When it comes to killing off characters, the Arrowverse took no qualms in setting the stage early. In Arrow’s first season the then fledgeling franchise saw the loss of one of its most meaningful characters -- Tommy Merlyn. Obviously, the boldness of such a move did not stop there. The advent of The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow continued the trend, as each show’s first season also meant the beginning of the end for at least one main character. As with most television series, some character deaths are more meaningful than others. In turn, one character death may be more emotionally impactful than another, even in the same series. Therefore, all deaths are not created equal.
With four live-action shows and several hundred episodes under its belt, The CW’s Arrowverse has brought about the demise of numerous heroes, villains, and ancillary characters. The more compelling deaths, of course, are those capable of evoking some semblance of emotion from audiences. This evocation may be due to viewers’ attachment to a certain persona, or because the character in question has yet to reach their full potential. All of this and more will be explored in the following list, which recounts 15 of the Arrowverse’s saddest deaths.
15 MOIRA QUEEN
The death of Moira Queen is poignant for myriad reasons. Chief among them is her being murdered by Deathstroke as an act of revenge against Oliver. In addition, the night in which the fatal events take place could not be anymore distressing. The Queen family matriarch is campaigning for Starling City’s mayoral seat and is slowly beginning to rekindle her relationship with her family. Without question, the most harrowing aspect of Moira’s end resides in Thea and Oliver being present and helpless to save her.
Thea goes on to lament that she and her mother were not on good terms.
Oliver resents his poor judgement in not warning his family of Slade Wilson beforehand. Remnants of these struggles within the two occasionally resurface. It seems, to an extent, that Moira’s death will continue to have lasting effects on Arrow.
14 HENRY ALLEN
Barry Allen’s father Henry is inarguably one of the Arrowverse’s most tragic figures. He spends 15 years in prison, wrongfully accused and convicted of murdering his wife, while having to entrust his son’s well-being to a friend that doesn’t believe in his innocence. The former doctor cannot have asked for a rougher go of it. However, Henry makes the best of the unjust situation, fathering Barry whenever possible and, as audiences learn during season four, doing good works for prisoners in need. In short, he’s a noble man, good and honorable through and through.
The various strengths of the character, mixed with his wholesome nature, makes his demise endlessly saddening. Like his wife Nora, he, too, is murdered by a Speedster in Zoom. Thus, it’s as though Henry Allen never gets a break from disaster. This character deserves peace that The Flash so rarely offers him.
13 LIVEWIRE
Livewire’s death comes at a transformative time in her character development. When she reappears during Supergirl’s third season, the villain has abandoned a life of crime and appears intent on regaining her humanity. Sure, she only does so to avoid the wrath of Reign, but Livewire deserves an “A” for effort.
Unfortunately, her journey to redemption is short-lived as she becomes a casualty in Supergirl’s fight against Reign.
To many, the death of Livewire seems misguided, specifically because Supergirl tries to redeem her. Therefore, there is no telling what such an arc could entail for the character, especially since the show has yet to extensively explore this kind of narrative. The sadness, then, rests in a loss of potential, which could have turned a decent one-dimensional villain into a great and fully realized character.
12 LAUREL LANCE
Laurel Lance’s killing is heartbreaking for two reasons. Firstly, before her death, she begins coming into her own. Ready to abandon vigilantism to focus on battling crime from the courtroom, Laurel shows promise that in four seasons escapes her. Secondly, her stint as Black Canary feels incomplete due to her poor utilization. In addition, we’d be remiss not to mention the disappointing matter of this Black Canary and Green Arrow not being a romantically involved, crime fighting duo.
Laurel’s death, then, seems to be a blemish on Arrow as a whole, primarily because of the lost potential. What could have become of the character were she to survive Damien Darhk’s attack? Could this Laurel be of interest without drug and alcohol abuse and the Black Canary mantle looming over her? Unfortunately, time isn’t taken to find out.
