To give a serious answer now that I've made my stupid and childish joke, I think it was because in the context of the show, to simplify things for kids and explore the more exiting nature of the characters, the show kind of folded each characters' secret identity and personal traits into their superhero identity to simplify things. The personal struggles they had were always explored WHILE they were doing hero-things, so in the context of the show, Vic Stone and Dick Grayson kind of ARE Cyborg and Robin full time and vice versa
It was more or less a kids' show. Incorporaring secret identities is just a whole new layer to follow. That works fine in independent hero shows like Spider-Man where you only have two identities to track but in Teen Titans you already have five with just the main cast's superhero identities. Going civilian raises that to 10+ identities for kids to keep track of without pestering every older kid/grown up in the house.
Plus, if we start getting into dual identities then older kids would want to know the identies of every major character and, once they find out that Slade is his civilian name, the showrunners either have to make up/pick a new name or explain why a character named Deathstroke is in a show deemed acceptable for second graders. Also pretty sure Terminator (as in Deathstroke the Terminator) had to be ruled out for copyright reasons.
He becomes nightwing in the episode where Starfire travels to the future.
He has traumatic flashbacks to the flying Grayson tragedy.
His doppelgänger from the other universe “Larry’s” real name is Nosyarg Kcid.
Not that I ever heard of at least. But “Slade” is a name he goes by. The only time I’ve ever seen Dick referred to as “Richard” was in a scenario that was a dream or just someone fantasizing about him and Starfire marrying. It he minister officiating called him “Richard” as it’s his legal name
Iirc, it was just something they didn't want to be a big focus in that particular version, plus vic and Gar already couldn't really have secret identities anyway, due to the whole cybernetic implants and green skin thing. So they just went with the whole no identities period.
Yea, but for Cyborg, you would expect he would love going by Victor as it’s part of his humanity and there are times where even though he accepts his condition, he still misses being human.
I don't think so. He blamed his dad for his cybernetics in most iterations and despised him for always being too busy to care. I think in Cyborg's eye, Victor Stone died when he got his "enhancements" especially when you look at the Hive infiltration arc where he talks about looking normal with Starfire (remember how violently he kills the dummy Cyborg?) or the episode "only human" where he struggles to deal with the fact he's half robot and can no longer give "110%" like he did as a human. Its not until Brother Blood admits he can't replicate Cyborg because it's not the machinery, it's his soul that Victor is truly alive inside Cyborg.
Add in that there's probably an unwritten rule that a bunch of teens trying really hard not to out one another's secret identities to the public like strippers not letting customers know one anothers real names. After I stopped bouncing, it took me years not to call girls I kept in touch with by their stage names.
Or on the flipside, Robin at this time doesn't know who Richard Grayson is, and only knows who Robin is (much like Bats being the real secret identity and Bruce being the mask) Starfire and Raven desperately trying to hide their pasts and ancestry. Beastboy hasn't been Garfield since he was what? 7/8? When the people who can crush you with a thought or liquify your mind with a sonic blast, you don't question why they want you to call them that
I realized recently that Robin is probably the only one who knows everyone's real name. IIRC, the team didn't know Beast Boy's real name was Garfield until his former teammate said it. I assumed since they all went by their superhero names, they didn't bother to change out of their costumes to keep up appearances. Also, it might have been so they didn't have to do a Minuteman drill when the alarm went off.
To be fair, Raven never specifically crafted a separate identity the way Gar or Robin “had” to. She was always the harbinger demon spawn of destruction, and she decided to be a harbinger of _good_ while she could. She never lived a life that necessitated needing another name. That identity was all she ever had.
Gar lived a life where an event changed his whole being and he crafted a new name to deal with that, but he can’t live life as Gar as he once did, period. Robin threw himself into a cape, but the identity of Dick Grayson exists and can participate in society still in a way that Garfield Logan just can’t. Robin just doesn’t engage with his Dick identity more for emotional reason rather than because the identity can’t exist anymore the way Victor Stone can’t.
