Jason Todd

Character
Name:	Jason Peter Todd
Occupation:	Vigilante/antihero; villain/antivillain; crime lord; sidekick (formerly)
Relationships:	Bruce "Batman" Wayne (former legal guardian, former mentor and partner, parental figure); Batfamily (sometimes associates and family); Roy "Arsenal" Harper, Koriand'r/"Starfire", Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, and Bizarro (friend, partners, Outlaws); Willis Todd (birth father); Catherine Todd (step-mother, mother); Sheila Haywood (alleged birth mother, Post-Crisis)
Fandom:	DC Comics, Batman, Nightwing, Justice League, DC Universe Animated Original Movies, Batman: Arkham Knight, Titans (TV 2018), Injustice, Young Justice (TV series)
Other:	Jason Todd fanart by Huedmmi (2023)
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Jason Todd is a Batman character known as the second Robin and later as the modern Red Hood.

Originally created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, Batman's sidekick, Jason was ultimately killed off in the storyline 1988 A Death in the Family. Several years later, Jason returned as the murderous criminal Red Hood in the 2005 storyline Under the Hood; ever since he has remained active as a villain or antihero, in the comics and in various media adaptations.

The 2010 animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood was a catalyst for Jason's rise in popularity among the general public, as well as kick-starting a fresh following of newer fans. For a character whose death was voted on by fans, Jason has gone on to make high-profile appearances in various forms of media outside of comics, including television series and video games. His character as the reincarnated Red Hood has attracted a robust fanbase, and thus has become a fan favourite in the DC fandom.

In response to Jason's story, fan works often explore topics related to trauma, morals, and family dynamics. Although his characterisation in the fandom can vary widely due to contradictions and inconsistencies in different canon materials, the majority of fan works revolve around Jason's relationships with Bruce Wayne and the Batfamily.

Canon Overview

For more comprehensive overviews of Jason Todd's appearances throughout various media, see Wikipedia and Daily Jason Todd.

Main comics

Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths (1983-1987)

Jason Todd first appeared in Batman #357 (March 1983) created by Gerry Conway (writer) and Don Newton (artist). In his debut as his Pre-Crisis incarnation, Jason's origin story as an orphaned child acrobat was very similar to Dick Grayson's. Dick passed the mantle of Robin to Jason, who went on to have adventures as Batman's sidekick.

Post-Crisis (1987-2011)

An updated version of Jason Todd was reintroduced in Batman #408 (June 1987). Batman catches a young thief attempting to steal the tires on the Batmobile. This thief turned out to be one Jason Todd, a preteen orphan living on his own after his mother died and his father went to prison. Batman decided to adopt him as his son and new sidekick.

Robin was brutally murdered by Batman's archnemesis, the Joker, in A Death in the Family, a November 1988 storyline; this fate was decided by the results of an audience pay-per-vote phone poll. Batman would be intermittently haunted by his kid sidekick's violent death for years after.

Jason was resurrected and finally returned to comics in February 2005 as the gun-toting criminal mastermind Red Hood, the main antagonist of the "Under the Hood" storyline written by Judd Winick. This storyline was adapted into the 2010 animated movie Batman: Under the Red Hood, starring Jensen Ackles as the voice actor for Red Hood.

Under the pens of various writers, Red Hood continued to make scattered appearances in the DC universe as a villain and/or ally to the heroes.

New 52 (2011-2016)

With DC Comics' New 52 reboot in 2011, Jason was rebooted into a less antagonistic role within the Batfamily, serving as the Batfamily's bad boy antihero—a black sheep rather than a hostile defector. In addition to guest-starring as an ally in various Batfamily-associated titles, Red Hood headlined his own ongoing title, Red Hood and the Outlaws (2011-2015), in which he partnered with the New 52 versions of Arsenal (Roy Harper) and Starfire (Koriand'r) to form the Outlaws. The three main characters' new personalities and altered origin stories have been the subject of controversy.

DC Rebirth (2016-2021)

DC Rebirth restored many elements of the Post-Crisis timeline, such as Jason's origin story stealing tires off the Batmobile, to the approval of many fans.

In 2016, Red Hood and the Outlaws was rebooted into a new series starting at issue #1. The Rebirth incarnation of the Outlaws consists of Jason Todd as Red Hood, the Amazon warrior Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, and the rejected Superman clone Bizarro. This team is referred to as DC's "Dark Trinity" in parallel to the iconic "Trinity" of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. The team would stay together until being separated in Red Hood and the Outlaws #25 (2018). The series then changed direction in Red Hood: Outlaw (2018-2021), with the issues continuing the serial numbering of RHatO 2016. The series' final two issues, #51 and #52 written by Shawn Martinbrough, are simply titled Red Hood.

The Dark Trinity cast later went on to star in the separate continuity of the 2022-2023 Red Hood: Outlaws series on Webtoon.

Infinite Frontier (2021-)

• DC "Future State"
• Batman: Urban Legends
• Robins
• Task Force Z

DC Animated Universe (1997)

The DC Animated Universe (DCAU) incarnation of "Tim Drake"—Batman's second Robin, introduced in The New Batman Adventures (1997)—borrows heavily from Jason Todd comics. Plans to adapt A Death in the Family were abandoned, but some story elements were incorporated into the animated film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000).

