Titans: 20 Strange Things About Robin And Starfire's Relationship

Superhero couples are one of the few things that make comics so fun to follow, and there are few quite as iconic as Robin and Starfire within the DC Universe. While the two characters have decades of history together in the comic books, they’ve transcended into animation, movies, and most recently the new live action TV show, Titans.

These two staple Teen Titans members come from completely different worlds, quite literally, which adds an intriguing dynamic to their relationship. Robin, being a much more distinguished character, is commonly recognized as Batman’s Boy Wonder who much later is referred to adopts the vigilante name, Nightwing. Starfire is a much less recognized character, but can usually be identified as the alien with fiery red hair that becomes an integral part of the Teen Titans. Much is known about them as individuals, but how many of you can say you truly know them as a couple? Their relationship as team members doesn’t scratch the surface of their interactions romantically.

With the two bound to pair off soon in the Titans series, it is crucial for you to understand how the two came to be, and what exactly makes them one of the most interesting couples in the DC Universe (move over Superman and Lois Lane.) While the show may have a different interpretation than fans are used to, the two have a long history and there have been many different versions of the characters.

Here are 20 Strange Things About Robin And Starfire's Relationship.

She Learned English By Kissing Him

Being of a foreign alien race, Starfire came to Earth with no prior training in the English language, and she was unable to communicate with anyone until kissing Robin, who seemed to be the only English-speaking human available.

Tamaraneans learn English by skin-to-skin contact, which usually is exhibited by the act of kissing. During their first interaction, where Robin ironically believed her to be a dangerous alien threat, the two share their first kiss. However, their true feelings for each other didn’t bloom until much later. In fact, neither of them considered that moment to be their real first kiss, as there was no romantic overtone to it.

Starfire Has Been Married Twice

One would think that at least one of these marriages would be with Robin, but this wouldn’t be the case. In fact, both of these marriages took place when Robin wasn’t in the picture. Starfire’s first marriage would be to Prince Karras, a Tamaranean, and would transpire only to form a peace treaty. Karras ironically carried no true feelings for Starfire either, but the whole ordeal still rubbed Robin the wrong way anyway.

Her second marriage, with General Phy'zzon, also a Tamaranean, would take place well after her relationship with Dick Grayson, however, this one took place out of love. It sadly ended with Phy’zzon’s demise in a battle to defend the New Tamaran against the Sun Eater.

Batman Might Not Know They're Dating

So much for the title of, “The World’s Greatest Detective.” While a portion of Dick Grayson and Batman’s relationship has ended up on the rocks, he is still his adoptive son, and has spent the better part of life living with him and fighting crime.

During Robin’s stint with the Titans, he has mostly split from his father, so it’s not outside of the realm of possibility that Batman has no idea that he’s dating Starfire. Despite coming into contact with her twice, Batman has failed to show any evidence that he knows the two are in a romantic relationship. If they would go on to date in the show, considering right now Robin is on the outs with Batman, it is likely that he wouldn't know on the show either.

Both Of Their Parents Have Passed Away

Tragedy seems to be an ongoing trend with superheroes, and unfortunately, this has been the case with both Starfire and Robin. While most of us know the story of the demise of The Flying Graysons, many are unaware that Starfire’s parents faced a similar fate.

Robin’s parents had a trapeze accident, orchestrated by a criminal mob organization. This was something Dick Grayson wouldn’t realize until much later in his crime-fighting career. He was of course later adopted by Bruce Wayne and trained to be his sidekick in fighting crime. Starfire’s parents were eliminated by the Gordonian alien race after defending their home planet, Tamaran. Starfire was also later adopted, but by a fellow Tamaranean named Galfore.

She Helped Him Become Nightwing

The best relationships are the ones that help us move past or transgressions and become better people. A reality that may have rung true for both parties. While it was Robin that influenced Starfire to inherit vigilantism, Starfire would be the one responsible for Dick Grayson discovering his new crime-fighting identity, Nightwing.

Starfire inspired Grayson at a point in his life where he was conflicted with his Robin title and his affiliation with Batman. She was the one that reminded him of why he adopted vigilantism in the first place, and that he could be just as great living outside of Batman’s shadow. It took someone that Robin not only loved, but also trusted to come to this resolution.

They're different Species

No need to avoid the elephant in the room concerning these two. While interracial dating is nothing new in the DC Universe, Interspecies dating is a whole other topic of debate.

While Robin is clearly human, Starfire is of an alien species called Tamaranean. They descend from the planet Tamaran and are characterized by their green eyes, orange skin, and red hair. They’re many more characteristics of this race that differentiate them from humans, however the most notable are their superhuman strength, ability to generate green colored energy from their hands, and flight. They luckily are also humanoids, meaning they take the same form as most humans, which makes things a little less uncomfortable in public situations.

She’s Been With Two Robins

Everyone is familiar with the iconic romance between Dick Grayson, the first Robin, and Starfire, but it’s very seldom that Jason Todd gets mentioned. Jason Todd was the Robin that took the mantle after Dick Grayson abandoned the title and took to being Nightwing.

While brief, Jason and Starfire were romantically involved during the New 52 comics. This transpired after her relationship with Dick, when Starfire joined forces with Jason in a vigilante group called The Outlaws. It was evident at the time that Starfire still held strong feelings for her first love, so the fling between her and Jason didn’t end up going anywhere too far. Now that the two Robins appear on Titans, fans are wondering if Jason will end up crushing on Starfire.

Their Relationship Ended When She Fled Into Space

There comes a time in a relationship where one party just needs space. For Robin and Starfire, that time came in a literal sense. After the couple’s attempt to get married was foiled by Raven, who appeared to be evil at the time, Starfire took that as one of the many signs that they may need some time apart to work things out. This was a revelation that seemed to haunt her for some time.

Screen Rant Report

Dive into the world of movies and TV shows with Screen Rant, your source for news, reviews, and exclusive content. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

While this did help cool their relationship, things never heated up like this before after this event took place. However, the love was still there, with the two often going off and on. It just happens to be one of the downfalls in a relationship when your girlfriend can fly.

Starfire is Much Taller than Robin

Robin might be the male in the relationship, but they don’t hold all the same tropes that are commonly found in traditional relationships. Starfire’s view might span farther than Robin’s, but not only because she can fly. She’s also considerably taller than the Boy Wonder in the comics. Canonically, she’s listed to be around 6’4, while Dick Grayson is around 5’9.

Hopefully, the Boy Wonder isn’t self-conscious. The difference in height is also not as noticeable when the two are together, as Starfire is regularly seen levitating or flying. It just so happens that most Tamaraneans are naturally taller than most humans, but Robin has managed to make up for his shortcomings in other areas.

Robin Has Dated Way More Than Starfire

Starfire may have well over a 100 years of life experience on Robin, but the Boy Wonder has been around the block a few more times when it comes to relationships. It may be safe to say that Dick Grayson has inherited his adoptive father’s playboy behavior when it came to women. While Grayson has been a bachelor all of his life, Starfire was married twice, and once only to solidify a peace treaty.

Robin, on the other hand, has quite the rogue’s gallery when it comes to girlfriends. He’s most notably dated Batgirl aka Barbara Gordon, but has had a number of flings which include Huntress aka Helena Bertinelli, the new Batwoman, and even his landlady at one point, just to name a few. In the show, Titans, we get an inside look to his dating life, as it was shown he had a short fling with the superhero Dove.