Red Hood vs. Nightwing: Which Robin Would Win in a Fight?

Over the years, Batman had many sidekicks by his side, but two names pop up the most -Jason Todd, who would become Red Hood, and Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Nightwing. The Dark Knight took them both under his wing and trained them, but eventually, these two Robins followed their own paths. There is no question that both Jason Todd and Dick Grayson are exceptional fighters anyone would have a hard time defeating, but which Robin would win in a fight among them?

Nightwing would win a fight against Red Hood. They have stalemated most of their fights so far, meaning their skills and abilities are similar. But Nightwing has a slight advantage because of Red Hood’s rage issues.

This decision was made based on several factors. Further in the article, I have compared these two regarding their powers and abilities, fighting skills, combat skills, and weapons usage, and intelligence based on their previous clashes. So, keep reading to learn more about it.

Powers and abilities

It’s interesting to note that Jason Todd and Dick Grayson started their crime-fighting careers as young boys without any superpowers. All they had was a set of skills, rage issues, and the need for revenge. Batman took them both in and started to fine-tune their abilities.

For some time, Red Hood was Batman’s sidekick, and he became an impressive fighter and at the peak of human abilities in many areas. Some include great combat skills, fast reflexes, and detective skills. His powers and abilities became more enhanced later when Talia Al-Ghul used Lazarus Pit to resurrect him. That’s when Red Hood developed superpowers like the power to summon the All-Blades – weapons that materialize from his soul. However, this ability is ineffective in a battle against Nightwing, as it only functions against magical beings and in the presence of significant evil.

On the other hand, Nightwing does not possess any superpowers but is at the peak of human strength and speed. He is fast enough to dodge bullets and is an exceptional martial-artists with many fighting styles. Dick is also a great detective and very intelligent. He spent his childhood as a circus performer and possessed excellent acrobatic skills.

Points: Red Hood (1:0) Nightwing

Fighting Skills

Both Red Hood and Nightwing are excellent fighters that can go toe-to-toe with almost anyone in a one-on-one fight. The reason for that is they both underwent rigorous training under Batman’s wing and had other skilled warriors to train them.

Red Hood demonstrated impressive fighting skills during his first encounter with Talia Al-Ghul. She kept an eye on him ever since she considered him a potential asset to the League Of Assassins. He uses a mixture of fighting styles like Aikido, Capoeira, Karate, Ninjutsu, Savate, Krav Maga, Jiu-jitsu, Kickboxing, Boxing, Haikido, and Tae Kwon Do.

Talia Al-Ghul also sent him to Ducra, the ancient instructor of the All-Caste, where Red Hood was trained to control his rage and learned an ancient skill called Dim Mak which enabled him to paralyze and even kill his opponents by punching them in their vital points. What makes him more dangerous but also more reckless than Nightwing is that he has no problem killing others and is fueled by rage, which can easily cloud his judgment.

Nightwing uses similar fighting styles and knows all the fighting techniques like Red Hood plus Eskrima. He was mentored by some of the most skilled fighters, like Batman and Richard Dragon, and he learned everything the right way, showing discipline and dedication to his training on most occasions.

When it comes to fighting, Nightwing is considered one of the best fighters in DC comics, and what sets him apart from Red Hood is his composure and rational thinking. Along the way, he learned that rage is only a weight on his shoulders, not fuel like Red Hood thought. That’s why this point goes to Nightwing.

Points: Red Hood (1:1) Nightwing

Combat skills and the usage of weapons

Red Hood and Nightwing are excellent combatants and familiar with using various weapons. Red Hood’s weapon of choice is his dual handgun. To say that he is a proficient gun handler would be an understatement, as he’d done so many incredible feats with them. Some include shooting a high-tech motorcycle in midair and shooting an Orphan’s sword while falling.

Besides his dual guns, he is skilled with knives, crowbars, and other improvised weapons like baseball bats and chains. In some versions of the character, Red Hood replaces his dual guns with crowbars as his primary weapon and uses his own version of batarangs.

Nightwing is known for his Escrima Sticks that are wired with Tasers. He usually uses them in his fights, stunning his opponents with them. Dick can also wield various melee weapons, such as knives and swords. Even Ra’s Al-Ghul lost a sword fight against Nightwing on one occasion. He’s also no stranger to guns.

Interestingly, most fights between Red Hood and Nightwing in the comics end up in a stalemate. However, there is also a fight between these two in the show Titans, where Jason is better at handling firearms, and Dick manages to break Red Hood’s mask with his Escrima Sticks. At that moment, Jason admits to Dick that even Batman always claimed that Dick is better at handling gadgets and tools than Jason.

So, based on everything presented, I think it’s fair that both of them get a point here.

Points: Red Hood (2:2) Nightwing

Intelligence

Red Hood passed Batman’s training regime, meaning he knows his stuff in versatile fields. He possesses a genius-level intellect and has remarkable hacking, investigation, and detective skills. Jason is also known for his ability to deceive others and for being a remarkable master of disguise.

Nightwing possesses all those talents and also has a genius-level intellect. Dick has an eidetic memory, and Batman taught him the Memory Palace Technique. He has a degree in forensic science. The tactical analysis is the one thing Nightwing surpasses Red Hood, which he would surely use to his advantage.

Both Red Hood and Nightwing had rough childhoods and were consumed by anger. What made them different later on was how they accepted and dealt with that anger. Red Hood fueled himself with rage and the need for revenge against anyone, which is why he could never think clearly and wisely. On the other hand, Nightwing took the time to process all the bad events that happened to him, learned from them, and became a true protector and leader.

All things considered, I believe that Nightwing deserves a point here.

Points: Red Hood (2:3) Nightwing

Red Hood vs. Nightwing: Who wins?

Based on everything mentioned above, it is clear that both Red Hood and Nightwing are powerful and skillful fighters. Their training started in similar ways, but life events led them to become two totally different persons. Red Hood combined his skills with anger and the need to kill, while Nightwing decided to become a leader and fighter for justice.

Nevertheless, the fight could go either way, but Dick is more capable of learning and adapting based on previous experiences, so I believe he would win in a fight against Red Hood. Plus, the points are on his side. So, my final ruling is: Nightwing wins.