| “ | You can't stop crime. That's what you never understood. I'm controlling it! You want to rule them by fear, but what do you do with the ones who aren't afraid? I'm doing what you won't, I'm taking them out! | „ |
| ~ Jason Todd, as Red Hood, to Batman. |
| “ | Bruce, I forgive you for not saving me. But why... why on God's earth... Is he still alive?! | „ |
| ~ Red Hood confronting Batman for allowing the Joker to keep living. |
Jason Todd is one of the two main antagonists (alongside the Joker) of the 2010 animated superhero film Batman: Under the Red Hood and the main protagonist of its 2020 interactive sequel Batman: Death in the Family.
He is the former Robin who is murdered by the Joker, and becomes a vigilante after being resurrected by Ra's al Ghul. He takes on his murderer's former identity, The Red Hood, and starts "controlling crime" in Gotham City by taking a percentage of drug profits and killing anyone who commits murder or sells drugs to children. This puts him at odds with his former mentor, Batman as he grew to despise him for his moral code.
He was voiced by Jensen Ackles, who also portrays Dean Winchester, Michael and Leviathan Dean in Supernatural, Tom Hanniger in the 2009 horror film My Bloody Valentine, Jason Teague in Smallville, and Soldier Boy in The Boys. In the 2020 midquel Batman: Death in the Family, he was voiced by Vincent Martella .
Batman: Under the Red Hood
Past
Before meeting Batman, Jason Todd was a juvenile delinquent, having been arrested at least once. Batman met the boy in Crime Alley, where Jason had just finished removing the tires of the Batmobile to sell to a chop shop. Instead of calling the authorities, however, Batman, impressed with the boy and also believing he needed to curb his criminal tendencies, took him in as the second Robin, after Dick Grayson left and made a name for himself as Nightwing.
During one of their first missions, Jason Todd proceeded to aid Batman in taking down the Riddler while the latter was conducting a heist on a museum, also proceeding to supply a "riddle" before taking him down by kicking him in the crotch. They also went to fight together against other criminals like the Penguin, the Scarecrow or Two-Face.
As Jason grew older, however, his personality turned far darker, becoming very cocky and virtually merciless, with him once ruining an operation because, when taking down a drug-dealing pimp, he broke the man's collarbone just enough to put him into shock, which resulted in a stern telling off from Batman due to his needing him for interrogation.
Death
Eventually, Jason Todd and Batman uncovered a crime spree occurring in Bosnia, where the Joker had poisoned an entire hospital and was raiding medicine (in reality a diversion to ensure Ra's al Ghul and his League of Shadows toppled the European Economy).
However, Jason Todd's recklessness got the better of him and proceeded to chase after the Joker, which resulted in his capture. Held prisoner by the Joker, he was subject to torture via bludgeoning with a crowbar by the deranged clown, and then left to be blown up by the bomb, which went off just as Batman arrived to rescue him. The explosions ultimately killed him.
Revival
However, his body never returned to Gotham: Ra's al Ghul, out of guilt for his unintended role in Jason Todd's death, secretly replaced his corpse with a realistic dummy, and proceeded to use the Lazarus Pit to resurrect him to repair the damage.
Unfortunately for Ra's al Ghul, this had disastrous side effects: While Jason Todd's body was resurrected, his mind was left damaged. He then proceeded to escape custody of the League of Shadows, narrowly survived falling into the nearby river from a high drop, and somehow managed to find his way back to Gotham five years later.
Seeking Vengeance
| “ | Tell me, what bothers you more? That your greatest failure has returned from the grave!? Or that I have become a better Batman than you!? | „ |
| ~ Jason Todd as he fights Batman. |
Learning that Batman failed to avenge his death at the hands of the Joker, Jason Todd was enraged, and proceeded to adopt the former identity of the Joker, the Red Hood. He then proceeded to take control of the various drug dealers under the employ of Black Mask, allowing them to continue dealing on the streets under the condition that they pay 40% of the shares to him, and they stay away from children when dealing drugs.
