Trigon is suspiciously absent in the marketing for Titans season 2; are there big plans ahead for the notorious villain or has he fallen by the wayside? Although he only appeared at the very end (played by Seamus Dever), Trigon was the main antagonist for Titans‘ debut season. A demonic entity from another dimension, Trigon is also the biological father of Rachel, the Titans’ Raven, and he commands a cult-like following on Earth with the dastardly goal of conquering all existence.
In the final two episodes of Titans season 1, Rachel is manipulated into summoning Trigon into Earth’s dimension and the charming demon makes quick work of those who oppose him, trapping Dick Grayson in a nightmarish trance state where he mentally goes toe-to-toe with Batman. In the vision, Dick murders his former mentor, which appears to enslave him to Trigon’s will in the real world, and Rachel looks on in horror as Dick’s eyes turn black.
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With the season finale ending on such a huge cliffhanger, fans might’ve expected the marketing for Titans season 2 to revolve around Dick’s fate and the threat of Trigon, but that story has been glossed over entirely. The trailers released thus far have showcased Deathstroke, introduced new and old Titans teams and teased the appearance of Nightwing, but Trigon’s presence is restricted to a brief shot of the Titans all with black eyes. As the season 2 premiere inches closer, what does Titans have planned for Trigon?
Titans’ Season 1 Ending Wasn’t The Original Plan
If the cliffhanger ending to Titans season 1 felt jarring, that’s because it wasn’t designed as a finale. 12 episodes were originally announced to stream on DC Universe, but only 11 were released, with the twelfth offering later pushed back to the premiere of season 2. What was originally intended as the penultimate episode of Titans season 1 was then reworked into a finale, with the dream-like Batman material dominating the running time.
While it’s not unusual for a show to leave viewers on a cliffhanger between seasons, the Titans finale felt somewhat awkward and abrupt, as not only was Dick’s fate left hanging, but the personal arcs of almost every main character were left unresolved. Where a properly executed cliffhanger finale would wrap up most of the season’s stories but leave one big question unanswered, Titans season 1 simply felt unfinished.
This change of plans goes some way to explaining why Trigon is absent from the recent marketing campaign – because the demon was likely supposed to be dealt with in the original season 1 finale. Whether temporarily or permanently, the assembled Titans team and their allies looked set to defeat Trigon in the missing twelfth episode, leaving season 2 open to a completely new main story and villain. This would explain why the Titans season 2 trailer footage appears to show the aftermath of the entire situation, with Jason Todd exclaiming “Titans are back, bitches!” as if the superhero team have just won the battle against Trigon.
Trigon Isn’t In Titans Season 2’s Marketing (& That’s Weird)
Essentially, the marketing for Titans season 2 is acting as if the cliffhanger never happened and the original 12-episode story went ahead as planned. The two trailers currently available online put forth entirely new arcs for the lead characters (Dick forming a new Titans group and Rachel coming to terms with her abilities) and set up the new overarching storyline featuring Deathstroke and his family. While reaction to the footage has been positive, many have suggested that Titans season 2 feels like an entirely different show.
A big part of that can be attributed to the omission of virtually everything viewers saw in Titans season 1. Throughout the show’s first 10 episodes, every plot thread was leading towards the reveal of Trigon. The ongoing mystery surrounding Rachel’s identity, the rescue of her biological mother, the appearance of Kori on Earth – all signs were building towards a single demonic conclusion. While Titans season 2 certainly looks exciting, fans have been given a detailed glimpse at the conclusion to those stories, with the actual resolution still pending.
Similar to how a TV series might flashforward five years into the future to show viewers how each character could progress, Titans‘ season 2 marketing is giving fans the end product before they’ve revealed how that point was reached. In fairness, the shortening of season 1 left little other choice in this matter. Deathstroke and the birth of a new Titans team are undoubtedly the biggest selling points for season 2, and it would be impossible to construct a compelling trailer by only using footage that doesn’t spoil the cliffhanger.
Has Titans Pushed The Trigon Showdown For Later?
Evidently, Trigon isn’t going to be a main feature of Titans season 2. While the demon’s influence may be felt in the forthcoming episodes, he certainly won’t be acting as the main villain, with the focus firmly placed elsewhere. This decision is somewhat surprising for two reasons. Firstly, Titans season 1 spent so much time working up to Trigon’s appearance that it might be somewhat anticlimactic for him to be defeated within a single episode. Secondly, Trigon is a major Titans villain in the comic books and cartoon series, and his stature is worthy of a more prominent role.
It’s possible, therefore, that while the villain won’t appear in season 2, Titans will revisit Trigon further down the line, and this is where the proper showdown will take place. Traditionally, Trigon takes the form of a multi-eyed demon, but viewers have only seen his false human guise thus far. This might indicate that the full power of Trigon won’t be unleashed in the battle at Rachel’s mother’s house in the season 2 premiere, with that battle reserved for later.
This theory would also explain why the Titans season 2 marketing campaign is ignoring the Trigon issue. If the villain is only temporarily vanquished (perhaps merely sent back to his own dimension), then the season 2 trailer isn’t necessarily spoiling anything major. With Raven around, Trigon could potentially reemerge at any given time and Titans may want to hold off on this moment until their budget allows for the creation of a proper CG demon.
Titans season 2 premieres September 6th on DC Universe.
