When it comes to shows from my childhood, there are plenty that I recommend to people if they’re looking for a good cartoon with awesome themes.
Often, I’ll bring up one of my favorite rewatches, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Or, I’ll mention Phineas and Ferb and its endless amounts of fun. Sometimes, I’ll even mention the best SpongeBob Squarepants episodes because I stand by that show’s earlier seasons as great kids TV.
But there’s one show I haven’t really talked about on here that much, and that’s Teen Titans. No, I’m not talking about Teen Titans Go!; I’m talking about the OG Teen Titans that ran from 2003–2005. And I honestly forgot about this show.
Alright, well, maybe "forgot" is a big word, but this was a series that I really didn’t return to that much – until recently when I dived right back into it for fun and realized just how ahead of its time it was.
Before The Story, The Animation Is A Lot Of Fun
Honestly, we’re living in an animation renaissance right now. I feel as if movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse have really changed how we view animation as more than just a CGI rendering, and there’s so much color and depth added to it -- from shows like Arcane to newer movies that are testing out newer animation styles.
But when watching Teen Titans, the animation is pretty cool. Sure, it’s standard 2D animation, but it’s drawn in such a way that the characters feel so distinct from any other cartoon at the time. You knew someone was from Teen Titans instantly, and that’s something that I can appreciate.
The Themes Are Super Mature For A Cartoon
If we’re being honest, a lot of the new kids shows on the 2025 TV schedule just… don’t hit as much. Sure, there are shows like Bluey that genuinely teach outstanding life lessons, but I feel that very few nowadays have themes that both kids and parents could relate to.
Granted, I am not a parent yet, but I feel like I have watched enough children’s television in the last few years to at least have a mild opinion on it.
Teen Titans, however, does dive into super deep themes, both of which children, teens, and adults can relate to. For kids, it’s fun to watch superheroes, but these characters go through grief, loss, self-love and self-hate, learning how to become a better person, and so much more. Granted, it’s not delivered the same way a typical kids show would do it – it’s usually served with a side of butt-kicking, but it’s done very well.
The Characters Are Morally Flawed, And That’s Such A Good Thing For A Kid’s Show
The biggest thing that shows Teen Titans was ahead of its time is that literally every character in this world—maybe aside from Beast Boy—is morally flawed. They aren’t all the best people in the world and most certainly are not goody-two-shoes.
I think in every episode of Teen Titans, there’s something going on with these characters, and it feels like they have to make some huge, life-altering decision for someone, and the viewer could agree with it or not. They’re still seen as the good guys – because the bad people in this show are bad – but they aren’t a golden boy or girl.
They make mistakes, mess up often, and sometimes work for the wrong side, which is good for children’s TV.
Because at the end of the day, they return to the good. They fight through, learn a lesson, and always, always try to hold out for a better tomorrow. And that’s the kind of kids TV that we really need nowadays.
It’s honestly a shame that Teen Titans only lasted for five seasons when shows like SpongeBob and Teen Titans Go! have lasted for so many more. But maybe that’s the sign of a good series – you know when to close it out, like what Arcane’s co-creator did with its two-season structure.
But if you haven’t seen Teen Titans and you want to check it out, be sure to watch it. It’s seriously a great series – and one I would totally recommend to anyone who’s in need of something new!
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