Arrowverse: 5 Ways Barry Allen Is The Best Character (& 5 It’s Oliver Queen)

The Flash’s Barry Allen and Arrow’s Oliver Queen could not be more different from each other. They both protect their cities and the people they love from danger, but they have very different origin stories, from one being given powers while the other is just incredibly agile. Barry is a lot funnier while Oliver is more serious, but they have a great friendship that makes any crossover great

Barry and Oliver kickstarted what we now call the Arrowverse and if their characters weren’t likable then it probably wouldn’t have worked as well as it does, and they both great characters in their own right, but who is the best?

10 Barry: He Has A Sense Of Humour

Barry is a very funny character, and he usually manages to find the good in every situation. While he becomes a bit more jaded as the season’s progress, Barry always cracks jokes and it’s part of what makes The Flash so much fun and so easy to watch.

A great example of that is in the Elseworlds crossover when Barry shoots Oliver in the back to get back at him for doing the same thing when he became The Flash.

9 Oliver: He Sacrificed Everything For The People He Loves

Oliver Queen goes through way too much on Arrow, from being stranded on Lian Yu to consistently losing people while also putting others in danger. Yet, despite all that he literally sacrifices everything to save the city and his friends and family.

In the Crisis On Infinite Earths’ cross-over, Oliver dies which has repercussions across the Arrowverse. It’s tragic since he’s such a key part of the Arrowverse, but it’s still a fitting end for his character after everything that he has been through.

8 Barry: He Always Puts Others First

Barry always puts the safety of the people he loves before his. Even once Caitlin and Cisco start to develop their own powers, he makes an effort to put people first, which is exactly what a good superhero should do.

He’s a very caring character which is why it makes sense that villains go after the people he loves since that’s exactly what he’s afraid of in the first place.

7 Oliver: He Doesn’t Give Up

There are so many times where Oliver could have given up, hung up his uniform, and called it a day. However, he keeps on going because that’s just the kind of hero he is.

He’s lost so many people, from his parents to his best friend Tommy and even Laurel Lance. The fact that he never gave up until the end is pretty great.

6 Barry: He’s Goofy

Barry Allen is a light-hearted character and he definitely has a goofy personality. In the earlier seasons, Barry and his friends have a lot of fun with the fact he’s the Flash.

A particularly great moment is when Barry & Caitlin get drunk and do karaoke, even though Barry can’t get drunk at all because of his powers. They have a lot of time and it’s super funny to see Barry in his comfort zone.

5 Oliver: He’s Not Perfect

Oliver Queen is far from perfect. He’s made a lot of mistakes and bad decisions throughout Arrow’s run, but that is what’s so compelling about the character.

It would be hard to like a character who is perfect and constantly doing things right and earning praise from everyone around him. Oliver is exactly the opposite of this.

4 Barry: He Doesn’t Give Up

Barry and Oliver are similar in the sense that they refuse to give up. Barry has been through so much, from nearly losing Iris to Savitar, to losing Nora.

He’s been through some truly heartbreaking things and it’s amazing that he can still find a way to keeping going even though so many would have given up if they were in his place.

3 Oliver: He Loves Felicity

Oliver and Felicity are the best couple in the Arrowverse. The build-up to their relationship was so cute, and once they got married it was even better.

It’s clear from the beginning that Oliver deeply cares about Felicity and their chemistry is great. The fact that she helps him with missions and that he really needs her is a cool aspect of his character and their relationship.

2 Barry: He’s An Optimist

Barry Allen is an optimist at heart. He tries to see the best in people rather than assuming the worst.

While this has landed him in the deep end, especially when it comes to trusting other meta-humans, but it’s definitely at admirable quality to have. Oliver Queen is less of an optimist and more of a realist.

1 Oliver: He Redeems Himself

Oliver Queen was once a playboy and someone who wasn’t very likable. While his time on Lian Yu was traumatic, it did kind of teach him a lesson. Of all the mistakes that he made in the past, he ends up redeeming himself by becoming the Green Arrow.

He fixes a lot of his past mistakes by becoming the Green Arrow, but he really fixes his image even though he’s a vigilante for a while.

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Evi Lodge
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Evi Lodge is a student and avid cinema-goer. She currently writes list articles, and when she is not writing or studying, she’s probably reading a good book and catching up on pop culture.

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