Teens Titans Go! presents the world’s most powerful adolescent superheroes as hilariously childish and incompetent layabouts. The one exemption is Raven, who is a thoughtful voice of reason in a world full of nincompoops.
Throughout the series, Raven proves herself to be the most reliably able member of the Teen Titans by exhibiting Zen-like maturity while maintaining a delightfully dry sense of humor. Although Robin is the official leader of the group, Raven leads the team by example and makes the rest of the Titans better crime fighters.
The Titans Meet Raven’s Father
Early in the series run, Raven’s demon father Trigon pays a visit to Titans Tower to convince her to return to a life of evil. When Raven refuses, he attempts instead to charm her fellow Titans with new superpowers. Unlike the other Titans, Raven is too wise to fall for the allure of power. She has spent her youth fighting against a destiny of demonic rule and isn’t inebriated by magical promises. Raven is confident in her abilities as the most powerful Teen Titan and proves capable of overcoming the corrupting influence of her team members.
Raven Becomes Lady Legasus
Raven, portrayed by prolific voice actress Tara Strong, has always been the crankiest member of the Teen Titans. When the Titans suspect the purple cloak is the source of her moodiness, Robin steals it to test their theory. Without her cloak, Raven takes on a sunnier personality and discovers the power of her legs. Her turn as Lady Legasus is a defining moment in the series and the episode is full of hilariously raunchy Beast Boy jokes. The strength of Raven’s legs proves to be one of the Titan’s most valuable assets on multiple occasions and will serve to inspire the Titans to achieve leg strength supremacy. Equally important, Raven discovers that she is the best dancer on the team, with a style reminiscent of Kevin Bacon in Footloose.
Raven Splits Into Five Ravens
Raven’s most revealing moment occurs when Dr. Light’s mysterious prism splits her into five different colored versions of herself, each exhibiting one of her core personality traits. A divided Raven leaves the Titans in utter disarray.
Raven is undoubtedly the most emotionally complex Teen Titan. This view of the different parts of her personality provides insight into just how strong, kind, vulnerable, loving, and funny she is. All of those attributes combine to make for a remarkable superhero. It’s easy to see why Beast Boy is so in love with Raven.
Raven Leads Leg Day
After the Titans skip too many leg day workouts they are unable to defeat the Crystal Robots. With Jump City in ruins, Raven is forced to resurrect her Lady Legasus alter ego (much to Beast Boy’s delight) to prepare the Titan’s legs for battle. Raven’s powerful legs once again save the day for the Titans. Her balanced workout routine demonstrates a commitment to moderation in all aspects of her life that puts her at odds with the fanatical nature of friends like Robin. She sets an example that serves to inspire the Titans to become their best selves.
Raven Competes In A Beauty Pageant
In an attempt to repair her complicated relationship with Trigon, Raven enters a beauty pageant that she lost as a child. Things go awry when she inadvertently unleashes a demon through a portal hole with her dance routine. It was a shining moment for Raven. She is the only Titan multi-talented enough to win a children’s beauty pageant, defeat a four-tentacled creature, and earn her father’s acceptance in one evening. Raven also displays a more vulnerable side that helps balance out her generally cynical nature. This symmetry in her personality remains a constant in the series.
Raven Displays Leg Dominance
After Raven reconvenes the League of Legs for a game of Jump ‘n’ Touch, the Titans become intoxicated with their leg power. Raven is forced to fight her friends in a leg battle for the ages. Raven proves yet again that she has the burliest legs on the team. She may have taught her friends the potency of a strong set of limbs, but they are the students and she is the master. Four Titans combined were unable to vanquish Lady Legasus. No one is a match for “Dem Legs.”
Raven Gets Nean
The value of Raven’s neanness (being nice by being mean) is put to the test when her father strips her of her power to be mean. Although she enjoys being nice, she decides the world needs nean people and rejects her father’s curse.
Neanness is the essence of who Raven is and what makes her the most valuable member of the group. Her harsh criticisms prevent the Titans from making ridiculous decisions that are inherent to their nature. Without Raven’s tough love, Starfire would have married a pot of chili, after all.
Raven Silences The World
In an effort to get some peace, Raven makes a deal with a creature called the Whisperer to silence the world in exchange for tummy tickles. It turns out, however, that a world without sound is not all it’s cracked up to be. While Raven may not always demonstrate perfect judgment, she is usually capable of fixing her own problems. She has the maturity to understand when she has made a mistake and demonstrates the resilience necessary to seek out solutions. This sets her apart from Titans like Cyborg and Beast Boy, who usually prefer to ignore their problems until someone else solves them.
Raven Meets The Pretty Pretty Pegasi
The Titans are transported to the world of Raven’s favorite TV show, Pretty Pretty Pegasus, while battling Rerun. Before finding a way to return home, they are enlisted by Sparkleface and Butterbean to help convince neighboring unicorns to turn down their music. The episode is a sly reference to Raven voice actress Tara Strong’s role as Twilight Sparkle on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. The Titans often attempt to apply violence to situations that require a soft touch. Only Raven is sophisticated enough to understand that not every situation can be solved with brutality. They were only able to escape the Pegasus world with the help of Raven’s diplomacy skills. Despite her evil past, she is a masterful practitioner of peaceful negotiation.
Raven Becomes An All-Powerful Force
When Beast Boy and Cyborg spend thirty years fighting over the last slice of pizza, they discover a future in which Raven has defeated her father in the ultimate battle of good and evil and evolved into a benevolent force that keeps the universe in balance. Raven’s omnipotent fate is a fitting destiny for a demon who abandoned her evil past to become a superhero alongside her fellow Teen Titans. She was always the wisest and most powerful champion for the cause of good. The world couldn’t ask for a more competent protector. Becoming a God is just so Raven.