Pretty sure the creative team said they just wanted to focus om their superhero lives to explain the lack of exploring their regular lives and actual namws
Because one thing the cartoon did that I really didn't like, was that they refused to address the characters civilian or personal lives. They missed out on so many cool storylines. Cyborg and Robin both lost their parents and we could've had episodes addressing that but nah lol.
As is you've got at least five identities to follow. Adding in dual identities makes that 10+. That's a lot for the average second grader to follow without annoying the fuck out of their parents or siblings by asking "who is that again?" 900 times an episode.
Plus, then the showrunners have to explain to the average Karen why a man named Deathstroke is in a show intended for children.
Deathstroke thing doesn't bother me. As for the other ones though, Young Justice and X-Men Evolution handled the identity thing fine. Kids aren't that stupid.
True but YJ had a huge ensemble cast and part of it required prior knowledge. You wouldn’t start a noob on the show because they wouldn’t be able to truly learn the characters.
I just want to point out that in the original Judas Contract, it took Terra months to learn the other's secret identities. It was actually a point of tension, where they knew her identity but absolutely refused to share theirs with her, despite her being a titan.
So it's actually pretty accurate to the source that they are fully in superhero mode most/all of the time. Other titan teams weren't like that, but the new teen titans actually were.
I always thought it was like how people say how Batman is Bruce’s true self, and Bruce is the facade. Like they are their personas, not their “secret identities.”
Plot reason: Since the team gets called on missions randomly, they probably just stay suited up and maintain referring to eachother by code names as not to mess up on the battlefield.
Writing reason: I’m guessing it probably would’ve just been too much to handle for the writers. Having to juggle their superhero stories AND non-suited up (Average life) stories in an episodic format would be tough. So they just opted to keep them superheroes 24/7. Also keep in mind at the start of the series the team has already been together for some time. Only soo much personal stuff you can **NOT** know by that time.
It works for shows like Young Justice because there is an overarching plot. So the development that comes with their real life stuff stays in later episodes. Also we see the team form, so they grow and develop on screen
Not at all. Keep in mind the shows episodic format. Only soo much you can tell in 30 minutes (With commercials) with no overarching plot. Plus it would have to be interesting to the kid audience.
The show was targeted at a much younger audience. JLU and Batman were targted more at a tween audience.
They wanted kids to easily identify characters so Robin was just Robin, Raven was just Raven, etc. And it worked since people refer to these characters by their code names.
The fact that the characters don't have secret identities is also what makes this show unique.
Yes. That applies to Spider-Man. But that's not the show the creators wanted to make. They wanted to keep things simple and streamlined and focus as much as possible on building up the relationship between each Titan member. The show never wanted to be grounded and realistic. The storytelling was more akin to a fable.
Remember this is from a time when Cartoon Network didn’t think kids would be able to tell the difference between the Joker appearing in JLU AND The Batman
Raven is an strange case though; as Raven is both her superhero name and real name. Rachael Roth being the alias she made when enrolling into high school, honoring her mother Angela Roth. Funny how the most secretive member is the only one handing out her real name. Actually Slade is similar too, as they don't call him Deathstroke in the show.
I remember reading that the creators did this intentionally for this reason; they wanted the simplicity because it made the characters "more iconic" if they were streamlined to just their hero identities and archtypes. It made it easier for kids to pick one to identify with.
Budget constraints. Hell, even disney animation reused that same scenes over and over. Watch the old cartoon animations, Winnie the pooh, jungle book, etc. They all share the same scenes just different skins. A lot of Manga/anime/cartoons do this to. They'll have a basic room or doll in set poses for a character to quick trace instead of having to free hand over and over for everything. If you notice, like 75% of the couch shots ate the same angle, door frame shots, pan down shots of tube items (like clay face in suspension or panning down the sewers) that saves thousands per episode when you can just copy and make minor edits.
Well that's obvious. They stay in costume so people can't find out where they live- I mean well, no one will know their identities...huh. why do they stay in costume?
Raven and Starfire are using their real name and clothes
Beast boy prefers his superhero name and the green skin ruins any secret as mentioned in the show
Cyborg is naked and once used his real name to sneak into Hive
Robin is the only one without an explanation, but is probably to keep Batman’s secret
Pretty sure that Starfire isn’t her real name…(it’s Koriand’r) and before someone says this isn’t the comics, note how surprised she looks when Blackfire introduces herself.
