Titans season 3 draws to a close with an action-packed, rain-soaked finale, but how does every storyline play out, and what does the future hold for Titans season 4? Every season of Titans thus far has felt distinct - almost isolated - from the last, and season 3 proved no different, relocating the action to Gotham City and focusing on Jason Todd's tragic transformation into the villainous Red Hood. Manipulated by a newly-freed Scarecrow, Todd helps Jonathan Crane bring Gotham to its knees, driving Batman out of town, turning the Titans into wanted criminals, and corrupting the GCPD into a personal army.
Gotham's situation looks spectacularly bleak heading into Titans season 3's finale. Thanks to Batman's infuriating habit of keeping every damn thing as a "trophy," Scarecrow plots to recreate the stunt he was going to pull before Batman and Robin got in the way. Nightwing and Red Hood have teamed up to stop him, but the odds are stacked against them, with Wonder Girl, Beast Boy and Raven dotted elsewhere across the city. Starfire and Superboy, meanwhile, are fighting over Blackfire, after Conner Kent refused to let his new girlfriend leave town.
Titled "Purple Rain" for reasons that soon become obvious, Titans season 3 resolves all its major storylines - Scarecrow's reign of terror, the future of the Titans supergroup, Red Hood's redemption, and Tim Drake's future as a masked vigilante. The finale even paves the way for Titans season 4 (recently confirmed at DC FanDome 2021) by teasing the introduction of a major Batman villain. Here's how the ending to Titans season 3 breaks down.
Scarecrow's Titans Season 3 Plan Explained
Piecing together a coherent plan from Scarecrow's actions throughout Titans season 3 is a one-way ticket to a headache. Suffice to say Jonathan Crane is a "wacky" guy prone to changing his mind at a moment's notice.
Earlier in Titans season 3, Scarecrow sought to poison Gotham City's water supply with an anti-fear toxin that gives the user a dangerous feeling of invincibility, and he succeeded by manipulating the Titans into cracking the pipe for him. In Titans season 3's finale, Scarecrow no longer wishes to drug the fine people of Gotham - he just wants them dead. The reason for Scarecrow's change of heart is twofold. On one hand, spreading anti-fear tore Dick Grayson's Titans apart and brought the GCPD under Scarecrow's sway, scything a clear path for his real goal of destroying the city altogether. On the other, Scarecrow has a point to prove against Batman. Crane's original agreement with Jason Todd was based entirely around revenge, and hearing Bruce Wayne's brutal psychological assessment on the Bat computer made Scarecrow determined to spite the Dark Knight by completing the very plan Batman once thwarted.
As for the mechanics of Scarecrow's scheme, the gas he stole from Gotham's armory (which Bruce Wayne kept "for science") is not anti-fear, nor Crane's traditional fear toxin, but simply poison which kills anyone unlucky enough to inhale it. Ten canisters are spread around the city and will be opened by explosives which, according to the Bat computer, are already primed in the opening sequence of Titans' season 3 finale. Scarecrow could've executed his plan straight away and the Titans would've been helpless to stop him, but in typical comic villain style, Crane wants to savor the moment and torment his enemies with a series of cryptic clues hidden inside W.H. Auden's poems. Predictably, this leads to his downfall.
ARGUS Has Been In Gotham City All Along
Titans season 3 introduced Karen Robinson as Vee - Barbara Gordon's take-no-nonsense assistant in the GCPD, and a loyal ally during Scarecrow's Gotham takeover. A no-nonsense assistant Vee may be, but Titans season 3's finale reveals she's not on GCPD payroll, as the audience (and Barbara herself) naturally assumed. Vee actually works for ARGUS, and possesses considerable hand-to-hand combat skills, as evidenced by the trio of knocked-out cops unfortunate enough to share an elevator ride with her. In DC comic lore, ARGUS (the Advanced Research Group Uniting Superhumans) is effectively DC's SHIELD and serves under Director Amanda Waller. The organization has made several DCEU movie appearances, and typically helps super-powered good guys beat up the bad ones while monitoring any potential threats.
