These days the Green Lantern world is a lot smaller than it was in the 2000s and early 2010s. The franchise at one point had multiple continuities and several events spinning out of things. From Sinestro Corps War to Blackest Night, the Green Lanterns were all over the DC Universe...and so were their rings.
With all the different Lantern Corps running around, it was natural that they would have different goals rather than just inducting people based on their ability to show incredible willpower. Some of them only got to keep the power briefly, and others were given multiple rings at different times in their own stories. In any case, there are a ton of DC characters that know what it is to wield a ring.
10 Scarecrow Had The Sinestro Corps Ring Before Lex Luthor Took It From Him
If rings were going out to other DC heroes and villains, it’s obvious what kind of ring that Scarecrow would get. Jonathan Crane found himself unable to feel fear even during the Blackest Night.
But that didn’t stop him from being given a Sinestro Corps ring when Ganthet caused all the rings to duplicate. However, while Scarecrow wanted to use the ring to make himself feel fear again, he didn’t get to keep it for very long at all. Instead, the ring is stolen by a Lex Luthor that’s overcome with the power that the Orange Ring has given to him.
9 Wonder Woman Used Her Star Sapphire Ring To Save Mera's Life
It only makes sense that Wonder Woman would be given a ring based on the power of love, as Diana seems to be overflowing with love for her friends, family, and teammates.
So when rings from the emotional spectrum were all searching for new hosts on Earth, the Star Sapphire ring sought out Diana, who at the time had been turned into a Black Lantern because of the brief time she’d been dead. The Star Sapphire ring not only brought her back to life, but allowed her to fight back against the other Black Lanterns long enough to help turn the tide.
8 Kara Zor-El Briefly Took On The Power Of The Red Lanterns
The New 52 Supergirl continued the Post-Crisis Kara’s streak of having to deal with pretty terrible situations. While Superman was the Last Son of Krypton, he didn’t actually remember any of what was destroyed. Supergirl not only remembered their culture, but her lost family, and the sadness eventually boiled into a rage powerful enough for a Red Lantern ring to notice her.
Kara’s tenure as a Red Lantern lasted for a few months before she took the ring off while battling against the Worldkiller, and flew into the sun, which not only helped her defeat Worldkiller, but allowed her to survive wearing a Red Lantern ring.
7 Lex Luthor Attained The Orange Ring Of Avarice And Stole Multiple Rings From Other Characters
The Orange Ring of Avarice is the most obvious fit for someone like Lex Luthor. He’s a man who literally has it all, but because Metropolis doesn’t provide him with undying worship and devotion and because Superman does little more than exist, he isn’t satisfied.
The truth is, he can never be satisfied—and in that way, there’s no better host for an Orange Ring than Lex Luthor. He gains the power briefly and uses it to take Scarecrow’s Sinestro Ring and Mera’s Red Lantern Ring as well.
6 Cyborg Superman Was Given The Sinestro Corps Ring When He Became One Of Their Main Generals
A ton of heroes and villains were given rings at around the same time. But Cyborg Superman actually got a Sinestro Corps ring when he was freed by the group and brought to the Anti-Matter universe.
When the Anti-Monitor promised him the chance to finally die, he agreed to join the Corps in their war against the Green Lanterns. Cyborg Superman would become one of the four main generals during the Sinestro Corps War, battling until he was believed to be destroyed when the Qward Power Battery was blown up.
5 Green Arrow Used The Green Lantern Ring To Try And Defend Against Sinestro
While some might doubt Green Arrow's place in the Justice League, he had been given a Green Lantern ring back when the original rings could all make copies easily. The ring was never actually used until Green Lantern: Rebirth, when Ollie had to defend himself against Sinestro while Kyle wasn’t actually able to tap into his powers because Parallax had taken over the power of the Green Lantern Corps.
Ollie managed to use the ring exactly once to create a single arrow—and instantly nearly passed out from the exertion, as he revealed that creating even a single construct required every ounce of focus he had, showing the pure fortitude required to become an ace Green Lantern.
4 Batman Has Wielded The Green, Yellow, White, And Black Lantern Rings
Batman has actually had multiple rings over the years, but the ones he’s seen wearing the most are the Green Lantern and Sinestro Corps rings. Though the two rings can seem at odds, Bruce has always been someone who straddles the line between fear and will.
This is why the Sinestro Corps ring once sought him out, but chose to abandon him after he displayed immense amounts of will. He was given the ring briefly as a chance to put his worst day behind him, and although he chose not to, it brought him closer to forgiving Hal Jordan for his actions as Parallax. He's also wielded both the Black Lantern and White Lantern rings, both inside and outside of the Blackest Night event.
3 Professor Zoom Wielded A White Lantern Ring After Being Revived
The most out-of-place character to return to life, Professor Zoom is brought back as a result of the Blackest Night storyline. After the Life Entity awakened, it grants White Lantern rings to a handful of characters that bring them back to life. Each one has a mission they’re meant to complete, and after succeeding they’re able to come back for good.
Though once Zoom was brought back to life, he didn’t participate in the battle to save the Earth, instead vanishing to handle business which would lead to his battle against the entire Flash family in Flash: Rebirth.
2 Wally West Became A Green Lantern When He Lost His Speed Powers
Keli Quintela isn’t the first teenager to wield a Green Lantern ring. In the 2000s, DC published a storyline called Flash and Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold. In the storyline, there was a flashback to a story with Flash and Green Lantern, and Kid Flash was present as well.
Working on a case against Mirror Master and Black Hand, their first run-in against the villains costs Wally his powers. To help Wally out, Hal makes a copy of his ring, and Wally briefly becomes Kid Lantern.
1 Flash (Barry Allen) Once Wielded The Blue Lantern Ring
Barry Allen had a busy couple of years after coming back to life. He started out fighting Darkseid and before he knew it he was battling against his mortal enemy, and not long after that he had to deal with Hal Jordan’s rogues gallery during Blackest Night.
Barry was granted a Blue Lantern ring to help Hal Jordan and Ganthet, and since he was already partnered up with a Green Lantern, he experienced a massive power boost. Still, he didn’t keep the ring long at all. After they all won the ring was returned to Ganthet.