The third season of the popular animated series Harley Quinn premiered on 28th July, and its trailers have shown that it will feature several new characters from across the DC Universe.
One of them is Dick Grayson, the first Robin, who becomes the hero Nightwing after breaking out on his own, and is voiced by Harvey Guillén. This will not be the first time Nightwing has appeared in animated form. In fact, the character has a somewhat rich history of appearances in films and television.
The New Batman Adventures (1997-1999)
Nightwing's first animated appearance was a fitting one, as it fully showcased Dick Grayson's evolution from Robin to Nightwing. Dick was Batman's Robin in Batman: The Animated Series, yet when the show's continuation, The New Batman Adventures, premiered it was Tim Drake who assumed the mantle.
This was because Dick had left the role of Robin and taken up the new identity of Nightwing. Nightwing's appearances on the show highlight how Bruce and Dick drifted apart, and how Nightwing operates as a solo hero.
Teen Titans (2003 - 2006)
Though extremely quotable Robin seen throughout the series, it is largely believed that the Robin is in fact, Dick Grayson.
One of the biggest hints for this is the appearance of Nightwing in the episode "How Long is Forever?" which sees Starfire sent twenty years into the future through a wormhole. Once there, she meets the future versions of her Teen Titans teammates, including Robin, who has now become the hero Nightwing.
The Batman (2004 - 2008)
Before the Robert Pattinson live-action film The Batman, there was an animated series titled the very same thing. The show made some radical changes to character designs and the Batman mythos, one of them being Dick Grayson's Robin ing up with Batman after Barbara Gordan had, with Robin debuting in the fourth season.
The episode "Artifacts" hops through multiple time periods, showcasing Gotham in the year 3027 while flashing back to 2027, a time in which Dick as Nightwing and Barbara as Oracle are helping Batman battle Mr. Freeze.
Batman: The Brave And The Bold (2008-2011)
Another series that fully showed Dick Grayson's transition from Robin to Nightwing was Batman: The Brave and the Bold. In the episode "Sidekicks Assmble!" Robin, along with other famous superhero sidekicks Speedy and Aqualad, go on a solo mission that becomes more than they prepared for.
A more comedic and family-friendly Silver Age take on Batman, Brave and the Bold ends the episode with Nightwing appearing in his iconic "Disco Suit" costume from the comics and receiving the name "Nightwing" from Batman, just seconds after saying he was going to call his own shots.
Batman: Under The Red Hood (2010)
Considered by many to be one of the best animated Batman movies, Batman: Under the Red Hood tells the tale of the second Robin, Jason Todd's, death and his resurrection as the anti-hero Red Hood.
Red Hood faces off with his former mentor Batman throughout Batman: Under the Red Hood, and the family affair wouldn't be complete without the original Robin, Dick Grayson, showing. Dick is shown to now operate as Nightwing and helps Bruce with his investigation of exactly who this new Red Hood is.
Young Justice (2010 -)
Dick Grayson appears as one of the main heroes on the animated series Young Justice, first in his Robin identity in season 1, then in his Nightwing identity starting in season 2 following the five-year time skip. One of the most experienced of the young team of superheroes, Nightwing served as the leader of the team for a time.
His numerous acts of bravery throughout the series have made Dick one of the most popular characters in the show and the show's interpretation of Nightwing is considered one of the best ever produced.
Teen Titans Go! (2013-)
Teen Titans Go! is the comedic spin-off to the original Teen Titans series, and is considered by some to be one of the worst TV reboots of all time. One of the reasons is the complete alteration of the Robin character from the original series to Go! as he switches from a cool and caring leader to an obnoxious jerk who is the butt of nearly every joke in the series.
This fate applies to Nightwing as well, as the Titans travel into the future and meet a sad sandwich-stealing version of Nightwing who lives alone in a tiny apartment.
Son Of Batman (2014)
Dick appears in numerous films throughout the DC Animated Movie Universe, making his first appearance in Son of Batman. No longer Robin by the time the film is set, Dick is now Nightwing, and he encounters Bruce's newly-discovered son Damian when the young boy is about to behead a criminal.
Dick and Damian fight, and though Dick is severely scratched up by Damian's sword, he is able to subdue him and leave him hanging from a light post until the boy's father can pick them both up.
Batman Ninja (2018)
Nightwing was one of the dozens of Batman characters to appear in the anime Caped Crusader film, Batman Ninja. In the film, the Bat-Family and its various Gotham villains get sent back in time to feudal Japan.
Nightwing helps in Batman's fight against the Joker and other top villains, who have all become feudal lords in the time period. Of note, this is the only Batman film in which nearly all the major Robins (Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian) appear, missing only Stephanie Brown.
Batman And Harley Quinn (2018)
The newest season of Harley Quinn is not the first time Nightwing and Harley have interacted with one another in animated form. The two actually get quite intimate with one another in Batman and Harley Quinn.
Set in the same DC Animated Universe that featured Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures, the film features Nightwing getting in a fight with a parole-violating Harley, only to be knocked out. Waking up tied to a bed, Nightwing proceeds to have sex with Harley.