In Titans, one of ARGUS' leading figures is Roy Harper, otherwise known as Green Arrow's sidekick, Speedy. Vee doesn't confirm what position Harper holds at ARGUS, and DC comics fail to explain Speedy's career change, but the archer is obviously already acquainted with Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon. Karen Robinson's character does explain that ARGUS has been operating in Gotham's shadows for some time. Vee was charged with keeping tabs on "super-activity" after Ra's al Ghul came to Gotham, and Titans' previous references to the villain suggest this happened several years prior to the show's timeline. ARGUS didn't occupy Gotham because of Scarecrow, but since they're already around, why not lend a hand?
Why Blackfire Forgives Superboy (& Their Titans Season 4 Future)
Titans season 3 has steadily built Superboy as a frustrated, sidelined member of the main group gradually tapping into his Lex Luthor half, and the transformation seemed complete when Conner deliberately destroyed Blackfire's ship, preventing her return to Tamaran. While Starfire reacts angrily at her brother-in-law's selfishness, however, Blackfire immediately forgives him. Komand'r being so lenient calls back to her tough upbringing. Rejected by her parents and her planet, Blackfire knows precisely what it feels like when loved ones keep running away, and remembers the desperate lengths she took to prevent that happening. Blackfire understands why Superboy is scared at the prospect of losing his most meaningful connection on Earth (sorry, Krypto!), and sympathizes, despite Conner's overly-extreme measures.
Superboy redeems himself by helping build a replica of Blackfire's ship that can escort her back home to Tamaran, and Blackfire returns the favor by starting work on breathing apparatus that would allow a half-Kryptonian to survive on her planet. Having come to an understanding, the future looks bright (pun very much intended) for Conner and Komand'r in Titans season 4, and it seems inevitable that the pair will reunite on Tamaran, which has thus far only been glimpsed in flashbacks.
Blackfire and Superboy emerging from Titans season 3's finale stronger than ever nixes any hint of Conner turning evil in the near future. Though it appeared Conner's frustration was building toward a dark turn, he's placid and content by the season's end, and even buries the hatchet with Dick over the whole "Kryptonite dust" incident.
How The Titans Stop Scarecrow
The Titans initially try decoding Scarecrow's poem clues to find the bombs before Crane's finger gets itchy... but Dick Grayson has a sudden epiphany and realizes that's what Scarecrow wants them to do. Though abrupt, this is long-awaited character development for Nightwing after he failed to predict Scarecrow's moves during the Titans' failed surrender. Changing strategy, Dick and Barbara plot a direct attack on the villain's capability to detonate. One team invades Crane's Wayne Manor HQ, while digital duties fall to Barb and Vee at the GCPD (the sequel to Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, probably).
ARGUS has the technical capacity to override Scarecrow's detonation system, but needs someone inside Wayne Manor to open the digital gate. Dick phones Jason Todd (this happens off-screen) and instructs him to keep Scarecrow's GCPD goons busy, while Beast Boy uses his new power of flight to breach Wayne Manor. All Gar needs to do is figure out Bruce Wayne's security question - "what is the name of the one that got away?" The answer is Selina Kyle, which confirms a hint from earlier in Titans season 3 that Catwoman and Bruce were romantically involved, but broke off the relationship. The password suggests Batman regrets that decision. Also interesting is how Tim Drake guesses the right answer, indicating that he not only figured out Batman and Robin's identities, but also Catwoman's. Somehow, he also knew she and the Caped Crusader were romantically involved. That's creepy, Tim...
The third strand of the Titans' plan involves drizzling the regenerative contents of Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus pit across the hundreds of dead corpses strewn across Gotham City but, despite Superboy's impressive whiteboard diagram, the science behind their solution is rough around the edges. Without getting too deep into the meteorological weeds, storms are created when warm air sits under cold air, then rises and cools. Using her unique brand of dark magic, Raven absorbs the equally dark and equally magic Lazarus pit goop, allowing Blackfire to evaporate the healing waters into a gas that her sister traps within a lightning cage. When Starfire pops her balloon above the Gotham skies, Superboy adds the final ingredient of frost breath to trigger a Lazarus rainfall.
To prevent Scarecrow terrorizing Gotham again, Rachel dumps the frightened dreams she absorbed from the Lazarus pit into Crane's mind. Titans season 3 previously explained how the pit saves the nightmares of those who enter, which is how Raven comes to possess them. Ironically, the master of instilling fear in others is now haunted by others' fears.
