Koriandr, better known to the world as Starfire, is a DC superhero. She is an alien who found a home on Earth and is the love interest of Robin (Nightwing). She is from the comic book and TV series Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go. Koriandr is portrayed as a physically and mentally strong character, even stronger than Cyborg in many aspects. All her abilities are ESP based and are fueled by emotions. For example, her ability to fly can be unlocked by having happy thoughts, similar to Unicorn Kitty in the Lego Movie, and her iconic yet destructive bolt energy is driven by focusing fury and channeling rage.
Starfire is not an earthling. She’s a Tamaranean, an alien from the planet Tamaran and is the younger princess of the planet. Starfire became the ruler after she defeated her tyrannical older sister, Blackfire, over an episode-long battle. However, she gave up her throne and forfeited her identity as a Tamaranean by calling Earth her real home.
Who Does Starfire End Up With?
Starfire and Dick (Richard John “Dick” Grayson) had a passionate romance during their time together in the Teen Titans. The two almost married, but after having their wedding day ruined by the duo’s tantrums and differences, they realized they weren’t meant for each other.
However, they still have feelings for each other. In the mini-book series called Titans, Dick and Starfire investigate an old woman’s house, and out of the blue, Dick asks Kory if they should be a couple again. Kory is moved by that and asks Dick if he ever truly loved her and is willing to invest in a lifelong relationship with her. Sadly, Dick promptly denies loving her, meaning that though Kory loves Dick and cares for him, Dick has moved on from his time with Kory. The show suggests that Dick likes her but not as a lover.
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Nightwing Arrives to Rescue
On the other side of the multiverse, we have the same Grayson as the Nightwing. His open relationship with Starfire has been one of his major character arcs over the decades since his inception, and it sent him on his private quests of redemption. However, he’s not always successful in the romantic side of life, and his relationship with Batgirl felt unnatural and forced to the audience. It was bizarre and looked as though plot points were being connected than having mutual chemistry. And the relationship certainly falls short while comparing the relationship he had with Starfire.
The New Teen Titans show was more than a blockbuster hit for DC. It was also the key to Grayson’s arc and acted as a series canon. Upon meeting Starfire on his first mission, Grayson changed from his brooding frame to a more lovable character. Starfire and Nightwing shared a unique connection that wasn’t seen in DC before, and her character instilled confidence and love in him, pulling him away from the shadow of the caped crusader. This transformation led Nightwing to forever let go of his identity as the Robin and become a better hero.
Unfortunately, their relationship was abruptly cut short due to creative differences in the DC Comic Studio. The new DC team wanted the iconic character to be more of a Batman and brood, and for the time being, the duo was forced to separate. Talk about Zack Snyder’s Justice League before Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Since Starfire was a Teen Titans character, this was the last straw, and the romantic couple parted ways amicably. Over the decades, there were rumors of new leads coming and repairing this long-lost love. But unfortunately, the current DC studio doesn’t seem to be interested in exploring those missed opportunities and is actively pursuing an unholy relationship that should’ve never existed in the first place.
Nightwing’s New Love Interest
Nightwing and his girlfriend Batgirl hasn’t been a thing until the late 2000s. This inorganic, forced relationship was for marketing purposes in the ever-evolving cash cow called the batman universe. The comic Nightwing Annual had a scene that strikes out as a sore thumb. Yep, we’re talking about the scene in which Barbara pursues Dick romantically, only to be greeted by Starfire. This scene, in its twisted way, was meant to show Barbara as true love, with Starfire acting as a secondary character trying to butt in.
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