Teen Titans: Starfire's Family, Explained (2024)

From the beginning of 2003's Teen Titans series, the five young heroes have already become established crime-fighters in Jump City. However, they all found their way there from different places and for different reasons. Robin, Batman's well-known number two, likely traveled from Gotham as his ties to Batman are acknowledged briefly in the series. Raven, a human/demon hybrid, originated from the demonic plane of Azarath, and her ties to the dark and dangerous realm is something she is continuously working to reconcile. Beast Boy, a former member of the Doom Patrol, set out for Jump City alone after rejecting the Patrol's harsh leadership style. Cyborg was lonely and adrift after high-tech body enhancements both saved his life and left him ostracized- that is, until he found Starfire.

Starfire originates from the planet Tamaran, a place where its people harness and strengthen their powers through emotion. This makes Starfire a strong foil to Raven, as both girls work closely with their emotions in order to utilize their powers, but with opposing philosophies. While the brooding Raven practices mindfulness in order to allow just enough demonic power into her body to use it for good, the upbeat Starfire pushes her positivity to the max to get the most out of her powers. When one hero struggles, the other typically has opposing, unhelpful advice, though the two also often find each other sharing unexpected closeness as their emotional awareness gives them more in common than they thought.

What Brought Starfire to Earth?

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Starfire's arrival to Jump City turned out to be the catalyst that led to the creation of the Teen Titans, the group that was already well-established in the show's first episode. Season 5, episode 10, "Go!" depicts the Titans' origin story, which also turns out to be the story of how Starfire arrived on Earth. Starfire grew up on Tamaran, but was sold into slavery to a rival alien race- the Gordanians- in an attempt to put an end to the bloodshed that had been plaguing Tamaran. While in transit, Starfire managed to use her powers and escape the Gordanian ship, landing her in Jump City where she began wreaking havoc while still in handcuffs.

Starfire was first discovered by the lone Cyborg, but her path of emotional destruction soon got the attention of what was at that time a trio: Robin, Raven, and Beast Boy. While the three of them originally arrived to subdue a threat, the handcuffs on Starfire's wrists indicated that the situation may not be what it seems. After calming Starfire down, Robin freed her, and she promptly kissed him on the lips- which enabled her to speak English. After explaining the situation, the group decided to come together to defend Starfire and all of Jump City from the Gordanians trying to recapture her. Their success, and ability to work as a team, led to the official creation of the Teen Titans.

Who is Starfire's Family?

Starfire has a complex relationship with Tamaran. She was royalty on her home planet, where she was referred to as Princess Koriand'r. It was this status that made her such a valuable bargaining chip with the Gordanians, and it was in fact her own sister, Blackfire, who orchestrated the trade and sold Starfire into slavery. Despite her consistently hurtful intentions, Starfire always gives Blackfire the benefit of the doubt; in season 1, episode 2, "Sisters", Blackfire visits Earth in what is at first a joyous reunion. However, Starfire quickly grows insecure as Blackfire makes a great impression on the rest of the Titans, even earning herself an invitation to join the team. At the same time, Starfire is inexplicably targeted by alien vessels attempting to abduct her until it is finally revealed that Blackfire is a wanted intergalactic criminal who came to Earth in an attempt to frame Starfire for her crimes.

Blackfire is arrested at the end of "Sisters", but has apparently served her time by season 3, episode 3, "Betrothed", when she summons Starfire back to Tamaran to participate in an arranged marriage. Again, Starfire is initially touched, but the reality is soon revealed by Starfire's beloved childhood caretaker, Galfore, who is introduced in this episode. Starfire and Blackfire's parents died of grief after Starfire was sold into slavery, making Starfire next in line for Tamaran's throne- a position of power that Blackfire schemes to take advantage of by planting an evil ally as Starfire's betrothed. It is only when Galfore points out the less-than-perfect aspects of the arrangement that Starfire realizes Blackfire's intentions, prompting her to return to Earth and name Galfore as Tamaran's leader.

Despite Starfire's rather tragic history with her home planet, she is shown at times to be homesick for Tamaran. Her experience with culture shock on Earth is a fleshed-out part of her character, and she appears to reminisce fondly on Tamaran and her childhood. Her continual instinct to see the best in her sister reflects not only her desire for strong familial relationships, but also her undying optimism, which is a central aspect of her personality.

Teen Titans

Action

Comedy

Superhero

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!

Release Date

July 19, 2003

Seasons

5

Number of Episodes

65

Network

Cartoon Network

Streaming Service(s)

Max

Directors

Glen Murakami