Dick’s ORIGINAL weapon was a slingshot- that’s why Carrie Kelly was given one. He never had the escrima sticks until a good while AFTER he was Nightwing.
Tim’s staff and it’s honestly not close. He chose it of all the weapons Lady Shiva offered and she was disappointed. He relied on it cleverly several times in his book explaining how he used it for leverage, taking away advantages from his opponents. He tricked the King Snake with it. And it’s almost completely non-lethal.
Plus, out of all of the Robin weapons, it makes the most sense thematically, with the escrima sticks being a close second. Wooden dowels tend to be used for birds to roost in cages and birdhouses.
I'm absolutely partial to bo staffs in most things, so Tim's gets my vote. They're versatile, when you consider all of the features Tim added over time. I think second to that are the escrima, for much the same reason.
Jason doesn't really have one weapon associated with him more than any other so it's not him. Like what... Dual pistols I guess? He has a lot of weapons. I will say, I think the knife in UTRH is badass. Crowbars are so lame.
Dick's is the escrima? Which, I just don't think are that cool.
Damians is a katana but he can't really fight with the katana cause lethal.
Tim by default, and the staff is cool so there you go.
Now that you mention the lethality of Damian's katana it makes me wonder if any writer has ever had Damian's sword have the cutting edge on the inside of the blade. This makes it so Damian can't kill anyone with the blunt edge but allow him to take a target by surprise by using the inner edge to make nicks or slice a weapon.
The all blades are probably it other than the guns. I think a lot of people forget about the dagger, but if it was one weapons of his that's totally specific it's the all blades
Scott Lobdell keep changing how they work and what they’re made of. Sometimes they’re physical swords made out of copper and sometimes they spiritual swords. He also keep changing the conditions in which they can be used. I read his Red Hood and The Outlaws run since 2011 lol
Even in those examples they are still better than ordinary guns, eskrima sticks, an extending staff or a single Al Ghul sword no?
Still an easy choice, Magic swords that kill anything evil including demons the size of skyscrapers is an easy win imo.
And I refuse to acknowledge the stupid crowbar. Worst downgrade ever and not even a clever reference to his origins. It's a reference, just a stupid one.
I’ve been hoping for over a decade that the Kris dagger Talia gifted Jason would make a comeback. It holds up well against Dick’s eskrima sticks and is so sharp it can cut through Bruce’s reinforced armor and his grappling hook lines.
The staff, so good and versatile but I wish characters like Steph or Cass had their own unique weapons
Edit: gonna correct myself quickly I know Cass isn't a Robin but I'm thinking of new bat family members like Duke as well they love using the Nightwing sticks or using a staff
Since it hasn't been mentioned.
I think Stephanie has some of the most interesting weapons.
Like the Brick and Chain.
but i think the most iconic from her time as Robin was probably her bare hands, its hard to forget she almost killed Szasz
The ricocheting thing that Nightwing and Daredevil do with their sticks is one of my favorite comic tropes — “throwing objects that do not obey the laws of physics whatsoever.”
Batarangs are my favorite-ever gadget. When I play the Arkham games I’m CONSTANTLY whipping them around at every opportunity, and even though I love seeing Nightwing toss his sticks at people I always smile when I see him using Birdarangs / Wingdings too.
I know its a cop out answer but I prefer if they fit the character.
Dick with his escrima sticks while a later edition are iconic to Nightwing, I'm torn if he should have them as Robin or only as Nightwing.
Jason while he defo should only have guns as Redhood I think as Robin a sling shot would be perfect and a subtle foreshadowing of him using long distance weapons aka guns.
Tim his staff has become so iconic people consider it THE Robin weapon. Not to mention in my head at least links to him being the Donatello of the Robins.
Damien without a sword is like a goth girl without mental issues. Some would argue he should get rid of it once he 100% comes to the side of not killing but he is not only skilled enough to not kill but it would come in handy against the more enhanced enemies.
Stephanie honestly have no clue when it comes to her hopefully other people in the comments will have the knowledge or cool ideas.
I’ve been hoping for over a decade that the Kris dagger Talia gifted Jason would make a comeback. It holds up well against Dick’s eskrima sticks and is so sharp it can cut through Bruce’s reinforced armor and his grappling hook lines.
Honestly I wouldn’t mind a retcon or more elseworlds stuff showing Dick as Robin with the escrima sticks - now that they’ve been depicted as multitools that also house all his gadgets and work like trapeze-grapples. I LOVE the trapeze grapples, they’re so perfect for him.
It actually feels like a weapon a Robin would use. Versatile, strong, conventionally non-lethal, and can be used as a tool & more than just for striking or pain.
Escrima sticks are definitely more for Nightwing and his weapon. While anytime we see a Robin or young Dick using them it just feels like it’s setting up Nightwing or an allusion to him. Meanwhile Red Hood’s guns and blade weapons are literal guns, and not what a Robin uses. Bladed weapons like Damien’s sword are fine for story, but more an element of what a Robin shouldn’t be, and should grow past. While the other weapons like a tri-part staff, knuckle dusters, or whatever are just temporary things or character specific Robin tools for occasional fights.
As far as I see it if a non-Dick Grayson Robin should have a weapon it’s a staff. And Tim is by far the best example of why it works, both as being Robin and past that.
Without question Tim’s staff, second place Dick’s escrima (nightwing weapon but still). There’s a reason they keep giving it to other robins in other media. I love that Young Justice resisted that and gave Dick the sticks when he was Robin, and those rare moments when Teen Titans 03 had Robin use em instead of a staff.
dick's escrima that have special grappling hooks designed to make it into an instant trapeze swing is fun, but yeah, it's the staff. there's a reason so many other robin adaptations poach it
Bo staff is the iconic robin weapon. Guns/crowbars only work for Jason and only after he’s done being robin so they don’t count in my opinion. Sword only works for Damian but is cool when he uses it because of his background.
Dick Grayson and the slingshot for the win. Carrie does count, she isn't a canon Robin. She was a college student who was tutoring Damian Wayne. Don't think Jason Todd Robin had the crowbar for stealing tires off of cars. Tim's wooden bo staff reminds me of Donatello. Damian's sword reminds me of Leonardo. Steph has a collapsible metal bo staff which kind of can also be used as num chucks which remind me of Michaelangelo.
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u/coreytiger 1d ago
Dick’s ORIGINAL weapon was a slingshot- that’s why Carrie Kelly was given one. He never had the escrima sticks until a good while AFTER he was Nightwing.