He also threatens to kill them should they disobey, even producing a duffel bag containing the decapitated heads of their various lieutenants that he allegedly did in under two hours to make clear that his threat was genuine. In addition, he also had Amazo stolen by various hired crooks, although after Batman busted the heist as well as destroyed the Amazo with Dick Grayson, Red Hood proceeded to kill them with sniper rounds. He then escaped via a blue convertible, and managed to lure Batman to the ACE Chemical Plant, where Joker was created. He then reminded Batman that it was his first mistake, possibly even his worst one. He then fled after a brief exchange, also shooting the leaking fuel from the car to destroy the plant to ensure Batman is unable to pursue him.
Meanwhile, he then proceeded to steal another arms shipment from Black Mask (having overheard him via a planted bug), and after Batman interfered, Red Hood proceeded to drop the chopper over the edge, as well as enter a chase by the Dark Knight and Nightwing, eventually escaping at the train station via an explosive and under the cover of a passing train, although not before telling Batman that he hadn't lost his touch while also dropping the name "Bruce" as a hint for the Dark Knight towards his potential true identity. He then proceeded to fight the Fearsome Hand of Four mercenary group, also calling in Batman earlier for aid, eventually managing to knock out three of the mercenaries while killing the fourth. They then proceeded to get into an argument about how to deal justice before taking his leave with a smoke grenade. He then proceeded to use a rocket launcher at Black Mask's office, thus forcing the crime lord to arrange for the Joker's release.
Red Hood then arrived at the area Joker was at, revealing he had in fact intended all along for Black Mask to release Joker, as he wanted to have revenge against him while briefly hinting at their having met before. After Batman prevented Joker from torching the various drug dealers, Red Hood proceeded to abduct Joker before Batman had a chance to retrieve him, and also left a message telling the Dark Knight (who now knows his identity as Jason Todd and how he was revived) that he has Joker and that he meet him in Crime Alley if he wants Joker. He then goes to an abandoned apartment building and proceeded to dish out his revenge against the Joker by beating him with a crowbar, just as Joker himself did to him five years earlier, as well as cryptically stating that the reason they knew each other is because Joker had in effect created him.
He then encountered Batman in Crime Alley, and after fighting him all the way to the apartment complex, Jason Todd proceeded to rant that Batman should have killed the Joker after not only his murder of him, but also all of the carnage that he caused in general. Batman then admitted that he wanted to kill the Joker for what he did to Jason, and considered killing the clown every day for his crimes, but decided not to because doing so would only make Batman sink as low as the Joker, and it would begin a killing spree that will eventually take all criminals, regardless of the severity of their crimes.
Undeterred by this, Red Hood tries to force Batman to either shoot him or let him shoot the Joker. However, Batman refused to do either, and eventually used a Batarang to block out the barrel of his gun, detonating it in his hand after he attempted to shoot him in order to force him to act. Jason Todd then proceeded to set off explosives he had presumably placed in the apartment earlier. Batman attempted to disarm them, but Joker tackled him, as he felt all three of them dying together would be the grandest outcome, while Jason slumped down and accepted his fate. However, Batman knocked the Joker out and saved Jason at the last second. After the explosion, Jason was nowhere to be found and it's unknown what becomes of him afterwards.
Batman: Death in the Family
Jason returns in the interactive spiritual sequel as the main protagonist, taking place just before the explosion that originally killed him. The viewer is allowed to determine his fate:
Jason Dies
If the "Robin dies" option is chosen, Jason will die as he originally did and the events of Under the Red Hood will play out in a flashback narrated by Batman. After finishing his account of the events, it's revealed Batman was telling the story to Superman, who promises to help Batman find Jason together.
Jason Survives
If the "Robin cheats death" option is chosen, Jason will miraculously survive the explosion, but be severely injured. Batman took Jason back home and nursed him back to health. But Jason, embittered by the traumatic events, believed Batman to have wronged him, Dick, and Barbara for bringing them into crime-fighting. Taking on the monicker Hush, Jason ran away and vowed to be a Batman that was "unchained from his self-imposed moral leash". Jason killed off Gotham's most notorious criminals including Cheetah, The Riddler, and Black Mask, all the while evading capture by the police or Batman.
A short time later, Jason is approached by Talia al Ghul. Initially hostile, he prepared to fight her due to her involvement with his near-death, but Talia then revealed an infant Damien Wayne. Being told that Damien needed a father figure and that they could use the League of Assassin's resources to track down the Joker, Jason agreed to ally himself with her. But Jason secretly planned to raise Damien under his own twisted morals and bring down both the house of Wayne and Al Ghul.
