The Sanza Salazar Saga is a series of Teen Titans (2003) fanfics, originated by Ry Senkari but later continued by a friend of the creator of the original trilogy nicknamed oneortheother, is a series of Teen Titans Alternate Universe fics in which the identity of the thief who stole Robin's Red X suit prior to the events of the third season "X" turns out to be a Jump City teenager named Sanza Salazar. Because the original fanfic of the saga was written prior to the airing of season five, it basically ignores that entire season and branches off from the end of season four, though events from season five are explored and retold in some chapters.
The saga explores the duality of Sanza's ordinary high-school life with his criminal escapades as Red X as he comes into contact and conflict with numerous heroes and villains throughout the saga.
The Life And Times Of Red X is the first story. It features the reveal (to the reader, at least) of Sanza's identity in the first few chapters and the reveal to the Titans later on. It introduces the reader's to Sanza's mother and sister, who provided his initial reason for stealing the suit, and allow the villain Slade to get his foot in the door to persuade Red X/Sanza to become his apprentice. Thus, this story revolves around Red X's struggles to avoid Slade's advances, protect his family, and remain true to himself as his loyalties wax and wane between Slade, the Titans, and himself.
Maiden Of Stone is essentially a Fix Fic which revisits the circumstances behind Terra's revival. Terra is freed from her petrified condition by the scientific machinations of a group of scheming corporate executives who seek to cause natural disasters in order to make billions of dollars on the subsequent destruction of Jump City. Red X is pulled into the conflict after attempting to steal from these gentlemen but eventually becomes personally involved after the villains threaten his loved ones and after he begins to see the freed Terra as a kindred spirit.
A Tale Of Two Apprentices concludes the trilogy. Slade makes another appearance, and Red X and Terra are both in his sights, hence the "two apprentices" part of the title. In addition, the Brotherhood of Evil makes an appearance and threatens Jump City. The first half of the fanfic is basically a retelling of the fifth season of the series, with the action revolving around Jump City instead of taking the Titans around the world. The second half of the fic gets much more personal and closes nearly all of the loose ends and story threads established throughout the trilogy.
The original trilogy inspired a fan to write a story which takes place several months afterward, Shades of Gray, in which Red X is framed for murder and a mysterious stranger makes an appearance in the city. It is still ongoing.
One of the main characters, Sanza Salazar, had cameoed in two seasons of Survivor: Fan Characters as a contestant.
The Sanza Salazar Saga contains examples of the following tropes:
- Depleted Phlebotinum Shells: Rev's guns and Red X's projectiles.
- Age-Appropriate Angst: For Sanza and Maddie. Actually, we have sympathy for most of the 'Teen' cast anyway.
- Alternate Universe Fic: Branching off from the end of season four.
- Fix Fic: Maiden of Stone is basically a fic that has Terra revived under different circumstances than the original so that she doesn't have the opportunity to say I Just Want to Be Normal.
- Always Save the Girl: Parodied during the Sadistic Choice.
- And Your Little Dog, Too!: Happens with Maddy quite a bit even when they aren't specifically trying to target Sanza.
- Anti-Villain: Rev, well if he wasn't a Designated Hero for fighting evil and what not.
- Artistic License – Geology: The climax of Maiden Of Stone. Earthquakes do not work that way...
- Applied Phlebotinum: Almost an overdose. The 'miracle polymer Xynothium' is a great example.
- Back-to-Back Badasses: Red X and Rev.
- Badass Family: The Salazars. Even Sanza's mother Maria can sometimes hold her own against the Villain Of The Day.
- Badass Normal: Sanza, Rev in Shades of Gray. Sedaris is an evil example.
- Because I'm Good At It: One of the reasons Sanza continues to put on the Red X suit and remain a thief even after working with the Titans so much.
- Berserker Tears: In similar fashion to the original series, there are numerous occasions in which Berserker Tears are shed during particularly emotionally charged fights. Any time Red X/Sanza battles Slade, for example.
- Bluffing the Murderer: In this case, bluffing the thief, as Raven bluffs/intimidates Red X into giving up some crucial information.
- Bluff the Impostor: Terra bluffs the imposter Red X.
- Cat Fight: Jinx vs. Terra in Maiden of Stone, Madame Rouge vs. Terra in A Tale Of Two Apprentices.
- Clothes Make the Superman: lampshaded by Rev's comments on the powerlessness of humans.
- Christianity Is Catholic: averted, Sanza and his family are Catholic but there are numerous Protestant characters, most notably Sanza's friend Steve and one of the bad guys from Maiden of Stone.
- Combat Pragmatist: Red X, Rev.
- Comes Great Responsibility: Played straight, subverted and averted.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Many of the villains of Maiden of Stone are these.
- Destructive Saviour: Almost every boss battle will involve a ton of property damage.
- Double Consciousness: A played down version of this is Sanza's 'inner thief'. He is a unrepentant Kleptomaniac after all.
- Dirty Coward
- Double Agent: Sanza.
- Don't Fear the Reaper: Rev makes the claim during a particularly bloodtastic battle.
- The Dragon: Sedaris, Slade in the first part of A Tale of Two Apprentices
- Eye Scream: during the fight with Dr. Ruell when Sanza hookshots him in the eye
- Fragile Speedster: Rev, in a sense. It is stated he doesn't really have any stamina for a prolonged fight, opting for Hit-and-Run Tactics and using his weapons to beat his foes.
- Green Rocks: Just what can't a case of Applied Xynothium/Phlebotinum do? Anything from explosives to bands to lasers to wings. Yes, you read that right.
- Grudging "Thank You": Almost every occasion in which the Titans save X or vice versa.
