Wonder Woman 1984 advances the lore of its universe in several unique ways, but one of the most mysterious is the film's mention of an Amazonian warrior named Asteria. But who is she, and why has Diana Prince been looking for her for so long since Wonder Woman's end, while maintaining her secret life among normal society?
Diana has a lot on her plate in Wonder Woman 1984. Maxwell Lord ostensibly serves as the film's primary antagonist, alongside Kristen Wiig's Barbara Minerva proves similarly threatening by the film's end. The presence of the Dreamstone complicates things even further, leading to the return of Steve Trevor, Diana's long-lost love interest. There is even reason to believe a secret third villain is meddling in the affairs of Wonder Woman 1984 thanks to the Dreamstone's existence. And to top it all off, Diana is in the midst of a decades-long search for a mysterious Amazonian warrior named Asteria.
The Wonder Woman sequel may bite off a little more than it can chew, but it does establish some fascinating potential for both Diana and Asteria alike. Asteria is referred to as the "Golden Warrior" by the Amazons, and the Amazon Games are held in her honor. There is even a golden statue erected in her honor in the center of Themyscira's coliseum and the end of Wonder Woman 1984 heavily suggests there may be more to her story in the DCEU. Here is everything else you need to know about the enigmatic Amazon.
Diana refers to Asteria throughout Wonder Woman 1984 and viewers first catch a glimpse of the Golden Warrior in the film's very first scene, although they do not know it at the time. Wonder Woman 1984 opens with a scene from Themyscira's Amazon Games in which a young Diana is narrowly defeated as a result of her breaking the competition's rules. In the center of the coliseum is a golden statue of a fallen hero: Asteria. Later in the film, Diana explains that, when Zeus first created Themyscira, it was Asteria who stayed back to fend off the attacking waves of men, allowing her fellow Amazons to flee to their new home. Asteria was presumed dead and became known as the "fallen hero."
Still, once Diana left Themyscira, she decided to seek out the legendary warrior, but to no avail. All Diana could find was Asteria's golden armor, which she kept locked away in her home in Washington and then eventually dons the armor for her final battle with Cheetah and Maxwell Lord in the film's final act. Wonder Woman 1984's mid-credits scene, however, reveals that Asteria is indeed alive, blending in amongst humanity just like Diana. Even more excitingly, Asteria is played by none other than Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman in the 1970s television series. Does this mean Asteria is actually a previous incarnation of Wonder Woman? The series was set during World War II, so it is certainly possible that Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman could have gone undercover in the decades since, although this would also mean there were two separate Wonder Women operating at once, as Gal Gadot's version of the character first arrived during World War I. Carter's Asteria may be an entirely new character, as she does have a basis in both comics and Greek mythology.
Tracing Asteria's origins in DC Comics is a complicated task. Wonder Woman has donned golden armor several times in the comics, although the armor's origins don't seem to align with what the film puts forth and in this sense, Wonder Woman 1984's Asteria has no direct basis in the comics. Diana wears the armor because her powers have been weakened by the Dreamstone, and she fears that she needs the extra support in taking on Cheetah. While the armor itself provides added protection, it is also possible Diana felt compelled to channel Asteria's bravery and strength and so she wore her hero's armor into battle.
Interestingly, when Wonder Woman first debuted the golden armor in 1996's Elseworlds: Kingdom Come, it was because she had been exiled by the Amazons for failing to uphold peace in the outside world. It, therefore, seems safe to say that the relationship between the armor and Asteria in Wonder Woman 1984 is unique to the film, and not connected to any precedents in DC Comics' library. Likewise, the idea of the fallen warrior is also new to the DCEU as while the comics have explored the story of how the Amazons made Themyscira their home in several different ways, none of them have included Asteria.
Asteria's role within Greek mythology is similarly complicated: while she is a prominent character, her exact nature has been rewritten and revised by various authors and poets. In some instances, Asteria is a Titaness who gave birth to Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, whose father is the Titan Perses. In others, Asteria is the mother of the fourth Heracles, whose father is Zeus. In any case, Asteria is a rather elusive figure, often turning herself into a quail so as to force her suitors to chase her in their passion. In one particular story, Asteria transforms into the desert island of Delos in response to Poseidon's relentless pursuit of her. However, other accounts suggest that Asteria got married on Delos to Perses, with whom she birthed Hecate.
It is difficult to connect Asteria's status within Greek mythology with her status in Wonder Woman 1984, although her elusive nature certainly aligns with the character created by director Patty Jenkins. It is entirely possible that Asteria simply served as a fun easter egg for Wonder Woman fans, but the character's mysterious roots prime her for a return in Wonder Woman 3. No matter what Asteria's fate proves to be, Wonder Woman 1984 certainly made the most of the Golden Warrior.
