Though it wasn't originally part of the network's connected universe of superhero shows, Black Lightning was in many ways a revolutionary entry in the Arrowverse. Featuring a primarily Black cast, it and All-American were the first of their kind for the network. Black Lightning also had a more grounded and topical nature than the rest of the Arrowverse, being slightly closer to Netflix Marvel shows such as Luke Cage. Despite this and its positive reception, all good things had to come to an end. Black Lightning came to an end after four seasons, making it so far the shortest official entry in the Arrowverse lineup. This was due to a number of factors, so here's the story about how the power finally went out for The CW's Black Lightning.

Why Did Black Lightning End?

jefferson pierce as black lightning

The most obvious reason for why Black Lightning came to a close was the show's ratings. The series is one of the least viewed Arrowverse shows. While the network is known to keep shows around for a long time, those were shows with much more dedicated and consistent fan bases and viewership, and they likely had much easier and cheaper productions, as well. Thus, Black Lightning's series finale disappointingly received around half of a million viewers.

RELATED: Superman & Lois: [SPOILER]’s Desperation Could Lead to Disaster

Speaking of production, there was the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected all TV shows, namely shows involving big casts or action sequences. As the show entered its fourth season, showrunner Salim Akil took all of this into account as he looked to the series' future. He decided, as the creative team began revising scripts, what the new ending would be. From there, he came to the conclusion that Season 4 would be the end of the series, ending the show not on a cancellation.

Where Did Black Lighting Go Afterward?

black lightning flash arrowverse Armageddon episode 3

The series finale of Black Lightning had one final confrontation between Black Lightning and his arch rival, Tobias Whale, who he swore to defeat. Whale had seemingly depowered Black Lightning and buried him, but Jefferson Pierce drew upon the deepest reserves of his abilities to defeat and kill Whale. Afterward, he retired as Black Lightning to remarry his ex-wife, Lynn, while his daughters, Thunder and Lightning, took over the family hero business. Elsewhere, side character Painkiller took to his own path, though a spin-off series was not picked up.

RELATED: Is The Flash Season 8 Teasing a Jay Garrick Spinoff?

This wouldn't be the end of Black Lightning in the Arrowverse, however. Following Crisis on Infinite Earths, the character's Earth had been merged with the ones for the other heroes, and he was now truly part of the Arrowverse. His most recent appearance has been in one of the opening episodes of Season 8 of The Flash. As part of the "Armageddon" crossover, this appearance had Jefferson return as Black Lightning to discuss the "Injustice" contingency plan with Barry Allen, as he would be the one who would have to depower The Flash if he ever turned evil.

There's not much else planned for Pierce in the future, with the Arrowverse as a whole seemingly winding down. Thankfully, fans at least got four great seasons out of a somewhat overlooked DC character, one who had much more than a mere static shock in his power set.

KEEP READING: The Flash Just Used His Upgrades to Prove He's the Fastest Ever