Dick Grayson (Nightwing)

Nightwing

Jonathan Crane/ScarecrowFletcherRed Hood's Gang* Trina Holmes
* Sandiago Perez
* Raphelson Roberts

### **Affiliations**

Bruce Wayne (formerly)
Detroi Police Department (formerly)
Titans
Bat-Family
Titans

## Background Information

### **Portrayed By**

Brenton Thwaites
Tomaso Sanelli (young)
Viktor Sawchuk (young)

**Nightwing** (real name **Richard "Dick" Grayson**) (formerly known as **Robin**) is one of the titular characters and the main protagonist of DC and HBO Max's *Titans*. He is the former crime fighting partner and adoptive son of Bruce Wayne/Batman who is now the leader of the Titans, a group of young vigilante who fight crime.

Dick Grayson is based on the character of the same name from DC comics and the first iteration of Robin.

## History

### Background

At twelve years old, Dick witnessed his parents' deaths as they fell from the trapeze that was burned with hydrofluoric acid, by Tony Zucco out of vengeance from Mr. Haley refusing to pay protection money for him. He soon swore to "repay" Zucco's  actions against his parents.  During a brief time, Dick was under the care of one of the members of the circus before eventually being adopted by billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and met Bruce's butler Alfred Pennyworth, who was somewhat reluctant with Bruce raising a child because his vigilante days as Batman. At times, the young Dick Grayson often snuck out of Wayne Manor to find clues to his parents' murder.  Sensing Dick's turmoil, Bruce revealed he was Gotham's protector Batman and offered him a position as his sidekick Robin. During his time as Robin, Dick encountered several of his adoptive fathers adversaries such as Ra's Al Ghoul, Mr. Freeze, the Penguin and the Joker

Out of all the adversaries Batman had, Dick feared of the Joker, week they were never able to catch. Dick confided with Donna that he feared they would never be able to stop him. Since learning about Batman's involvement, Bruce had held meetings with the rest of the Justice League at Wayne Manor.  During this time, Dick met Wonder Woman's sidekick, Donna, who promised to always be there for him whenever he needed her because Dick could never seek his adoptive father for advice. As a young adult, he met and fell in love with Barbara Gordon, where they joined together and fought Lady Vic and both became proteges of Batman.

Dick was later a member of the first incarnation of the Titans, with Donna Troy (Titans), Garth/Aqualad, Dawn Granger, and Hawk. However, the team broke up with the deaths of Garth and Jericho at the hands of Deathstroke (Slade Wilson). Eventually, Dick left Bruce because he grew tired of his fighting methods. He moved from Gotham to Detroit, underwent training at a police academy and took up a job as a detective in the Detroit Police Department.

## Powers and abilities

### Bruce Wayne (Adoptive Father)

Dick has a complicated relationship with his adoptive father. Shortly after  his parents were killed by Tony Zucco because Mr. Haly refused to pay money protection to the criminal, Bruce, who had been in the audience when the accident happened, adopted Dick as his son. Raised by Batman, Dick became his crime-fighting partner Robin, training him how to fight and also forcing him to read classic literature. Dick completely used to idolize Batman, at one point in his life and thought his adoptive father was doing the right thing as a superhero. However, Dick grew tired of Bruce's brutal methods of crime fighting, calling him a "borderline psychopath." Eventually, he decided to leave Gotham and moved to Detroit because of the way he fought. Even though Dick said Bruce had "weaponized" his childhood, he admitted that Bruce used the crime-fighting training as a distraction to channel whatever anger he had towards Tony Zucco.

Despite Dick leaving, he and Bruce had some form of contact. He allowed Dick to reform the Titans, on the ground that Jason Todd became a member as well and later, helped his adoptive son in how to deal with Rose Wilson, noting it wasn't easy when Dick came to live with him. However, Dick was haunted by visions of Bruce until he admitted the true the reason behind Jericho's death. Apart from their struggles, Dick and Bruce eventually started making amends. However, Bruce may have had some forms of regret at how he handled raising Dick, which led him to realize he couldn't make the same mistakes with Jason. This led Bruce to come up with the decision to relieve Jason of his duties as Robin but ultimately led to Jason's own demise. After Jason's murder as the hands of the joker, Dick noticed his father acting strange. After killing the Joker to avenge Jason, Bruce later appears to Dick and wakes him up and implores him to be a better Batman than he was. However, at the end of Season 3, Bruce makes amends with both Dick and Jason, wanting nothing more than his sons' forgiveness.

### Jason Todd (Adopted Brother)

Main article: JayDick

Jason is Dick's adoptive brother, and they have different views on becoming Robin. Dick noticed Jason's recklessness and is violent nature to sadistically beast up criminals and authoritative figures. At first, Dick was not happy with the face that Jason was already Robin, despite both of them holding the title. However, as the series progresses, Dick slowly accepts that he is no longer Robin and that Jason is the current holder of the title. By the beginning of Season 2, both Jason and Dick have become less antagonistic towards one another and Dick gradually gets used to becoming a mentor towards the boy. In Season 3, Dick was greatly affected by Jason's death and he, along with Barbara were disgusted by Bruce already trying to find another Robin after their recent loss. In Season 3, when Jason becomes the Red Hood, Dick is shocked and realizes he is a full-time enemy who must be stopped. However, during Dick's journey in the Lazarus Pit, he realizes Jason can still be saved. Despite Dick saying Jason can never become a Titan again but he can help them fight Crane. At the end of "Purple Rain" (series finale of Season 3), they make amends but Jason decides to leave Gotham after he feeling remorseful of his past actions as the Red Hood and against Dick. This allows the brothers to reconcile and Dick to tell Barbara that they made page with each other.

