Might Deathstroke still be alive in Titans season 3, and how could he potentially make a comeback? Deathstroke played the role of arch antagonist throughout the second season of Titans, and extended flashback episodes revealed the true extent of his grudge against the superhero group. While working as a mercenary, Deathstroke accidentally killed Aqualad, a member of the original Titans team. Devastated by their loss, the remaining heroes resolved to get revenge, and targeted Slade Wilson’s son, Jericho, before eventually coming clean to the youngster, who they had since grown fond of. As the feud between the Titans and Deathstroke intensified, Jericho, or his body at least, was caught in the crossfire. When the Titans publicly announced their return at the beginning of season 2, Wilson came out of hiding to put them down.

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This ends badly for Deathstroke when both of his children align with the Titans. From inside his father’s consciousness, Jericho communicates with Dick Grayson, and the villain is eventually defeated by his daughter, Rose, who stabs him through the torso and absorbs Jericho into her own body. Grayson, now going under the mantle of Nightwing, declares Wilson dead. Deathstroke was a highly-praised addition to the Titans roster and was comfortably the most interesting, formidable foe in the entire series, attracting favorable comparisons to the Arrowverse’s interpretation of the same character. As such, it’s strange that Titans would definitively kill off a figure that courted such a positive response, especially compared to season 1’s Trigon.

Fortunately, Slade’s death isn’t quite as definitive as it seemed. After taking a sword through his body and being pronounced deceased by Dick, Slade is left on the ground which, for a character with an accelerated healing factor, isn’t exactly a conclusive ending. Slade’s survival largely hinges on how good his regeneration ability truly is. When the villain first reemerges in Titans season 2, it’s clear that his powers are stuttering, and he obviously never recovers the loss of his right eye, but Rose demonstrates the potential of her father’s powers when she stabs a hole through her hand and watches it heal. It’s impossible to rule out Deathstroke’s artificial healing patching up the new gap in his chest, at least enough for him to survive, although the ability might need kick-starting by a rich and powerful scientist with an equally big score to settle with the Titans… Lex Luthor perhaps?

Even if Deathstroke was killed by his daughter’s blade, that doesn’t necessarily mean the character can’t still be revived. Slade was originally given his superhuman abilities thanks to the mysterious H.I.V.E. organization, who have been mentioned in Titans previously but not fully explored. It makes sense to assume that H.I.V.E. wouldn’t necessarily want one of their experiments dying on the street for any random person to discover, and they might have the technology required to bring their man back from the edge of death.

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It might prove significant that Deathstroke has already been brought back from the dead in the DC comics. During the recent “Terminus Agenda” storyline with Deathstroke and the Teen Titans, Slade is killed by Red Arrow, but Raptor passes leprosy on to the deceased assassin’s corpse, firing up Deathstroke’s accelerated healing and bringing him back into the world of the living. Raptor might not have featured in Titans so far, but even if he isn’t an addition to the season 3 cast, this storyline could be adapted with a different figure sparking up Slade’s superpowers.

The final moments of Titans season 2 teased that Blackfire, Kory’s sister, would be the main villain when the DC series returns. The Queen of Tamaran finally came down to Earth in person and inhabited a nearby body, keen to put her troublesome sibling back in her place. With the Titans now presenting a united front, protecting Kory will surely be the main arc of the upcoming season, but Slade could still slot in as an out-of-action antagonist working to get back on his feet, before eventually joining with Blackfire for the final battle.

Titans season 3 is set to premiere in 2020 on DC Universe.

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About The Author


Craig Elvy
(3624 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

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Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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