This screenshot motivational poster is dedicated to all of my friends, fellow artists, fans, and brethren who love to pair up Cyborg and Starfire as best friends akin to a big brother and little sister relationship. So, sit back, relax, and sit in for a spell as to why I revel in pairing Cyborg and Starfire as a sibling-like duo.
There is no shadow of a doubt that I have always enjoyed Cyborg’s and Starfire’s familial dynamics not only within the team but also with each other. Cyborg is the strong, charismatic, large-and-in-charge older brother with a big personality to Starfire’s gregarious, lovable, euphoric younger sister, and one can never go wrong with their strength not only in the physical sense but also in the emotional sense.
Between my tweens and teens, I have always enjoyed Cyborg’s and Starfire’s interactions in both the comedic and the dramatic moments because of how they want to learn from each other and how they seem to have a strong, encouraging, and amazing bond which makes them unbeatable in anything. I was even straddling between pairing them romantically or keeping their relationship platonic. As time went by, I still thought they would be a nice pair in terms of romantic endeavors. However, I see it as just a first-crush scenario, and I mainly endeavored to keep their relationship absolutely platonic.
My main reason for keeping their relationship platonic is attributed to the sibling dynamic they have together. When one considers the fact that Cyborg was an only child whose mother passed away and whose father was not seen again after operating on him after his near-fatal accident and that Starfire no longer had her biological parents, had her guardian to look after her, her older sister Blackfire, and her younger brother Wildfire, ended up being sold by Blackfire to the Gordanians as a slave, and even find herself framed by her own older sister for a crime she did not commit, one can really see what makes their familial dynamics as siblings deep and meaningful.
Cyborg may have had acclaim and praise as an all-star athlete before his near-death accident, but he never had any siblings to call his own. The only family he had was his father who was never seen in the show and his mother who unfortunately died in an accident leaving Cyborg with various injuries. It took the efforts of his father to repair the damages in his body by attaching cybernetic parts, and even though Cyborg survived, he ended up resenting his father for turning him into a monster feared by nearly everybody. This then led him to cope with his situation by wearing a hoodie to hide his “deformed” features.
At the opposite end of the world, Starfire may have been of royal blood thanks to her father and mother being the king and queen of Tamaran, having an older sister and a younger brother, and a guardian who could function as a second father, but after being sold as a slave to the Gordanians by her older sister Blackfire to bring peace to Tamaran, her parents died of grief and Starfire’s world crumbled down. The only role model Starfire ever had was Galfore, as he was akin to a second father. Unfortunately, her older sister Blackfire was certainly not anyone to champion in terms of the Hell she gave Starfire from selling her off to the Gordanians to framing her for stealing the Centauri moon diamond to using the Jewel of Charta as a means to dominate Tamaran and attempt to marry Starfire off to Glgrdsklechhh. Ergo, she deserved a whole lot better than an older sister who made her life miserable in spite of the many times she saved her due to being a better fighter than Starfire.
So, what can bring these two together in terms of familial bonds? That would be a mutual respect they have for one another not only as heroes but also as individuals, as they would confide in each other and help each other become more confident individuals with oodles of high self-esteem.
Being the socially savvy, cool, athletic older brother Cyborg is, he would definitely help Starfire be more confident around people, give her great advice, and give her all the love, attention, approval, and acknowledgment she needs in order for her self-esteem to build up with flying colors. Starfire would even go out of her way to proudly say that Cyborg is the best older brother she ever had. In turn, this would make Cyborg feel utterly devoted to make sure that Starfire receives his undivided attention as the older brother and be the best role model he can be in her life.
Being the jovial, loving, appreciative younger sister Starfire is, she would easily open Cyborg’s mind to be acquainted with Tamaranean customs and culture, thus making him appreciate all of the wonders of her home planet. She would even be so wrapped up in Cyborg’s protective big brother nature that she would feel emotionally secure under his wing. Considering her awesome powers of flight, speed, laser beam usage, and strength, she could even use them to help Cyborg get out of certain sticky situations.
They would even feel a connection of what it is like to be judged from not only their differences but also race given that Starfire has experienced what it is like to be called as something inferior due to Val-Yor and other races calling her people derogatory names and that Cyborg is African-American whose ancestors encountered a whole deal of discrimination and oppression. The historical context of where they came from can help them break barriers, be more open-minded, appreciate their respective heritages, keep on moving forward with a brave face, and uphold basic human rights with everything they have as superheroes who champion the values of justice, equality, liberty, and fraternity.
When it comes to supporting each others’ romantic relationships, they will definitely have each others’ backs in the greatest way possible with Cyborg being Speedy’s wingman to Starfire and ensure that he gives her the best date with her cavalier in red and with Starfire having some girl time with Sarasim in order to look nice for Cyborg. Together, they can also make sure that the unity they have in their family will be passed down to their life partners and to their children.
To conclude, Cyborg and Starfire certainly uphold great family values as siblings from other families who acknowledge each other for their similarities and differences and will always have each others’ backs. Their undying loyalty is what makes them strong as a family.
I hope you all enjoyed this and I also hope you have a blessed Good Friday. Take care and stay safe, everybody.
Cyborg, Starfire, and the screenshot from “Troq” from Teen Titans belong to Glen Murakami, David Slack, DC Comics, Warner Brothers Animation, and Cartoon Network.