Batman Saves Jason
If the "Batman saves Robin" option is chosen, Batman will rescue Jason from the building before it explodes. However, Batman himself was unable to escape in time and was mortally wounded. With his dying words, Batman begged Jason to be strong and not kill the Joker, leaving Jason conflicted. The viewer is then allowed to choose if Jason kills the Joker or tracks him down to apprehend him.
Kill the Joker
If the "Kill the Joker" option was chosen, Jason is be visited by Batman's friends and allies, including Superman, Wonder Woman, and Nightwing, who all tell him stories of Batman and how he was there for them. Unfortunately, while this did cheer him up, it did not change his intentions of killing the Joker. A few days later, Jason went to a pub for the night and watched Batman (now Dick instead of Bruce) on the news. Suddenly, a mysterious man told Jason he knew it wasn't the real Batman. Intrigued, Jason asked the man how he knew Batman, who admitted he used to fight alongside Batman, but had now moved on. Remembering a joke he once told Batman, Joker told Jason the joke from Batman: The Killing Joke, which made him realize the mysterious man was the Joker.
Jason then coldly repeated "Next time I see him, I'll tell the Big Man you said 'hello'", the last line the Joker told Jason before leaving him to die. Realizing Robin was alive and sitting right next to him, Joker stared at him with a sinister grin before Jason stabbed him in the eye with a fork. Joker died seconds later, laughing the whole time. Jason was then quickly surrounded by police, and the viewer is given the choice to cooperate or resist arrest.
- If "Surrender" was chosen, Jason is arrested and given a life sentence, where he then vows to "serve justice on the inside".
- If "Attack" was chosen, Jason resists arrest and escapes. Becoming the antihero Red Robin, Jason killed off Gotham's most notorious criminals including Cheetah, The Riddler, and Black Mask. Eventually, he tried to kill Two-Face in the mall but was overpowered by Two-Face and left at his mercy. Two-Face then flipped a coin, which the viewer can decide the result of.
- If his coin landed on the good side, Two-Face decides to kill Red Robin. However, a young Tim Drake tased him before he could finish him off. Declaring Two-Face will "burn in hell", Jason prepared to kill Two-Face, but Tim begged him not to and reminded him of Batman's dying words. Moved, Jason reformed and took Tim Drake in as his new sidekick, Bat Kid.
- If his coin landed on the bad side, Two-Face decides to let Red Robin live with what he's done. Ashamed, Jason retired from crime-fighting and returned to the bat family, promising himself to honor Batman's dying words.
Catch the Joker
If the "Catch the Joker" option was chosen, Jason refuses any visitors and adopts the Red Hood monicker. Promising himself to be strong and not to spill a drop of blood, Jason began crime-fighting through intimidation, shooting at criminals but apparently not killing them. He also adopted some of the Joker's gimmicks with the intention of getting his attention and drawing him out, which he ultimately succeeded in doing. In a violent confrontation, Jason fought the Joker using a crowbar and succeeded in subduing him. He then removes his hood, revealing himself to be the Robin that Joker supposedly killed.
Overjoyed by what Robin had become, Joker then told Jason how proud he was of him for becoming the "spitting image of [him]", while listing various murders he committed. Jason tried denying killing anyone, but then realized he had been repressing his true actions: he had been killing the criminals he thought he only intimidated. Realizing Jason had come to his senses, Joker mocked him even more, claiming this was "the best joke [he] ever heard". He then dared Jason to kill him. The viewer is once again given the option to kill the Joker.
Regardless of which option was chosen, Jason became a wanted fugitive. He tried to explain himself to Dick and Barbara, but the former tried to arrest him, and the latter told him to turn himself in. Later on, Jason is seen sitting on the Wayne Industries building, reflecting on what he's become. However, he was suddenly confronted by Talia al Ghul and a reanimated Batman. She revealed she reanimated Batman using the Lazarus pit, which drove him insane to the point where he can only say "Zur-En-Arrh". She then tried to recruit Jason into the League of Assassin's. Jason angrily refused, causing Talia to turn the insane Batman against Jason. The viewer is then given the option to kill Batman or save him.
