The 20 best Arrowverse characters ranked

Played by: Candice PattonIris’ will-they-won’t-they romance with Barry Allen in the first two seasons of The Flash was fun to watch, but it didn’t give her a whole lot to do. Subsequent seasons made up for that, expanding her relationship with her brother, Wally West, and even giving her Flash’s powers at one point. Throughout the series, she’s also excelled in her career as a journalist, proving herself as a strong, dedicated reporter. [Jen Lennon]

Played by: Emily Bett RickardsIntroduced as an IT specialist early in Arrow’s first season, Felicity quickly became indispensable to the team. Her sense of humor often brought some much-needed levity to the show, and her quick thinking frequently saved the team. What makes Felicity truly special, though, is her confidence in her abilities; she’s great at what she does and she knows it, and Emily Bett Rickards plays her with the perfect mix of confidence and vulnerability. [Jen Lennon]

Played by: Tom CavanaghWhere the comic books took a novel if silly-ish ’50s-style supervillain and turned him into a genuinely deadly and relentless psychopath, the Arrowverse one-upped it by making the identity of the Man in Yellow the compelling driver of The Flash’s first-season mystery, along with the shocking reveal that he was hiding in plain sight within Harrison Wells (and providing an excellent showcase for Tom Cavanagh’s versatility). Since that dynamic introduction, Thawne’s relentless returns as a Big Bad—with feints toward goodness—across the Arrowverse have consistently raised the stakes and cemented his reputation as the multiverse’s most dangerous supervillain. [Scott Huver]

During his six and a half seasons on The Flash, Francisco Baracus Ramon entertained us with his nerdy pop-culture references, graphic T-shirts, and witty banter. An original member of Team Flash, Cisco remains one of our favorite gadget guys in the entire Arrowverse, even after his departure. Whether he had meta-human powers as Vibe, tech-based powers as Mecha-Vibe, or just his own genius brain power all by itself, he was always willing to jump in and save the day, or be there for his friends in whatever corner of the multiverse they found themselves in. And let’s not forget that most of the villains in Central City owe their nicknames to him. The team hasn’t been the same without him, and neither has the show. [Cindy White]

Played by: Danielle PanabakerKiller Frost is excellent on her own, but it’s really her Jekyll-and-Hyde relationship with Caitlin Snow that makes her one of the Arrowverse’s best characters. Initially a ruthless villain, Caitlin helps Frost channel her rage and become an ally for Team Flash. Even though Frost’s cold exterior slowly melts throughout the show’s run, she’s still fierce when she needs to be, and she eventually separates from Caitlin to become fully her own person. [Jen Lennon]

Played by: Cress WilliamsThough frequently overlooked in the scope of the Arrowverse as a whole, Black Lightning quietly chugged along for four excellent seasons, and much of the series’ success is due to Cress Williams’ portrayal of Jefferson Pierce. The show smartly centered the Black experience, and Jefferson struggled with public perception and what it means to be a Black superhero. Focusing on Jefferson’s family life, too, set the series apart from the others. Plus, no one in the Arrowverse gives better motivational speeches than Jefferson Pierce. [Jen Lennon]

Played by: Tyler HoechlinThink of Tyler Hoechlin’s Clark Kent as the polar opposite of Henry Cavill in Man Of Steel. Where Cavill’s Superman is brooding, Hoechlin’s take hews much closer to the character’s comic book origins. In Supergirl, Superman is kind, goofy, a little dorky, and, most importantly, hopeful. It’s clear he believes that people are inherently good and that it’s his duty to protect them. He serves as a perfect role model for Supergirl, and Hoechlin’s take was so compelling that he got his own non-Arrowverse-canon spinoff show, .

Played by: Melissa BenoistTV proved to be the ideal medium for Kara Zor-El to step out from the shadow of her more famous cousin—but always strive to uphold his legacy—and allow a new generation of fans to discover his distinctive appeal. As the show cleverly explored the fringes of the Superman universe, Kara disproved the fallacy that Kryptonians are too powerful to be dramatically engaging: indeed, it was her vulnerable, fallible human side that provided the real stakes. Bolstered by the warm, winning charm of Melissa Benoist, the heroine emerged as a Supergirl-next-door and role model for young women and men alike. [Scott Huver]

Played by: Stephen AmellThe Arrowverse only worked at all because of Oliver Queen (a.k.a. The Hood, The Arrow, The Green Arrow, etc.), with Stephen Amell putting in a performance that was better than it had any right to be—juggling the air-headed playboy, the vicious vigilante, and a ruthless survivor from scene to scene. Oliver’s typically cold demeanor also made the introduction of new characters and the expansion of the universe easy: Everyone seemed fun when they played off of him, making him fun to watch, and his casual competence in every situation helped ground the more fantastical evolutions of the Arrowverse. [Sam Barsanti]

Played by: Grant GustinPerhaps the best aspect of The Flash’s primary hero is a little meta: throughout the course of a nine-season run, the series’ take on Barry Allen stands as proof of concept that a DC hero doesn’t need to be dark and grim to win a devoted legion of fans. Through a combination of smart, warm-hearted writing and actor Grant Gustin’s inherent likability, the Arrowverse’s Barry Allen stood in stark contrast to the grittier, more tortured Oliver Queen, as well as the more widely known DC superstars on the big screen. Sure, Barry’s known his share of tragedy and hardship, but he constantly overcomes adversity through optimism, courage, and determination (and super-speed, of course). He’s the epitome of DC’s too-easily-dismissed bright knights and a shining example that, yes, good guys truly can win. [Scott Huver]