she doesn’t get her way— or merely just because. Talia may love Batman in her own way but it’s not good for him at all.
6 Great Influence: Jim Gordon Taught Batman That Crimefighting Can Be Moral
Jim Gordon has always been one of Batman’s greatest partners in crimefighting. He taught Batman a lot about it but most importantly he taught Batman that it could be done by the book. Jim Gordon is a man who came up on a force full of corrupt cops and could have easily been like them but wasn’t; that example served to inform Batman’s style of crimefighting.
Jim showed Batman that the law could work. He taught Batman that justice is more than just ending the source of crime; that crime had to be punished in a way that held to the law just as much as everyone else was held by it.
5 Toxic Influence: Bane’s Effect On Batman’s Life Has Been Catastrophic In Every Way
Bane is one of Batman’s greatest foes and for good reason, as he represents a dark mirror of the Caped Crusader. Punished for his parents’ crimes, he learned to survive in a terrible world and used his skills for the opposite of what Batman did. Nearly every time he came into Batman’s life, he sowed misery and pain, pushing the hero to his utmost and then a little farther.
Bane’s effect on Batman’s life has always been one of loss and pain. He broke Batman’s back, beating him physically and emotionally. He tore Gotham away from Batman and killed Alfred. Bane serves to take as much as possible from Batman every chance he gets.
4 Great Influence: Dick Grayson Shows Him There’s A Better Way
Dick Grayson is one of the most important people in Batman’s life. At a time when he was a man on a wild, hopeless crusade, Dick brought laughter and youth into a life that was spiraling into darkness. Since then, Dick has been a shining influence on Batman’s life. He represents Batman’s greatest success and also teaches him everyday that things can be better.
Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne are forever linked by trauma and pain. The fact that Dick chooses life is a constant inspiration to Bruce. Dick shows Batman that one can be who they are without being who they are.
3 Toxic Influence: Harvey Dent’s Transformation Into Two-Face Had A Massively Detrimental Effect On Batman’s Life
Harvey Dent is an interesting person in Batman’s life. On the one hand, his example as a paragon of the law helped mold Batman in ways that were good for him. It also set him up as an ideal in Batman’s life that was unrealistic, which is why his fall to Two-Face devastated Batman so much. Batman watched someone he thought heroic become something terrible.
This had a huge effect on Batman’s psyche, and not a good one. One can draw a line from this event to Batman making plans to kill the Justice League if they went bad. In Batman’s mind, if Harvey Dent was human and could go bad, then any of them could. He made Harvey into something beyond human and that came back to bite him many times.
2 Great Influence: Alfred Was The Parent That Bruce Wayne Needed
Alfred Pennyworth was always a big part of young Bruce Wayne’s life and that role would intensify after the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne. He became more than a butler to young Bruce; he was the voice of reason, the one who looked out for Bruce. He took the place of mother and father, becoming one of the most important people in Batman’s life.
Alfred was the person behind the scenes who kept both Bruce and Batman going. He was indispensable to Batman’s life and he served to curb Batman’s more extreme tendencies as much as possible. He made sure the man could keep the bat going and loved Bruce more than anything.
1 Toxic Influence: The Joker Has Brutalized Batman As Much As He Has Gotham
The Joker is easily one of the terrible villains ever. His attacks on Gotham City have cost countless lives and he exists to bring chaos and destruction to the world. He stands in diametric opposition to Batman and is like a black hole, sucking everything in and giving nothing back. His influence on Batman has been nothing but terrible; his every action meant to destroy Batman mentally and physically.
The Joker and Batman are locked in a death spiral, one that won’t end until one of them is completely destroyed. There is nothing good inside the Joker and his every action is meant to break Batman just a little bit more.
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