Jason Todd Is Redeemed (But Still Red Hood)
Red Hood has killed Hank, killed Nightwing (or might as well have done), and killed numerous innocent civilians in Titans season 3, including a mother whose child was kidnapped. That leaves an awfully long path toward redemption for Jason Todd, and while amends are made in the final episode, there's no going back to the Jason of old.
Jason Todd took a tentative first step by agreeing to help Nightwing defeat Scarecrow in Titans season 3's penultimate episode, but it's the finale where Jason truly proves his desire to be better. Fighting Scarecrow's GCPD henchmen inside Wayne Manor, Red Hood has the last goon at gunpoint, begging for mercy. Jason makes a split-second decision to use non-lethal force, where only a few episodes ago he'd have pulled the trigger without hesitation. This single act of mercy is a sure sign that Jason Todd's dark cloud is lifting.
Jason may be redeeming himself, but he's still not forgiven. When Dick offers Red Hood the opportunity to help bring Scarecrow in, Jason refuses, symbolizing how he's leaving the mantle of a superhero behind. Jason acknowledges that he no longer has the right to play the good guy, which is why he insists "I was never here." Instead, he'll continue to operate solo as Red Hood - a vigilante that fights for the side of justice, but uses the kind of violent tactics regular heroes would shy away from. Interestingly, Dick believes Red Hood won't hang around Gotham City, implying Curran Walters will join the San Francisco action in Titans season 4.
Tim Drake Will Be A Superhero (But Is It Robin?)
Whether it's the lack of gym time or his super-fan enthusiasm, no one has taken Tim Drake's superhero aspirations seriously in Titans season 3, with Donna Troy, Dick Grayson and the Drake family all treating Jay Lycurgo's character with kid gloves. Tim finally proves his doubters wrong in Titans season 3's finale, performing a spectacular flying kick on a corrupt GCPD cop and forcing Wonder Girl to raise an impressed eyebrow. Even Mr. and Mrs. Drake decide their son is destined for vigilante greatness, and they allow him to depart with Donna, Gar and Rachel. Their acceptance rapidly accelerates Tim's DC comic story, where his father only has a change of heart long after Drake becomes Batman's third official sidekick.
Tim Drake ends Titans season 3 by accepting Dick Grayson's offer of proper training, and this marks another change to the source material. Instead of learning the ropes under Bruce Wayne's Batman, he'll work with Dick Grayson's Nightwing, meaning Tim may not necessarily become Robin III. The Robin mantle isn't really Dick's to pass down, and after such a complicated history by Batman's side, would he even want to? Tim has both eyes set firmly on the green tights, but with his story continuing in San Francisco as opposed to Gotham City, Titans is completely altering Drake's path to becoming a superhero.
Bruce Wayne Returns To Gotham City - Is He Still Batman?
The last time Titans season 3 showed Iain Glen's Bruce Wayne, the veteran vigilante tried to take his own life, only to be narrowly saved by a recently-resurrected Wonder Girl. Returning to Gotham in the aftermath of Scarecrow's defeat, Bruce watches on with a twinkle in his eye as the city's people come together and his ex-Robins saving the day. Though not stated outright, it's suggested this is enough to renew Bruce's faith after a period of darkness. However, Titans doesn't reveal whether Bruce still plans to operate as Batman moving forward. Almost burning to death in his remote castle, Bruce couldn't see a path forward after realizing how badly he'd failed those closest to him. Though obviously recovered enough to return to Gotham, Bruce won't necessarily be returning to the streets until his mental state has greatly improved.
A reflective Bruce then makes amends with Dick, but it's his final conversation with Jason that carries most importance. Though Batman and Red Hood ultimately agree to go their separate ways, there's a mutual forgiveness between father and son. Bruce acknowledges his own responsibility for Jason's turn toward the dark side, while Jason appreciates how Bruce broke his biggest rule by killing Joker to avenge his deceased sidekick. This resolution eluded Jason in the DC comics. The former Robin desperately wanted Batman to kill Joker, but the Dark Knight refrained, causing a rift between them. In Titans, Bruce is happily to oblige, meaning he and Jason part ways on amicable terms.