In 2020, the Batman: The Adventures Continue tie-in comic introduced a new version of Jason Todd, retconned into existence as Bruce's former ward and the Robin preceding Tim.

Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)

The final installment of the Arkhamverse retroactively adds Jason Todd as the second and youngest to serve as Robin. The Arkhamverse combines elements from the comics and the DCAU in Jason's origin and ill-fated Robin stint. After being presumed dead, he makes a destructive return to Gotham City as the titular antagonist, the Arkham Knight. Jason is a playable character in the "Red Hood Story Pack" paid DLC.

Titans (2018)

Jason Todd made his live-action debut portrayed by actor Curran Walters in the 2018 television series Titans. He also cameos in the 2019 Arrowverse "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover.

Gotham Knights (2022 video game)

Red Hood is one of the playable protagonists of the 2022 video game Gotham Knights. He is a core member of the Batfamily, and his storyline focuses on his recovery from past trauma and reintegration into his new life.

Other notable appearances

Other stories have increased the character's popularity and influence in fandom.

• The Dark Knight Returns (1986) - This highly influential, best-selling miniseries was the first publication to kill off Jason Todd, as part of the backstory for a darker, grittier post-timeskip setting.
• Teen Titans (animated series) and Teen Titans Go! - Jason is briefly mentioned in Beast Boy's conspiracy theories concerning the secret identity of the second Red X. This humorous cameo adds fuel to fans' theories that Red X is Jason Todd.
• Injustice 2 (2017) as DLC - Red Hood appeared as a much-requested DLC playable character for the popular fighting game Injustice 2. In the dystopian setting of Injustice, Red Hood eschews the warring factions, and styles himself as a lone wolf fighting on behalf of the oppressed.
• Batman Ninja (2018)
• Young Justice: Outsiders and Young Justice: Phantoms (2019) - Though not outright confirmed, the Red-Hooded Ninja is widely agreed to be Earth-16's version of Jason Todd. This brief cameo fuels fans' speculations surrounding Jason, Talia al Ghul, and Damian Wayne.
• Batman: Wayne Family Adventures (2021) - Jason appears as a fan-favourite cast member, a core part of the Batfamily.

Reception and Discussion

1988 phone poll

A Death in the Family, recreated as a meme (created circa 2020)

Robin was a controversial character among fans. For the 1988 storyline A Death in the Family, DC comics ran a telephone poll to decide whether Robin should survive his encounter with the Joker or not. The publisher advertised two different 1-900 phone numbers—one for Robin's survival and one for Robin's death—charging fans $0.50 per call to vote for Robin's fate; the voting window was open for 35 hours in the United States and Canada, starting 9:00 A.M. EST on September 15, 1988. The vote was decided by a narrow margin of less than one percent—5343 votes in favor of killing the second Robin, out of a total 10614 votes cast.

Some fans legitimately disliked Jason Todd as a specific character; others wanted Batman to return to acting alone without the company of any child sidekick, as he did throughout the Bronze Age in the 1970s when the first Robin was written out of Batman stories. Some fans voted just to see if DC would really go through with the stunt of killing Batman's iconic sidekick, without any personal feelings about the specific character of Jason. Some casual fans were unaware of Robin being a legacy character, and were interested in seeing Dick Grayson die.

I was kid. I thought “it’d be funny and there is no way they’d actually kill him”. I cried for days and my parents made me switch from DC to marvel. It’s why I love Spider-Man. I was too young to see Gwen die but old enough to kill Jason.

thesagaconts

I voted to kill him off. Bats was developing with more darkness and insanity through the 80s and I felt this death would be a great catalyst for darker story lines. Also, never liked Robin as a character.

pepe74

I was in college. I voted to kill him because I found the Robin character (didn’t matter who) supremely annoying and I hated even looking at his dumb costume with the scaly shorts. Also, I wanted The Dark Knight’s continuity to “happen” and killing him would help that along. I’m of a completely different mindset now and wouldn’t vote that way today. I feel like there’s value in almost any character if they’re written & designed the right way. And I’m over the idea of killing a character (and in the case of DC especially, destroying entire planets) for the shock value.

NeroFurr69

Many comic readers also called to vote for Jason to live. Some believed Batman would need a Robin after all the loss that he suffered. Several fans were also intrigued by the potential conflicts that would play out if Jason could survive and confront either the Joker or Batman, or both.

I was. And I voted to keep him alive (which of course happened anyway). I did it because I knew that most people would vote for him to die and thought it would be more intriguing if he survived a near death experience. How he’d mentally and emotionally handle it.

PGB3711

I voted to keep him around. I always wondered how the conflict would play out, after Jason, who'd broken the rules in going after the Joker alone (mother aside) was confronted.

wjescott

I was 12 at the time and I loved him. A lot of fans, however, did not, which was reflected in the monthly letters to the editor. [...] I personally voted for him to live a 100 times, and my mom flipped when she saw the phone bill.

According to claim by then-editor Denny O'Neil, one fan may have used an automated phone system to spam the poll for Jason to die. These votes apparently exceeded the narrow margin needed to sway the poll.

