By the end of The Flash‘s run on The CW, Barry Allen is the fastest man alive. He saves Central City on numerous occasions and even teams up with other heroes to keep the multiverse from disappearing. However, despite all the wins, Barry deals with his fair share of losses, including the deaths of both his mother and father. Evil speedsters are behind the terrible acts, as they will do anything to knock the Flash down a peg. Fortunately, Barry isn’t the only speedster with a good heart in the Arrowverse, and the rest of them constantly lend a hand during his journey on the small screen.
There are so many speedsters on The Flash that it’s hard to keep track of them all, especially when the show constantly changes the timeline. There are 10, though, that stand out and prove to be every bit as awesome as the show’s titular hero.
1) Reverse-Flash
When it comes to villains, it really doesn’t get much better than the Reverse-Flash. Eobard Thawne goes back in time to kill Barry’s mother but ends up stuck in the past. The only way to return to his time is to pose as Harrison Wells, a renowned scientist, and train Barry to use his speed. However, he can’t keep the ruse up forever and ends up terrorizing Team Flash for years.
2) Zoom
Like Reverse-Flash, Zoom pretends to be someone he’s not early on. He dons Jay Garrick’s iconic helmet and helps Barry in Season 2 before revealing himself to be the evil speedster Zoom, who is hellbent on stealing speed. Barry takes the villain down at the end of the second season, but Zoom leaves his mark by killing Henry Allen, the Flash’s father.
3) Godspeed
The first version of Godspeed owes his powers to Velocity 9, a drug that gives its user speed and has wicked consequences. After a timeline change, August Heart becomes the arch-nemesis of Barry’s children and goes back in time to make trouble for Team Flash. He even copies himself, so there’s more than just one Godspeed to defeat.
4) XS
Nora West-Allen, who goes by the name XS, travels back in time to meet her father, Barry, who is missing in the future. They hit it off quickly, but her past comes back to haunt her when Reverse-Flash breaks out of jail, forcing her out of the timeline. A different version of the character appears in The Flash later on and helps her dad defeat Godspeed.
5) Impulse
When Nora returns to the past, she’s not alone, as her brother, Bart West-Allen, is by her side and ready to help. He has a lot of learning to do, and his feelings about Godspeed get in the way on more than one occasion. Fortunately, he’s a quick learner, and when he returns to the future, he’s ready to be just as great a hero as his father.
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6) Jay Garrick
Part of Bart’s issue stems from the fact that Godspeed kills Jay Garrick, his mentor. After being freed from Zoom’s prison, Jay becomes a mainstay of The Flash, helping Barry learn more about his powers. Barry has trouble bonding with him because he looks just like his dad, but Jay proves invaluable at the end of the day due to his experience.
7) Kid Flash
Wally West doesn’t have a great relationship with Barry early in The Flash because he believes he’s hiding something. He’s right, of course, and once Wally learns his adoptive brother is the Scarlet Speedster, he changes his tune. Wally even helps Barry fight crime as Kid Flash when he gains his own speed. Wally does things his own way, though, leaving Central City to find enlightenment.
8) Jesse Quick
Jesse Quick, Earth-2 Harrison Wells’ daughter, becomes a speedster at the same time Wally becomes one. She proves every bit as capable as Barry with her abilities, and after learning what she can from the Flash, she returns to her world and becomes a hero. Unfortunately, Jesse’s status is unknown at the end of The Flash.
9) Accelerated Man
Despite having very limited screen time, Accelerated Man is one of The Flash‘s most popular speedsters. He lives on Earth-19, where Gypsy is from, and works to track down people who aren’t in the right reality. However, what really makes Accelerated Man stand out is his outfit, which includes a red scarf and goggles.
10) Oliver Queen
While it’s a bit of a cop-out because Oliver Queen is in Barry’s place when he becomes a speedster, it’s impossible to leave him off the list. Oliver gains Barry’s powers during the “Elseworlds” crossover and gets to see how his good friend lives. It takes the Green Arrow a while to get used to having speed, but eventually, he’s throwing lightning and helping his allies take down Amazo.
The Flash is streaming on Netflix.
Which of the speedsters on this list is your favorite? Who else from The Flash do you think deserves a spot? Let us know in the comments below!
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