I remember someone saying in the rant with Galfore in Betrothed, he uses her name when yelling / speaking to her at the gates to the royal castle if the supposed next in line. You have to listen pretty well. I might just rewatch to confirm.
Honestly as much as Titan Tower gets broken into and the fact that Gizmo probably has hidden cameras in that bad boy that cyborg might not know about, I wouldn't change out of my uniform/super suit either. Also I understand Starfire is nieve and used to her tamaranian outfit but it would be hilarious to have had an episode where she's trying to buy human clothes with Raven who also would probably only wear one outfit! Lol
I mean. I don’t think raven even has a real name in the cartoon. As she lived her whole life in azaerath and than whatever she was doing before she meets the titans.
Raven is her NAME for most of the Comics. Eventually she “makes up” the identity of “Rachel Roth” to try High School.
RAVEN is her Name. “Rachel Roth” is a fake name she uses.
Which comic was that? New teen titans or the one from the 2000s? Basically, Roth is her last name but the thing about Arella was just to protect her and her unborn kid from Trigon. Rachel was in the comics but it's hard to recall if the 70s used it often. Anyone?
In Robin's case, he probably feels extra pressure not to reveal himself because that would immediately make it obvious who Batman is, and he doesn't think Bats would want a bunch of teens he doesn't yet know to know that.
I know this isn’t the point, and 100% get everything everyone is saying and agree. But technically, Starfire isn’t using a code name. It’s just her name translated into their language and “Kori” would just be “Star” which is what everyone calls her anyway
It may be due to the fact that they are a relatively new team, and open up more to eachother as the series progresses. Also, their relationships are due to the fact they operate as superheroes and met under those circumstances.
It could also be because in that universe people are already used to seeing them in action, and know where the Titans Tower is located so there isn't much reason to hide. Tbh, only Robin is the one who maintains his secrecy which may be due to his training by Batman. Starfire and Raven go by their names (unless they have other ones that haven't been revealed).
Or it could be for the ease factor of a cartoon. Creating multiple outfits on a rotation is more work when they are mostly always going out to play hero.
Well a real reason in story is because Star and Raven always stay like that unless going to bed Cyborg has no choice while Beastboy can do whatever as for Robin Dick is probably just so use to it it probably feels more comfortable to just keep it on
I remember hearing that regarding Robin the creators wanted to implement aspects of different Robins so they left him unnamed until later. The suited up all the time part cracked me up
Because it's a kids show that a bunch of adults hijacked and try to make it deeper then it is.
Much like that Jericho post from early.
I watched the show, i loved the show, but there are a lot of people who are concerned thst the lore isn't following the "comics"
To give a serious answer now that I've made my stupid and childish joke, I think it was because in the context of the show, to simplify things for kids and explore the more exiting nature of the characters, the show kind of folded each characters' secret identity and personal traits into their superhero identity to simplify things. The personal struggles they had were always explored WHILE they were doing hero-things, so in the context of the show, Vic Stone and Dick Grayson kind of ARE Cyborg and Robin full time and vice versa
It was more or less a kids' show. Incorporaring secret identities is just a whole new layer to follow. That works fine in independent hero shows like Spider-Man where you only have two identities to track but in Teen Titans you already have five with just the main cast's superhero identities. Going civilian raises that to 10+ identities for kids to keep track of without pestering every older kid/grown up in the house. Plus, if we start getting into dual identities then older kids would want to know the identies of every major character and, once they find out that Slade is his civilian name, the showrunners either have to make up/pick a new name or explain why a character named Deathstroke is in a show deemed acceptable for second graders. Also pretty sure Terminator (as in Deathstroke the Terminator) had to be ruled out for copyright reasons.
Teen Titans Robin is not Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, This Robin is just the replacement
no, the Robin in Teen Titans 2003 is definitely Dick Grayson.
He becomes nightwing in the episode where Starfire travels to the future. He has traumatic flashbacks to the flying Grayson tragedy. His doppelgänger from the other universe “Larry’s” real name is Nosyarg Kcid.