Following soon after the maiming of Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl, in The Killing Joke earlier that same year, the death of Robin was a part of the American comic book industry's trend towards "grim and gritty" comics in the late 1980s, and A Death in the Family is remembered as one of the most shocking and sensational storylines of DC. O'Neil recounted feeling overwhelmed by the audience backlash and attention generated by the murder of Robin.

His loyal fans were outraged. "People accused me of perpetrating a Roman circus, of rigging the thing," says O'Neil. "Guys in the delicatessen would get angry with me." He recalls them pointing fingers, and still hears their echoing shouts: "There's the guy that killed Robin!"

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), a noted Bat-fan and scholar, denounced the episode as a "Roman gladiator-like readers vote." The trauma of Robin's death, Leahy said, "established the Dark Knight as a man driven by a dark soul."

To this day, O'Neil doesn't answer his phone for fear of complaints.

Hakim, Danny. "SOARING SIDEKICKS, BATMAN!!" The Washington Post. 1995-01-08.

“I voted 10 times to save Robin, and I’ve got the $5 phone bill to prove it,” said Robert Ingersoll, a 36-year-old assistant public defender in Cleveland. “If I had known the margin would be only 72 votes, I would have voted 73 more times.”

While conceding that Robin’s character lacked definition, Mr. Ingersoll called his violent death gratuitous, since there were other ways to banish the Boy Wonder, like sending him to live in Addis Ababa with his long-lost mother, Dr. Sheila Haywood.

“For the first time in my life,” Mr. Ingersoll added, “I’m ashamed to be a comics fan.”

Dullea, Georgia. "Holy Bomb Blast! The Real Robin Fights On!" The New York Times. 1988-11-10.

Reactions to the murder of Robin, and to the phone poll stunt that decided his fate, were mixed, but ultimately the growing audience remained strong, and the community consensus generally came to be that killing Robin was a bold and invigorating move that made way for a cooler, manlier Batman, and for a popular new Robin in Tim Drake.

It would be about 17 real-life years before Jason returned from death, an unusually lengthy absence for a Big Two comics character as significant as Robin.

Back from the dead

Red Hood/Winter Soldier team up. by CuriousIntent (2012)

Jason is famous for being a rare long-time exception to the Comic Book Death rule, remaining dead for about 17 real-life years after being killed by the Joker in 1988; a once-popular catchphrase was "The only ones who stay dead in comics are Jason Todd, Bucky Barnes, and Uncle Ben."

Jason's revamped image as Red Hood has sparked new and renewed interest in the character. While not as widely known as DC's A-listers (such as Batman, Supergirl, and Robin), Red Hood has broken out of obscurity even beyond the comics audience. His popularity rapidly grew in the 2010s, with high-profile appearances in adaptations such as the well-regarded 2010 Batman: Under the Red Hood animated movie—which also attracted the dedicated fan following of Jensen Ackles, the voice actor for Red Hood.

[CreekCo]
People felt bad about that 1-900 number affair so they've been trying to view him sympathetically ever since then. Plus, UtRH was such a great film that he now has a new generation of fans.

He also appeared as a central character in the 2015 video game Batman: Arkham Knight, and as a much-requested playable character in the DLC of the 2017 video game Injustice 2. Over the years, Jason has prompted various discussions regarding the transformation of his public perception—from the divisive Robin of the 1980s, to a very popular former Robin thirty years later. The rise of his popularity also invites analysis and commentary from fans, as exemplified in an exchange on r/RedHood in June 2022:

[rightbut]

How did Jason Todd become as popular as he is today to the general public and fan favorite?

Was it because of Arkham Knight?

[Dramatic_Insect36]
His death poll story actually became mythic outside of comicbook and even superhero fanbases

UTRH movie being one of the best if not THE best of DC animated movies. Arkham Knight is probably a big part of it too, but the movie is better.

[...]

A lot of people can empathize with the being kicked out of the family for moral reasons plotline. Whether it is lgbtq+ people getting kicked out by their super religious parents, or families breaking apart due to politics (particularly common in 2016 and 2020)

[The_Queerest_Punk]
A–f*cking–men. I vaguely remember watching UtRH a year or two after it came out, but my poor naive self just thought 'meh,' and was more into Bruce and Dick at the time. Fast forward to last year, I'm well equipped with mental problems and very much radicalized, and I took another look at Jason Peter Todd and was just like... hello.

(The only thing I'd add to your list, imo, is enjoyment of Jason's delightful stance on how to deal with certain types of people who are the lowest of the low in society)

[Lucario2405]
I wouldn't discount Arkham Knight, his mythical status as "the Robin who died" or later comic runs like RHatO Rebirth having contributed to Red Hood's popularity (to say nothing of the Bat-Fam tumblr fandom), but I think his enduring prominence can mostly be attributed to his (re-)debut - the story, his characterization & character dynamics and of cause that immediately iconic design - being so good that fans stuck with the character, even though DC hasn't really known what to do with him for over a decade.

