Young Justice

A covert team of teenage heroes growing into adults while fighting global threats under the Justice League's supervision.

Young Justice is an American animated superhero series developed by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti for Cartoon Network and later HBO Max. Set on Earth-16 within the DC Multiverse, it focuses on teenage superheroes and sidekicks operating as a covert team under the supervision of the Justice League. The core members include Robin (Jesse McCartney), Kid Flash (Jason Spisak), Aqualad (Khary Payton), Superboy (Nolan North), Miss Martian (Danica McKellar), and Artemis (Stephanie Lemelin). Initially framed as a teen drama-spy series, the show evolved into an adult drama exploring mature topics across four seasons. Development began between 2008 and 2009, serving as a reboot that reflects the formative years of the DC Universe.

Quick Facts

Genre

Action
Adventure
Science fiction
Space opera

Developer

Brandon Vietti; Greg Weisman

Starring

Jesse McCartney
Khary Payton
Jason Spisak
Nolan North
Danica McKellar
Stephanie Lemelin

Theme music

Kristopher Carter
Michael McCuistion
Lolita Ritmanis

Country

United States

Language

English

Seasons

Episodes

Lore & Background

The series spans four seasons with each episode dated to reflect its timeline on Earth-16. The first season unfolds over roughly six months during a time when superheroes are a "relatively new phenomenon," focusing on how sidekicks come into their own. Season two, subtitled Young Justice: Invasion, picks up five years later, introducing new characters like Barbara Gordon and Garfield Logan while revolving around an alien invasion that forces the team to defend Earth without full League support. Co-producer Vietti noted this shift was designed to "force the team into the frontline position of defending Earth." Season three, Young Justice: Outsiders, takes place a few years later, expanding to intergalactic conflicts involving Darkseid and Apokolips. The fourth season, Young Justice: Phantoms, follows the original core characters as adults navigating personal trauma. Throughout these arcs, the team expanded from six members to include others like Blue Beetle and Lagoon Boy, with the overall series featuring a large ensemble cast across all four seasons.

Reader's Guide

The initial six main characters were selected from a pool of 50 to 60 potential teenage superheroes. Dick Grayson acts as a young genius utilizing high-tech gadgets, while Kaldur'ahm uses hydrokinesis and calm leadership. Wally West possesses hypersonic speed, Superboy offers brute strength as a Kryptonian-human hybrid, Miss Martian utilizes telepathy and shape-shifting, and Artemis serves as an expert archer hiding her criminal family background. The team operates with the Justice League mostly in the background, allowing them to grow into adulthood. Key turning points include the five-year time skip between seasons one and two, the alien invasion on Rann, the trafficking of teenage metahumans in season three, and the six interconnected arcs of season four focusing on personal trauma. The show features 179 characters in its first season and 241 by the second.

Did You Know?

The series premiered on Cartoon Network in 2010 and was canceled in 2013 before being revived for a third season in 2019 due to strong fan support.
Young Justice characters appeared in Teen Titans Go! episodes in 2015 and 2020.
The show does not feature a crossover with Teen Titans Go! where the Young Justice members criticize the Titans for being immature, despite fan speculation about such a meta-commentary.