It’s been some time since I have done a top 5 article for the Arrowverse, so here’s an interesting one. The Arrowverse has come across many sidekicks across the shows, some have been great, some have been extremely poor, but we will do the poorer end of the stick in another article.
We look across all Arrowverse shows which include Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, Supergirl, and Superman & Lois to decide which sidekicks were the best.
*Please note, these are in NO particular order*
Without further ado;
1. John Diggle (Arrow)
It wouldn’t be a sidekick Arrowverse list without Mr. Diggle. Throughout the entire 8 seasons of Arrow, John Diggle was the first and last remaining member of Team Arrow. He never left Oliver’s side and was always there when Oliver was down or needed that talk to bring him back from his darkness.
We got so much development and backstory for Diggle, it genuinely felt like at times he was the starring character and Stephen Amell wasn’t. I feel like Diggle’s story was told perfectly, and out of all the sidekicks, he’s the one the writers did the most justice with. Even despite the ending with the Lantern (as much as I don’t agree with it) I can see why John would be deserving of the Lantern and the Ring.
2. Cisco Ramon (The Flash)
This is another character that needs no introduction. It’s only recently that Carlos Valdes has left the show and he’s been there for almost a full 7 seasons. He’s been the one that’s made Barry’s suits, among other members of Team Flash. He’s also developed equipment and suits for Oliver Queen and co. He’s been a truly remarkable sidekick.
My only gripe with Cisco’s tenure was the decision to get rid of his meta powers, only for him to use tech to mimic those powers. It was after this Cisco became more of a misery, instead of the lighthearted humor he brought to the team. I believe Cisco should have remained a meta throughout his time on the show. He wasn’t a powerful ally when it came to the field, but he brought the knowledge with him that made him an amazing asset to The Flash.
3. Roy Harper (Arrow)
Harper is another character that deserved more. I’m not sure the circumstances of why Colton Haynes departed the show during season 3. He did make brief returns throughout the period, but this is why it’s a letdown. Roy became the Red Arrow at the end of season 2, and he was an absolute asset to Team Arrow. Everything he did from his fighting ability, his decision making and more was fantastic.
I truly believe Roy should have stuck around for a lot longer, especially considering his development into the hood was incredibly strong. Thea did step in after Roy which did work well, but in my opinion, Roy just did it a lot better. Despite his short tenure under the hood, he will remain as one of the better sidekicks in the Arrowverse, because he was able to make an impact in such a short space of time.
4. Alex Danvers (Supergirl)
Just like Diggle, Alex has been beside Kara for the entirety of the show’s lifespan which is more than deserving of being on this list. Alex has really come into her own lately, especially how amazing the new suit looks, and the gadgets she’s currently using when she’s out on the field. It’s one of the rare instances where the writing team hasn’t really let the character down.
It’s a shame that Supergirl is ending this season, considering how strong the current season has been, and how strong Alex’s character has become.
5. Wally West (The Flash)
The character that has been shafted time and time again by The CW to the point it literally hurts. Understandably people didn’t want this version of Wally, and instead wanted the original Wally from the comics. This one here to be specific;
However, when Wally was introduced to the show it was done well initially. The build-up to him getting his speed was interesting, and the development behind it was done so well. The potential for Wally was so great. He had some spectacular moments, including his return last season on The Flash.
The problem with the character is the writing, despite the potential there for him to be one of the best Arrowverse shows, he’s been greatly let down. On both The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. I’d love to see Wally get his own spin-off show, especially where he learns how he developed his newly found powers. Keiynan Lonsdale deserves better.
A couple of honorable mentions here would be Caitlin Snow and the Martian Manhunter. The reason why they both fell short of the top 5, is that Caitlin’s character has had some weird and ridiculous development in the last few years. Despite her always being there, she doesn’t bring an awful lot to the team anymore except for her medical aspects. Martian Manhunter just always seems to lose every single fight he’s in, and there’s time his character is tremendously boring.
So there we have, is there anyone you think deserves the top 5 that we haven’t included? Let us know down in the comments below.
