32 greatest Arrowverse superheroes, ranked

17. John Constantine

Foul-mouthed, trenchcoat-wearing demon hunter John Constantine was already a fan-favorite long before he joined the Arrowverse. That’s right, he appeared in his very own live-action series (appropriately titled Constantine) which pitted him against a supernatural evil dubbed “the Rising Darkness.” With his own soul damned to hell, he decided to make the most of the time he had left by trying to stomp out evil on Earth. Unfortunately, NBC canceled the series before he could.

However, over a year later, actor Matt Ryan reprised his role on Arrow as the character helped Green Arrow and Black Canary resurrect the soul of Sara Lance – an appearance that would shape both Ryan and Constantine’s future. Two years later, the warlock resurfaced in a guest appearance on Legends of Tomorrow‘s third season, reaching out to the resurrected White Canary and, when he discovered that the Legends were taking on a time demon, he offered his services to them. Ryan was a series regular from Season 4 onwards, playing Constantine for three of the show’s remaining seasons.

With his dry wit, arrogant attitude and effective approach to this whole crime-fighting thing, Constantine made a huge impression on Legends in a short amount of time. He was right at home among fellow outcasts and misfits and went from strength to strength throughout his three-and-a-half-seasons on the show, highlighting how rich of a character he is – all of which was made possible by Ryan’s superb (and comic-accurate) performance. He is, quite simply, “John Constantine, love.”