Red Hood‘s death was a major traumatic event for the Bat-Family, and one thing that makes it even more traumatic is the fact that Raven from the Teen Titans saw it coming. Raven was one of several people who predicted that Jason Todd would meet his end but were unable to stop the inevitable.
After Jason returned from the dead as the Red Hood, he had a major issue with Tim Drake, who replaced him as Robin after his death. In 2005’s Teen Titans #29 by Geoff Johns and Tony S. Daniel, Jason decides to see if Tim is worth wearing the mantle. To do this, Jason sneaks into Titans Tower, disabling every Titan along the way, so he can face Tim alone.
As Jason is taking down the Titans, he makes sure to be especially gentle with Raven. Jason comments that Raven, being a powerful empath, always felt the rage that was in him, and tried to warn him away from it. This is one of the many reasons that Jason feels the Teen Titans could have saved him if he had been allowed onto the team.
Jason Todd was a lot of things as Robin. While DC and fans both tend to characterize him as the “angry, brutal Robin,” this wasn’t really the case. Jason was originally a bright and cheerful boy who was overjoyed at getting adopted by Bruce Wayne. While Jason did have a temper, it was really only came out when he witnessed women being abused. That was the fastest way to see Jason go into a fury. But it wasn’t anger that got Jason killed, it was love. Jason followed his mother halfway around the world to see her, and after he was betrayed by her, Jason was killed by Joker.
It ultimately wasn’t recklessness that got Jason killed, it was the fact he was too willing to act on his feelings. Raven called out Jason’s temper, and that’s likely because anger is one of his strongest emotions, but anger alone isn’t the problem for Jason. Jason has always followed his heart. Even Damian Wayne points out that Red Hood’s biggest weakness is the fact he “feels too much.” That’s the big tragedy of Jason: that everyone around him could see the warning signs, but no one could actually help him.
Raven wasn’t the only one who knew that Jason would eventually be killed during his time as Robin. In Batman: Gotham Knights #43 by Scott Beatty and Roger Robinson, Barbara Gordon warns Batman that the Joker will go after someone he cares about. After the second Robin’s death proves her right, she reminds Batman that she told him this would happen.
Jason and Raven’s interactions were limited, since Jason wasn’t on the Titans for very long at all. But it’s clear that her words had an impact on him, and considering how gently he disables her when entering Titans Tower, it’s clear he has a soft spot for her as well. If Jason Todd had simply gotten to stay on the Titans, likely, he wouldn’t have been killed. Many people in Jason’s life were able to see the warning signs that would eventually lead to his death. Both Raven and Barbara Gordon knew Jason had issues, but neither of them could stop him from becoming the Red Hood.
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