Every Different Lantern Ring Color From DC Ranked

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Most people are familiar with the Green Lantern Corps and their iconic Power Rings. However, green isn’t the only color in the DC Universe. Originally, the Green Lanterns – starting with characters like Alan Scott and later including heroes like Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Kyle Rayner – were the only ones. But DC Comics eventually expanded the spectrum of Power Rings. One of the most well-known additions was the yellow ring wielded by Sinestro, who formed his own Sinestro Corps. Today, there are many different colors of Power Rings, with grey being one of the newest.

DC Comics features a wide range of Lantern Corps, each powered by a different colored ring – from the courageous Green Lanterns to the fearsome Sinestro Corps. Here’s a ranking of every color and what it represents.

11) Grey Lanterns

Nathan Broome, also known as Sorrow, is the only person ever recorded to have wielded the Grey Lantern Ring. He was once engaged to Carol Ferris, but she left him at their wedding in Las Vegas when she received a Star Sapphire Ring and rushed off to help Hal Jordan. Devastated and feeling abandoned, Nathan cried while clutching his engagement ring, and the intense sadness transformed him into a Sorrow Lantern.

I was shocked when Nathan went after those who hurt him, but when Carol tried to help him heal, he just pushed her away. Then, in *Green Lantern Corps* Vol. 4 #8, he came back and did something incredible – he gave his life. Starbreaker had built this awful Grey Power Battery, and it was somehow fueling Nathan. He said he didn’t feel sadness anymore, just…nothing. Seeing Carol with Hal, he made this ultimate sacrifice, destroying the Battery and stopping Starbreaker. It proved how powerful he was, but it also meant the end of the Grey Lanterns, with him gone. It was a truly heartbreaking moment.

10) Blue Lanterns

While not the most powerful group in the universe, the Blue Lantern Corps plays a vital role. Representing the emotion of hope, they were founded after a conflict with the Sinestro Corps. Saint Walker was their first member and they exist to inspire optimism for the future.

Although the different Lantern Corps often clash, the Blue Lantern Corps was formed with a unique goal: to help others. These warriors offer support to other Lanterns, but only if those they assist are good. Their primary function is to amplify the power of other ring wielders – for example, when they aid the Green Lantern Corps, it makes them stronger. However, the Blue Lanterns themselves aren’t particularly powerful fighters on their own.

9) Black Lanterns

Black Lanterns are incredibly powerful beings, but they have a major weakness: they can only survive if they conquer an entire world. They first appeared in 2008 in *Green Lantern Vol. 4* #25 as the army of Nekron, the master of the undead. Essentially, Black Lanterns don’t have any power of their own; they exist solely to serve Nekron and carry out his evil plans, which restricts what they can actually accomplish.

Black Lanterns are created from the dead, and their black color symbolizes a total lack of feeling or life – a state similar to what the character Sorrow experienced before dying. They aim to steal the hearts of those most deeply affected by the loss of loved ones, essentially creating a zombie-like outbreak. Fortunately, during the events of *Blackest Night*, the White Lantern Corps defeated the Black Lanterns, ending the danger they posed.

8) Ultraviolet Lanterns

The Ultraviolet Corps first appeared in *Justice League Vol. 4* #4 in 2018. They are powered by an unseen light source called the “Invisible Emotional Spectrum.” Their energy comes from a living sun named Umbrax, which even Sinestro found frightening before he became a Green Lantern.

After escaping, Umbvrax became strong enough to influence Sinestro and launched an invasion of Earth, turning nearly the entire population into soldiers under its control. The Justice League intervened, showing Umbvrax wasn’t invincible, but they couldn’t truly defeat it – they only managed to drive it away. The Ultraviolet Corps, like the Black Corps, are completely controlled by Umbrax and have no will of their own; they’re made up of people Umbrax has enslaved. Despite Umbrax’s immense power, its Corps is essentially an army of unwilling servants.

7) Star Sapphires

The Star Sapphires are a team of violet-colored Lanterns powered by the emotion of love. While generally heroic, they often pursue their own goals, though they’ve frequently teamed up with the Green Lantern Corps. This connection stems from the fact that the first Star Sapphire was Carol Ferris, who has a close relationship with Green Lantern Hal Jordan.

Unfortunately, this group ranks lower due to the massive losses they suffered during the Blackest Night event. While most of their members were destroyed, Carol’s powers were the only ones that survived. Their abilities are very similar to those granted by the Green Lantern rings, but they have a unique advantage: they are unaffected by the powers of the Orange Lanterns.