In 2018, a promotional campaign for the DC series Titans, which starred the first live-action Jason Todd, set up a mock live-or-die fan poll as a reference to the original 1988 poll. Voters on both sides counted Jason fans among their ranks—Team Live wanted to spare Jason the pain of a cruel death, while Team Die wanted to enjoy Jason's Red Hood storyline. Ultimately, fans voted overwhelmingly for Jason's survival.

In 2020, the official DC website hosted a poll for fans to select one of 12 contestants for for the Sexiest Man in the DC Universe, after disqualifying Nightwing; Jason won.

Due to the importance of his death in the Batman mythos and the notable amount of real-life time in which the character remained dead, Jason's death has been the focal point of his character as the Red Hood in both canon and fan works, while other comics characters' deaths have been downplayed or retconned by reboots. "No Beta We Die Like Jason Todd", a variant of No Beta We Die Like Men, is a common Archive of Our Own tag that fan authors use to indicate that their Bat family fic has not been beta read.

Inconsistent characterisation

Jason had too much coffee this morning by shelleysupergirl (2010-06-23) - Red Hood as he appears in a brief arc of Batman and Robin Vol 1

There is discussion and debate in the fan community concerning what the true core of Jason Todd’s character is, and what it should be.

Was he a good Robin or a bad egg? Is he a killer with a code or a murderous maniac? Is he a gun-toting badass, a poor little meow meow, or wangsty garbage? Is he the ungrateful problem child who has betrayed his benefactor, or a mistreated son with legitimate grievances?

The thing about Jason is that he pushes “comic characters are inconsistent” to the absolute extreme.

[...]

Forbidding drug dealers to approach children in Under the Hood but shooting Damian in Battle for the Cowl are both Jason Todd. Beating the shit out of Tim in Teen Titans but actively seeking to partner up with him in Robin are both Jason Todd. Crushing on, admiring, loving Donna in The New Teen Titans but destroying her memorial in TT are both Jason Todd. Being a grand tactician under Winick and a “brute with guns” under Nicieza. Being a bright, thoughtful, compassionate kid pre-Starlin and a relentless, harsh, unforgiving one who jumps to conclusions and makes unthought[ful] accusations later on.

[...]

What I find “cool about Jason” are selected canon elements here and there that I’ve picked to build my own patchwork of the character.

bat-lings

The inconsistency of Jason's characterisation is a common issue for Big Two comic characters in general, as it is a usual dilemma when you have multiple writers. Some comic fans consider it an advantage, allowing different takes that appeal to different readers.

I mean, how consistent has his characterization ever been between writers. Lobdell was writing him for a while, and that helped, but even when Lobdell was writing, Tynion would still do his own take in team up books, for example.

Most characters have inconsistent characterizations in comics. Heck, the same week over this last summer, tfz and Robin had new issues. In those issues, Bruce told Jason that he could not let any criminal walk away, not even his son. Then, in Robin, Bruce let Talia walk away because Damian said pretty, please. It's a constant when you have multiple writers.

Budget_Difficulty822

DC makes it super hard to keep track of what's part of the main continuity, so my default answer [favorite versions of Jason] would have to be WFA!Jason - he's happy, Alive, and giving Bruce shit (Ep 4, Alert, and Ep 34, Recovery, are immediate cheer-ups).

I am cautiously optimistic about Young Justice!Jason, since they've set him up in that League Assassin role with Talia and Damian. I'm hoping they'll somehow work a Titans Tower confrontation into it. Make use of your Tim, Young Justice! You didn't even let him be a founding member, the least you could do is let him get brutalised for Jason's return.

Also, it's not canon-canon, but for the Teen Titans TV show, I firmly believe the second Red X is Jason Todd. Especially after the street race episode, where they ended up fairly amicable by the end.

comment on FFA

Meme of Red Hood and Batman arguing over ethics of killing by batmanvillainswithcircularheads (2016)

Batman, Batfamily and Red Hood

In fan discussion regarding Batman’s no-kill rule, Red Hood is often at the forefront. Jason, or specifically Jason's death, is regarded by many fans as Batman's greatest failure.

Jason Todd, no matter how much character development he goes through. Will always be a reminder of Batman's greatest failure, he was a child who was killed in action during Batman's war on crime.

Hcemid1976

Some feel that Red Hood should present nuanced moral conflict with Batman and the status quo. Others argue that Jason's villainous actions in Post-Crisis should be addressed, necessitating that he either redeems himself to fit in among the other heroes, or leans into a more unsympathetic bad guy role. Still others believe that certain storylines were OOC in the first place, and fans have the right to selectively ignore storylines as they do with other comics characters.

In addition, many fans raise the issue that Jason should be redeemed and come to accept Batman's more restrictive ethics regarding the use of violence; conversely, the idea that Red Hood's utilitarianism is irreconcilable with Batman's deontological ethics is also widely popular.

I like Jason being Batfam but I don’t like how DC has done it if DC actually gave Jason a proper redemption & reconciliation arc I wouldn’t mind him being Batfam instead of you know them not putting in the work & trying to reap the rewards.

our-happygirl500-fan

The whole appeal of Jason/Red Hood is that he rejects Batman's way of doing things. He's the black sheep of the family and crosses lines that the rest of them can't. Why can't some writers just get that through their skulls? Even Lobdell, bad as he was, still knew enough about the character to portray how at odds he is with Bruce and the Bat family. I hate it when they bring him along for these rides where he doesn't do anything important but temporarily forgets what makes him Jason in the first place.

