All 16 Characters Who Trained Batman, Ranked by Importance

One of the things that we always knew about Batman was that he was the sum total of many different parts that allowed him to become one of the strongest non-superpowered characters and smartest detectives in the entire DC storyline. Of course, someone like Batman had to learn many things in marital arts, detective work, and weaponry. And that’s why he had a lot of different mentors throughout his life.

The thing about Batman is that he didn’t stick to one mentor his entire life, as he had to learn from different specialists in various fields. Of course, had he decided to learn everything under one mentor, he wouldn’t be as well-rounded and versatile as he is. He picked the best pieces from different people to become who he came to be. So, with that said, let’s look at all of the people that trained Batman.

16. Dan Mallory

We know that Batman was the greatest detective in the world because he could solve many different cases better than anyone else. Sherlock Holmes inspired his fascination with the world of deductive reasoning, and that was why he tried learning how to become a detective from a lot of different people. One such person is a private investigator named Dan Mallory.

It was revealed in a Batman comic in 1996 that Batman learned from a private investigator named Dan Mallory, who operated under the name of Frank Dixon. Mallory taught a young Bruce the tools of the trade, and that was how Bruce learned the tricks of a private investigator. And we know that certain private investigators don’t do the same things that detectives do, and learning from a PI allowed Bruce to learn things that detectives wouldn’t teach him.

15. Henri Ducard

Henri Ducard is mostly remembered from the ‘Batman Begins’ movie, where he was actually Ra’s al Ghul. Ducards is a man based in Paris and was one of the people that trained Bruce. And we saw that during ‘Batman Begins’ when Ducard brought Bruce in to train him.

However, Ducard was also a very skilled detective and man-hunter who trained Bruce in hunting and tracking people. That was why one of the earliest versions of Bruce was that of a person skilled in hunting and tracking. And it was thanks to Henri Ducard that he learned those skills.

14. Willy Doggett

According to Denny O’Neil, known for his work as one of Batman’s writers, Willy Doggett was the final person Batman trained under before he went to Gotham to become the Dark Knight. Doggett was an expert tracker that taught Bruce how to pursue his targets. One such instance of him teaching Bruce was making him chase a target down in the mountains of Alaska.

In that regard, Bruce became a skilled tracker under Doggett that could find his targets better than the police. However, Doggett died in an attempt to track their man down, as Bruce only survived that experience when an Inuit tribe saved him.

13. O-Sensei

In the comics, O-Sensei wasn’t actually Batman’s teacher. However, in the ‘Batman: Soul of the Dragon’ movie, which is more of a retro 70s-styled movie, Batman met up with some other O-Sensei students to combat a powerful enemy. In that regard, it can be presumed that O-Sensei was one of the martial arts teachers that Batman learned from before he became Batman.

12. Giovanni John Zatara

Even though Giovanni John Zatara is a known magician who worked with the Justice League, we also know him as the father of Zatanna Zatara. He made his debut in the 90s, and that was when we met him, especially when the Batman animated series allowed us to learn more about this stage magician.

So, what did Batman learn from an old man known for his tricks on the stage? Well, he was the one who taught Bruce the art of taking down his enemies without letting them know that they were in the same room. It’s tough to imagine an old magician knowing how to do that, but let’s not forget that Zatara was an escape artist as a magician.

11. Wildcat

Ted Grant was a known boxer framed for one of his opponents’ deaths. As such, he lost his future as a successful boxer and ended up becoming a vigilante named Wildcat, who went on to fight criminals. That was when he became a better fighter as he learned to fight better while beating criminals up on the field.

Wildcat also learned a lot of different martial arts, including Capoeira, Krav Maga, and Muay Thai. He taught Bruce almost everything he learned as a martial artist, which is why Batman became a skilled fighter with many versatile fighting skills. And Wildcat went on to train other Justice League members, including Black Canary and the Flash.

10. Ghost-Maker

Not many people are familiar with Ghost-Maker, but he is one of the most influential people in the early part of Batman’s career because he was a rival that helped Bruce grow. Batman would never call him a master, but there’s no argument against the fact that he became strong because he always tried to be better than Ghost-Maker, whose martial arts skills were nearly perfect.

Ghost-Maker was someone that Bruce met when he was still young. However, unlike Batman, he became a ruthless vigilante who defeated his enemies violently. And the fact that Batman tried his best to be better than Ghost-Maker means that he wanted to be the best without resorting to lethal means.

9. Harvey Harris

As mentioned, Batman is a great detective that learned how to be a detective from different people after the works of Arthur Conan Doyle inspired him. One of the people who inspired him to be the best detective was Harvey Harris, one of the best detectives in Gotham then. He was one of the people that helped a young Bruce learn how to become a detective, as he taught him the different tricks that detectives use to solve the toughest crimes.

Bruce was still just a boy when he was shadowing Harvey Harris. Not many people know that he was the first to wear the Robin costume because he had to wear it while learning under Harris to keep his identity a secret. And Harvey eventually coined the name “Robin,” which became the standard name for all of Batman’s sidekicks.

