Warning! SPOILERS for Titans season 3, episode 10 "Troubled Water."
While Wonder Girl has been a strong supporting presence on Titans thus far, the character's resurrection and inevitable return to Gotham in the season 3 episode "Troubled Water" has finally put a spotlight on just how important Donna Troy is to the series. Donna (Conor Leslie) was introduced in season 1 of the hit HBO Max series as the foster daughter of the iconic DC character Wonder Woman, having been taken in as a child after her father was killed in an apartment fire. She is a longtime friend of fellow orphan Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) and a founding member of the show's original Titans organization alongside Robin, Hawk, Dove, and Aqualad.
While the decision to kill off Donna wasn't exactly a popular one amongst the series' dedicated fanbase, it turns out her death ended up being exactly what her character needed. The newly minted Nightwing and the now-established Titans 2.0 have been busy fighting Red Hood and the Scarecrow in Gotham throughout season 3, but Rachel (aka Raven) has been on the island of Themyscira performing a ritual with the Amazons in an attempt to bring Donna back from the dead. In the episode "Souls" a dying Tim Drake (aka the future third Robin) visits a strange, black-and-white sort of purgatory, where he finds Donna on a train bound for the afterlife. The two link up with Hank to fight a bunch of ghouls that look like Dementors, find an upside down tree and eventually manage to cross a bridge that, presumably, takes them back to the land of the living.
Now fully resurrected at the start of season 3 episode 10, Donna is confronted by fellow Amazon warrior and mentor Lydia on the road back to Gotham. The two fight in some kind of pocket universe called the Training Grounds, as Lydia insists the young hero return to Themyscira so they can figure out exactly how and why she was brought back to life, as well as what kind of effects the process may have had on her. Donna claims that the woman always hated her because she was part human, but is shocked when an emotional Lydia insists that Donna's super hero dual citizenship is what actually makes her "the best of us", encouraging Wonder Girl to "rise" and become stronger as she continues the walk towards a broken Gotham city and an even more broken group of Titans in desperate need of saving.
Donna returning to the action with more confidence and purpose than ever before will hopefully lead to some great storytelling for her character as Titans season 3 draws to a close, and beyond. Since her introduction--and indeed, well before thanks to flashback episodes--she has been an important pillar of support for Dick Grayson. While Grayson is a reflection of the internally tormented, vengeance-seeking Batman, Donna represents the inspirational qualities of the lawful good Wonder Woman who raised her. Even after donning the Nightwing costume, the former Robin has struggled to maintain control of the Titans since the very beginning, and though his motives are usually pure, he makes the wrong decision more often than not.
As the people of Gotham riot against the very heroes protecting them, Titans could be setting up Donna to take over the reins as the true leader of the faction. Her cool and collected demeanor and the fact that she's by far the most emotionally and mentally mature member of the Titans could finally be the glue that keeps them together. They clearly need help, as after three seasons fans have yet to see the full ensemble in action. The move could allow Nightwing to focus on what he does best, leading the team in battle from a tactical point of view, further mirroring the roles Batman and Wonder Woman/Superman play in the Justice League. It's not certain exactly what lies ahead for the reborn Wonder Girl, but Lydia made it clear in their fight that her return from the afterlife is just "the first part of a larger journey".