Comment on Fireden Archive

Fanon and Tropes

As one of the fans' favourite DC characters, over the years Jason has given rise to several different fanon and tropes, some of which are widely agreed upon by fans, and subsequently become common features of his characterisation in fanwork.

Batfamily reconciliation focus

Canon v Fanon by oumu-omu (2023)

Jason rejoining the Batfamily, often in the form of a "reconciliation fic", is a standard fanfiction plot. They hash things out, redress old grievances, and draw up new boundaries for their behavior going forward. Compromises regarding their incompatible policies on violence must be made—on one extreme Jason forswears killing entirely and submits to the family's moral line, and at the other less frequent extreme, Team Batman accepts Red Hood using lethal methods.

Alternatively, many Batfamily fan works take place in a standard nebulous continuity in which the entire Wayne household is already comfortably established as one big happy family, without delving into how they came to be that way in the first place. (Comparisons may be drawn to the established Domestic Avengers teamfics popular in the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom.) These fan works often give the impression that Jason incrementally transitioned back into Team Batman through sustained amicable behavior and unspoken mutual agreement, rather than through a direct armistice (as would usually be found in a focused reconciliation fic). Jason is simply the wacky, rebellious second-oldest big brother, and his family members treat him as though he always has been.

Also popular are the plentiful and varied canon divergence AUs in which Jason, as Red Hood or otherwise, reveals himself as alive to his family under different circumstances than in canon, often making use of secret identity tension. In other divergence AUs, the events of Under the Hood occur, but Jason's relationship with the Batfamily diverges from canon shortly thereafter.

On AO3, fanwork which touches on Jason's reconciliation with Batfamily is often tagged Jason Todd is a Batfamily Member, or in some other cases, Batfamily & Jason Todd Reunion.

However, not all fans have their hearts set on Batfamily reconciliation plot. Several fans, including those who favour an eventual Batfamily reconciliation, agree that the rift between Jason and the Batfamily could use some thorough addressing.

[mastascullian]

listen, i love red hood reconciliation fics as much as the next guy but jason “the weird murder brother who has an actual criminal empire, deletes people regularly and visits the manor once a month only to call bruce old and steal shit he could get by asking” todd holds a special place in my heart

[thequiver]
[...]Jason Todd’s narrative is inherently one about trauma changing someone and then dealing with those around them asking why they can’t be like they were before, or why they can’t show their trauma in a different way. And I’ve been thinking a lot this morning about how the way that the comics and fandom keep focusing Jason’s trauma around how it affects others is pushing the concept and trend where trauma is only consumable when it’s made soft and sad and easy to comfort. People don’t want to see trauma that inspires anger, or trauma that doesn’t come packaged in a neat little box that’s perfect for hurt/comfort. They want traumatized individuals to “move on” by going back to who they were before instead of taking their trauma in stride and changing with their circumstances.

And that’s why I’m so opposed to Jason rejoining the Batfamily- because to do so means going backwards and becoming who they thought he was and who they think he should be rather than moving forward as part of his complete story.

Bad boy persona

Fanon Jason smokes cigarettes habitually, drinks heavily, and makes liberal use of obscenities. He is a rebellious, foul-mouthed, leather-wearing hunk with a hidden heart of gold. Sometimes this characterisation veers into full-blown Dark Fuck Prince territory, being a philandering possessive hyperaggressive macho boyfriend who dominates his willowy love interest (often an original female character or self-insert, a reader-insert, or a feminized male character).

In the 14 issues that make Under the Hood, there are about a dozen censored curses total, but none from Jason. There’s one or two in his brief appearance in Outsiders, also none from him. None from anyone at all in Battle for the Cowl. I got tired of rereading a bunch of dialogue, but off the top of my head? I can’t remember Jason getting censored.

So no he definitely does not swear constantly, and is often spouting of joking “goodness gracious” type “curses” while those around him lose their shit. But it’s not unreasonable to headcanon he does swear sometimes, considering the inherent limits of the comic medium.

Fandom interpretations of Jason as hypermasculine and oozing sexual confidence never sat well with me - this is a guy who has probably never been on a real date, grew up around prostitutes, has intimacy issues up to the shutters and a history of distant male figures/invested female ones that led to him latching onto any mother figure he could find. Tim has leagues more romantic mileage than Jason does and it shows.

Some fans have criticized the parts of the "bad boy" persona fanon as being influenced by classist stereotypes.

Speculation of childhood sexual abuse

In fan circles, there has been much discussion and speculation about Jason having experienced childhood sexual abuse. Some readers argue that the idea of Jason having been the target of sexual violence, possibly including child prostitution, is intentional subtext in the comics. However many fans consider it a headcanon, albeit one with a fair amount of textual support, and some have expressed concern that fandom ought to treat this sensitive issue with more research and respect.

