Posted By Dan Greenfield on May 16, 2026 | 6 comments

A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE to TV’s original BATGIRL…

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UPDATED 5/16/26: The late, great Yvonne Craig was born May 16, 1937 — 89 years ago. Perfect time to reprint this piece that was first published shortly after Craig died in August 2015. It’s been edited slightly for timely references. Dig it.  — Dan)

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13 QUICK THOUGHTS — The Greatness of Yvonne Craig:

1. Yvonne Craig Set the Batgirl Standard. I know that may sound self-evident but Yvonne Craig really embodied the role. She was bright, cheerful and energetic. It wasn’t just that she was written that way — Craig really sold it.

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2. She Saved the Third Season. Craig never walked through an episode. (Actually her walk was really confident and appealing, but you know what I mean.) Season 3 is rightfully considered the series’ low point from a writing (and, at times, performance) perspective. But all the way until the end — through the Nora Clavicles and Minervas — she was relentlessly sharp and, dare I say, on her toes.

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3. She Was My First TV Girlfriend. Whenever her episodes were on, it was like a special event. And the funny thing is, it wasn’t until much later that I realized every episode she was in was only a half-hour. I thought Julie Newmar was really cool as Catwoman but I didn’t understand bad-girl appeal until I was older. Batgirl fought on the side of good — something I could more readily comprehend. She was the Crimefighter Next Door.

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4. This.

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5. Artists Love Drawing Her. I so dug Sandy Jarrell’s Batgirl work on DC’s Batman ’66 comics series, I asked him to do an Yvonne Craig commission. He was all too happy to do it. (He takes commissions at his website here.)

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6. She Looked Great Out of the Costume Too:

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7. She Did Her Own Stunts.

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8. This.

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9. Other Roles. She kissed Elvis!

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10. She Lives on Through Blu-Rays and Merchandise. We not only get to enjoy her performance on high-quality video, we get to remember her on our shelves.

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11. She Inspired a Great Song. Here’s Be My Batgirl, by Clashing Plaid. Video by Paul Grisham.

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12. Her Best Episode. I’d go with The Wail of the Siren, because it really was a Batgirl showcase, as she teamed with Robin to save a sidelined Batman. Great climactic fight scene too.

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13. This.

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MORE

— Yvonne’ Craig’s 13 Best Batgirl Episodes: Click here.

— 13 QUICK THOUGHTS: The Greatness of Yvonne Craig. Click here.

— Burt Ward and Julie Newmar pay tribute to Yvonne Craig: Click here.

— PODCAST ALERT: Talking About Yvonne Craig on The Batcave Podcast. Click here.

— Comics pros and Batfans pay tribute to Yvonne Craig: Click here.

— A statement from Yvonne Craig‘s family: Click here.