## Friends

### Rachel Roth

Because of their shared sense of loneliness, both Raven and Dick are considered close. Before they officially met, Rachel had prophetic nightmares that related to Dick Grayson. At first Dick wanted nothing to do with her, just thinking of her as another runaway kid. However, after her capture from the acolyte, Dick went to rescue her and ultimately, Rachel killed her enemy before he killed Dick. At first wanting to give her to people who would be able to help her, Dick eventually decided that her protection was his responsibility. He fought to protect her from the Organization, a group of her father Trigon's fanatic followers. When Raven learned her biological mother was still alive, she wanted to rescue her, but Dick refuses to let her in the fear that she will get caught. Unfortunately, Rachel and Gar disobey Dick and Kory to rescue her mother and all four Titans are unfortunately captured in the process. She has even confided in Dick that it feels good whenever she unleashes her inner darkness and that it frightens her. As time goes by, Dick becomes a mentor to Rachel, promising to never abandon her and to always be there for her. After a while, Dick and Raven become close up to the point that their relationship can be defined as a father-daughter or older brother/younger sister dynamic

Most of the time, Rachel will often tease Dick in a younger sister way.

In Season 3, Rachel was horrified to learn Dick was attacked and killed by Red Hood supporters. both she and Gar in desperation to save their friend, throw him into the Lazarus Pit that ultimately revives him.

### Gar Logan

Gar is one of Dick's friends and though they aren't close as Dick and Rachel are, they still are good friends and a part of the same team. It can be presumed that Gar values Dick’s leadership and has become a member of the Titans under Nightwing’s command. in turn, Dick has accepted the Beast Boy and a valued member of the team and a good friend. The teenager was also the only one of the Titans who remained with Dick when it was revealed that he played a much larger role in Jericho's death than he originally claimed. However, he was soon sent away. Dick was also one of the Titans who was concerned for both Gar and Conner when they were under Cadmus Laboratories' control.

In season 3, Gar and Rachel were desperate to save Dick when he was killed by the fear toxin induced citizens of Gotham. Gar came up with the idea to take him to the Lazarus Pit below Arkham Asylum and successfully resurrected him from there.

### Donna Troy (Best Friend)

Donna was Dick's childhood best friend growing up. She usually acted as an older sister towards him. However, Donna cut off tied with Dick after she grew angry with his secretive nature and his lies of Jericho's death. She didn't even help Kory and Rachel in their effort to break Dick out of prison, but only knew he would be able to break himself out of jail. Despite their anger towards each other, Dick was saddened by her death through the first time.

After her resurrection in Season 3, Dick and Donna appeared to have make amends, or at least started to. However, Donna left the Titans to both check up on Dawn and relay Hank's message to her.

### Tim Drake

Tim feels sympathy for Dick because he was one of the audience members who witnessed the deaths of the Flying Graysons, who were Dick's parents. He strives to be the third Robin, even though Dick sees that is just a fantasy on Tim's part. However, he still treats him like a member of the Titans and later offers to train him to be Robin at the end of Season 3.

## Relationships

### Koriand'r

Main article: RobStar
Koriand'r is one of Dick's teammates and closest friends, who he and his friends call her 'Kory' because of her alias. For the most part, both Dick and Kory are very close. They teamed up together to help protect Rachel from the radical group known as the Organization. Despite some levels of affection towards each other, and having shared a bed at least once, the two remained best friends. According to Donna, Dick is attracted to dangerous women, especially Kory. However, as of now, Dick and Koriand'r haven't acted on possible Romantic feelings they gave for each other. They also fight extremely well together, even battling Deathstroke with her.

### Dawn Granger/Dove

Main article: DickDawn
With the exception of Koriand'r and Barbara, Dawn is the only woman who Dick Grayson liked because of her kindness. However, their relationship would not last due to their different personalities and Dawn's lingering feelings for Hank. Because of a past relationship, this causes friction between Dick, Hank and Dawn for a relationship that happened in the past. After comforting Dawn when Hank was killed by Jason Todd, Dawn told Dick she was retiring from the team, thus parting ways for good this time.

### Barbara Gordon

Barbara is one of Batman's proteges, meaning she and Dick knew each other. five years prior to the series the two shared a romantic relationship that ended. However, after Jason's death at the hands of the joker, Barbara and Dick revive what they once had. Like Dick, Barbara has also grown disillusioned with Batman's methods and is mildly uncomfortable with Bruce replacing both Dick and Jason as a new Robin.

## Rivals

### Hank Hall/Hawk

Despite their animosity for each other, Hank reluctantly helped Dick assisting in Raven, due to his past experiences and soft spot for runaway children.