WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Season 5 of DC's Legends of Tomorrow.
On the third episode of DC's Legends of Tomorrow's third season, "Zari," audiences were introduced to Tala Ashe's Zari Tomaz, a hacker living in a dystopian future. By the Season 4 finale, this version of Zari vanished from the timeline after helping the Legends prevent the future that shaped her. Then, at the start of Season 5, audiences were reintroduced to Tala Ashe's Zari, except this time, she was Zari Tarazi, a social media mogul.
Fans were confused at the change made to their favorite hacker with some worried Ashe would leave the show now that she was no longer a Legend. Yet, despite the skepticism of both viewers and the Legends themselves, the new Zari ultimately proved to be a valuable member of the team. While the old Zari is still missed, the new version brings valuable new dimensions to the show.
The old Zari -- who audiences recently learned survived within the Tarazi family heirloom, the Air Totem -- was a strong-willed member of the team. She originally joined the Legends to save her family. It was not until after she was placed in a simulated time loop in Season 3, Episode 11, "Here I Go Again," that she learned about the importance of being part of the team and realized how much each of them meant to her. This solidified her status as a Legend and she stopped concentrating exclusively on trying to change the future.
In the Season 4 finale, when Zari found out the future would be altered due to the events at Heyworld, she was relegated to the safety of the Waverider to avoid being erased from existence. Unfortunately, she left the ship to try to save Nate (Nick Zano), a move that led to her vanishing and being replaced by her brother, Behrad, who in the changed timeline was the holder of the Air Totem and the one who became a Legend.
In the new timeline, Zari was a completely different person. After befriending a dragon, she was skyrocketed to social media fame, and she maintained her lucrative career as a Kardashian-like media influencer into adulthood. Without the deaths of her family and the dystopian future to shape her, this Zari never became a hacker or had to fight to survive.
When Zari Tarazi was accidentally kidnapped onto the Waverider, she was worried and self-interested, like her old counterpart but with different motivations. After a few days on the time ship, though, Tarazi felt compelled to stay. Her value to the team came to light in Season 5, Episode 5, "A Head Of Her Time," in which Marie Antoinette returned from Hell and was causing people to party to death. Zari used her social skills to gain access to Antoinette and then helped the Legends imprison her on the Waverider.
While this Zari's interest in fashion and beauty may make her seem shallow, she brings an overt femininity to the team that's unique to the character. While the team has female members, including two female co-captains, Zari's focus on looks and socializing turns out to help the team with missions. This is reminiscent to Daphne from Scooby-Doo who uses her beauty skills to help the Mystery Inc. team. Unlike the other Legends who all have fighting skills or superpowers of some sort, Zari gets by on her social prowess. This has brought a completely new dynamic to the team as well as a valuable new skillset.
Another exciting aspect of this new Zari is her devotion to her religion.While the old Zari's religion was brought up frequently, the new Zari's adherence to the rules of the Muslim religion has been shown. For example, in the episode "I Am Legends," Zari chooses not to drink the wine from a magical chalice because drinking is considered a sin in Islam.
Zari Tarazi also started her time on the team, as all new Legends do, having no desire to be a part of the Waverider crew. However, she quickly managed to find and embrace her place with them. This runs counter to a popular pop-culture trope that claims if a character who uses their hate and anger for motivation eventually becomes happy, they will lose that motivation. This was used recently in Tom King's Batman #50, famously know as "The Wedding," where Selina Kyle leaves Bruce Wayne because she believes that if he's happy, he will no longer be a good Batman. But the new Zari proves that misery and heroism don't have to go hand in hand. Happiness makes the new Zari more motivated to keep going and her family gives her something to fight for.
Zari was a fantastic character when she was a hacker and is even better as a social media influencer. Her happiness brings a needed positive energy to the team, especially after Ray Palmer left the ship. Zari Tarazi helps remind the Legends that it is not a mortal sin to have some fun while saving the world.
The latest episode of Legends of Tomorrow saw the old Zari return to the mortal realm while still maintaining the new version. It is still too early to tell how this storyline will play out but here is hoping that the new Zari can stay on the ship. She is becoming an increasingly developed and well-rounded character and it is too soon to see her go.
Airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, DC's Legends of Tomorrow stars Caity Lotz, Dominic Purcell, Nick Zano, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Tala Ashe, Matt Ryan and Jes Macallan.