32 greatest Arrowverse superheroes, ranked

1. The Flash

Perhaps no character in the Arrowverse is quite as iconic as The Flash. Though a lot of that is down to the fact that he is the most famous of DC’s superheroes to headline any of The CW’s shows, it’s also because he is the perfect embodiment of everything a superhero should be.

Barry Allen was a lovable and nerdy CSI who always wanted to help people however he could, stemming from the fact that he couldn’t save his mother from the “man in the lightning.” However, when he was struck by lightning and gifted with super-speed, he finally tracked down the menace that had haunted him for a decade. Moreover, his new abilities allowed him to make that difference that he always wanted to make, and thus, he became Central City’s savior, calling himself The Flash.

Over the years he has faced countless threats, ranging from monstrous speedsters to telepathic gorillas and he has come out of every fight stronger, even more determined to overcome the odds. With his big heart, strong will and innate desire to help people, Barry Allen isn’t just a great superhero, he’s an incredibly well-developed character with a compelling backstory and real motivations – and this is all portrayed flawlessly by Grant Gustin.

Despite gaining super-powers, fighting giant sharks, breaching to alternate dimensions and traveling through time, he is still the same adorkable Barry that just wants to make the world a better place. The heroic attributes were already there, the powers just enhanced them. He’s incorruptible and, quite frankly, his mission is unstoppable. And that’s why, with or without super-speed, the Fastest Man Alive will always be the greatest superhero that the Arrowverse has to offer.