That being said, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it is canon, and I think it would be a disservice to men in general to assume that Jason could only behave this way if he was personally victimized. This could easily be explained by Jason witnessing someone else close to him get sexually abused (such as his mother, who was addicted to drugs), or just feeling strongly that it was wrong without any personal experience.

comic-commentary

As of this writing, Jason Todd is the single most-tagged character in the "Underage Prostitution" and "Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution" tags on AO3, across all fandoms.

Other Common Tropes and Fanon in Fanworks

"jason at the beach eating a watermelons" by mammutblog (2023), an example of fan art in which Jason has a white streak in his hair and an autopsy scar across his torso

• Trauma - Fan works frequently address Jason's history of psychological and physical trauma.

• Stress triggers and phobias: In fanon, Jason has certain stress triggers, such as: intense claustrophobia and taphophobia caused by being buried alive and clawing out of his own grave; fear of hypodermic needles and addictive substances due to his mother's death by overdose (speculated by many fans to have been heroin). As of this writing, Jason Todd is the single most-tagged character in the "Buried Alive" tag on AO3, across all fandoms.
• Lazarus Pit side effects: Due to his use of the Lazarus Pit, during periods of stress Jason suffers from fanon-created long-term "Lazarus Pit side effects", including episodes of green-tinted vision, violent rage, terrifying nightmares, and/or intense headaches. On the other hand, he may have gained certain physical advantages, such as enhanced strength, erasure of scars and malnutrition, and/or accelerated healing (occasionally to the extreme of immortality and eternal youth). He also often gets a streak of white hair and glowing green eyes. Sometimes his encounter with death and resurrection leaves him with a certain affinity for various supernatural phenomena. On AO3, fanwork which touches on Jason's experience of Lazarus Pit side effects is often found under the tag Lazarus Pit Mad Jason Todd

• Scars and distinctive markings - Fans have invented scars and markings to serve as reminders of Jason's death and resurrection, and also to help to visually differentiate him from the other dark-haired men of the Batfamily. Of particular prevalence are the white streak in his hair caused by the magic of the Lazarus Pit, and the autopsy scar across his torso. Jason's white streak originates from a few very minor appearances in canon, but its near-ubiquitous presence in years of fan works likely prompted DC to officially standardize it in the 2020s.

• Man of Culture: Jason is often considered to be academically high-achieving and a literature aficionado. This facet of Jason has a canonical precedent, but may be more emphasized, exaggerated, and consistently portrayed in fanworks.

• Cooking: Fanon Jason is particularly skilled in the culinary arts.

• Socioeconomic class and Crime Alley: Fic writers have used Jason's unique background to touch upon class issues and poverty in Gotham City. Jason identifies with Gotham's poor and disenfranchised, having spent most of his formative years living impoverished in Crime Alley, contrasting with most of the Batfamily. Because of this, fanon Jason tends to claim his home neighborhood, Crime Alley—and very often, additionally the Bowery and the Narrows—as his designated vigilante patrol "territory". His firsthand experiences give him insider knowledge of the local community and allow him to connect with the residents.

• Age: There is some debate about Jason's ages in canon and fanon, especially relative to the ages of the other Batkids, and how his age factors into his maturity level; see also: Jason Todd's canon ages, with sources (18 Feb 2022)

"hashtag blessed hashtag i met wonder woman and i thought i died (again) hashtag internal screaming and im in tears" by askhungryeren (2017)

• Friendships with female characters: Some fans speculate that Jason tends to be more trusting of women based on his canon connections with certain female characters. In fanon, this extends to ⁠Jason being more open and cooperative in his interactions with Selina Kyle, Stephanie Brown, Marinette Dupain-Cheng (see Maribat), and other female characters—as well as Jason being a fanboy for Wonder Woman. Fanon Jason often owns Wonder Woman-themed possessions such as casual apparel and coffee mugs bearing her insignia; this popular fanon has notably spread into Batman: Wayne Family Adventures.

• Racebending: In canon, Jason is depicted and likely considered to be white. Some popular fanon racebends Jason into being Latino; the reasons underlying why Latino specifically has been the subject of scrutiny, with some fans suspecting that Jason's background of poverty and gun violence associates him with racist stereotypes of "Latino gangsters". Others also criticize token fanon depictions of monolithic Spanish-speaking "Latino" culture, without specifically depicting the nuances of different heritages under the "Latino" umbrella (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, Chilean, etc). Such criticism tends to also focus on fan depictions of the canonically white Tim Drake as a generically "Asian" model minority.

• Some fans point to the multi-ethnic candidates for Jason's long-lost birth mother as evidence that Jason has an ethnically ambiguous or mixed-race appearance.

• Nicknames: Based on his habit of referring to people by nicknames in canon, fanon Jason is often written as frequently using fanon-created nicknames for Batfamily members, such as "goldie", "Replacement", and "Blondie".

Relationships

Gen relationships

As with other Batfamily members, there is a large corpus of gen fan fiction focusing on Jason's relationships with his family and friends, both canon and fanon.

• Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
• Jason Todd & Dick Grayson
• Jason Todd & Alfred Pennyworth
• Jason Todd & Eddie Bloomberg
• Jason Todd & Barbara Gordon
• Jason Todd & Talia al Ghul
• Jason Todd & Damian Wayne
• Jason Todd & Donna Troy & Kyle Rayner (Challengers from Beyond)
• Jason Todd & Kori'andr & Roy Harper
• Jason Todd & Artemis of Bana-Mighdall & Bizarro (Dark Trinity)
• Jason Todd & Tim Drake
• Jason Todd & Stephanie Brown
• Jason Todd & Cassandra Cain
• Jason Todd & Duke Thomas
• Jason Todd & Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Pairings

While Jason has briefly been romantically connected to a few different love interests in various canons, unlike other high-profile DC characters, he hasn't had any famous or long-lasting romances (e.g. BatCat for Bruce, DickBabs and DickKori for Dick), and his love life has not been as active compared to Bruce, Dick, and Tim. As of this writing, his most recurring love interest has been the hero Rose "Ravager" Wilson.

Shipping Jason romantically with Bruce Wayne or any of Bruce Wayne's other children is considered Batcest. Some Batcest pairings, such as DickJay, have popular followings, but many Bat family fans oppose and avoid any and all Batcest pairings.

• Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne (BruJay) appears but the gen pairing of these two is much more popular.
• Jason Todd/Dick Grayson (DickJay) is the most popular slash pairing for Jason on AO3.
• Jason Todd/Roy Harper (JayRoy) is a pairing that arose from Red Hood and the Outlaws (2011)
• Jason Todd/Tim Drake (JayTim)
• Jason Todd/Roy Harper/Koriand'r (Joyfire) is a rare ship, originating from RHatO
• Jason Todd/Kara Zor-El (JayKara)
• Jason Todd/Kyle Rayner (JayKyle)
• Jason Todd/Stephanie Brown (JaySteph or Stay)
• Jason Todd/Rose Wilson (JayRose)
• Jason Todd/Artemis of Bana-Mighdall (Jaytemis)

Example fanworks

Fan art

• jason todd^WBM by earpom (2012)
• Jason's Safe House^WBM by kata-009 (2012)
• Red Bird^{Google Cache} by SabreBash (2016)
• doodles^WBM by neukgol (2018)
• Red Hood^WBM by grossularlilium (2019)
• cursed Jason Todd image^WBM by maple_DC (2019)
• doodles^WBM by stariver00 (2019)
• #Jasontodd #redhood^{Archived from the original} by uNI1APNvDfaQ0ES (2020)
• Jason and Jason’s rivalry^WBM by 13th-wheel (2021)
• Flowers and knives by me0nji (2021)
• Life and Death^WBM by mw-house (2022)
• Jason!^Instagram by mochidayo_/kaiju-dayo (2022)
• fanart of jason todd >:D by piratinh0 (2022)

Example Art Gallery

• 

  art by nemurino (circa 2010)

• 

  The Boy Wonder: Rebirth by whffu (2013-08-28)

• 

  A little trashy with a lot of love by runmonsterun (2014-02-10)

• 

  art by moaniecat (2016-05-29)

• 

  art by m-alejandrita (2017-03-01)

• 

  Trolley dilemma in Gotham by mw-house (2020-09-22)

• 

  Batober Day 3: Watching by gn1450 (2021-10-03)

• 

  art by chipss-chips/pez-con-peluca (2023-05-13)

Fan fiction

"The Hollow Man" ^{AO3 WBM archive} by sister_wolfFandom: Batman (comics)Date: 2005-05-22Length: 3412 wordsStatus: CompleteGenre: Supernatural horror

He didn't even know that it existed until it showed up in Gotham one night, this-- this thing that's wearing Jason's body like a costume. But not his body as it was when he died-- older, no scars, no marks at all. How is that even possible?

(Or, the one where Red Hood meets the ghost of his fifteen-year-old self.)

"Someone That Hates To See Me Go" ^{AO3 WBM archive} by AutumnHobbitFandom: Batman (franchise)Date: 2016-09-22Length: 9125 words, oneshotStatus: CompleteGenre: Family, Hurt/Comfort, Whump

Batfamily:don't die
Jason:I'll dO WHAT I WANT
_____

Or, how Jason realizes his family wants him to live, and how he realizes he does, too.

"this gun needs no bullets" ^{AO3 WBM archive} by sacrrFandom: Batman: Arkham KnightDate: 2017-02-10Length: 6818 words, oneshotStatus: CompleteGenre: Coming of age, Drama

A true Knight is made, not born.

Or: the story of Jason Todd.

"the city carries ruins in its heart" ^{AO3 WBM archive} by nex_et_noxDate: 2017-11-23Length: 4676 words, oneshotStatus: Complete

Jim Gordon's evolving perspective on Red Hood.

Two Dead Birds ^{AO3 WBM archive} by InsaneTrollLogicFandom: Batman (comics)Date: 2017-12-16–2018-02-26Length: 29030 words, 15 chaptersStatus: CompleteGenre: Thriller

There's some lunatic in a red helmet running through Jason's territory. He wants to think it's a copy cat.

He's wrong.

Peggy Sue fic changing the events of Under the Hood and Teen Titans vol. 3 #29. Alternate reunion, redemption.

"Six of Swords" ^{AO3 WBM archive} by campitorFandom: DC Comics, Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010 movie)Date: 2022-02-11Length: 6945 words, oneshotStatus: CompleteGenre: Angst

Six vignettes detailing the birth of the Red Hood and the deaths of sons, from UTH to Lost Days.