Barbara Gordon & Dick Grayson Quietly Break Up (Paving The Way For Starfire)
Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon are a well-known couple in DC comics, and Titans season 3 flashbacks revealed the pair had a romantic history in live-action too. Spending more time together and busting bad guys like the old days, Dick and Barb rekindled their feelings around the episode 6/7 mark and had been growing steadily closer ever since, but Titans season 3's finale quietly separates them. Dick chooses to end his Gotham homecoming and re-relocate the Titans back to San Francisco, while Barbara Gordon will resume as Commissioner of the GCPD. Though there's no explicit break-up scene, their final conversation acts as quiet acknowledgement that their romantic reprisal has run its course. Dick can't convince Barbara to follow him, and Barbara is unable to convince Dick to stay. A melancholy "see you next time" is confirmation enough of their breakup.
Does this mean Dick and Starfire will reignite their embers in Titans season 4? Possibly. After a brief fling in season 1, the Dick-Kory romance fizzled out unspectacularly, and was never properly resolved before both parties moved on to different people. During his dip in the Lazarus pit, however, Dick envisioned himself as the father to a Black child (possibly Mar'i Grayson from Kingdom Come). Given how the entire scenario was a figment of his imagination, the scene strongly hinted that Grayson's feelings for Starfire burned still.
Fortunately, Barbara's ending isn't all doom and gloom. ARGUS believes the GCPD's Oracle system can be restored, but only the Commissioner herself will have the capacity to access its omniscient power. This brings Barbara Gordon closer to her Oracle alter ego from the DC comics. When Titans season 3's JARVIS clone first appeared, there was no real connection to Barbara other than the name, but if the Commissioner embraces the program and becomes its sole owner, taking it with her everywhere she goes, Barb could finally be called "Oracle."
The Titans Return To San Francisco - Each Member's Status
Titans season 3's finale makes updates to several characters' superpowers. Beast Boy learns how to surpass his pesky mental limit and access a bat transformation at any time, adding an extra string to Gar's shape-shifting bow ahead of Titans season 4. And since a CGI bat isn't as expensive as a tiger, viewers can expect this vampiric form to stick around. Wonder Girl, meanwhile, proudly reveals that she's now resistant to lightning, having been killed by the stuff back in Titans season 2. Though it's implied Donna gained this power due to her resurrection, Titans is really responding to the criticism surrounding Wonder Girls' ridiculous demise.
Dick Grayson decides returning to San Francisco's HQ in the best move, taking Titans season 4 back to the same location as season 2. He's joined by the core group of Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire, as well as newer additions Superboy, Krypto and Tim Drake. This gives us our lineup for Titans season 4. Despite coming back to life, it appears Wonder Girl will not be joining the team. She's tempted away by Vee, who sees a bright future for Donna in ARGUS following her successful mission against Shimmer (which happened way back in Titans season 2's premiere). This sets up a split in Titans' future, with Dick's group operating in San Francisco, and Donna helping out Barbara and ARGUS in Gotham City.
Blackfire chooses to return to Tamaran and lead her people, but departs on good terms with Conner, promising to see each other again further down the line. This ending leaves the door firmly ajar from Blackfire's return, and hints toward further exploration of the fire sisters' home planet.
Ra's Al Ghul Confirmed For Titans Season 4?
Ra's al Ghul doesn't physically appear in Titans' season 3 finale, but the episode as good as confirms the iconic villain for season 4. When Vee explains how ARGUS was drawn to Gotham due to Ra's, she also reveals the truth behind the Lazarus pit used to bring Jason Todd and Dick Grayson back to life. ARGUS believes the pit was deliberately placed as part of a future Ra's al Ghul plan, but this somewhat contradicts Scarecrow's explanation from earlier in the season. Crane described how Bruce Wayne shut down every Lazarus pit Ra's created, but accidentally missed one out. Either Ra's al Ghul got lucky due to Batman's incompetence, or he returned at a later date and secretly planted this final pit. Vee isn't sure what Ra's has in mind, but since Lazarus pits are how the villain rejuvenates after centuries of existence, he's likely intending to sneak into Gotham (either on the verge of death or already a corpse), then begin his next chapter in Batman's own back yard.
To heal those caught up in Scarecrow's gas attack, the Titans sprinkle Lazarus pit juice across the entire city, and this isn't going to sit well with Mr. al Ghul. Thanks to Dick Grayson and his fellow delinquents, the Lazarus pit has been drained, forcing Ra's to change his plans. Assuming Batman's wrinkliest villain finds another way to resurrect, Ra's al Ghul could be hunting Grayson and friends with a vengeance in Titans season 4 - and that could mean another Robin isn't far away.