A Young Justice Cast Member Wrote One Of The Best Episodes Of The Series
"Young Justice" is one of the best superhero shows ever made. Building on the path carved by the work of Bruce Timm with "Justice League," "Batman: The Animated Series," and more, this animated series draws from every corner of the DC universe, from Jack Kirby's trippy Fourth Wall to Golden Age characters and much more. The show offered episodic storytelling, with most episodes revolving around a specific mission, while also advancing an overarching story with big consequences.
Perhaps the show's biggest achievement is one that we still haven't seen properly replicated in live-action — the idea of legacy. Throughout the current four seasons of "Young Justice" (we still don't know where and if the show fits James Gunn's DC Universe), we see heroes retire and pass on their mantle to new generations who carry on their heroic legacy. We see that with Jason Todd becoming Robin after Dick Grayson became Nightwing, in the multiple Flashes, and Aquaman passing the title to his ward, Kaldur'ahm aka Aqualad.
The sudden increase in responsibility for Kaldur, who became leader of the Justice League upon assuming the Aquaman mantle, took a toll on Kaldur. That culminated in one of the best episodes of season 4, subtitled "Young Justice: Phantoms." The episode, titled "Leviathan Wakes," concludes a season 4 story arc set in Atlantis and was written by Kaldur voice actor Khary Payton himself.
"He did a terrific job at it," series co-creator Greg Weisman told CBR in 2022. "Khary is so invested in the character of Kaldur. He helped us, without a doubt, create and bring [the character] to life. He just had so many ideas for Kaldur and where it would go and that kind of thing. He did a really terrific job with the script, as we knew he would."
The psychological toll of superheroing
The episode focuses on Kaldur retrieving an ancient Atlantean crown as part of a prophecy about the return of the one true king of Atlantis (which is secretly a conspiracy by Vandal Savage to place a lackey as king). By the end, Arthur (the former Aquaman) decides to step down from the throne and hand over the crown to his wife Mera, allowing him to focus on being a father and go back to being Aquaman. Kaldur, who is still Aquaman, decides to take a leave of absence and seeks counseling with the league's psychiatrist, Black Canary, to confront his grief.
It's one of the most poignant endings to any "Young Justice" episode and a fantastic plot point for one of the show's best characters. A big part of season 4 was checking back in with the original members of the titular team now that it's been a decade since its formation. For Kaldur, who founded "The Team" with Robin, Kid Flash, and Speedy, it's been a decade full of pride, but also the deaths of teammates and friends. "These are sorrows, I must come to terms with if I am ever to return to the life I have led," he says at the end of the episode.
Throughout season 4, we see and hear how Kaldur has been pushing himself too much, how tired he seems, yet how he never complains or takes a break. The end of the episode shows us something we rarely see highlighted in superhero stories — the importance of mental care — and it's great to see "Young Justice" recognize how essential that is.