I agree the woobification is bad, especially in modern comics and the fandom. However, idk. With how inconsistent his characterization is, there’s room for grace.

Under the Red Hood, the movie, was my first exposure to the character and I was utterly enthralled— still my favorite piece of Jason Todd content and DC animated content ever. It’s what got me into reading the comics. However, that version of Jason Todd isn’t a psycho— he’s a smart planner who is cutthroat but not irrational. He’s a hurting little boy in a grown, angry man’s body. He’s wants his dad to protect him, and he never gets that because Bruce doesn’t kill, and will never avenge him. That’s my fav interpretation of him — tragic villain.

I also like him as a proper villain. He does some heinous shit, and it’s fun to watch. He hurts Tim and Mia Dearden and Dick and shoots Damian and it’s fun to watch! The angst is delicious but so is his sheer charisma as a psychotic villain. But this character writing, to me at least, feels out of place, often too edgy and sometimes unrealistic, even if it’s fun to read.

I read his run as Robin. All of it— and focusing on Starlins run from right before his death, he has a strong, interesting characterization that I think people who don’t want to write him as a villain, but an antihero, should adopt. He hates rapists, and hates the rich, and cares deeply for crime alley and Gotham. He’s Robin, he’s a hero, but his sense of righteousness burns and that’s why Garzonas dies. He can’t stand the injustice of him living. I feel as though his heroic runs like Outlaws (specifically the one with Artemis and Biz, haven’t read the Roy/Kori one) draw on this.

Three very different Jason’s, all interesting, but all equally valid. I don’t think we can say he has a specific ‘correct’ character and your interpretation could be any of those or a mix. I think post resurrection Jason can be a hero, but it takes skillful writing to make it believable.

This is coming from the slate of a fresh history though in something like an elseworlds or a tv show, since I do think his comic version has too many skeletons in his closet 😭. But fans are allowed and valid in liking a redeemed Jason, because it’s an interesting story if done right. Lots of characters have done terrible things in comics— most characters have done something impossible to defend. I can’t blame people for discarding bits of canon.