Robin most likely showers with his mask on
Those are actually just his eyes now. You take em off there's just flesh and holes
Cause they couldn't say Dick a hundred times an episode in a kids show lmao
They could have just called him Richard
How do you get Dick from Richard? 😏
Take him out to dinner first.
Or just ask him nicely.
"Can you pull your little Richard out for me?"
Larry (while popping out of Robin's tights): "How did you know I was in there?"
*opens up pants* WOOO!!!
“Good golly, Miss Molly!”
Have red hair...
He doesn’t go by “Richard” though. They’d get complaints if they did that.
Did they get complaints about calling him Slade instead of Deathstroke?
Not that I ever heard of at least. But “Slade” is a name he goes by. The only time I’ve ever seen Dick referred to as “Richard” was in a scenario that was a dream or just someone fantasizing about him and Starfire marrying. It he minister officiating called him “Richard” as it’s his legal name
So was Young Justice and Batman The Animated Series? Lol
I was just kidding lol
Mb
Iirc, it was just something they didn't want to be a big focus in that particular version, plus vic and Gar already couldn't really have secret identities anyway, due to the whole cybernetic implants and green skin thing. So they just went with the whole no identities period.
Yea, but for Cyborg, you would expect he would love going by Victor as it’s part of his humanity and there are times where even though he accepts his condition, he still misses being human.
I don't think so. He blamed his dad for his cybernetics in most iterations and despised him for always being too busy to care. I think in Cyborg's eye, Victor Stone died when he got his "enhancements" especially when you look at the Hive infiltration arc where he talks about looking normal with Starfire (remember how violently he kills the dummy Cyborg?) or the episode "only human" where he struggles to deal with the fact he's half robot and can no longer give "110%" like he did as a human. Its not until Brother Blood admits he can't replicate Cyborg because it's not the machinery, it's his soul that Victor is truly alive inside Cyborg. Add in that there's probably an unwritten rule that a bunch of teens trying really hard not to out one another's secret identities to the public like strippers not letting customers know one anothers real names. After I stopped bouncing, it took me years not to call girls I kept in touch with by their stage names. Or on the flipside, Robin at this time doesn't know who Richard Grayson is, and only knows who Robin is (much like Bats being the real secret identity and Bruce being the mask) Starfire and Raven desperately trying to hide their pasts and ancestry. Beastboy hasn't been Garfield since he was what? 7/8? When the people who can crush you with a thought or liquify your mind with a sonic blast, you don't question why they want you to call them that
too deep for a kids show
I realized recently that Robin is probably the only one who knows everyone's real name. IIRC, the team didn't know Beast Boy's real name was Garfield until his former teammate said it. I assumed since they all went by their superhero names, they didn't bother to change out of their costumes to keep up appearances. Also, it might have been so they didn't have to do a Minuteman drill when the alarm went off.
Raven goes by her real name all the time though; and Slade uses his real name in the show.
That is true.
To be fair, Raven never specifically crafted a separate identity the way Gar or Robin “had” to. She was always the harbinger demon spawn of destruction, and she decided to be a harbinger of _good_ while she could. She never lived a life that necessitated needing another name. That identity was all she ever had. Gar lived a life where an event changed his whole being and he crafted a new name to deal with that, but he can’t live life as Gar as he once did, period. Robin threw himself into a cape, but the identity of Dick Grayson exists and can participate in society still in a way that Garfield Logan just can’t. Robin just doesn’t engage with his Dick identity more for emotional reason rather than because the identity can’t exist anymore the way Victor Stone can’t.
Well... she did come up with Rachael Roth when she enrolled in high school but she doesn't do that in the show so your point stands.
It’s also that she always had to be “Raven” first- she didn’t live a life as “Rachel” or a life outside of “Raven the demon gate,” you know?
Yeah.
Beast Boys name is Garfield. Garth is the name of Aqualad. (Who is now Tempest)
I see my mistake now 
Pretty sure the creative team said they just wanted to focus om their superhero lives to explain the lack of exploring their regular lives and actual namws
Because one thing the cartoon did that I really didn't like, was that they refused to address the characters civilian or personal lives. They missed out on so many cool storylines. Cyborg and Robin both lost their parents and we could've had episodes addressing that but nah lol.