• Jason Todd: The Not-So-Outlaw by GoAwayOlivia, Jason Todd isn't what Batman made him, he isn't what the Joker made him, he isn't what the League of Assassins made him, and he isn't what the Lazarus Pit made him. He's his own person and he's taking himself back, one home renovation at a time. Also he might just make friends with the people who are supposed to be his brothers while he's at it. (2016-2017)

• Batman: Arkham Compendium by LananiA3O, A somewhat loose collection of stories set in the Arkham canon, detailing events before, between and beyond Batman: Arkham Origins/Asylum/City/Knight and their DLC. (2016-2018)
• "Big Brother Hood" by orphan_account, Jason did what should have been done a long time ago, make sure that the kids on the street were taken care of and given a chance for a better future. And since no one else was going to to do it might as will be a former Street kid. He just wished the Bats didn't have to find out. (2018, incomplete and orphaned)

Curated reccommendations

• Jason Todd Fic Rec Masterpost^WBM by phantomchick (2018)

• Fan fiction recs^WBM by thecruellestmonth (2022-2023)

Meta

• "A lot like Robin if you close your eyes": Displacement of meaning in the Post-Modern Age by Mary Borsellino (2006)
• Who’s to blame? How Jason Todd is blamed for his own demise Part 1^WBM and Part 2^WBM by fuckyeahjasontodd and underthesycamoretrees (November 2010)
• Re: "I’d like to know how YOU see Jason Todd." - This is a tl;dr mess of feelings and introspection, and I don’t expect everyone to agree with it.^{Archived from the original} by quipquipquip (2012)
• "Living Dead Boy: Jason Todd vs. The Culture That Killed (And Resurrected) Him"^WBM on Women Write About Comics (May 2016)
• “Be Of Knightly Countenance”: Masculine Violence And Managing Affect In Late Medieval Alliterative Poetry And Batman: Under The Red Hood^WBM by Lisa D. Camp (2018)
• The thing about Jason is that he pushes “comic characters are inconsistent” to the absolute extreme...^archive.ph by bat-lings (March 2019)
• A Death in the Family, or: How DC Comics Let a Phone Vote Kill Robin.^WBM on /r/HobbyDrama (August 2020)
• Batman: Urban Legends, Cheer^archived.ph by scandalsavagefanfic (May 2021)
• 3 Common Misconceptions About Jason Todd + 3 More Common Misconceptions about Jason Todd (Robin, Red Robin & Red Hood) + 3 Common Misconceptions About Jason Todd & Cassandra Cain (& The act of Killing): short videos by Xel Writer (2021-2022)

Events and challenges

• Jason Todd Birthday Week
• Omega Jason Todd Week

Links related to fan activity

Fan archives and communities

• One-Nine-Hundred, fic archive for Jason, Stephanie, & DCAU/Timmverse Tim
• agoodsoldier,^{Archived from the original} a Jason Todd community on LiveJournal
• Jason Todd at Archive of Our Own
• At FanFiction.Net:
  • Jason T./Red Hood character filter in the Batman category
    • All Things Jason Todd Related community
  • Red Hood/Jason T. character filter in the Batman: Arkham Asylum category
  • Jason Todd character filter in the Batman: Under the Red Hood category
  • Jason T./Robin II character filter in the Teen Titans category
  • Jason T./Red Hood character filter in the Nightwing category
  • Jason T./Red Hood character filter in the Justice League category
  • Jason T./Robin II character filter in the Young Justice category
• DeviantArt: JasonTodd-FC, UnderTheRedHood
• Jason Todd: Robin → Red Hood Appreciation 2023 thread at Comic Book Resources
• r/RedHood on Reddit

Tumblr blogs

• EvenRobins.net and EvenRobins on Tumblr,^archived dedicated to Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown, and DCAU/Timmverse Tim Drake
• fuckyeahjasontodd^archived
• Daily Jason Todd^archived
• Who the Fuck Is Jason Todd
• Who the Fuck Is Jason Peter Todd
• thecruellestmonth^WBM
• The Unavenged^Archived
• whathteythinkofjasontodd - Jason died. And then the opinions came in. - A blog dedicated to cataloguing what the Batfam thinks of Jason after his death. Not always in chronological order.

Resources

• Jason Todd at DC Database
• Jason Todd at Wikipedia
• Jason Todd essential media crash course at r/RedHood
• Jason Todd media list^archived by Daily Jason Todd
• Jason Todd Reading Order^archived by Carole at Comic Book Treasury
• "The Lives and Deaths of Sidekicks - Judd Winick"^{Archived from the original} May 2010 interview conducted by Mary Borsellino
• “72 Votes: Theorizing the Scapegoat Sidekick in Batman: A Death in the Family” by Kwasu Tembo, essay collected in The Detective’s Companion in Crime Fiction: A Study in Sidekicks
• Jason Todd at Titans Wiki (TV)
• Jason Todd at Batman Wiki
• Jason Todd at Young Justice Wiki
• Jason Todd at Batman: Arkham Wiki
• Jason Todd at Villains Wiki

References

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