11 EDDIE THAWNE
The biggest takeaway for Eddie Thawne, per the cruelty of his descendant, Eobard, is the insignificance of his life. In his lifetime, Eddie accomplishes nothing of note and lives a mundane existence that evidently embarrasses Eobard. However, Eddie does come to one striking conclusion once Eobard’s maliciousness requires a swift end. Upon Eddie’s killing himself, the Thawne from the future will cease to exist. This may save the world from collapse in The Flash’ first season, but it doesn’t permanently eliminate Eobard. Thus, the question remains: Did Eddie die for nothing? It appears so.
What’s most distressing is Eddie’s never getting to fulfill his own dreams.
He has hopes of moving up in the ranks at CCPD; additionally, he wants to marry Iris. These dreams are deferred by something beyond his control. His is inarguably one of the Arrowverse’s more tragic endings.
10 TOMMY MERLYN
Tommy Merlyn is the casualty of a war he wants no part of, a war between his father and best friend. In trying to do the right thing and be the better man, he loses his life. This death remains one of Arrow’s most heartbreaking, especially since Tommy is still very much missed. For one season, a secondary character becomes so beloved that any mention of his name in subsequent seasons garners excitement. From playboy that loses everything to a determined businessman, Tommy’s character development is the most profound of Arrow’s pilot season.
Perhaps this explains his death being such a surprise. Tommy is the show’s first major casualty, and proves that Arrow bears no qualms in killing off its main cast. This is further proven with Moira Queen’s murder in season two. It’s no wonder these two characters continue to be among fan-favorites despite their departure years ago.
9 ASTRA
Astra is more than a Krptonian general and a key villain in Supergirl’s pilot season. She’s also Supergirl’s aunt, the only living blood relative that Kara has apart from Clark. Her death is immensely personal to the hero for reasons beyond this factor, though. In her aunt Astra, Kara sees a true chance of redemption and believes in it wholeheartedly. The general’s final few moments, then, are a reminder that heroes aren’t always the best judges of character.
To save Martian Manhunter from what would have been a fatal blow by Astra, Alex kills the Kyrptonian.
This breaks Kara, but it also encourages her to reflect on the kind of person she wants to become, particularly with regards to her powers. Therefore, Astra acts as a catalyst for the turning point in Supergirl’s journey as a hero. Her demise is appropriately impactful.
8 MARTIN STEIN
Undeniably, Martin Stein’s death during the “Crisis on Earth-X” event is one of the Arrowverse’s most devastating. Debuting in The Flash’s first season, Stein goes on to become a fascinating character. As the wise old man in many instances, he helps ground a universe that sometimes gets unruly with science, magic, and aliens. On Legends of Tomorrow, specifically, Stein is the heart that keeps the team going. In him there exists no malice or hostility; he only ever has good intentions. Which is why his loss marks the end of an era.
Even more saddening is that prior to his death, the professor was preparing to leave the Waverider, wanting to return home and help raise his grandson. Would a simple departure have made for a better end to his arc? Fans will never know. Regardless, his absence is still very much felt.
7 NORA ALLEN
On screen, audiences have probably had to witness Nora Allen’s death more so than any other Arrowverse character. Her being murdered by Reverse Flash kickstarts Barry Allen’s heroic journey. Each scene in which her death is depicted carries with it a weight that’s unlike others in the franchise. Michelle Harrison, who plays Nora, and Grant Gustin are powerhouses, never failing to evoke the strongest of emotions from viewers.
The aftermath of her passing is upsetting, too.
Barry’s father is convicted for her murder, Barry himself continually struggles to find peace, and ruins lives in order to save hers. At the outset, this all sounds nightmarish. The Arrowverse isn’t hurting for dead parents to fuel their child’s heroic ventures, but Nora Allen, in many respects, can certainly be considered the most tragic of such figures.
6 SARA LANCE
This entry will not count Sara’s pre-Arrow season one “death” or her passing in Legends of Tomorrow’s sophomore effort. Rather, this is focused solely on her murder in Arrow’s season three premiere, which was then thought to be the assassin’s official end. After being a fan-favorite aspect of the show’s second season, hopes were high that Sara would play an even larger role in the third run. However, moments before the premiere concludes, she dies at the hands of a brainwashed Thea.