6) Orange Lanterns

The Orange Lantern Corps embodies greed, but this is also their weakness. Unlike other Lantern Corps, they aren’t very powerful or influential because their greed is self-destructive. Larfleeze is the sole member of the Orange Lanterns, as he hoards the Power Rings and won’t share them with anyone due to his extreme selfishness.

The Orange Power Ring is always wielded by someone incredibly greedy, and the story of Larfleeze, one of its users, is detailed in the comic *Agent Orange*. It reveals that neither the Guardians nor the Green Lantern Corps could defeat Larfleeze and his orange power, but they managed to gain an advantage with help from a Blue Lantern Ring. This is because the Orange Ring can’t absorb hope and is ineffective against the power of love (represented by Violet Lanterns).

5) Indigo Lanterns

The Indigo Tribe represents compassion, but they have a significant flaw: they attempt to redeem even the most dangerous and heartless criminals using the power of their rings. This practice has made them quite controversial, as the tribe often includes ruthless killers who are compelled to experience empathy while wearing the rings. Sinestro was once among their members.

Originally, Green Lantern Abin Sur recruited these criminals, but not to reform them. He was secretly creating an army. They proved useful in winning the war against the Blackest Light, and even after Abin Sur’s death, they continue to stand guard, fearing the Guardians of the Universe might one day try to control them.

4) Yellow Lanterns

The Yellow Lanterns, also known as the Sinestro Corps, came into being when Sinestro broke away from the Green Lantern Corps. Their power is significant because it’s one of the few forces capable of neutralizing a Green Lantern’s abilities. Sinestro created his yellow ring by informing the Weaponers of Qward that Green Lantern rings couldn’t affect the color yellow.

Yellow Lantern rings are fundamentally similar to Green Lantern rings, but with some frightening differences. They draw power from fear, and actually *increase* their strength by instilling fear in others. The more afraid an opponent becomes, the more powerful the yellow rings get. They can even generate a substance similar to Kryptonite, which can injure powerful beings like Superman. However, they are weakened by Blue Lantern rings and can be easily overcome by Red Lantern rings.

3) Red Lanterns

The Red Lantern Corps is a unique group of villains who operate independently, without a central leader controlling them. They’ve been longtime enemies of the Green Lantern Corps, fueled by the power of rage, and recruit only those with the deepest anger in the universe. Atrocitus is the ruthless and dangerous leader of this group.

As a huge fan, I always found the Red Lanterns fascinating. It’s not just about pure rage with them, though. There was another group, led by Guy Gardner, who actually wanted to *protect* the universe, even if they still used incredibly violent methods. What’s really cool is how powerful they are – their rage actually protects them from the Black Lanterns, because those villains need a heart to control, and the Red Lanterns barely have one! Plus, their rings don’t just project light; they blast out plasma and napalm, making them arguably the most dangerous Lantern Corps out there.

2) Green Lanterns

The Green Lantern Corps is the biggest and oldest group of Lanterns, responsible for keeping peace throughout the universe. Alan Scott was the very first Green Lantern on Earth, even before the Corps was widely known. While Hal Jordan is probably the most recognizable Lantern, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner are also incredibly strong members who protect Earth.

Green Lanterns gain their abilities through sheer willpower, and the rings choose only those with the strongest minds to protect their sectors of space. Unlike other Lantern powers, the green ring doesn’t change the wearer – it requires them to already possess incredible strength of will. These rings are among the universe’s most potent weapons, but they can be overcome by the power of Yellow and Red Lantern rings.

1) White Lanterns

The Black Lanterns threatened to wipe out all life on Earth, but were ultimately defeated by the White Lanterns. Though the Black Lanterns weren’t very powerful – their users lacked control and they were overcome by other Lantern Corps – it was the White Lanterns who delivered the final blow. Originating from the very beginning of the universe, the White Lanterns are the source of all other Lantern powers.

The White Lantern’s power is incredibly strong, allowing its user to bring people back to life, teleport across distances, and create lasting energy constructs – more durable than those made with other power rings. This immense power comes from all living creatures, as the White Light is their source of energy. However, the ring isn’t under the user’s control; it obeys the will of the Life Entity. The ring also recharges itself whenever the user performs acts of life.

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2025-10-08 22:51