- A Handful for an Eye: Red X employs this tactic at the start of the trilogy, before he gets a reactor that allows him to power his suit indefinitely
- Hard Work Hardly Works: Even after Sanza trains with the True Master, Slade still wrecks him
- Heroic Sacrifice: Averted. Sanza turns down a Taking You with Me moment against criminal mastermind Slade. Because? Well because he ain't no hero.
- Honor Before Reason: Sanza passes up the chance to kill Slade at the end of the first fic leading to a Bittersweet Ending, though he would've had to kill himself as well to do so.
- Hostage Situation: Most notably Maddy and Maria in "The Life And Times of Red X" and Terra and Raven in "Maiden of Stone".
- Humans Are White: There's almost more Tamaranians than the Token Minority.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Red X and Robin both have moments, especially during a certain someone's death.)
- I Just Want to Be Normal: despite the fifth season not being Canon to this fic, its characterizations are, and thus Terra's "Things Change" angst carries over into her personality in the second and third fics of the trilogy.
- In the Blood: Ass-kickery is genetic in the Salazar bloodline.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: This embodies young Sanza Salazar, at least for the early sections of series as he later becomes more of a Nice Guy.
- Killed Off for Real: numerous characters from the original series, most notably The Brain, The True Master, and Slade
- Let's Get Dangerous!: Steve and Cleo get this kind of moment in A Tale Of Two Apprentices.
- Like Father, Like Son: Sanza and his deceased father both have a lot of personality traits in common.
- Logical Fallacies:
ChemistryThe nigh-unlimited uses of the 'miracle polymer Xynothium' which defy logic and knowledge of molecular bases surely counts, then again it is powered by Phlebotinum.
- Love Dodecahedron: Raven, Beast Boy, Terra, Sanza, Starfire, Robin.
- Love Is in the Air: Romance is a big part of the trilogy.
- MacGuffin: The Crisis Crystal, at least in the first few chapters of Maiden of Stone, before it is used to de-petrify Terra.
- Meaningful Name: Reverend in Shades of Gray is quite religious.
- Morality Chain: Sanza can lose it whenever his loved ones are threatened.
- More than Meets the Eye: There is much more to young teenager Sanza Salazar than meets the eyes... Same for the Corrupt Corporative Exectutive villains of the second fic, most of them look rather harmless, especially the Sinister Minister. Rev also looks relatively tame without his Cool Mask.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Sanza and Terra are subjected to this in chapter 21 of A Tale Of Two Apprentices.
- Not Himself: Terra catches onto Madame Rouge impersonating Red X.
- The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Averted by Ordinary High-School Student Sanza, but played straight by a few other people such as Maria Salazar who despite having a job, we never see her at work.
- Powered Armor: Played straight with Red X and Rev. Though perhaps you could make the case it is less 'armor' and more like equipable utility devices.
- Properly Paranoid: Rev, very much. He's even shown to be mostly correct)
- Rape as Drama: Cleo in Maiden of Stone. Unlike many fanfics in which this is glossed over, the act has a profound impact on its victim's psyche and drives Sanza to a Darkest Hour moment, with ripple effects that permeate the rest of the trilogy.
- Save the Villain: Red X tries to save Sorel, but he is unable and Sorel dies a Karmic Death. Also Robin tries to save Red X during one of their battles but Hilarity Ensues after a Jerkass moment from Red X.
- Science Is Bad: Most of the scientists in the trilogy are either evil or unscrupulous or both.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Averted by the Teen Titans in the Mo S when they fail to catch the Corrupt Corporate Executive. Played straight by Rev, though his opinion on what is 'right' is debatable...
- She's Not My Girlfriend: Robin toward Starfire in the first fic, Sanza toward Terra in the second and the start of the third.
- Sinister Minister: One of the council of villains in Maiden of Stone
- Shout-Out: Plenty, a few examples are Pulp Fiction, Dodgeball:
- "If you can dodge a starbolt, you can dodge a ball""If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!"
- Skewed Priorities: "ll kill that kid myself, what is he doing? Trying to get us killed? Or worse, arrested?" From Shades of Gray, chapter seven.
- Superhero Trophy Shelf: Sorel sends Sanza on a quest to fetch items from the Titans in The Life and Times of Red X in order to test his worthiness as an apprentice for Slade.
- Sympathy for the Devil: The Titans don't consider Red X a 'real' villain, at least compared to Slade anyway. No sympathy for him...
- There Is No Try: Sanza's training with the True Master, which also involves...
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: People can be Killed Off for Real but the heroes generally avoiding doing that. Ironically, this trope is mainly subverted by the religious Rev.
- Traitor Shot: Especially in the first fic it's clear that Red X/Sanza should not be trusted.
- The Unfettered: Red X on the "heroic" side, Sedaris on the villainous.
- Violence Really Is the Answer: Deconstructed when Robin accidentally kills Slade in a The Killer Becomes the Killed moment by kicking him over a ledge when he was lunging at him, later he wonders if he did the right thing. But he decides that Violence is the Only Option.
- Also in Shades of Gray, Rev is a proud preacher of how Murder Is the Best Solution and Violence is the Only Option.
- Warrior Therapist: Rev gets the most of these moments, but Sanza gets a few. Overlaps with below.
- Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys?: Subverted with the Xynothium. Played straight with Rev.
- Wouldn't Hit a Girl: Played straight, subverted, and averted.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Rev just wants the world to be a better place, the heroes might agree more with his cause if his tactic wasn't Murder Is the Best Solution.
- X-Ray Vision: Subverted with Rev who has general all-purpose awesome vision that grants him Improbable Aiming Skills and the ability to 'see through people' by reading their body language.