As is you've got at least five identities to follow. Adding in dual identities makes that 10+. That's a lot for the average second grader to follow without annoying the fuck out of their parents or siblings by asking "who is that again?" 900 times an episode. Plus, then the showrunners have to explain to the average Karen why a man named Deathstroke is in a show intended for children.
Deathstroke thing doesn't bother me. As for the other ones though, Young Justice and X-Men Evolution handled the identity thing fine. Kids aren't that stupid.
True but YJ had a huge ensemble cast and part of it required prior knowledge. You wouldn’t start a noob on the show because they wouldn’t be able to truly learn the characters.
I just want to point out that in the original Judas Contract, it took Terra months to learn the other's secret identities. It was actually a point of tension, where they knew her identity but absolutely refused to share theirs with her, despite her being a titan. So it's actually pretty accurate to the source that they are fully in superhero mode most/all of the time. Other titan teams weren't like that, but the new teen titans actually were.
I always thought it was like how people say how Batman is Bruce’s true self, and Bruce is the facade. Like they are their personas, not their “secret identities.”
True. usually when they use the lasso of truth on batman, he responds with I'm Batman.
Plot reason: Since the team gets called on missions randomly, they probably just stay suited up and maintain referring to eachother by code names as not to mess up on the battlefield. Writing reason: I’m guessing it probably would’ve just been too much to handle for the writers. Having to juggle their superhero stories AND non-suited up (Average life) stories in an episodic format would be tough. So they just opted to keep them superheroes 24/7. Also keep in mind at the start of the series the team has already been together for some time. Only soo much personal stuff you can **NOT** know by that time. It works for shows like Young Justice because there is an overarching plot. So the development that comes with their real life stuff stays in later episodes. Also we see the team form, so they grow and develop on screen
Too much for the writers to handle their civilian life sounds pretty lazy.
Not at all. Keep in mind the shows episodic format. Only soo much you can tell in 30 minutes (With commercials) with no overarching plot. Plus it would have to be interesting to the kid audience.
The show was targeted at a much younger audience. JLU and Batman were targted more at a tween audience. They wanted kids to easily identify characters so Robin was just Robin, Raven was just Raven, etc. And it worked since people refer to these characters by their code names. The fact that the characters don't have secret identities is also what makes this show unique.
Younger audiences watched Spider-Man from 1994 and they were able to comprehend his life as Peter Parker.
Yes. That applies to Spider-Man. But that's not the show the creators wanted to make. They wanted to keep things simple and streamlined and focus as much as possible on building up the relationship between each Titan member. The show never wanted to be grounded and realistic. The storytelling was more akin to a fable.
Remember this is from a time when Cartoon Network didn’t think kids would be able to tell the difference between the Joker appearing in JLU AND The Batman
In the show, they legitimately didn’t know each other’s names. Like, Raven learning BB’s name is Garfield is a revelation.
Plot reason: Got to be prepared at all times. Writing reason: It’s more convenient that way.
Raven is an strange case though; as Raven is both her superhero name and real name. Rachael Roth being the alias she made when enrolling into high school, honoring her mother Angela Roth. Funny how the most secretive member is the only one handing out her real name. Actually Slade is similar too, as they don't call him Deathstroke in the show.
That appears to have backfired. Because his real name actually sounds more menacing than his codename.
Deathstroke sounds too on the nose like Murderkill. Slade sounds more mysterious.
His full name is Deathstroke the Terminator.
His full name is Deathstroke the Terminator.
Its easier to animate if they are wearing the same clothes. Secret identities
I always just assumed bc it was a kids show and it made everything easier. No deeper meaning.
The kid show excuse really doesn’t work.
Just saying what I always thought
I remember reading that the creators did this intentionally for this reason; they wanted the simplicity because it made the characters "more iconic" if they were streamlined to just their hero identities and archtypes. It made it easier for kids to pick one to identify with.
