I like to think of them as Tim but if he was taken in at different stages of his life like BtAS Tim is young and cute and bouncy and Just. So. Excited. About being Robin and working with Batman! He still has the enthusiasm and joy of being a part of something So. Cool. With his heroes and he doesn't have the tragedy of Jason hanging over his head. He is very much a son to Bruce and it's reflected in their closer relationship. Whereas YJA Tim has canonically only been in the costume six months (I
(Sorry ran out of room) think it’s only been six months, I may need to double check) and like comics canon Tim he hasn’t been adopted and given the Robin role the way BtAS Tim has. YJ!Tim stepped up as Robin because Batman was going off the rails after Jason’s murder and Tim recognised that Robin played an important role as Batman’s moral compass or someone to set an example for. But this Tim is also a young teen who (if YJ does follow the comics as much as it seems to) has spent much of his life being systematically abandoned by his parental figures so the idea of the batfam being an actual family unit likely hasn’t sunk in for him yet so he’s a lil quiet. A lil subdued because he’s basically standing back to see how he can fit in to a working team outside of his mere presence being incentive for Batman to hold himself back, toss in the Team as well and that’s two v different units he’s trying to adapt himself to, trying to be what he thinks they need of him while it doesn’t even occur to him to be himself since he probably has this ingrained idea that no-one wants Just Tim around (I mean if his parents couldn’t bear to be around him why would he risk all these others that he is so much more invested in abandoning him too). In short BtAS!Tim is a Timmy who was (possibly taken from a toxic environment with negligent parents but) raised by people who loved him and taught to love himself as well and YJ!Tim is a Timmy who was left in that environment through formative years but also has to live with not only two peoples (Dick and Jason) reputations to live up to but also one to live down (Jason again) and juggling what he believes people want/expect of him with the need to please everybody so he won’t be left alone again. … Sorry, this might come off as ranty in hindsight but I just wanted to say that I agree with your statement about BtAS!Tim being awesome but explain my thought process too
this is such an amazing breakdown!! and i totally agree!! it’s just that, we don’t get to see this in YJA Tim. And i get it; he wasn’t really a main character, so he was more in the background and wasn’t really developed at all, in my opinion. And like, i have nothing against him, i just wish he had been more at the forefront. And like, if they continue and if they really do make that third season, i really hope we get to see WAY more of the Tim you just described, because that’s Tim, you know?? that’s the kid i know and love.