How are Batgirl and Batman related? A number of women have donned the suit but who is the best Batgirl so far? Read on to find out.
When it comes to the world of comics, there are all kinds of heroes. In the city of Gotham in particular, we know Batman always has our back. Luckily, he’s not alone. A number of different sidekicks have aided the DC icon over the years, including one named Batgirl.
Because their names are so similar, it’s only reasonable for some to wonder if Batgirl and Batman are actually related in real life. But are they, or is it just a matter of their both being members of the Batman Family?
Is Batgirl related to Batman?
Over the years, a number of women have portrayed Batgirl, but none of them have been directly related to Batman. Still, that never stopped them from starting their own journey.
Interestingly, Barbara wasn’t the first Batgirl in the Batman comics. At first, there was a Bat-Girl, according to Britannica. Her name was Betty Kane, and she was the niece of Katy Kane. Unfortunately, she was basically added into the comics as a romantic interest for Robin and wasn’t all that powerful. It’s when she’s replaced by Barbara that we see what this hero is made of.
Another woman to put on the Batgirl suit was Stephanie Brown. She’s the daughter of the bad guy Cluemaster, but she took on various hero personas over her time in the comics. There was also Cassandra Cain, who was trained from birth to become an assassin, per Screen Rant.
Cassandra, however, is unique in her own way. She is the daughter of two of the world’s greatest assassins, but she was also taught never to speak. This worked to her advantage, as she had to use other means of communication to get the job done. And it meant that she was more in tune with other people’s movements. She could better predict what they would do and plan accordingly.
Over the course of the Batman comics, there are other women in the Batgirl costume including Harley Quinn. But they were either never in the suit long or only used it for one specific purpose. But regardless of who it was, none of them were related to Batman.
Who is the best Batgirl?
This will forever be a debate among DC and Batman fans. But if the internet is an indication, it looks as if the top two options are Cassandra and Barbara. These two have a long history in the comics. And they have all kinds of accomplishments to back up their claims to fame.
For Barbara, she really gave Batgirl the origin she needed to stand on her own as a hero. But Cassandra has an entirely interesting backstory as an assassin that shows she had the skills to take down almost anyone. Both of these women stand on their own and bring dynamic elements to the character.
Notably, one of the key differences between Cassandra and Barbara is that Barbara was always Batgirl. Although Cassandra did take on that title for some time, she took up new identities. For a while, she was known as Black Cat after she was Batgirl. And she’s also used the name Orphan.