- If the "Death" option was chosen, Jason tells himself that this isn't the real Batman, who truly died in the explosion he saved Jason from. Jason then fought Batman and mortally wounded him. With his dying breath, Batman activated a bomb that killed himself, Jason, and Talia.
- If the "Life" option was chosen, Jason remembers how Batman saved him, and vows to return the favor. In the ensuing fight, Jason tased Batman and knocked Talia unconscious, when he was then spotted by Dick. Having a change of heart, Dick and the rest of the bat family welcome Jason back, allowing him to heal from the trauma. Bruce, on the other hand, is restrained and locked in the Bat Cave. Jason is last seen with the rest of the bat family sadly looking at their former mentor, vowing to search for a cure to save him. Parts of Bruce start to return as he remembers the last memory of his father before he died, about how the movie vigilante Zorro wouldn't be welcome in Gotham, whose people would lock "Zorro in Arkham", confirming "Zur-En-Arrh" to be pieces of that final phrase.
Personality
| “ | Batman: Do you remember how he was when I found him? Alfred: Of course, sir. Fearless, arrogant, brash and gifted. Batman: Yes. Different than Dick in so many ways, but still full of potential and power. But I knew, even from the beginning, he was dangerous. If I hadn't made him into Robin, he would have grown to do wrong. Then I got him killed. My partner. My soldier. My fault. I own that. I'll carry that like everything else. But now there's this. He's taken everything I've ever taught him and turned it on me. It's a hell of my own making, Alfred. Alfred: Sir, this is not your doing. You loved him, he knows that. It should be enough. Batman: It's not. |
„ |
| ~ Batman and Alfred about what Jason has become. |
Even prior to becoming Robin, Batman already knew how dangerous Jason would be in spite of him shown having great potential like Dick Grayson. Though he and Grayson had similar potential as Batman's sidekick (with Grayson pointed out that Jason was very impressive as Red Hood), Jason had criminal and violent tendencies that Grayson lacks, which disturbed Bruce that he claimed Jason would've become a dangerous criminal had he not recruit him as the second Robin.
Jason was also impulsive and short-tempered, which clouded his judgement in dealing criminals and supervillains alike. Jason proved not to be a complete monster when he ordered the dealers not to give the kids drugs despite being willing to let them continue in exchange for a cut of their money, which shows he would not hurt kids; in fact, Jason was arguably a tragic figure who had endured his brutal torture at the hands of the Joker. Something which figuratively proceeded to haunt Jason for the rest of his life.
Jason's most complicated personality trait is his relationship with his former mentor. On one hand, he still cares about Bruce as he spared his life several times throughout the film. However, he also resents him for not killing Joker, outright accusing him of using his fear of becoming worse than the clown as an excuse for not doing what's right and trying to convince him that killing Joker does not mean he will become no better than him. This results in him almost destroying an entire apartment, so he could either force Batman to kill one of them or end up getting the three of them blown up; despite how vengeful he had become, he ensured to choose a vacant building, thus showing that he still held elements of Batman's moral code.
He took the persona of the Red Hood to both lure the Joker and to guilt Batman with his indirect responsibility in creating the Clown Prince of Crime. His hatred of the Joker and resentment at Batman for not avenging him left him with complicated thoughts, since despite resenting both, he took gimmicks from both, forcing himself to masquerade as a combination of the enemies. Part of his Red Hood identity was also him rejecting his past as Robin, as along with revenge, he was aiming to prove his more violent methods would solve crime, in contrast to - what he believed - Batman's ways that merely delayed supervillains and criminal empires; Jason likewise aimed to be a superior criminal than the Joker, since attacking his ego was the only way to really hurt him.
Skills and equipment
Jason was a superb athlete, in the peak of physical prowess and mentality, making him an agile opponent. He was also extremely skilled and chaotic martial artist, capable of holding his own against somebody as experienced as Batman. He was incredibly brutal in a fight, and used underhanded and sadistic maneuvers against an opponent. However, despite the fact that he was an expert fighter, Batman was older, stronger and infinitely more experienced than him, and was eventually capable of defeating him. Jason had the utterly fatal weakness was that he would let his rage get the better of his judgement and logic. Therefore, Batman easily defeated him once he stopped holding back.