8. Kirigi

In the ‘Batman Begins’ movie, we saw that Batman learned under the League of Assassins. However, that isn’t exactly the case in the comics because he didn’t learn under them. Instead, he learned under Kirigi, a master ninja brought in by Ra’s al Ghul himself, to train the League of Assassins.

That means Batman learned the art of being a ninja from the same person who taught the League of Assassins. As such, Kirigi taught Bruce the ways of the ninja, although there was never a time when Batman had to use Kirigi’s deadly techniques to take down his opponents.

7. David Cain

Of course, there has to be another assassin on this list, as we all know that Batman operates like an assassin that doesn’t use lethal force. David Cain is one of the most lethal assassins in the entire DC universe, as he taught Bruce different techniques to kill easily and efficiently. We all know that Bruce never resorted to killing, meaning he might have altered some techniques to make them non-lethal.

Adding to the list of some of Cain’s students is Deathstroke, who many believe is on par with Batman in terms of his skills as a fighter. Batman and Deathstroke have been rivals for a long time, and we know that Batman struggles against him because he is such an effective assassin. And we can thank Cain for teaching them how to fight.

6. Richard Dragon

Even though some people might believe it, Bruce learned from a Bruce Lee-type martial arts expert named Richard Dragon. This man is a martial arts expert that ranks as one of the greatest fighters in the world of DC. In fact, Richard helped Bruce become a better fighter after Batman lost to Bane and was literally and figuratively a broken man.

Richard helped Batman pick up the broken pieces of himself as he taught him how to heal his body. Nevertheless, Richard eventually became an antagonist because he was repackaged as one of Green Arrow’s rivals. But that doesn’t take away the fact that he was so helpful in turning Bruce into a better version of himself.

5. Mekhala

We all know that Batman is so skilled at moving as silently as the wind, and this wasn’t something he picked up from the ninjas that taught him how to fight and kill. Instead, Bruce learned this from a young street thief based in Thailand. Mekhala was a skilled pickpocket and thief that had her own way of suddenly disappearing after striking.

In that regard, Batman learned to disappear into thin air from Mekhala. We all know that this became one of his signature movies, especially when meeting with Commissioner Gordon, who suddenly realizes that Batman is no longer there just after a second of keeping his eyes away from him.

4. Shihan Matsuda

Yes, we aren’t done with ninjas that taught Bruce the finer ways of being a ninja. That’s because Shihan Matsuda was one of Bruce’s greatest teachers in terms of his expertise as a ninja. While Shihan was more of a martial artist, he was a ninjutsu expert that helped Batman perfect his art as a ninja.

Based in Japan, Matsuda was a Buddhist monk warrior that taught Bruce a lot of different techniques. One of the most interesting things he taught Bruce was how to melt ice by thinking warmer thoughts. However, he also taught Bruce to choose the people he trusted, as we know that Batman doesn’t trust anyone so easily.

3. Sergei Alexandrov

Batman has always been an expert in gadgets, as he uses a utility belt with many neat toys. On top of that, he has a lot of different weapons that he uses so expertly. And he learned the tricks of the trade from Sergei Alexandrov, a world-renowned martial artist, fighter, and weapons expert.

Sergei worked as an engineer, teaching Bruce the ins and outs of using different gadgets he could utilize in a fight. As such, Batman became known for a lot of different gadgets that helped him fight against some of the toughest criminals that Gotham has to offer. And Sergei personally taught Batman how to construct his own tools, and that’s why he eventually became so skilled at crafting different types of gadgets that aided him against some of the top villains in the world of DC.

2. Alfred Pennyworth

Even though we only see Alfred as the butler responsible for raising Bruce, he is one of his greatest mentors. That’s because Alfred is more than just a butler but a wealthy man with many different life skills. He is an expert in acting, combat medicine, and disguise. As such, he could impart all those skills to Bruce.

Alfred, of course, is no stranger to fighting because he has many moves in his arsenal. He was an intelligence agent before becoming the Wayne family’s trusted butler. As such, he has a lot of different skills that Batman was able to include in his overall arsenal. And that’s why Bruce is as versatile of a man as he is.

1. Thomas and Martha Wayne

Bruce’s greatest mentors were the people that became the reason why he turned into Batman. Thomas and Martha Wayne, Bruce’s parents, were the ones that showed him what it meant to be a good man because they were good examples to him when he was still very young. So, even though Bruce barely spent time with them, their impact on his life was so great that he turned into a dark and brooding vigilante with a moral compass.

Thomas Wayne was a man that dedicated himself to saving lives despite being as rich as he was. Martha Wayne was a compassionate and caring woman who cared about Gotham’s people. As such, Bruce was able to inherit the greatest qualities of his parents and became a hero that took it upon himself to be the one to clean the streets of Gotham even if he could simply live a quiet and peaceful life in his large mansion.

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