5 Indispensable Sidekicks in the Arrowverse

Will Davis
TV Arrowverse
TV Arrowverse The CW

If there’s one thing that the Arrowverse excels at, it’s crafting characters that audiences fall in love with. Characters like Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, and Kara Danvers are beloved by Arrowverse fans, but it’s their sidekicks that keeps fans coming back for more. Each one has their own unique story and helps their hero in more ways than one. Here are five sidekicks that are essential to the Arrowverse.

Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost — The Flash

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Caitlin Snow is an irreplaceable member of Team Flash.

Without Caitlin Snow, Barry wouldn’t have lasted as long as he has as the Flash. Caitlin is always there to patch Barry up whenever he gets hurt out in the field and is excellent at giving him advice while he’s in battle. She goes to great lengths to protect the people she loves and has put her life on the line several times to save Barry from certain death. In Season 2 of The FlashZoom takes Barry’s speed and is about to kill him, but Caitlin stands up to Zoom and begs him to spare Barry’s life. Zoom heeds Caitlin’s plea and kidnaps her instead.

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Killer Frost has become one of the Flash's greatest allies.

Throughout Season 3, Caitlin has trouble with her Killer Frost alter ego, but in Season 4, she eventually learns to accept that they are both the same person. During Season 4, Killer Frost aids the Flash on his quest to stop Devoe and even helps the other Arrowverse superheroes fight against a Nazi invasion, proving she’s an essential addition to Team Flash. Although her attitude has a certain chill to it, she is always ready to help the team out in a pinch.

John Diggle/Spartan — Arrow

john_diggle Arrow
Oliver's right-hand man has been there since the beginning.

John Diggle has been with Oliver since the start of Arrow. He starts out as Oliver’s bodyguard but quickly gets involved in Oliver’s vigilante crusade. John is the first person Oliver reveals his secret identity to and is the first person Oliver recruits to Team Arrow. Throughout his time on the team, John becomes Oliver’s right-hand man, and the two of them form a brotherly bond. Their trust in one another is unrivaled.

That isn’t to say their relationship is perfect. In Season 3 of Arrow, Oliver gets involved with the League of Assassins and John feels that Oliver betrayed him and Felicity. When Oliver reveals that he only joined the League to take it down from the inside, John loses his trust in Oliver, and it takes time for Oliver to regain it.

Despite the bumps in their relationship, Oliver and John would do anything to protect each other. Time and time again, John acts as Oliver’s voice of reason and advises him against doing things he might later regret. John also helps Oliver out in the field as Spartan and saves him from death more than once.

Alex Danvers — Supergirl

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Without Alex, there would be no Supergirl.

Alex Danvers may not have superpowers like her adoptive sister, Kara, but she’s still proven her worth as a formidable sidekick. Ever since Kara landed on Earth, Alex has dedicated her life to protecting her sister. This dedication is amplified when Kara decides to become Supergirl. There’s nothing Alex won’t do to keep her sister safe. As an agent of the D.E.O., Alex is a valuable asset in Kara’s crusade against crime and is not afraid to go out into the field and get her hands dirty.

In Season 3 of Supergirl, Winn Schott makes Alex a new suit to aid her in the battle against the Worldkillers. She uses the suit in the season finale to help Supergirl and the team stop the Worldkillers’ invasion and save the Earth from being terraformed into New Krypton. Any sidekick brave enough to stand up to evil superpowered aliens and not think twice about it deserves recognition.

J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter — Supergirl

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Jonn is an essential part of what makes Supergirl who she is.

After Jeremiah Danvers saves J’onn from Hank HenshawJ’onn J’onzz promises to watch over both Kara and Alex. He assumes Henshaw’s identity and takes over as the leader of the D.E.O., reshaping it into a force for good. Without J’onn’s influence, the D.E.O. would be in shambles. He saves Alex from a destructive lifestyle by having her join the D.E.O. and helps Kara adjust to her life as Supergirl by giving her useful advice when she’s out fighting crime. Over the course of the show, J’onn not only becomes a father figure to Kara but one of the people that she trusts the most.

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J'onn in his true form as a Green Martian.

In Season 1, Kara is unknowingly affected by Red Kryptonite, causing her to become malevolent and dangerous. While in a blind rage, she almost kills Alex in front of the citizens of National City. Before she can do so, J’onn shapeshifts into his Green Martian form and saves Alex, revealing to the public that he’s an alien. He wanted no harm to come to Alex and knew that Kara would never forgive herself if she hurt her sister. Not only is he a great sidekick, but he’s also one heck of a father figure as well.

Sara Lance/White Canary — ArrowLegends of Tomorrow

Sara Lance from Legends
Sara went from sidekick to the leader of her own team.

Since being stranded on Lian Yu with Oliver, Sara Lance sure has come a long way. After a member of the League of Assassins saved her, she spent four years training to become the ultimate assassin. When she returns to Star City, she brings her troubled past with her. Sara helps Oliver with his war on crime, going by the name Canary.

She becomes a trusted ally of Oliver’s until a mind-controlled Thea kills her but is eventually brought back to life in the Lazarus Pit. However, the pit leaves her with the need to kill. Determined to prove that she’s more than just an assassin, Sara joins Rip Hunter‘s quest to fix the timeline and becomes a member of the Legends.

As time goes on, Sara starts to view the Legends as her family and doesn’t hesitate to protect them from harm. Rip notices Sara’s strong leadership skills and eventually declares her the leader of the Legends. Sara transforms from an assassin to a sidekick to the leader of her team, growing and evolving as a person along the way. No longer a shadow in the darkness, she’s a hero in her own right.

Will Davis
Writer. Avid comic book reader. Lover of superhero shows and sci-fi. The Flash is my guilty pleasure.