At the time, her death was devastating as it was unexpected and provided a catalyst for the season’s ongoing subplot. Considering the main cast in its entirety, Sara’s arguably marked the show’s most tragic death yet. Quentin and Laurel lost their loved one, again, and Team Arrow lost a valued ally. The lasting impact would prevail through part of season four.
5 CAPTAIN COLD
Captain Cold’s death during Legends of Tomorrow’s season one finale is still surprising. Slowly but surely embracing heroism, Leonard Snart was beginning to reform his villainous ways. The ultimate test of that is evident in his sacrificing himself to save the rest of the Legends. This decision isn’t forced upon him, nor does anyone else encourage him.
Snart commits the act on his own volition, which later earns him the honor of being deemed a hero.
An end of this kind for the character seems fitting, given his arc throughout The Flash and much of Legends. At times, he can be needlessly selfish, brash, and cruel. However, Barry always finds something within the rogue worthy of redemption. Luckily, Captain Cold is given the opportunity to see this particular arc through to its conclusion. But it’s a shame his absolution came at such a heavy cost.
4 HR WELLS
HR’s debut in The Flash season three represents another entry in the show’s introducing alternate versions of Harrison Wells. Following the serious and arrogant Harry, this iteration offers a different flavor to Team Flash. Without being particularly intelligent or bestowing any abilities of note, HR still makes a place for himself on the team. Sadly, the rest of the gang has a hard time taking him seriously, which leads to his working tirelessly to fit in.
One such effort comes at the cost of his life, as HR sacrifices himself to save Iris from Savitar. It’s a noble move that few expect from him. From his demise emerges a realization of squandered potential. Prior to his death, love is in the air for HR and Tracy Brand, and Team Flash begins treating him as part of the crew. HR’s personality remains divisive amongst audiences, but he certainly left an indelible mark.
3 ROBERT QUEEN
The Arrowverse is no stranger to sacrificial characters and Robert Queen is the universe’s first. To ensure his son survives and eventually returns home to right his wrongs, Robert shoots himself. He leaves behind a world of conspiracy and ineptitude that Oliver feels obliged to correct. Robert does not tell his son of his ill behavior.
Rather, Oliver must discover the truth on his own, which rarely proves an easy journey to embark on.
This is at the nexus of the devastation of Robert’s death. He dies a man with treacherous secrets hidden in plain sight and a slew that are well guarded below the surface. Robert’s children never truly know him. The man is a stranger, evidenced by the values he instills in them that he himself doesn’t adhere to faithfully.
2 RONNIE RAYMOND
In the events prior to The Flash, Ronnie Raymond supposedly dies. Before long, Team Flash learns he survived the particle accelerator explosion. Caitlin Snow is reunited with her would-be husband, Martin Stein gains a partner for Firestorm, and all seems relatively well. However, by the end of season one, Caitlin must face Ronnie’s death once more. This time, his passing is irreversible.
Like many other Arrowverse characters who die too soon, Ronnie deserves better than a quick death. Furthermore, he sacrifices himself not long after tying the knot with Caitlin. As such, neither of these characters ever experience true happiness for an extended period. Does that come down to the nature of episodic television and behind-the-scenes business. Of course. Yet, it’s difficult to see Ronnie’s sacrifice as anything other than harsh when considering all the character's undergoes.
1 MALCOLM MERLYN
The saddest aspect of Malcolm Merlyn’s death is that it feels uneventful, lacks emotional weight. During Arrow’s season five finale, the Dark Archer sacrifices himself so his daughter, Thea, can live. The scene itself is well done; both John Barrowman and Willa Holland deliver strong performances. However, in the subsequent moments, the show goes on. There’s no time to pause and consider the gravity of what’s occurred; Prometheus has everyone on a clock, after all. This is doubly noticeable because his passing is an isolated event as Thea’s the sole main cast member to witness it.
Upon the show’s return in season six, Merlyn is not mourned nor does he receive any remembrance in his honor.
Of course, several months have passed and Thea’s in a coma, but that doesn’t distract from the hollow nature with which the character is written off.