In an era when women on television were often seen and rarely heard, Yvonne Craig zipped herself into a purple leather catsuit and stepped into the frame—not just as Batgirl, but as a quiet revolutionary who refused to play ornamental.
It was 1967, and the Batman series was beginning to show signs of decline. In a last-ditch effort to boost ratings, producers introduced a new character: Batgirl. To the men behind the scenes, she was intended as eye candy—a cheerful sidekick who might lure in a few extra viewers with her charm. But to Yvonne Craig, she was an opportunity.
Craig, a classically trained ballerina with a gift for movement, wasn’t given much to work with. The scripts lacked substance, the lines often diminished her, and unlike her male co-stars, she didn’t have stunt doubles. What she did have, however, was determination—and a vision for what Batgirl could be.
From her very first appearance, Craig insisted on choreographing her own fight scenes. Every spin kick, every acrobatic flip, was hers. She fused ballet with martial arts, giving Batgirl a unique combat style that was both elegant and powerful. She refused to portray the character as naïve or dependent. And most significantly, she advocated for Batgirl to have a real-world identity that challenged the era’s stereotypes: Barbara Gordon, a working librarian.
“I wanted girls to see that you could be smart and still save the day,” Craig later said in an interview. “Being strong doesn’t mean giving up being thoughtful.”
The librarian detail wasn’t in the original plan. It was Craig’s own idea—an intentional nod to the importance of women being portrayed as educated and independent. She wanted young girls watching at home to believe they could fight crime and read Tolstoy in the same breath.
Despite her efforts, Hollywood’s appreciation was short-lived.
After Batman was canceled in 1968, Craig faced a cold industry. Typecast as Batgirl, she struggled to find roles that didn’t reduce her to a costume or a caricature. She was “too associated” with one role and no longer deemed “fresh” or “marketable.” With few meaningful offers coming her way, she stepped away from acting and pursued a new path in real estate—quietly and without scandal.
But contrary to public assumption, Yvonne Craig didn’t fade away. She evolved.
Outside the spotlight, Craig became a tireless advocate. She used her platform to speak out on women’s rights, education reform, and elder care. She lent her voice to causes that aligned with her values and lent her time to helping others—often without drawing attention to herself.
Later in life, when diagnosed with breast cancer, Craig didn’t craft a media narrative around her illness. Instead, she took action. She helped fund cancer screening initiatives in low-income communities, understanding the dire need for accessible healthcare. She also donated to shelters for victims of domestic violence, proving that compassion could be as powerful as any punch Batgirl ever threw.
In every phase of her life, Craig chose purpose over applause.
Her portrayal of Batgirl became iconic—not because the scripts were great, but because she made them mean something. In a sea of sidekicks and love interests, Craig’s Batgirl stood out as someone who solved problems, used her brain, and held her own in a man’s world. She didn’t wait for a cue. She didn’t wait to be rescued.
And perhaps most impressively, she did all this in an era that barely recognized women as more than background.
Today, her influence can be seen everywhere—from the girls in comic shops who cosplay as Batgirl to the women leading superhero franchises on screens big and small. Craig didn’t just play a role—she reshaped it.
If you’ve ever wondered why a generation of girls grew up believing they could kick down doors in heels and quote Shakespeare after, thank Yvonne Craig. She was one of the first to show that you could be both feminine and formidable. That you could be graceful and gutsy. That being a hero doesn’t always mean waiting for the world to catch up—it means charging ahead anyway.
When she passed away in 2015, tributes poured in from fans, fellow actors, and even NASA, where she had once recorded a PSA encouraging young women to pursue careers in science. It was a fitting reminder: Craig’s legacy wasn’t just confined to Gotham. She inspired women across industries to claim their space.
In the end, Yvonne Craig didn’t need saving. She was the rescue.