7 Arrowverse Villains That Were Right (& #3 Actually Won)

In the Arrowverse, an ordinary day for a hero often consists of dropping by headquarters for friendly banter with teammates, followed by trouble brewing due to some scheming villain. When that happens, it’s time to gear up and handle business. But unbeknownst to the hero, there’s usually someone pulling strings in the shadows, aiming to disrupt their life. Barry Allen experiences this firsthand in The Flash, as he finds out that his guide, Harrison Wells, is actually the speedster villain he’s been pursuing. A heated talk reveals that Wells, who is actually a time-traveler from the future named Eobard Thawne, holds a grudge against The Flash for damaging his reputation.

A malevolent character fueled by animosity can indeed be powerful, particularly when their actions are so extreme they seem to contemplate murdering mothers. However, it’s usually more acceptable when there’s some underlying truth to their wicked deeds. Here are seven villains from the Arrowverse whose actions, despite being malevolent, held a grain of truth:

1. Malcolm Merlyn (Arrow) – Although he initially appeared as a benevolent benefactor, his true intentions were revealed when it was uncovered that he had been manipulating events to protect his daughter.
2. Damien Darhk (Legends of Tomorrow) – Despite being responsible for numerous atrocities, his actions were driven by a desire to save his family from a prophesied apocalypse, adding a layer of complexity to his villainy.
3. John Diggle (Arrow) – When he became Spartan and went rogue, it was due to the manipulations of HIVE, revealing that even heroes can be corrupted by external forces.
4. Eobard Thawne (The Flash) – Known as the Reverse-Flash, his hatred for Barry Allen stemmed from his own tragic past and a desire to prove himself superior, making him a complex villain with personal motivations.
5. Malcolm’s Earth-2 counterpart (Arrow) – On another Earth, Malcolm was driven by love for his daughter rather than hatred, making him less malevolent in nature but still a formidable adversary.
6. Oliver Queen/Spectre (Crisis on Earth-X) – When possessed by the Spectre, Oliver became a darker version of himself, performing actions that were morally questionable but ultimately served to save multiple worlds from destruction.
7. Cisco Ramon/Killer Frost (The Flash) – While Killer Frost was initially portrayed as a villain, her origins stemmed from Cisco’s own emotional trauma and the struggle between good and evil within him, making her a tragic antagonist with relatable motivations.

7) Astra Logue

When Constantine moves onto the Waverider, the Legends gain a mystical advantage. This proves useful when Astra Logue, seeking revenge on Constantine for botching an exorcism and being sent to the abyss, unleashes souls from Hell upon Earth. Although Astra’s initial turn to evil isn’t entirely unwarranted, she eventually recognizes her mistakes.

6) Gary Green

Instead of Constantine, who is welcomed grandly by the Legends, Gary Green struggles to find acceptance among the time-travelers. They often mock him for his supposed incompetence, which hurts his self-esteem. Eventually, Gary takes things too far and turns towards dark sorcery, determined to show the Legends that he’s not as weak as they think. Unfortunately, his villainous transformation doesn’t succeed, but given the treatment he received from the Waverider’s crew, it’s no wonder he felt frustrated.

5) Astra

Instead of being mistaken with “Legends of Tomorrow”‘s Astra, it’s important to note that “Supergirl” features a different character named Astra who creates chaos on Earth-38. Predicting Krypton’s doom, she attempted to alert the government, but her warnings were dismissed. Faced with indifference, Astra resorted to criminal activities in an attempt to gain attention. Upon reaching “Supergirl’s” world, she seeks to repeat this scheme, pretending to safeguard humanity’s future.

4) Savitar

In the third season of The Flash, another swift character makes an appearance and proclaims himself as the deity of speed. However, Barry comes to understand that he’s not facing a divine entity but rather another incarnation of himself – a time duplicate crafted by an alternate Team Flash. Initially shunned by his companions, Savitar was driven towards a destructive path which nearly resulted in the demise of Iris West.

3) Prometheus

In Arrow Season 5, the consequences of Oliver Queen’s trail of fatalities catch up with him. The antagonist, Prometheus, starts attacking those connected to the Green Arrow. As the season progresses, it is unveiled that Prometheus is Adrian Chase, a son of one of Oliver’s victims. To incriminate Oliver as a ruthless murderer, Prometheus resorts to cruel methods such as torture and homicide. He even goes so far as to kill the mother of Oliver’s child by detonating Lian Yu.

2) The Thinker

Initially, Barry Allen confronts his first villain who isn’t a speedster, named Clifford DeVoe, also known as The Thinker. Instead of having issues with The Flash, DeVoe aims to diminish humanity’s dependence on technology. Though his intentions might seem noble, his twisted psyche leads him to commit some incredibly sinister acts, such as attempting to eliminate a group of metahumans.

1) Emiko Queen

In Arrow Season 7, it’s a surprise for Oliver to discover he has a half-sister named Emiko. However, their family reunion doesn’t go as planned when Emiko double-crosses Team Arrow and embarks on a path of vengeance. It transpires that Emiko harbors anger towards her father, Robert Queen, because he abandoned her and her mother while Oliver lived the heroic life. Later, in “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” Oliver helps Emiko by reviving her, giving her the opportunity to make amends for past mistakes that she had always yearned for.

The Arrowverse shows are streaming on Netflix.

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2025-09-13 00:17