He also carried a variety of weapons and equipment in his arsenals which were guns/pistols, a grappling hook, a combat knife, shurikens, explosives, and a taser. In addition he also wore a full body armor suit when operating as Red Hood. The suit came with a metallic red helmet with a voice modulator to disguise his voice and a belt to holster his weapons and contains most of his other gadgets. His helmet is also equipped with an explosive. Most of Red Hood's gadgets were in his jacket, which he wore through out during the movie, until Batman used one of his gadgets to burn the jacket.
Quotes
| “ | Freddie: You wanna die? There's easier ways to kill yourself. Red Hood: Yeah, like yelling at the guy who's hoiding the AK-47. Listen to me, you drug-peddling scumbags. I will be running the drug trade from now on. You eight are the most prosperous street dealers in Gotham. I'm offering you morons a deal. You go about your business as usual, but kick up 40 percent to me. A much sweeter deal than the scraps Black Mask is leaving you. In return, you will have total protection from both Black Mask and Batman. But you stay away from kids and school yards. No dealing to children, got it? If you do, you're dead. |
„ |
| ~ Red Hood takes control of the drug trade. |
| “ | Red Hood: Look at you. I guess we should keep it even. Batman: Jason. Red Hood: Yes. Batman: I don't wanna fight you. Red Hood: All evidence to the contrary. Batman: Please, I can help you. I know what happened. Red Hood: Oh, you got to talking with Ra's, huh? Does it make it easier for you to think that my dip in his fountain of youth... turned me rabid? Or is this just the real me? |
„ |
| ~ Red Hood and Batman before their final clash. |
| “ | Batman: You say you wanna be better than me. But it won't happen. Not like this! I know I failed you... but I tried to save you, Jason. I'm trying to save you now. Red Hood: Is that what you think this is about? That you let me die? I don't know what clouds your judgment worse. Your guilt or your antiquated sense of morality. |
„ |
| ~ Red Hood after losing the fight against his former mentor. |
| “ | Red Hood: Ignoring what he's done in the past. Blindly, stupidly disregarding the entire graveyards he's filled, the thousands who have suffered, the friends he's crippled. You know, I thought... I thought I'd be the last person you'd ever let him hurt. If it had been you that he beat to a bloody pulp, if he had taken you from this world, I would've done nothing but search the planet for this pathetic pile of evil, death-worshiping garbage and then send him off to hell! Batman: You don't understand. I don't think you've ever understood. Red Hood: What? What, your moral code just won't allow for that? It's too hard to cross that line? Batman: No! God Almighty, no! It'd be too damned easy. All I've ever wanted to do is kill him. A day doesn't go by when I don't think about subjecting him to every horrendous torture he's dealt out to others and then.... end him. But if I do that, if I allow myself to go down into that place, I'll never come back. Red Hood: Why? I'm not talking about killing Penguin or Scarecrow or Dent. I'm talking about him. Just him. And doing it because.... because he took me away from you. |
„ |
| ~ Red Hood berates his former mentor for letting the Joker live after all he's done. |
Gallery
Videos
Trivia
- Batman: Under the Red Hood was Jason Todd's first media appearance.
- Bruce Timm instructed Judd Winick to include the Death in the Family prologue for viewers unfamiliar with Jason Todd's character.
- Unlike in comics where Jason's revival was the result of Superboy Prime punching the walls of reality in Infinite Crisis with the use of Lazarus Pit only done to restore his damaged body, the film goes straight for the latter as the sole reason for his revival. As all of the Crisis' have been retconned following the DCnU, The film's explanation has been translated into the mainstream comic books.
- Also, in stark contrast of original comics where Talia revitalized Jason with Lazarus Pit against her father's consent out of her love for Batman, the film has Ra's al Ghul committing the deed himself with Talia being there to oversee the process.
- The blood sample names for when Jason died and the Red Hood, 00428 and 00635, are references to the issues where he died and when he returned as the Red Hood, respectively.
- The uniform used by Jason Todd during his teenaged years and his death at the hands of the Joker was similar to third Robin's uniform, Tim Drake. There are two key differences, however: Jason's utility belt is closer to Batman's and his boots look more like combat boots rather than Jika-Tabi boots.
