Teen Titans: Who is the Puppet King?

Surprisingly for a children’s program, the 2003 Teen Titans series is, at its core, a character study. It poses complex questions to its characters, and through them, its viewers. It challenges them to consider at what point the ends no longer justify the means, and how thin the line is between good and evil. To make these serious themes digestible to a younger audience, many of the show’s characters have identifying features that symbolize a key personality trait or idea. Even the Titans themselves, while fleshed out and individual, round each other out as a group. They pose as foils to one another, with primary characteristics that anchor the show’s themes.

For example, an episode featuring antagonist-turned-ally Fixit contemplates what it means for something to be truly “broken.” Fixit is dead set on returning things — and people — to 100% functionality, believing that the natural hiccups in human biology are in need of repair. The flaws in his logic themselves suggest that failures and inconsistencies are in fact what make us human, not something that needs to be fixed. Terra’s defining quality is her insecurity — mistakes from her past cloud her belief that she can use her powers for good. She needs the constant reminder that it is never too late to do the right thing, which serves to instill that message in Teen Titans viewers as well. Among the show’s standout characters, the villainous Puppet King is another whose defining traits serve a larger theme.

Who is the Puppet King?

The Puppet King is indeed a puppet, with no other given name. He is made out of wood with the trademark nutcracker-like mouth. However, he moves independently, uncontrolled by strings. He is also larger than the average puppet, though shorter than the average person. This is evidenced by his penchant for making puppets himself, proving their scale. Later, in his battle with Titans, he is clearly still a puppet himself, albeit a large one. The Puppet King gains his abilities through magic, and his goal is to use that magic to dominate all of Jump City.

In season 1, episode 7, “Switched,” the Titans receive a package at Titans Tower. The contents are striking replicas of each of them in puppet form. The Titans are intrigued, but assume it to be the work of a devoted fan, and enjoy playing with their puppet dopplegangers. However, that night, the Puppet King himself crawls out of the puppet box, having used it as a Trojan horse to smuggle himself in. He has a puppet controller imbued with magical powers that he uses to transfer Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg’s souls into their respective puppets. This gives the Puppet King complete control over their bodies. Raven fights back before the same can be done to her and Starfire, but her interrupting the Puppet King’s ritual causes her and Starfire to switch bodies.

The girls must learn how to use each other’s powers as they evade the rest of the Titans, whose bodies obey the Puppet King as their minds remain trapped in their puppets. Raven and Starfire race to the source — the Puppet King himself and, specifically, his puppet controller — before he can complete the sealing ritual. If successful, this will lock the Titans’ souls in their puppets forever, allowing the Puppet King to use their bodies to control Jump City.

Is the Puppet King Alive?

Like many Teen Titans villains, the Puppet King’s power is an elaborate creation brought to life by something outside himself. Once the source is eliminated, so too is the looming threat. In addition to puppeteering, the Puppet King specializes in ritual magic. He references a “ceremony” that will cement the transition of the Titans’ souls from their bodies to their puppets. In classic fashion, this involves a cauldron of carefully prepared flames. Meticulous, ritualistic instructions must be performed to carry out his magic.

Raven and Starfire glean that his magical glowing puppet controller is the key component of the ritual, and they stop the ceremony by burning it in the fire. This returns all the boys’ souls to their bodies, and swaps Raven and Starfire back to their status quo. However, this also had an even bigger impact than they thought. The Puppet King is immobilized by a bright blue light pouring out of his mouth and eyes. He crawls weakly until falling, lifeless, mid-sentence:

The implied end of this sentence is “puppet,” suggesting the lengths the Puppet King has taken to ensure his status as a “real boy.” Ultimately, the Puppet King is not a living being, just a moderately large puppet animated by magic. This also offers some insight into his motives. The Puppet King is hyper aware — and insecure — of the fragility of his life. By anchoring other living beings’ souls into puppets of their own, he is able to subject others to his same fate, making them just as fragile as he feels.

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Teen Titans

Release Date

July 19, 2003

Seasons

5

Number of Episodes

65

Network

Cartoon Network

Streaming Service(s)

Max