10 Insane Alternate Robins You Won't Believe!
5. Elseworlds Ninja Robin
Elseworlds is a series of very interesting comics that DC published exploring alternate timelines and realities. Being one of the big three of the DC universe, Batman and characters in his orbit were frequent subjects of Elseworlds.
In the 1996 Elseworlds Robin Annual, we take a trip to 16th century Japan. In this reality, Robin starts out as a nameless young warrior. In a clever tie-in to Japanese mythology, this young man is nicknamed Tengu, after creatures of legend who had the characteristics of both birds of prey and humans.
Oh, and this nickname was given to him by a female ninja whose thing was a costume that reflected features of a cat. See how clever DC can be when they want?
Tengu is taken in by the Bat-Samurai, a powerful warrior who teaches Tengu the arts of war. After adventuring across Japan, the Bat is killed, and Tengu discovers that not only was he meant to be assassinated, but that he is the rightful heir to the Imperial throne and is being targeted by a false claimant to being Emperor.
Tengu tracks down the usurper and kills him, then commits ritual suicide out of dishonour.
That's grim even for a Batman family comic.