Young Justice: Outsiders finale retells Terra’s story with vast improvements

Young Justice delivers a phenomenal finale and finally breaks the Terra curse in one of the series’ best chapters yet.

Young Justice: Outsiders just wrapped up the fan-demanded third season, after spending 26 episodes returning to the DC series that has rightfully earned a cult following. The season managed to introduce an assortment of new characters, spending just the right amount of time telling several stories in one expansive narrative.

With the introduction of new heroes such as instant favorites Terra, Forager, Halo and GeoForce, the season found a unique balance of returning and maturing members as well as fresh storylines for new favorites in the DC universe.Young Justice: Outsiders has had a large focus on Markovia recently, and things finally came to a head in a refreshing spin on the standard story of both Markov siblings.

Typically, Terra has been depicted as a brainwashed or straight-up diabolical insider for Deathstroke, often ending with her unfortunate demise. In this new and excellent adaptation, Terra (real name is Tara Markov) has more to offer than what we’ve seen from her origin story countless times.

Instead of Terra having the upper hand and element of surprise, it turns out that many of the Young Justice members have been aware of her state of mind and hoped she could have the opportunity to choose her own path. As acknowledged by Artemis (who went through her own heavy scenes with an illusion of Wally), Terra has never been given any form of independence or support by anyone in her life.

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Where things particularly deviate is the fact that Terra has felt loved by her new family and finally closes the loop she’s lived in other stories by choosing comrades over her abuser.

As someone who has read or watched nearly every version of Terra’s existence in the DC universe, this is one of the most creative choices made and a reminder that Young Justice is consistently finding new ways to make the series even more iconic.

Establishing Terra as an actual member of the team after having worked with Deathstroke has yet to be explored in the DC realm, so it suggests that they are in uncharted territory with major potential for growth. While the Terra development is certainly one worth celebrating, this is part of a larger message that Young Justice is possibly DC’s strongest animated series (even including the films) in years.

As the end of the finale wrapped up, we were given a better look at the team, which now includes an expansive roster of heroes. From the series’ conception to this point there has been a transition that suggests Young Justice isn’t simply using the superhero formula to defeat daily villains, it’s a program that integrates the most important aspects of humanity and heroism into a group of individuals doing their very best to change the world.

In the very popular DC animated universe, they are known for the diverse and all-genre inclusion storytelling method, and Young Justice best represents that. If this has proven anything it’s that the power of a passionate fandom paired with an original take on a beloved world makes for a remarkable animated series, and we can’t wait to see where the journey takes us in season 4.

Young Justice seasons 1-3 are available to stream exclusively on DC Universe. Were you happy with the reinvention of Terra’s story? Would you like to see more of her in season 4? Let us know in the comments below!