Raven

What’s the matter? Afraid of the dark?

Perhaps the ultimate mysterious character in a kids TV show is Raven from Teen Titans. She’s the resident quote/unquote “goth” of the group, but there is much more to her character than simply liking the dark side of life.

Why? Well, for one, she’s partly inhabited by her demon father (and you thought living at home was bad enough), which effectively curses her with terrible purpose. This makes her a very private character that sometimes leaves others questioning her demeanour. Of course, the truth comes out eventually, but for the most part, it remains hidden throughout the series.

Raven exhibits a high level of intelligence as she is continually reading and researching spells, potions and other things. In other words, she understands her powers and attempts to use them to their full potential. That’s not to say she’s smarter than other members of the group, but she does display the most discipline in relation to her powers.

She is ultimately a good character and has a deep connection to the rest of her team members. Her strong individuality does not preclude her team spirit in the slightest and she readily and willingly fights alongside the others.

That is not to say she is above the usual, human frailties. She can be jealous, scared, annoyed (especially by Beast Boy) and she can be especially angered by the actions of others that she judges to be insincere or stupid.

Raven has a brutal sense of anger, that is partially unleashed by her demon father. In such instances, no enemy is spared as she delights in terrorising them into insanity.

All the same, Raven in a way represents common sense within the Titans. She is always looking at problems objectively. She doens’t fly off the handle like the boys, or is she overly sensitive like Starfire. Nope, she sees things exactly the way then need to be seen and is not above raising her objections to what she sees is a flawed plan.

Raven is an incredibly deep and complex character that adds much to an erstwhile team of misfits. Despite being in a group with the word “teen” in the title, Raven is immensely more mature in both words and actions. That being said, she is not above the odd bit of mischief or fun, especially if it is at Beast Boy’s expense.

Overall, Raven is by far my favourite member of the Titans. She’s incredibly smart, unfathomably complex, suspiciously dark but unnendingly well-meaning. Such a mix of things are incredibly rare in a character, especially a superhero like Raven.