Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did Bruce Wayne choose a bat as his crime-fighting symbol?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Batman
Heath Ledger (seated) as the Joker and Christian Bale as Batman in The Dark Knight (2008).
After witnessing the murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne dedicated his life to warring on all criminals. While searching for a crime-fighting disguise that would strike terror into the hearts of lawbreakers, he viewed a bat flapping through an open window as an omen. He adopted the bat as the basis for his persona, becoming the "weird avenger of the dark" known as Batman.21