Teen Titans (animation): Difference between revisions

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[[File:Teen_Titans_9609.jpg|frame|From Left: Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Robin, Starfire]]

 

 

Based on [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|the classic DC comic]] (mostly the 1980s incarnation by Marv Wolfman and George Perez), with a generous dose of [[Animesque|anime influence]] thrown in, ''Teen Titans'' features the adventures of five young superheroes:

* [[Arm Cannon]]: Cyborg's main weapon.

* [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking]]: Killer Moth threatens to destroy the City unless the following three demands are met:

** What's funnier is that it's {{spoiler|both a [[Parodied Trope]] and a [[Justified Trope]].}}

* [[Art Evolution]]: Most notable are the [[Super-Deformed|chibis]], which became more refined as the episodes went on.

* [[Badly-Battered Babysitter]]: Raven is at one point tasked with protecting 3 annoying young children who might have superpowers. [[Hilarity Ensues|It goes about as well as you'd think]] [[Mama Bear|until her kids are threatened.]]

* [[Batman]]: Never actually appearing in the show, or mentioned by name, but alluded to several times. In an episode that explains how the team met, Robin stops a criminal in a very Batman-like manner.

'''Robin''' I work alone now. }}

** Another episode with Slade attempting to lure Robin to the dark side goes like this...

''(bats emerge from the darkness and fly up into the night sky)'' }}

** When Raven read Robin's mind, there is clearly a silhouette of Batman in the Batcave.

* [[Big Eater]]: Cyborg and Terra, and Starfire when among her native people. Cyborg also had an [[Extreme Omnivore]] episode in "Crash" when a computer virus caused him to [[Mushroom Samba|hallucinate]] [[Meat-O-Vision|that everything around him was delicious food]].

* [[Big Entrance]]: "Birthmark" starts off with Dr. Light fighting the Titans. At first he seems to be holding his own, until Raven makes her entrance. She mimics the last time the two of them encountered each other, with scaling up her size a fair bit, [[Glowing Eyes of Doom]], and tentacles made of shadow.

'''Dr. Light''': (Goes [[Blue with Shock]], turns and raises hands) I'd like to go to jail now, please. }}

* [[Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti]]: Beast Boy can turn into one. Of course in a universe with aliens, [[Half-Human Hybrid|half-demons]], and cyborgs, maybe Bigfoots and Yetis aren't the the greatest [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]] we're expected to accept.

* [[Blind Idiot Translation]]: Cyborg pulls one when talking to Mas Y Menos for the first time. What he said translates to "Hello! My friends I am name The Cyborgo!"

* [[Book Dumb]]: Beast Boy.

** Earlier in that episode he practically admitted to learning history from the back of a cereal box when Raven asked.

* [[Brain Freeze]]:

* [[Brainwashed]]: Happens to all the Titans (main, East, and a few reserves) at least once. Beast Boy seems to get it a lot after the team's first run-in with Mad Mod. In "Revolution," also featuring Mad Mod, the entire population of Jump City.

** This was Brother Blood's greatest power, and the fact that it didn't work on Cyborg was the reason for his obsession with the boy.

* [[Cain and Abel]]: Starfire and her sister, [[Obviously Evil|Blackfire]].

* [[Calling the Old Man Out]]: {{spoiler|Raven did this to her demonic dad in the season 4 finale. While blasting him to oblivion, too.}}

* [[Calling Your Attacks]]: Cyborg and Beast Boy (and Robin, when it happened) had a habit of nicknaming their teamup moves. In "The Quest", Robin has ''someone else'' call his attacks for him.

* [[Calvin Ball]]: Stankball and later variant [[Totally Radical|Extreme]] Stankball.

** Red X.

** Cyborg has several moments, too.

'''Cyborg:''' More like find out if she'll give him another kiss... }}

* [[Decoy Getaway]]: Slade, to Robin's continually escalating frustration.

* [[The Ditz]]: Starfire, though she's just naive and unfamiliar with her new environment as opposed to being legitimately stupid. She's demonstrated her intelligence on more than one occasion.

* [[Don't Think, Feel]]: In "Switched", Starfire teaches Raven [[How Do I Shot Web?|how to fly]].

'''Raven!Starfire:''' [[Flat What|What.]]<br />

'''Starfire!Raven:''' When you ''feel'' the unbridled joy of flight, you will fly. }}

* [["Everybody Laughs" Ending]]: ''Teen Titans'' is not a particularly bad offender, but it did provide a subversion (from [[Trapped in TV Land|season four, episode one]]).

* [[Everything's Better with Princesses]]:

* [[Everytown, America]]: Jump City, California & Steel City, New York.

** The latter is especially ironic for those aware that "The Steel City" is a nickname for [[Pittsburgh]], PA.

* [[Eye Lights Out]]: When Cyborg is severely damaged, his glowing eye fades, along with the [[Tron Lines|blue lights on his arm and leg circuits.]]

* [[Exposition Cut]]: Probably not the only example of this in the series, but used in the episode "The Beast Within" after the team found Raven in the maw of a feral Beast Boy.

