The Flash: All 12 main villains ranked from worst to best

2. Zoom

There were a lot of questions after The Flash‘s incredible first season, namely: “How are they going to follow that?!” It’s a question that could be applied to all areas of the second season, including its villain. Thawne was so good that it was impossible to imagine anyone coming close to him. And then along came Zoom.

There has never been a villain more frightening in the Arrowverse than Zoom. It’s a word I have used to describe him so often now that it just doesn’t feel like it could do him justice anymore. From the dark, zombified mask to the goosebump-inducing echoed growl he spoke with, it would be totally justified if you watched the season from behind a cushion (or the whole sofa, let’s be honest).

Teddy Sears’ introduction as “Jay Garrick”, followed by the reveal that he was actually Zoom himself was a thing of beauty. As Hunter Zolomon, the man beneath the mask who was obsessed with becoming the fastest man alive and stealing The Flash’s speed, Sears was remarkably convincing, making it clear that Zoom didn’t need a mask to be terrifying.

Never has The Flash been more physically decimated in the way that he was when he went up against Zoom. Yes, the story borrowed from season 1, but it was a nod that paid off because it gave us one of the show’s best antagonists. And for that, we’re thankful (but still very, very scared of him!).