So we’re ranking every hero that has debuted within the Arrowverse so far. So before we get into the list, here’s the criteria. They have to be superheroes or vigilantes. Keyboard warriors or everyday heroes need not apply. We’re talking masks, spandex, capes, and superpowers. Characters will be evaluated on individual basis. Some characters are going to be tweeners, good with shades of evil, but no flat out villains. So no Captain Cold, Mick Rory, Cupid, etc. Just flat out good guys, or anti-heroes.
We’ll count future heroes too, like Mon El, but not characters who might become an original hero sometime down the line. However if they’ve already become their own hero, ala John Diggle becoming Spartan or Jimmy Olsen as The Guardian, they’ll be included. So if Julian Albert returns and becomes Doctor Throws Things at Bad Guys, he won’t be on this list.
Length of time as a hero won’t hurt but can help the placing. Characters who have been around for a while won’t necessarily be given preferential treatment, because that could just mean we’ve seen more of them to dislike them. So longevity and frequency of appearance is immaterial.
Here’s what we’re looking for;
– Comic Character Accuracy: How one portrays the character in relation to their origin.
– Unique Handling of the Character: Making the character their own, while embracing the origins.
– Efficiency: Are they able to handle themselves.
Part 2 – 40-31 aka Solid Complimentary Heroes
Part 3 – 30-21 aka Great Complimentary Heroes
*Due to Black Lighting just debuting, and his series not being clearly established within the Arrowverse, he’s not being counted on the list for now.*
Could Be on Their Own
20) Black Canary(II)
– Dinah Drake is the most recent addition to the team, making her the fourth ‘Canary’. Unlike the others, she has a meta ability that allows her to channel the Canary Cry without any type of weaponry. A cop on the S.C.P.D., she’s proven to not only be a decent detective but loyal to to her team. After the apparent death of her partner (the previously named Vigilante), she became lost and found a new purpose thanks to Oliver and his team. She’s earned the respect of the father of the former Black Canary – Quentin Lance – as he bequeathed his late-daughter’s moniker to her. She’s since split off from Oliver, forming a new team with Wild Dog and Mister Terrific, and will seemingly serve as the groups de-facto leader until the two groups reunite. Her hand to hand and meta powers make her a force to reckon with, and her detective skills and leadership ability make her a character that could stand out on her own, starring in her own series.
19) Elongated Man
– Elongated Man or Ralph Dibny, only debuted this past season. That said, his dark sense of humor, his ability to be self deprecating, and his ability to do what needs to be done to ensure the safety of the public has earned him a place among the fans as a new favorite. While Elongated Man may be at times a little dirty (in more than one way), his heart is always in the right place. If you factor his desire to right, with his near indestructible body, and his ability to mold himself into any shape; he’s a hero that would be hard to ignore. His personality though seems to be the best prat of his character. Ralph is disarming, charming and unafraid to be himself. He’s a character many can relate to or want to be more like. With Barry Allen in prison for the foreseeable future, Dibny gets to showcase what he can do without a heavy hitter in The Flash.
18) Kid Flash
– The soon to be star of Legends of Tomorrow, Kid Flash has spent most of season four of The Flash dealing with a break up and trying to find a new path in life. His speed is dwarfed by Barry’s, but his speed is still faster than just about anyone else (still alive). Include that ability with his high energy, youthful outlook and renewed optimism and you can see why he’s such a huge fan favorite. Those aspects shows he has the ability to carry a show if the folks at CW want him to. His powers are still growing and while he doesn’t have the experience or training as others ahead of him, his growth as a hero would be a fun thing to watch develop. If you factor in his developing powers, his college courses, and the fact he’s trying to fight out from the huge shadow of his brother-in-law, and you can see why Wally would do well with his own show. He may lack the big wins, but here’s hoping that his time on Legends helps him find that ability.
17) Arsenal
– Roy Harper, or Arsenal, or Red Arrow….or whatever you want to call him is one of the first super hero additions to the Arrowverse. While The Huntress came before him, his stint as Red Arrow proved that a major hero needs more than just some help from time to time. While John Diggle was Oliver Queen’s first partner, Diggle wasn’t so much his partner as he was his backup. Invaluable without a doubt, it was Arsenal though that took up a mask and followed the Green Arrow into the tunnels to fight Slade’s Mirakuru army. He’s had his issues, like being on Mirakuru himself, second guessing Oliver, having relationship issues with Thea that got in the way of his work (or vice versa), but at the end of the day he was not just loyal to Oliver and the team but was willing to make a major sacrifice. Harper took Queen’s place as ‘The Arrow’ and allowed the city and the police to arrest him, in order to keep Oliver free and clear of the police. A hero that unselfish and dedicated is always someone who can carry his own work load. His departure from the show was a blow, but his occasional cameos have become a treat. I’m sure I speak for most out there that hope Roy Harper returns to the Arrowverse via Legends of Tomorrow. He’s one of the few characters that not just earned Oliver’s respect but was able to openly challenge him when few others did.
