8) Carrie Kelley
It’s testament to how much of an impact Carrie Kelley made that she’s on this list despite being non-canon. In Frank Miller’s seminal grim n’ gritty The Dark Knight Returns, an aged Bruce Wayne returns to crime-fighting after years out of the cowl. Of course, where there’s Batman, there needs to be a Robin and Carrie Kelley was the plucky teen who got to don the red and green togs this time.
Despite growing up in a crime-ridden Gotham with two neglectful parents, Carrie was a brave and optimistic soul who sought to become Robin out of her own volition. Her guts so impressed Batman that he recruited her and the new dynamic duo went on to face the brutal Mutants gang.
In the (far inferior) sequel, The Dark Knight Strikes Back, Carrie stays on as Batman’s sidekick but has graduated from being Robin. Now, clad in a leopardskin unitard, she operates as Catgirl. Though she isn’t part of mainstream DC continuity, Carrie deserves some kudos for being the first ever female Robin. But she wouldn’t be the last…