One of the many theories surrounding Red X’s identity in Teen Titans is that he is the second Robin, Jason Todd. Teen Titans is a childhood classic that introduces young audiences to the greater world of sidekicks and teen superheroes in DC’s roster. Artistically known for its anime-like character designs and animation style, the series has compelling stories, many of which are inspired by its comic origins. Its impact is so great that some storylines and characters in Teen Titans have made their way to the greater mainstream comics, such as the original characters Más y Menos.
Red X is another one of the characters from the television series to later appear in the comics. Initially, Red X is an alias used by Robin in season 1 to lure Slade into trusting him. When the plan falls apart, Slade sees right through him. The rest of the Titans find out who the man is behind the mask, and Robin abandons the suit and locks it away. Later in season 3, Red X becomes his own character, a mysterious figure who steals the suit from its hiding place. This new version of Red X is a thief with anti-hero tendencies.
There are many theories surrounding Red X’s identity. In the show, aside from suggesting that Jason is Red X, Beast Boy theorizes he could be the future Robin who now goes by Nightwing. He also suggests that Red X could be Robin’s evil twin or a bionic monkey. Other popular fan theories include Grant Wilson, Slade’s son, as the man behind the new version of Red X. However, by far the most discussed theory to date is that Red X is Jason, as there are a lot of similarities between the two characters that are hard to ignore.
For one, both Jason and Red X are thieves. While Jason’s Robin origin story is everchanging, as with most comic characters, there is one version that does stick out more than the others. He is known as the kid who attempted to steal from the Batmobile. Meanwhile, one of Red X’s signature characterizations is his thievery. In every episode he’s in, Red X is stealing something, even when Robin still donned the mask. In his re-debut episode “X,” he rightfully tells Robin, “Not everyone likes to play the big villain, kid. I’m a thief. I’m not threatening your precious city, just looking out for number one.” Aside from thievery, both characters share anti-hero tendencies. While Jason goes through extreme and criminal methods to do what he thinks needs to be done, Red X claims that while he’s no hero, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to play the role of one. Their personalities are similar in respect to their wit, including their incessant nicknaming of other people and plentiful sarcasm. This further strengthens the theory of Jason as Red X.
There are several arguments against this theory. For one, the new version of Red X debuted before Red Hood, which means Red X can’t be inspired by Jason as Red Hood. That being said, there’s an argument to be made about Red X influencing Red Hood, as the latter moniker comes about five months after the initial release of “X.” The Teen Titans timeline also throws a wrench in several things as Red X acts a little bit older than Jason’s assumed age in-universe. If one believes that each season of the show is equivalent to a year, Jason as Red X makes a little more sense as several years would have passed since Dick Grayson’s Robin left Batman. All told, it makes sense some viewers are convinced Red X is actually Jason Todd.
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