'''Starfire:''' From what? ''(cue scene transition)'' }}

* [[The Faceless]]: Slade. {{spoiler|Even when his mask gets knocked off in "The End" and his undead face is just a ''skull''}}. Though at that point in the show, {{spoiler|he had been reanimated by Trigon, but not resurrected}}. Apparently, {{spoiler|this means he can't regrow his skin}}.

* [[For the Evulz]]: In the first season, Slade's apparent goal is to destroy the city for no reason at all. Subverted in the finale, {{spoiler|the destruction of the city turned out to be a diversion and his true goal was to blackmail Robin into becoming his apprentice}}.

* [[For the Lulz]]: This is Red X's reason for stealing the suit in the first place, and then using it to commit theft. He's [[Anti-Villain|not really a "villain"]] so much as he finds crime more entertaining than heroics -- although he's [[Friendly Enemy|not adverse to heroics]] when he feels like it, as he does have [[Gentleman Thief|a streak of actual decency]] that tends to kick in if people are going to die or someone's done him a favour.

'''Red X:''' Whatever I want. Not everyone wants to play [[Big Bad|the big villain]], kid. }}

* [[Form-Fitting Wardrobe]]: Literally every single character.

* [[Funny Foreigner|Funny Foreigners]]: The Spanish-speaking Más Y Menos.

* [[Future Badass]]: In the [[Bad Future]] of ''How Long Is Forever?'', Robin is the only Titan to get ''more'' [[Badass]].

* [[Future Loser]]: Beast Boy being the most prominent, but Cyborg and Raven's futures also kinda suck.

* [[Gag Series]]: Most of the time anyway

* [[The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry]]: Starfire vs. Blackfire

* [[Glove Snap]]: Cyborg does this once.

* [[Glowing Eyes of Doom]]

** Starfire gets these when using her powers.

* [[Humorless Aliens]]: Starfire has some trouble understanding why, exactly, Beast Boy's jokes are supposed to be funny. When exposed to "Why are ducks so funny? Because they're always quacking jokes!", she said something like, "Oh, I get it! It is humorous because ducks lack the large brains necessary for the telling of jokes!"

* [[I Cant Take It Anymore]]: Not word for word, but [[Break the Cutie|Beast Boy]] delivers one of these to Raven in "The Beast Within". To be fair, he ''actually'' makes a good point at the start, however due to the [[Implied Death Threat]] he's drawn as the bad guy.

* [[I Shall Taunt You]]: One of Gizmo's usual battle strategies . . . it rarely actually works, though.

* [[Idiot Ball]]: Robin gets hit with a ''big'' one in the fifth season.

* [[Ironic Birthday]]/[[Dangerous Sixteenth Birthday]]: If you don't know Raven that well, don't even ''try'' to plan a birthday party for her.

* [[I Regret Nothing]]: Terra in "Aftershock".

* [[Irritation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery]]: [[Inverted Trope|Inverted]], though for a moment everyone who was imitating Robin was afraid it might hold. Robin actually was flattered... It's a good thing the True Master taught him not to take himself so freaking seriously.

* [[It Came From the Fridge]]: "Final Exam". Later played with, as Mammoth has absolutely no problem scarfing the entire fridge.

* [[I Was Just Passing Through]]: Completely averted by Red X. In "X", Red X tracks Robin down to [[Villain|Professor Chang's]] lair [[Just in Time]] to snatch Robin out of mid-air before Robin can fall into Chang's disintegrator cannon. When Robin comments on this, Red X doesn't try to claim that he acted for his own reasons.

'''Red X:''' Doesn't mean I don't know how. }}

* [[I Will Punish Your Friend for Your Failure]]: Slade uses this threat to make Robin his apprentice. It works... for a short period of time.

* [[Lethal Chef]]: Raven's pancakes -- burned like charcoal on the outside, still runny on the inside. Starfire may be a perfectly competent cook by Tamaranian standards but... well, it's called pudding of sadness and is produced by someone who treats ''mustard'' as a beverage...

** To be fair, it is stated that the whole point of the Pudding of Sadness is to be so disgusting that it takes your mind off whatever bad thing you're thinking about. Also, part of Terra's introduction features her trying some weird green gelatinous substance with pink things floating in it that Starfire offers her. She adopts a thoughtful look, announcing that it tastes "like sushi mixed with ice cream" (complete with [[Rebus Bubble|visual equation]], no less). [[Big Eater|Then she eagerly asks if there's any more]].

* [[Let's Get Dangerous]]: Beast Boy has these moments quite a bit.

* [[Leotard of Power]]: Raven, though averted with Starfire (whose costume in the comics defines [[Stripperiffic]]).

** He shouldn't have been able to survive ''any'' of his fights with [[Big Bad|Slade]].

** Even mentioned by Cyborg at one point during "Haunted":

'''Cyborg''': Blood pressure, neurokinetics - most people can't survive that kind of stress! }}

* [[Magicians Are Wizards]]: The Amazing Mumbo.

* [[Never Say "Die"]]: Sometimes played straight, sometimes averted. This is the reason why [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Deathstroke the Terminator]] goes simply by "Slade", for one.