16) Connor Hawke
– Little is known about Conner Hawke, other than that he was trained by the greatest hero of all time, and is the son of John Diggle, a major hero in his own right. Hawke is the Arrow of a dystopian future, where Slade’s son is running lose with his gang. His sense of justice and strong morals echoes his father and segregate uncle, even if he’s impulsive more along the lines of Roy Harper. He’s got a chip on his shoulder and a desire to do his father justice and those two factors make for some interesting character development. He might of been higher if he had more than one episode and if his future was guaranteed. After all, his future is no longer likely after the Legends of Tomorrow defeated Vandal Savage and saved the timeline. Though, that all being said, legacy heroes are always fun to watch.
15) Black Canary (I)
– Dinah Laurel Lance makes it this high alone off of her character growth and evolution. She’s so far the perfect example of how you build and develop a character throughout a series. Starting off as a do-right attorney, she grew from an ex-girlfriend of Oliver, to an advisory to The Hood, and into an eventual hero in her own right. Unlike others on this part of the list though, she’s unable to have her own series or showcase due to her death in season four. Before Damian Darhk killed her, The Black Canary had become one of Oliver’s most consistent partners, alongside John Diggle. Her growth and training also ended up coinciding with the first of the JSA originals debuting in the form of Ted Grant’s Wildcat; something that would be a trend throughout the Arrowverse. Laurel’s character will forever go down as a fan favorite, and one that fans still wish was still around.
14) Killer Frost
– Now, we don’t include Heatwave but we’ll include Killer Frost? Why? Well, that’s simple – Mick Rory was a murderer since his childhood. He’s a genuine bad guy, who just so happens to like some of the good guys. Killer Frost is a second person entirely, residing in the subconscious of a genuine hero; Caitlin Snow. The duality of the Killer Frost/Caitlin Snow dynamic has the potential to mirror what made a character like The Hulk so great in the 70’s. Only instead of being a brainless beast, Frost is conniving and intelligent, making her more of a threat to the welfare of the civilian populous. Frost seems to have fallen in line, for now, with the rest of the heroes; though she does remain a wild card. A spinoff featuring Snow trying to control her darker urges with Frost and still finding a way to her powers would be a very interesting and powerful drama. Who knows if we’ll ever get that though. For now we’ll just have to hope that The Flash uses her better.
13) Jay Garrick
– Jay Garrick seemingly debuted in the start of season two, running along with Barry to re-create a classic comic cover. However we’d soon find out that was actually Zoom in disguise. The real Jay Garrick was found out to be from Earth-3’and resembled Barry’s late father, Henry. Since being freed from Zoom’s custody, he’s been an occasional ally and mentor to Barry Allen, giving him advice and a shoulder he can lean on. In season three of the Flash, Jay gave up his race to replace Barry in the Speed Force’s prison. When he was finally freed, he sided with Kid Flash and The Flash in their fight against Savitar. He’s willing to sacrifice for the greater good, a good team player and someone that can be relied on. If DC and CW ever did a JSA series, Garrick would obviously be the star, trying to keep the younger pups in line as they try to come together as a team. Garrick is a fun throwback character causing fans to get giddy with excitement every time we see that silver helmet make an appearance. That fact makes him a character that could carry a show whenever DC and CW wants him to.
12) Mister Terrific
– The JSA has kept the Arrowverse fresh for years. Adding Curtis Holt’s Mister Terrific character has really solidified a unique character type on “Arrow”. Unlike the rest of the team, Curtis constantly has this aura of child-like amazement. He’s filled with wonder and excitement about so many things that it becomes infectious. While not the combatant like the rest of Team Arrow or Team Canary, he’s far more valuable when it comes to his tech. In his time on the show he’s helped develop a chip to let Felicity walk again, his T-Spheres and another chip that seemingly cured John Diggle of his nerve damage. He’s also proven to be the most moral of any character in the Arrowverse, seemingly taking umbrage with some of the teams plans, including Felicity and her behavior. He’s currently on the outs from Team Arrow but has formed a new group with Dinah Drake and Rene Ramirez. His Olympic level athleticism, genius I.Q. and his desire to save lives would make his series stand out above some others. He’s found a major role on “Arrow” for now and continues to be one of the more well written characters going.
11) Human Target
– Imagine a series where the main character almost always changes his face. It’d be like iZombie on steroids. The Human Target isn’t a well established DC character, though he’s had a few series revolving around him. Just none of them were successful or part of the Arrowverse. He was brought in the series in season five of “Arrow” to help keep Oliver Queen safe from an assassination attempt from Scimitar; who was working for Tobias Church. As a character who can impersonate anyone, his ability to infiltrate any organization would make for a hell of a series. While his character is underdeveloped as of right now, the potential for a new series is high and if you’re able to connect it to the Arrowverse, even better. Beyond being a high potential character, with a useful skill that allows for genuinely dynamic story telling, his in-universe abilities are astounding. He’s skilled at combat, his spy work is unmatched and his ability to predict and prepare for his advisories is second to none. The man literally let himself get shot, knowing full well where a trained assassin would aim. Someone that skilled would be a treat to watch over a series.