10 Best Female Characters In The Batman Universe
6. Lady Shiva
Lady Shiva initially appeared in Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter, but over time made her way into the Batman continuity. One of DC's most skilled martial artists, she straddles the line of being a villain and an antihero, working as an ally with the heroes more and more frequently.
Considering all the fights Batman has ever had (we haven't counted, but we know it's a lot), the fact he calls Lady Shiva the "best fighter alive" isn't for nothing. DC is packed with assassins and hand to hand experts, but Lady Shiva outranks them all.
She's ultimately a woman of honour. Though she eschews Batman's 'no killing' policy, she's also trained Robin (Tim Drake) and even trained Batman after Bane broke his back, further linking her to the caped crusader.
She's mother to another fantastic woman in the Batman universe: Cassandra Cain, an honorary eleventh pick who's unlucky to miss out here. Cain debuted in 1999 and in her 20 year career has seen her adopt the mantles of (*deep breath*) Batgirl, Kasumi, Black Bat and Orphan; she's also due to feature in Birds Of Prey later this month.