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The 2003Teen Titansseries presented the group of young heroes with many friends, family, and enemies- and sometimes all three rolled into one.Teen Titansis ripe with complex relationships and betrayal as the gang reconciles what it really means to be a good person. In the first season alone, a heartfelt reunion goes awry whenStarfire learns her sister Blackfire’s true intentions on Earth, Beast Boy and Cyborg help Raven defeat her father’s presence in her mind and quell her subconscious, and Beast Boy manages to find friends in the powerful Thunder, Lightning, and Aqualad.
Yet arguably no character proves to be as complicated and impactful to the Titans as Terra, a capricious girl with earth-bending abilities, whose story dominates season two. With her most difficult battles being against herself, Terra and her story represents a key aspect of whatTeen Titansis ultimately about: the choice between good and evil is just that- a choice- and “it’s never too late” to do the right thing. So who is Terra, where did she come from, and does she do the right thing?
Who is Terra?
The Titans first discover Terra alone on the outskirts of Jump City. They at first think that she needs their help, but she soon demonstrates her geokinetic abilities by crushing a scorpion with a piece of earth using only her mind. Now impressed, the Titans strike up a friendship with Terra, simultaneously assessing her abilities as a potential new member to the team. While Raven remains skeptical of Terra,Beast Boy is immediately enamoredwith her.
Beast Boy and Terra develop a fast friendship, and mutual feelings are evident between the two of them. Terra confides in Beast Boy that she isn’t able to fully control her powers and asks him to keep this a secret from the rest of the Titans, despite his insistence that everyone would want to help her. Beast Boy keeps his promise, though Robin deduces this for himself. Once the seed of doubt is planted in Terra that the Titans don’t believe in her, Slade gets in her head.
Supervillain Sladepreys on Terra’s insecurity, telling her that even when she’s trying to help, she just makes things worse. Terra’s susceptibility to Slade provides further context to Terra’s apparent drifter background. Her struggles to control her powers lead her to keep secrets and flee from her loved ones out of fear of hurting them.
Season 2, episode 3, “Terra”
Season 2, episode 13, “Aftershock Part 2”
Played by
Ashley Johnson
Working for Slade
Slade convinces Terra to join him as his apprentice, convincing her that theTitans will no longer be interestedin being her friend when they see her true self. Terra ran from Titans Tower after Robin admitted to knowing her struggles with her powers, but returned later, claiming to be ready to officially join the team as a Teen Titan. Robin would like to see Terra prove herself a bit more before making things official, and Raven senses some bad energy from Terra, none of which is lost on the new girl. However, she sticks it out, even when old habits and instinct is telling her to run.
It turns out that Terra’s return to the Titans has been orchestrated by Slade from the start. Under his influence and control, Terra infiltrates Titans Tower and enables it to be broken into by Slade’s ruthless robots. Meanwhile, an earnest Beast Boy asks Terra out on a date. She at first declines to protect him from the harm she knows she will bring, but Beast Boy is heartbroken, thinking the rejection is because of him. Terra turns things around because she really does have feelings for Beast Boy, and the two go on a classic date to an amusement park. They have a great time until they’reinterrupted by Slade, who breaks Terra’s cover and tells Beast Boy that she’s his spy.
Beast Boy doesn’t believe this until Terra confirms it, and even when all the Titans are aware of what she’s done, they can’t bring themselves to fight her with their full power. They still believe in her potential and the friend they saw in her. But as things come closer to a tipping point with Slade, Terra learns that the armor Slade designed to help her control her powers also allows him to control her. When she tries to rebel in support of the Titans, she is brutally subdued, finally acquiescing to her role on the dark side.
My name is Terra and I have done horrible things. I have sworn to serve a dark master. I have obeyed his every command and committed crimes in his name. I have betrayed and attacked everyone who used to be my friend. One by one, I have destroyed the Teen Titans. And with no one left to stop me, I have brought an entire city to its knees. My name is Terra. I have done horrible things. And I have absolutely no regrets.
What Happens to Terra?
In season two’s two part finale, “Aftershock” parts 1 and 2, Terra andSlade’s other croniesappear to have defeated the Teen Titans throughout Jump City. Yet when Terra returns to Slade, he attacks her, still unhappy with her performance. When she tries to part ways from Slade, the true extent of his control over her is revealed: using her suit, Slade can control Terra’s every movement.
Terra’s future looks incredibly bleak until she’s joined by a still-fighting Beast Boy. Reiterating the support he’s offered Terra all season, Beast Boy tells her that he believes in her, that she can best Slade, and that it’s never too late to be good. Beast Boy is soon joined by the other Titans who went back for him as he went back for Terra. This is the motivation she needs to finally, truly come into herself. She fights back against Slade, using her geokinesis to open a fissure in Slade’s lair, revealing a lava-filled volcano. Giving everything she has, Terra sends Slade to his demise in the lava and uses her powers to stop the volcanic eruption, turning herself to stone in the process.
Beast Boy remembers her fondly, even developing a crush on a girl that he convinces himself is the resurrected Terra, but she isn’t seen alive again throughout the series. The Titans honor and immortalize Terra’s stone form with a heartfelt plaque, though when Beast Boy attempts to visit it later, he finds her body gone.
Terra. A Teen Titan. A True Friend.
Teen Titans
Based on the characters from DC Comics, Teen Titans follows the adventures of Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy as they fight to protect the world from various evildoers and make a name for themselves. The original animated series spans 5 seasons, and was the basis for the more comedic Teen Titans Go!
