Titans’ New Robin Can Reveal The Darkest Truth Of Being Batman’s Sidekick

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Titans, season 3, episode 8, “Home.”

In HBO’s Titans, the darkest truth about being Batman’s sidekick will soon be revealed to the newest Robin Tim Drake (played by Jay Lycurgo). Getting more of the spotlight in the third season’s eighth episode, Tim is unique in that he’s not recruited by the Dark Knight, nor is he Bruce Wayne’s ward. Instead, he’s smart enough to put the pieces together on his own living in Gotham, learning the secret identities of Batman as well as his Robins. As a result, this has led him to approach Dick Grayson and effectively apply to become the next sidekick in Gotham — though it looks as though he’s soon going to realize his own ignorance, having only seeing what the public has seen of Robin rather than the inherent darkness that comes with fighting by Batman’s side.

While there are some differences, Tim Drake’s Titans origins are largely the same as the Tim of DC Comics, being an incredibly smart young man and fan of Batman and Robin who eventually figures out that they’re Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. This leads to him “auditioning” to become Robin for Batman; however, with Batman’s absence in the series, he approaches Dick Grayson’s Nightwing instead. Knowing what being Robin truly means and what it did to him and Jason Todd (now the Red Hood), Dick rejects Tim and denies that he and Bruce are vigilantes. However, that doesn’t stop Tim in the slightest.

Due to equal parts persistence and said ignorance, Tim ends up following the Red Hood (which leads him to Scarecrow), wanting to prove himself to Dick as a worthy next Robin. While he does find Dr. Jonathan Crane, Scarecrow shoots the aspiring Robin just before the Titans arrive, who are led to believe Jason was the shooter despite his wishes to rejoin the Titans and leave Crane behind. Not only that, but Red Hood was also responsible for Tim’s father being shot, potentially resulting in a former Robin creating a new Robin (provided Tim survives his wounds). Unfortunately, Tim had only ever seen the good Robin has done and none of the bad (which is ultimately what put him in danger).

Tim never saw the darkness Dick Grayson had to overcome, Jason Todd’s trauma that led to him becoming Red Hood, or Batman’s brutally dark training methods that turned them into his Robins. Now, it looks as though the veil will start to be lifted where Tim will finally see the other side of what being Robin truly means. While it’s a role that involves heroism, it’s carried lots of trauma over the years.

That being said, perhaps Tim Drake can be the Robin who redeems the name and brings it back into the light, especially now that he’s beginning to see the full scope of what being Robin has meant in the past. In the comics, Tim’s whole reason for wanting to be Robin came from an understanding that Batman needed a Robin, a partner to keep him balanced in the wake of Jason Todd’s death. Here in Titans, perhaps Tim Drake’s Robin can be the balancing force for Nightwing, especially as Dick is poised to become the next Batman himself.

Titans releases new episodes Thursdays on HBO Max.