* [[Never Split the Party]]: As explained by Beast Boy.

** {{spoiler|He doesn't die, but he's the first to go down.}}

* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: {{spoiler|Terra could have probably been persuaded from Slade's influence earlier if it wasn't for the fact that Beast Boy pushes her off the edge when he declines her friendship at the very end of "Betrayal".}} Way to go, hero.

* [[Not So Different]]: The basis of Slade's [[We Can Rule Together]] crusade towards Robin. The team even calls Robin out on it a few times, after he does something dickish.

** Demonstrated ''terrifyingly'' effectively in the season 4 finale, when {{spoiler|Slade and Robin fight off an army of Trigon's lava monsters, using the ''exact same moves''.}} As Robin points out though, there is one major fundamental difference between them:

* [[Not-So-Imaginary Friend]]: Bobby, the giant teddy bear that Melvin created. "Created" as in {{spoiler|Melvin's power is to make things she imagines real}}.

* [[Nothing Personal]]: Said by Jinx right before attacking her ex-teammates.

* [[Plucky Comic Relief]]: Beast Boy!

* [[Poor Communication Kills]]:

'''Starfire:''' As you wish. ''(The ship separates. Cue the Titans being stranded on an alien planet.)'' }}

* [[Post-Kiss Catatonia]]

* [[Power Crystal]]: Raven's red forehead crystal.

* [[The Power of Friendship]]: Discussed by Robin, when talking about the [[Not So Different|one difference]] between him and [[Big Bad|Slade]]:

* [[Pragmatic Adaptation]]: Given Terra's past as a mercenary and having a relationship with [[Big Bad|Slade]], despite being [[Squick|only fifteen]], it's little wonder they made the changes they made to her.

* [[Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner]]: Several.

'''Robin''': Lady, you are ''not'' my mother. }}

* [[Pretty in Mink]]: Raven's winter outfit is basically her uniform with fur trim.

* [[Psycho Ex-Girlfriend]]: {{spoiler|Terra. "I don't have any friends, remember?"}}

* [[Pull a Rabbit Out of My Hat]]: Mumbo. Even better, the rabbit in question is ''Raven.'' [[Transformation Conventions|It's complicated.]] Cyborg sums it up -- somewhat.

* [[Puppet Permutation]]: The Puppet King episode.

* [[Race Lift]]: Jinx. In the comics she was Indian (and bald); on the show she's white. Well, chalk-pale, but most likely Caucasian.

*** I don't know, [[Red Eyes, Take Warning|the red eyes tipped me off]].

** It's Raven! [http://images.wikia.com/teentitans/images/4/46/147.jpg As a BUNNY!]

'''Bunny!Raven:''' ''([[Death Glare]])'' }}

* [[Rise of Zitboy]]: Starfire, in the episode "Transformation".

* [[Rocket Boots]]: Slade's ninja-minions have these.

* [[Rousing Speech]]: Most memorable is Beast Boy's speech in the Season 5 finale.

* [[Running Gag]]

** Starfire's bad english and unaccustomed to earth culture

* [[Status Quo Is God]]

* [[Stealth Pun]]:

* [[Steven Ulysses Perhero]]: Slade's name is a pretty interesting case. His comic-book name, Deathstroke the Terminator is rejected by the bigwigs at [[Cartoon Network]] because [[Never Say "Die"|saying death is a big no-no]] and the fact that "Terminator" is still copyright from [[The Ahnold|Governor Arnie.]] As a result, the producers picked his actual name, Slade Wilson. And the weirdest thing is ''that it works.'' Deathstroke sounds like a hitman's name, which works in the original comics because he's a mercenary.

* [[Still Wearing the Old Colors]]: Beast Boy still wears the outfit of his old group. He ditches the goggles after Raven calls them dorky, but that's about it.

** Also, anytime Slade's mask gets knocked off something happens to make sure we don't see his face (in Apprentice II he managed to cover it with his hand before more than a silhouette could be seen, and in The End II his face was just an undead skull).

** In ''Final Exam'', we only hear the final sentence of Robin and Starfire's conversation as they enter the living room:

** Raven's backstory gets one is "Switched" when she and Starfire have to know about each other's powers.

** In ''Trouble in Tokyo'', when Robin needs to ditch his superhero persona because he was framed for a crime, you think you will finally see his eyes, but nope, now he's got big 'ol shades.

*** Actually, we DO get to see his eyes for a second, when Robin and Star's moment gets interrupted by the rest of the team. Of course, they're only specks because the animation goes haywire, but still.

* [[Unusual Euphemism]]: Gizmo works in these like other people work in oils or clay. ''What the hairball?!''

* [[Unusual Dysphemism]]:

* [[Vague Age]]: It goes with the series lack of showing anything of the heroes personal lives.

* [[Values Dissonance]]: In-universe example. In "Betrothed", Robin is appalled by the idea of Starfire having an arranged marriage, but Raven responds by asking if the Titans have any right to question Tamaranian culture. The issue's rendered moot anyway, since it turns out Starfire was lied to and she didn't have to marry anyone at all. Besides, Robin was complaining for [[Green-Eyed Monster|other reasons.]]