Supergirl: All 7 Kara Zor-El actresses ranked from worst to best

2. Laura Vandervoort

Appeared in: Smallville

Laura Vandervoort introduced us to Smallville's version of Kara Zor-El in the show's seventh season and she made a very quick impression on viewers of the CW series.

This version of Kara was much more in-line with her comic book counterpart. She was fiery, inquisitive, and confrontational when she needed to be; she also packed a much stronger punch than her cousin. Vandervoort nailed that aspect of the character right from the off, arriving on the show like a whirlwind and switching up the dynamics in an instant.

There was nuance in her portrayal and it showed pretty quickly too, because even though Kara was critical towards Kal-El, the pair soon bonded. Clark may have been her "little cousin" and not as physically strong, but he had physically out-aged her (due to Kara's time in stasis) and learned more about how to control his powers on Earth. The sibling-esque chemistry between Vandervoort and Tom Welling was strong, and it made their scenes some of the very best in Smallville's seventh season. And Vandervoort's overall portrayal of the character quickly made fans fall in love with "Kara Kent". She could be firm and headstrong, but also kind and empathetic all at the same time.

Speaking of Kara Kent, she did a wonderful job playing the many aspects of the Girl of Steel as she grew accustomed to life on Earth. It was a thrilling watch - and I feel like "thrilling" is the perfect word to describe everything about Laura Vandervoort's portrayal of the character.

She may not have gotten to officially play Supergirl on the series, but few have come close to nailing the comic book version of Kara Zor-El quite like she did.