10 Most Tragic Deaths In The History Of Batman

5. John And Mary Grayson

Like Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson needed to experience his own tragedy to lead him down the path of crime-fighting and justice. Before coming to Gotham City, Dick and his parents were The Flying Graysons, a family of circus acrobats who traveled around the country with Haley's Circus. While they're in Gotham City, Dick overhears some gangsters trying so extort protection money out of the circus manager. The manager refuses, and in retaliation, the trapeze wires are coated with acid. During their next performance, Dick watches with horror as wires snap as his parents fall to their death during the performance. While the police conduct their investigation, Bruce (who was watching in the audience) goes to comfort Dick and days later adopts him as his legal ward. Meanwhile, Dick learns that the two gangsters he saw earlier work for crime boss Tony Zucco. Seeking revenge, Dick attempts to go after Zucco but is stopped by Batman. Telling Dick he can't take stop Zucco on his own, he reveals his identity to Dick and begins training him. Eventually, the two of them take down Zucco together as the new dynamic duo of Batman and Robin.

Although they went through similar traumas, how Dick dealt with his parents' death was different from the process Bruce went through. While Bruce became brooding and obsessed with his mission, Dick was able to keep a relatively positive demeanor when it came to relationships and life. That's not to say he didn't have his moments of anger or despair, but rather than dwell on the negative like Bruce did, Dick attempted to see the good in people and live life to the fullest. Eventually, he left behind the Robin mantle and became a hero in his own right as Nightwing. So although his parents deaths affected him similarly to how Bruce felt when his died, his overall path branched off and Dick was able to become his own man.