As adorable and innocent as Jaybin is, I will always stand by the fact that his death was one of the greatest and most important moments in Batman history.
Because it raised the stakes.
Diaclaimer: I've not read every single one of the Batman comics from 1940-1980. But the fact is, name a character who died. Name a character who was major to the overall story (not just a single issue) who died and stayed dead. (OK apparently Alfred died at one point and came back 2 years later. My point mostly stands I think. That was the only one that came up in a google search)
The fact is that overall, the original Batman comics were 'villain of the week', fun detective adventures with bright costumes. This was the era that created Adam West Batman after all. And there's nothing wrong with that, but Jason Todd's death is a tone shift in my eyes.
It was a permanent, brutal death. It was somewhat Bruce's failure. It caused a major rift between Dick and Bruce. It contributed to both of their declining mental health. It shattered the illusion of invulnerability that the heroes, particularly the child sidekicks, had. It fully removed any remaining comedy from the Joker as a character and solidified his place as Batman's number one enemy, cause it's personal now. It added a weight to child vigilantism that doesn't really exist before that, and is only retroactively added into origin stories (e.g. before Jason's death, the Teen Titans are ambiguously 'young' and it's not questioned. After, Dick wonders if they're too young to be taking on these burdens. It gives perspective both in and out of universe)
And more than that, it made Robin what it is.
Because Jason was ultimately just Dick again, from a writing perspective. Not entirely, but I believe that's why people didn't like him, because they were trying to continue Robin while Dick Grayson had to grow up. Even within the narrative, Jason struggles with living up to Dick because the expectation is for him to be Dick. Jason's death however allowed Tim to take the mantle, and Tim is the one who made Robin what it is.
He treated it with reverence. He wasn't using it so he could fight crime, he was becoming Robin because there needed to be a Robin. He saw it not as a mere costume (because he could change the costume itself, but not what it meant), but as the uniform of a pioneer and of a martyr. The ultimate symbol of child heroism, and an honour and a burden to take on. And this legacy began with Dick, but the true weight of it is shown through Jason, and through Tim's decision to take it on despite knowing exactly what happened to the last person to wear it.
And of course, Red Hood. Jason's return 17 years later (long enough to have a lot of impact) is iconic and so incredibly worth it, both for general coolness and also his position in Gotham and in the Batfamily, questioning Bruce's morals and worldviews and representing (to Bruce) his failures.
So yeah, Jason's death is essential and turned Batman and the Batfamily into what it is today. So as much as it hurts baby Jaybin, I'm glad it happened, because the lot of them wouldn't be the same without it.
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