Starfire

Overview

The Alien Powerhouse of the Teen Titans, Starfire is an extraterrestrial from the planet Tamaran, a far off planet in the Vegan Star system. Starfire arrived on Earth after escaping from the Gordanians who held her captive. Upon arriving, she joined her new found friends in forming the Teen Titans. Though seemingly innocent and a bit unsure of the new culture she finds herself living in, Starfire packs a punch when it comes to protecting her friends, often sacrificing her own feelings, desires, and safety for them. Despite her fierce strength and ability to fight, Starfire has a heart of gold and is extremely kind and considerate of those around her. 

Since her first encounter with Robin, she has had a crush on him, however their friendship has grown to be on a much deeper level since they became members of the Titans together and they are quiet literally one another's best friend. When it comes to being there for him and others, Starfire always follows her heart and does whatever she can to be there for them, no matter what.

Adaptation

Starfire remains fairly similar to her cartoon counter part in "Custody". Her past is in keeping with the cartoon's history, both in her first appearance on Earth and the formation of the Titans as well as subsequent events after. 

The primary element added to or perhaps enhanced from the original comic book counter part to her portrayal in "Custody" is her own determination and independence. While in the cartoon, this is touched upon and shown in various episodes, it never seemed to get enough of a 'push' so to speak, perhaps since her overarching conflict was over the course of several seasons rather than one. So in "Custody",  while she is a sweet and caring person, she is also clearly highly capable of kicking some serious butt. Furthermore, even though she often listens to Robin and respects him, when she sees that a situation feels wrong or doesn't add up, she acts on her best judgement in conjunction with that of his and others'. 

Personality and Relationships

Starfire is the youngest daughter of her parents and second in line for the Tamaranian throne. Despite her status as a 'princess', Starfire thinks of the title as more of a means of loyalty and duty, rather than a way to get any special privilege (it is only by chance that her friends even learn of her royal status). She is light hearted and genuinely loves discovering new things and experiencing all that life has to offer.  Starfire is not without siblings, the oldest of which is her sister Blackfire, who has a criminal record through out the universe, more similar to her cartoon counterpart. While in the comics, it is confirmed that Starfire has a younger brother, no mention of him is made in "Custody". 

Within the Titans, Starfire is closest with Raven and Robin. Originally created as a foil to Raven by their creators Marv Wolfman and George Perez, the two are quiet different, but are able to learn a lot from one another, especially as both of their powers are fueled by their emotions. Raven teaches Starfire to control her emotions whereas Starfire allows Raven to more fully understand the importance of them, an ability that they both find to be extremely useful both in combat as well as in daily life.

Though upon first meeting, Robin and Starfire initially confused and befuddled one another, Starfire quickly began to see admirable qualities in Robin, such as his intelligence, combat capabilities, and leadership skills. However, it was his compassion and ability to care for those around him, his patience, and his sincerity which won over her heart. She remains unsure as to how Robin really feels for her, particularly considering how he tends to cut others off, similar to his mentor. However, she stands by him and the rest of her friends, always willing to be there for them when they are in need.

Personal Thoughts

I can't express how much I love Starfire's character. I think she's vastly underrated and often times reduced to nothing more than eye-candy, which infuriates me on occasion. Starfire's ability to love despite being hurt as well as her ability to distinguish and stick to the line between right and wrong are incredibly empowering, as that is something I think we all struggle with. Furthermore, I greatly enjoy the fact that she's fine with being emotional and true to herself. She cries when she's upset. She yells when she's angry. She dances (or flies) when she's happy. I could go on, but I think the point is made. She's very in tune with herself, which also presents its own challenges, particularly when she is emotionally not in the best place. In the comics and now the DC Animated Movie Universe, I admire her for her leadership skills as well, which unlike most leaders out there, is graced with kindness and respect. In a sense, it's very regal, but the best part is that when it comes from her, it's genuine. 

Needless to say, I'm also a serious RobXStar shipper on the worst level. XD Pretty much shipped them before I knew what shipping was. My reasons for that go on and on, but I think it goes back to a few things in particular. I think they respect one another. I think she encourages him to be true to himself in spite of his fears and I think his patience and willingness to show her new things allows her to see things in ways she wouldn't have before. And I think that in the end, they both care about each other as soul mates do. They rely on one another. They trust one another. They're there for one another. And they're willing to do whatever it takes for the other to be happy and safe. So hopefully in regards to their relationship, I was able to write that and convey that in "Custody" as well as incorporate Starfire's strength, perseverance, humility, and kindness into her character as a whole so that readers may enjoy her as much as I enjoy do. :)