Smallville: Top 10 Fan-Favorite Characters, Ranked

Before Captain America, Thor, Iron Man or any Avengers movie broke records, DC Comics and the CW Network had what is considered the show that sparked and also saved the superhero franchise. With Smallville, we were given a chance to relive our early years watching Saturday morning cartoons. No one expected the show to do so well, let alone last 10 seasons.

The story of Superman sparked the interest, but it was also the story of people who played a huge role in Clark Kent becoming the Man of Steel. With 10 seasons, the cast was so diverse, that trying to narrow the 10 best characters down was no easy task. Here are the top 10 fan-favorite characters from Smallville.

10 Tess Mercer

By the time Tess came to Smallville, her character was just as hated as Lex. Who was Tess and why did Lex value her input so much? We would learn that she’s Lex’s half-sister and that her goal, just as Lex and Lionel’s, was to learn the truth about Clark. In that quest, some hard truths were exposed, which forced Tess to make some drastic changes in her life.

No longer bogged down by the Luther name, Tess switched sides and joined the Justice League. However, she made a huge mistake by releasing General Zod. Clark and the team forgave her, but a later fight with Lex left Tess dead. She was later revived but done so by becoming an A.I.

9 Lana Lang

Before Lois, there was Lana. For the majority of Smallville, Clark pawned over Lana and she did the same over him. They gave a relationship a try but it was never the right timing. Adding Lana as a love interest was a great move because it provided Clark with a sense of his human side.

Lana marrying Lex was an awful storyline but by that time, her purpose on the show was dwindling. When Lana gained her powers, it was a great excuse to send her character off with style. Lana’s presence gave Smallville substance as no true show is without a love story. It still amazes how many fans did not like her character.

8 Oliver Queen

The story of Green Arrow is well known now. However, before his own show, he was just a friend of Clark’s with a checkered past. While Oliver often rebelled against pairing up with others, he learned to trust Clark which made them such a great duo. One of the biggest issues Oliver had to overcome was working within a team structure since he was used to flying solo, he made the rules and tough calls.

Once he met and accepted Clark, he fell back and let Clark lead. Although rich, Oliver never gave off that playboy snobbish attitude like other well-off heroes in either universe. He was down to earth but not afraid to get his hands dirty if needed be.

7 Martha Kent

The mother who just wanted to protect her son and husband. Martha was pure of heart and filled with emotion and love. Although she didn’t birth Clark, she loved and cared for him as if she did. The daughter of a farmer would become the wife of a farmer and Martha was the backbone of the Kent family.

After the death of Jonathan, Martha knew it was time for a change. She understood that Clark’s destiny was meant to help others, which allowed her to let him go. She would later become a politician. We can go back and forth regarding TV moms but Martha Kent was one of the best.

6 Jonathan Kent

If Martha was the protector, Jonathan was the guide. Although Clark could gain knowledge from Jor-El, it was Jonathan who taught him how to be a man and a hero. A hardworking farmer, his morals were strong and did what he had to do to provide for his family. Without a doubt, Dad of the Year would go to Jonathan Kent every year.

He made sacrifice after sacrifice for Clark while Jor-El made Clark feel the pain of losing someone close to him by taking Jonathan away. Jonathan was a loyal man who gave everything for his family. His death broke Clark but in the end, it made him stronger.

5 Chloe Sullivan

She was the nerd of the group and also Clark’s best friend. Chloe always wanted more than a friendship and when they did give it a try, it was a disaster. As close as they were, it took Clark a while to reveal his secret. Chloe was the eyes and ears to everything Clark was doing and then took over as Watchtower for the rest of the hero’s life.

Her personal life was a bit unfair. Chloe lost love when Doomsday killed Jimmy Olsen. Her parents weren’t there for her and most of all, she stayed in some sort of danger. But in the end, Chloe found love again with Oliver in which they shared a child.

4 Lionel Luthor

Lionel was the villain before Lex became the enemy. In the first few seasons, it was Lionel terrorizing the Kents. To be fair, Lionel had his hand in almost everything happening in Smallville and Metropolis. It was Lex who was out to set his father straight but Lionel was determined to make Lex into the vison he wanted him to be.

As awful as Lionel was, his one weak spot was Martha Kent. After being possessed, Lionel’s mission was to protect Clark. That drew a line in the sand as far as Lex was concerned. Lionel’s death was a tragedy, but without it, Lex would not have become the villain we love.

3 Lois Lane

From the moment Lois stepped into Smallville, she never shut up. In eight seasons, Lois had to have the most words spoke on camera. Despite her unwillingness to let another person get a word in, Lois was exceptional. Introduced as Chlo’s cousin, Lois didn’t quite make the best first impression with anyone.

The Army brat had to work her way into the inner circle but once she got in, well, the rest is history. Lois dated Oliver but we all knew that her endgame was Clark. Their relationship was special to see grow. It was also good to see her blossom into that pesky reporter we’ve come to love.

2 Lex Luthor

He’s arguably one of the greatest characters even displayed on the small screen. What made Lex so special is that he was in a fight with himself for the person he wanted to be, he should be, and who his father saw him as. That inner conflict took Smallville further than what Superman could.

He was compassionate, thoughtful, conniving, and deadly. Heck, that could be just one scene. His character was a stroke of genius by the Smallville writers. The early goings of Lex made him a fan favorite as he fought the darkness in him. But once he embraced it, he became a legend. The element he added to Smallville, no villain in DC TV’s history will ever be able to match that.

1 Clark Kent

There is no Smallville without Clark Kent. The boy who became more than a man had to endure so many challenges that fans watched in amazement as Clark fought against becoming Superman. The trails he had to endure to become a hero were often unfair. However, Clark pressed forward with both his father’s visions.

Being a kid and not being able to be a kid was hard for Clark. Football was out of the question and for a while so was a normal friendship or romantic relationship. He had to hide his secret from everyone, which often left Clark in isolation.

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