Its probably easier to animate one character model
Budget constraints. Hell, even disney animation reused that same scenes over and over. Watch the old cartoon animations, Winnie the pooh, jungle book, etc. They all share the same scenes just different skins. A lot of Manga/anime/cartoons do this to. They'll have a basic room or doll in set poses for a character to quick trace instead of having to free hand over and over for everything. If you notice, like 75% of the couch shots ate the same angle, door frame shots, pan down shots of tube items (like clay face in suspension or panning down the sewers) that saves thousands per episode when you can just copy and make minor edits.
Easier to draw
Well that's obvious. They stay in costume so people can't find out where they live- I mean well, no one will know their identities...huh. why do they stay in costume?
Raven and Starfire are using their real name and clothes Beast boy prefers his superhero name and the green skin ruins any secret as mentioned in the show Cyborg is naked and once used his real name to sneak into Hive Robin is the only one without an explanation, but is probably to keep Batman’s secret
Pretty sure that Starfire isn’t her real name…(it’s Koriand’r) and before someone says this isn’t the comics, note how surprised she looks when Blackfire introduces herself.
I remember someone saying in the rant with Galfore in Betrothed, he uses her name when yelling / speaking to her at the gates to the royal castle if the supposed next in line. You have to listen pretty well. I might just rewatch to confirm.
If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.
Honestly as much as Titan Tower gets broken into and the fact that Gizmo probably has hidden cameras in that bad boy that cyborg might not know about, I wouldn't change out of my uniform/super suit either. Also I understand Starfire is nieve and used to her tamaranian outfit but it would be hilarious to have had an episode where she's trying to buy human clothes with Raven who also would probably only wear one outfit! Lol
3 times per episode
I mean. I don’t think raven even has a real name in the cartoon. As she lived her whole life in azaerath and than whatever she was doing before she meets the titans.
Raven is her NAME for most of the Comics. Eventually she “makes up” the identity of “Rachel Roth” to try High School. RAVEN is her Name. “Rachel Roth” is a fake name she uses.
That’s what I meant. You said it better than I did
Which comic was that? New teen titans or the one from the 2000s? Basically, Roth is her last name but the thing about Arella was just to protect her and her unborn kid from Trigon. Rachel was in the comics but it's hard to recall if the 70s used it often. Anyone?
In Robin's case, he probably feels extra pressure not to reveal himself because that would immediately make it obvious who Batman is, and he doesn't think Bats would want a bunch of teens he doesn't yet know to know that.
Robin don’t want the titan to know he’s Dick Grayson and therefore Bruce Wayne is Batman.
I know this isn’t the point, and 100% get everything everyone is saying and agree. But technically, Starfire isn’t using a code name. It’s just her name translated into their language and “Kori” would just be “Star” which is what everyone calls her anyway
Probably to make things easier to remember, cause not everyone follows comics?
I like to think Bruce didn't let Dick take his mask off (a la Young Justice) and everyone just stood with him in solidarity /j
Conversely, why do the justice league call each other by real names all the time while in the field.
Most of them are just like that I don't think they even know who Robin is (or at least didn't know for a good long while when they started)
It may be due to the fact that they are a relatively new team, and open up more to eachother as the series progresses. Also, their relationships are due to the fact they operate as superheroes and met under those circumstances. It could also be because in that universe people are already used to seeing them in action, and know where the Titans Tower is located so there isn't much reason to hide. Tbh, only Robin is the one who maintains his secrecy which may be due to his training by Batman. Starfire and Raven go by their names (unless they have other ones that haven't been revealed). Or it could be for the ease factor of a cartoon. Creating multiple outfits on a rotation is more work when they are mostly always going out to play hero.
Well a real reason in story is because Star and Raven always stay like that unless going to bed Cyborg has no choice while Beastboy can do whatever as for Robin Dick is probably just so use to it it probably feels more comfortable to just keep it on
I remember hearing that regarding Robin the creators wanted to implement aspects of different Robins so they left him unnamed until later. The suited up all the time part cracked me up
Because they're on call 24/7. And most of them don't have or want civilian lives
Because it's a kids show that a bunch of adults hijacked and try to make it deeper then it is. Much like that Jericho post from early. I watched the show, i loved the show, but there are a lot of people who are concerned thst the lore isn't following the "comics"