DC has embraced legacy in their universe for decades. Repacking old mantles with new faces was basically started by DC in the Silver Age. They went on from there, adding in sidekicks and creating "families" within the heroic community. This kicked into overdrive in the post-Crisis DC Universe, with many classic DC characters being replaced by their sidekicks or new faces taking up the mantles.
DC created the legacy hero as modern readers know it. Some of the greatest legacy heroes ever have called the DCU home, upholding the values of heroism they learned from their forebears and saving the day.
10 Barry Allen's Debut Brought About The Silver Age
Barry Allen is one of the most important characters in comic history. His debut in Showcase #4 began the Silver Age, and he represented a new, more science-oriented take on the superhero. Barry's debut revitalized DC, and he became a cornerstone of the DC Universe, even discovering the Multiverse.
As the years went by, he never changed with the times, and the Flash mantle fell from grace. Beyond his debut, the most important thing he did was die in Crisis On Infinite Earths. DC went all-in on his return, changing him to be more like his fan-favorite replacement Wally West. Barry owes all of his popularity to other heroes, and while he's important to the DC Universe, there are better Flashes out there.
9 Hal Jordan's Debut Brought The Green Lantern Corps Into Play
Hal Jordan is another Silver Age titan who eventually outlived his usefulness. Barry Allen took things in a more science-oriented direction, and Jordan was pure sci-fi, joining the newly minted Green Lantern Corps and bringing in a wonderful new concept that would pay dividends over the decades. In later years, Jordan suffered from the same problem as Allen and was replaced in the '90s.
Jordan's return in the 2000s cemented his status as a great legacy character, with his original characterization being greatly expanded upon. While it can often feel like he's outlived his usefulness nowadays, as his best stories have already been told, he's still a massively important fixture in DC history.
8 John Stewart Brought Green Lanterns To The Masses
John Stewart is one of several Earth-based Green Lanterns, but he's probably the most important. Stewart served as the Green Lantern of the wildly popular Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons. For an entire generation of people, John is the Green Lantern they recognize and is just a great character to boot.
John is a former Marine Corps sniper and architect who brings a meticulous, well-thought-out approach to his constructs. He's a premiere member of the Green Lantern Corps and has been a part of the Justice League in the comics many times. He's shown many times over the years just how great of a hero he is.
7 Roy Harper Has Overcome His Own Demons
Roy Harper is one of DC's original sidekicks, debuting as Speedy back when Green Arrow was basically just Batman in a Robin Hood costume. Unlike Robin, he'd disappear until the Silver Age with his mentor. He would eventually become a Teen Titan before being revealed as a heroin addict in the classic Green Arrow/Green Lantern: Hard-Traveling Heroes story.
Harper overcame his addiction and went from Speedy to Arsenal. Since then, he's been a Titan, an Outsider, a member of the Justice League as Red Arrow, dead, and a Black Lantern. He's done it all in the DC Universe, beating his own demons to become an amazing hero.
6 Mr. Terrific is The Justice Society's Batman But Better
The Justice Society contained a lot of great heroic forebears, but the most unexpected was Terry Sloane's Mr. Terrific. Sloane never had a sidekick and even upon the Justice Society's return in the Silver Age was never that important to the team. However, his legacy birthed one of DC's most underrated heroes, Michael Holt, the second Mr. Terrific.
Joining the modern incarnation of the Justice Society, Holt made a name for himself as the team's Batman, the billionaire super genius who was as great in a lab as he was in battle. He'd lead that team and eventually get his own group in the Terrifics. Holt took the mantle of Mr. Terrific and made it his own, overshadowing his heroic predecessor.
5 Donna Troy Is A Complicated Icon
Donna Troy is a very complicated character, but that doesn't change how great she is. Her whole existence is a series of retcons from the beginning. The original Wonder Girl was just a young Wonder Woman, a la Clark Kent as Superboy, and Donna Troy was only made into Wonder Girl when the character was put into the Teen Titans.
Since then, the queen of tangled continuity has had a convoluted yet entertaining stint as a hero. She's become an icon with a dedicated fanbase, one who has done everything in the DC Universe. Her intricate origins haven't kept fans from loving her, as she's basically DC continuity in microcosm.
4 Supergirl Changed The Superman Mythos Forever
Supergirl's debut in the Silver Age was a huge development. She gave Superman a family for the first time and opened the door for the Superman family in the forthcoming years. She had adventures that captured fan imagination for decades and made a name for herself as a hero outside of her cousin.
Supergirl is an indelible part of pop culture. She's starred in movies, had her own TV show, has had her own comic multiple times, and is an icon in the DCU. She opened the door for more Kryptonians to enter Superman's life, and her impact on the pop culture landscape can't be understated.
3 Jon Kent Has Had A Meteoric Rise To Stardom
Jon Kent has only been around since 2015, but he's taken his place as one of the most important legacy heroes in DC history. Co-starring in Superman, Action Comics, and SuperSons, he was fleshed out by multiple creators before being aged up into a teenager and joining the Legion of Superheroes. His return to the present saw him taking over for his weakened father as Superman.
Jon's short stint as Superman has produced a sold-out comic, Superman: Son of Kal-El, and unprecedented love from the fandom. Jon has been a fan favorite from the start, and his new series proves that he has staying power that only the best legacy heroes have shown.
2 Wally West Was The First Sidekick To Graduate To His Mentor's Mantle
Barry Allen recreated the Flash for a new audience, but Wally West made the mantle popular again. Starting his career as Kid Flash, Wally would help found the Teen Titans. After the death of Barry Allen, Wally took over as the Flash. The Flash wasn't exactly popular at that time, but Wally brought the concept back to prominence.
Considered by many to be the best Flash, Wally was also the first sidekick to take over for his mentor, setting a precedent that would be followed by many other heroes as the years went by. Wally's absence from the New 52 was a source of fan uproar, and every time DC messes with him, fans riot. Few legacy characters have the kind of fervent fandom that West does, which speaks well to his perception as a character.
1 Nightwing Was The First Sidekick To Go His Own Way
Nightwing has long been one of DC's most underrated superheroes. The OG DC sidekick, his time as Robin made Dick Grayson a household name, and his transformation into Nightwing took legacy characters in a whole new direction, proving they could go their own way. Since then, Nightwing has become a solo star and a linchpin of the DCU.
He founded the Teen Titans and Titans, has taken over as Batman, trained Damian Wayne as Robin, and led the Justice League. He forged his own path as a hero, helming popular solo books in various incarnations for almost thirty years, and has a fanbase that eclipses some of DC's biggest heroes.