With Arrow ending earlier this year and Supergirl and Black Lightning following suit with their upcoming seasons, the Arrowverse is changing faster than Barry can run up the side of a building.
There are talks of multiple new series and spin-offs joining the fold, and Superman & Lois already even has a premiere date!
Before The CW gets the chance to add a million more series to the successful comic book universe created for the small screen and cancel ones we already love, we wanted to pay homage to the shows that started it all.
And as a note, Stargirl technically isn’t a part of the Arrowverse — yet — so we did not include it on our list.
6. Black Lightning
This last place ranking does not mean that Black Lightning is a bad show, but it has felt so far removed from the Arrowverse for the majority of its run. That is until Jefferson Pierce showed up on the crossover of a lifetime — Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Before Crisis, Black Lightning was pretty much its own show separate from the likes of Arrow, The Flash, and so on.
And it does pretty well for itself, with interesting villains, drama that keeps us on our toes, and a story about a superhero coming out of retirement that we had never seen before on the Arrowverse.
Its only downfall is that we are constantly annoyed with the characters and their decisions, especially when they clash with Jefferson more often than not. And let’s be honest, it’s time for the show to move on from the likes of Tobias.
5. Batwoman
This placing is subject to change since the show is basically rebooting itself with Batwoman Season 2 as a new hero takes over the Caped Crusader mantle.
Batwoman Season 1 was a semi-strong outing with interesting side characters and a couple of plot twists that kept us on the edge of our seats. The only thing missing was an emotional connection to Batwoman herself.
Kate Kane never became a character that we wanted to root for, and every time she was on our screens, we were longing to see more of Mary, Luke, or even Alice. Those were the real shining stars of Gotham City.
But Batwoman gets major props for having one of the most interesting, intricately crafted villains the Arrowverse has ever seen — none other than Alice, of course.
4. Supergirl
As the first Arrowverse series to have a female superhero as its star, there is no question that Supergirl and Kara Danvers will leave a lasting impression on the TV world.
There have been multiple depictions of Kara’s cousin, so it was refreshing to see the Girl of Steel get her chance to shine, and shine she did.
Kara is the best part of Supergirl. She is a beaming ray of light and hope — something all of us need in our lives.
And while the show occasionally has a problem with developing its villains and strays off course from its core message, we have loved tagging along for Kara’s journey, and we are beyond sad that it will conclude with Supergirl Season 6.
3. Arrow
The show that started it all, Arrow had a few bumps in the road in the middle of its eight-season-long run, but we stuck around anyway because of Oliver Queen.
Stephen Amell’s portrayal of The Hood will, without a doubt, go down in superhero history. His character was as complex as they come, and his development was a sight to behold.
The first few seasons showed Oliver navigating his way through the world of a superhero and trying to find himself, and they are some of the best television has to offer.
With intriguing villains and an anti-hero trying his hardest not to be a hero and becoming one anyway, there’s nothing better than that.
Arrow is to DC television what Iron Man is to Marvel movies. The show about a hooded vigilante began a universe that has only been seen on the big screen, and we have to give credit where credit is due.
2. The Flash
Seeing Barry Allen navigate the ins and outs of the superhero world and go through multiple hardships has been one of the highlights of the Arrowverse.
When he cries, and Grant Gustin really is one of the best criers out there, we all cry with him. Now, it’s not that we love it when Barry is in pain; it’s just that he does it so well!
He’s a hero that we can all relate to, and it definitely doesn’t hurt that he’s surrounded by other characters who are just as, if not more, lovable.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the phenomenal work that Candice Patton has done as Iris West. She has changed the game for Black women on superhero shows, and Iris will forever live in our hearts.
But like many of the other shows on this list, The Flash has had issues portraying new villains. But it has to be difficult for them since they used one of the best villains the Arrowverse has seen — Reverse-Flash — right out of the gate.
1. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
Are you really surprised that this little show could top our list?
For its first couple of seasons, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow was, to put it frankly, the armpit of the Arrowverse. It was where rejects from the other shows went to get even worse.
But then something magical happened towards the end of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 3; it started to lean into its weirdness and embrace the fact that it was different from the other DC shows.
And the Legends have just gotten better with every season. It’s a joy to escape into the world of Sara, Ava, Mick, Zari, and the rest of the crew.
The show never takes itself too seriously and constantly has us clutching our stomachs as we laugh until we can’t breathe. It is the perfect escape that we all turn to television for, and somehow, it has become the best part of the Arrowverse.
What do you think, Arrowverse Fanatics?
Do you agree with our ranking? Which show would you have put at the top of the list?
And are you excited for new shows like Superman & Lois to join the heroes we already know so well?
Let us know in the comments!
Sarah Little is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.