8. Nate Heywood / Citizen Steel
Nate Heywood was the first new character to join up with the already-formed Legends of Tomorrow, and he debuted right out of the gate in the show’s second season, helping the Legends out of a pickle. He had his own personal reasons to get in touch with them but that didn’t change the fact that he was perfect for a role on the team. Why? Well, because he’s a historian, of course!
Nate never felt like a newcomer, instantly slotting into the show’s core dynamic with ease, building relationships and friendships with plenty of other characters over the course of the next six seasons. Among those relationships were his doomed romances with Amaya and Zari. Yes, that trope felt a little recycled with Nate, but at least he got a happy ending in the end, as he ultimately found love with the latter in a totem she had to remain in because it was the only place she wouldn’t be erased from existence. Yeah, only on Legends.
His friendship with Ray was also one of the best aspects of the character, as their bromance was so hilariously nerdy and yet completely heartfelt. They cared a great deal for each other, and that’s not surprising because when Nate commits to a friendship, he honors that.
From his adventures as Steel to the many friendships he struck up on the Waverider, Nate was such an integral part of the show that he always felt like one of the original Legends. And, in many ways, he was.