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- What is Robin’s Real Name?
- Is Robin’s Backstory Explored in Teen Titans?
Cartoon Network’s 2003 Teen Titans series offers very little in the way of character backstories, especially when compared to the DC comic book series of the same name. Teen Titans chooses instead to focus on the present and the rich emotional depth the characters are holding at that moment in time. However, this isn’t to say that each of the Titans’ origins is a mystery; the animated series features plenty of easter eggs for those familiar with the highly detailed comics. A good deal of space is held for Raven’s father and her birthplace in the demonic plane of Azarath. Attention is paid to Starfire’s home planet of Tamaran and the subsequent culture shock she experiences on Earth.
Less overtly, Cyborg’s life and identity is hinted at when he holographically alters his appearance, creating the illusion that he is completely human without any mechanical components. He uses this disguise- and the alias Stone- to infiltrate an evil organization. Canonically in the comics, Cyborg’s real name is Victor Stone. Even more subtle is a single throwaway line from Beast Boy declaring that he wasn’t cut out to be a solo hero, alluding to his history with the Doom Patrol prior to joining the Teen Titans. While these homages to comic book backstories are understated and brief, they confirm a loyalty to the show’s source material that allows further inferences to be made from the hints they provide. So what can be gleaned from the more widely famous leader of the Teen Titans?
What is Robin’s Real Name?
Robin’s full given name is Dick Grayson. In the comics, Dick is born into a large family of acrobats who perform in the circus as the “Flying Graysons”. After his parents are murdered by a mob boss aiming to extort the circus, Dick is taken in by Bruce Wayne (Batman), where he assumes the persona of Robin that he maintains throughout his time with the Teen Titans. After growing into adulthood, Dick sheds the persona of Robin and adopts the new name of Nightwing. While Dick’s Nightwing era doesn’t come until after his stint on Teen Titans, the show does pay homage to the character’s future. Season two, episode one, “How Long is Forever?” offers a glimpse into the Titans’ potential future when Starfire travels twenty years in time. This peek at the future offers some notable insight into the heroes’ pasts as well.
In the future, Starfire discovers a Jump City in which the Teen Titans have disbanded. Raven is in a white-walled facility, believing Starfire to be another “figment” of which she seems to have many; Beast Boy is a one-man zoo, enclosed in a cage to protect himself from mean-spirited passersby (being a solo hero didn’t work out for him); Cyborg’s tech has gone out of date, relegating him to the otherwise deserted Titans Tower where he must remain plugged in to wires and cords. Starfire has the most trouble finding Robin, but they finally run into each other while fighting a villain- except Robin is no more. Here, Starfire meets Nightwing. Nightwing has a completely different look, and a much grimmer attitude, than Robin, but ultimately, the same person as ever lies behind the suit. Working together, Nightwing helps Starfire return to the present, where she discovers that the future is, in fact, mutable. This means nothing she saw in the future was a guarantee, including Robin’s evolution into Nightwing. Nonetheless, the presence of Nightwing on Teen Titans confirms that the show views its Robin in keeping with the DC canon.
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Number of Episodes |
63 |
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Played by |
Scott Menville |
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Aliases |
Dick Grayson Robin Nightwing Red X |
Is Robin’s Backstory Explored in Teen Titans?
In keeping with Teen Titans‘ style, Robin’s identity and history before the timeline of the show is another thing that is only playfully hinted at. Gotham is referenced throughout the series, confirming its existence and proximity to Jump City. When Slade suggests he is becoming a father figure to Robin, Robin defensively declares that he “already has a father”, and a flock of bats take flight immediately after- an homage to Batman. However, the biggest glimpse into Robin’s identity comes in season two, episode eleven, “Fractured”.
In this episode, Robin is forced to rest at Titans Tower after suffering a broken arm while fighting crime. Suddenly, Robin clutches his head in pain, and a smaller, sillier version of himself pops out of his forehead. This little Robin, complete with a matching suit sporting a lowercase “r”, says that he is Robin from another universe, and introduces himself as Nosyarg Kcid. As he says his name, the letters fly across the screen, then rearrange themselves, spelling out Dick Grayson for a fleeting moment. Cyborg tests Robin and Nosyarg’s DNA and finds them to be identical- they really are one and the same.
I’m, uh… I’m you!
The Titans, including Robin, accept this pretty quickly, though they decide to call him Larry as Nosyarg is a bit of a mouthful. Yet Larry’s impact on Robin’s character is more significant than the tone of the episode suggests. The acknowledgment of Dick Grayson, albeit silly and cursory, confirms not only Robin’s future, as Nightwing did, but his past. Larry and “Fractured” is the closest Teen Titans will come to delving into Robin’s backstory, but it is enough to allow details from the comic books to be applied to the TV show’s Robin. A tease of the name Dick Grayson is all viewers are treated to, but Robin’s acrobatic skills are on full display in every single episode, suggesting that even though his history is rarely mentioned, it can be derived from the character the show created.
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