Supergirl: Every character ranked from worst to best

7. Brainiac-5

When Jesse Rath made his debut on Supergirl in its third season as Brainiac-5, none of us could have expected the truly delightful journey that awaited us. A techno-organic being and a 12th-level intellect, he was the Legion’s secret weapon in the future, but he soon realized that his heart belonged in the present.

That was the beauty of Brainy; he was there to teach everyone around him so much about what they didn’t know, but he ultimately ended up learning a lot more from them. From the bonds he developed with everyone at the DEO, particularly Kara, Winn, J’onn, and Alex, to his unexpected friendship with Lena Luthor, Brainy quickly found himself at the heart of the show and earned himself a place in fans’ hearts at the same time. His most important relationship, however, was with Nia Nal, as the pair’s romance was undoubtedly one of the most endearing aspects of the show’s back three seasons.

Jesse Rath’s performance was nothing short of divine. He could flip from an intentionally robotic rambling monologue about technology to an incredibly powerful emotional outburst in seconds (Brainy’s meltdown in the season 4 finale still gives me goosebumps), showcasing that he is easily one of the best actors of his generation.

We were all better off for knowing Brainy.