Why Batman Always Needs A Robin
7. It Stops Batman From Losing Himself
Bruce Wayne is famed for being a hard-ass, determined soul who is unrelenting in his mission to protect Gotham City and beyond. But more often that not, Bruce Wayne's worst enemy is Bruce Wayne.
If Bruce had his way, he'd spend 25 hours a day fighting the good fight and putting down any and all criminals. The thing is, there aren't 25 hours in a day, and even if there were, even the goddamn Batman needs to rest and recuperate at times.
Where having a Robin helps in all of this, is that Robin can help Batman from losing himself in his work, in his mission, and in his own stubbornness. A Robin is there to pull Batman back from the edge, to stop him teetering over that edge, and to save him from himself.
The perfect example of this can be seen in the fallout from Jason Todd's death. With this second incarnation of the Boy Wonder killed by The Joker, this pushes Batman down a dark path. The World's Greatest Detective's nights patrolling Gotham City become more aggressive and more brutal following Jason's death, and that in turn makes Batman become reckless and prone to mistakes.
It's only the arrival of Tim Drake as the new Robin that finally manages to bring Batman back from the brink.