10 Best Arrowverse Crossovers, Ranked

It all started with *Arrow* in 2012, growing into a universe of over nine shows and countless characters. This universe existed within the larger DC Extended Universe, and like any good cinematic universe, it featured crossovers – exciting events where fan-favorite characters from different shows teamed up and interacted.

The Arrowverse delivered some truly memorable crossovers, like those featuring The Flash and Arrow, and the ambitious ‘Crisis on Earth-X,’ captivating fans of both television and comics. While not every crossover lived up to expectations, the best ones skillfully used the established relationships and history between the characters, fundamentally changing superhero TV for the better.

“My Name is Oliver Queen” Was Short But Sweet

While “My Name is Oliver Queen” is more of a brief appearance than a full crossover event, it still connected the worlds of *Arrow* and *The Flash*. The episode wraps up Oliver’s story as Ra’s Al Ghul’s heir with a dramatic finale. After narrowly escaping death, Team Arrow discovers Oliver secretly contacted The Flash for help while he concentrated on defeating Ra’s Al Ghul.

It’s a brief but awesome scene. Barry’s arrival is incredibly exciting – when Malcom Merlyn says, “Now we wait for the thunder,” and Barry races through Ra’s base, it’s easily one of the best moments for the character. We see Barry at his best, cracking jokes while Team Arrow struggles with how risky Oliver is being. It’s a really enjoyable little bit.

“Flash vs. Arrow” Proved Heroes Could Clash and Connect

The first official crossover event in the Arrowverse is a two-part story featuring ‘The Flash’ and ‘Arrow’. In it, Oliver Queen and Barry Allen team up to battle the metahumans Ray Bivolo and Digger Harkness. During the fight, Barry is affected by Bivolo’s powers, causing unpredictable behavior, but the team manages to stabilize him and defeat Bivolo. Their attention then shifts to capturing Harkness, and during this pursuit, Barry sees a troubling and darker side of Oliver.

While this team-up wasn’t perfectly smooth, it’s understandable considering it was the first major crossover event for the Arrowverse. The story did a good job of showing a new side of both Barry and Oliver, highlighting their contrasting personalities and how they had to learn to work together as a team instead of operating separately.

“Heroes Join Forces” Expanded the Arrowverse

The ‘Heroes Join Forces’ event introduces characters who will become key players in the future series *DC Legends of Tomorrow*. The story centers around Barry needing Oliver’s assistance to stop Vandal Savage, who is pursuing Hawkgirl and Hawkman with the intent to eliminate them and increase his power. Alongside this main plot, Oliver learns a surprising family secret: he has a child.

The side story in “Heroes Join Forces” is actually more interesting than the main plot, and it has significant consequences for what happens in later episodes of *Arrow* and *The Flash*. Although Barry went back in time to fix things and save people, Oliver still had to deal with the challenges of becoming a father. From the beginning, he understood that being a dad would create conflicts with his life as a hero, a partner, and a public figure. The episode did a good job of establishing this storyline.

“Elseworlds” Bent the Arrowverse’s Reality

The crossover event “Elseworlds” primarily focuses on the adventures of Green Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl. While it includes over 20 characters, the story largely revolves around these three heroes. After John Deegan alters reality with the Book of Destiny, Oliver and Barry team up and ask Kara for assistance in restoring everything. They’re joined by Kara’s super-powered cousin and the well-known journalist Lois Lane.

The three-part “Elseworlds” event was a bit messy at times, but overall it was a captivating crossover. Standout moments included the debut of Batwoman and a new hero joining the team. Ultimately, though, “Elseworlds” is a story about friendship – specifically, how three heroes learn to understand and value each other’s differences to succeed.

“Invasion!” United the Arrowverse

“Invasion” brings together characters from all the original series in a massive team-up. The story is based on the “Invasion!” comic book storyline and follows the heroes as they confront an alien invasion for the first time. They must overcome significant challenges and work together to defeat the Dominators and protect Earth.

The ‘Invasion’ event was the first large-scale crossover in the Arrowverse. Featuring a huge cast of characters, the storyline had a major impact on all the shows involved. Despite some slow pacing, it was a successful demonstration of how well these crossovers could work, giving each team a chance to stand out.

“Duet” Proved The Arrowverse Could Have Fun

Okay, so “Duet” is *totally* different from what we usually get in the Arrowverse, but in a good way! It starts with Kara getting hypnotized by the Music Meister, and Barry jumps in to figure out what happened. Then, things get really weird – they both end up trapped in this crazy mindscape set in the 1940s where everyone just randomly bursts into song. It’s super fun to watch them try to make sense of it all!

Though it was just a single episode, “Duet” was surprisingly more enjoyable than some of the larger, more complex team-up events in the Arrowverse. A major reason it succeeded is the show’s cast, which includes several talented singers and actors with performance experience. They didn’t just perform the songs—they actually sounded great!

“World’s Finest” Defined the Heart of the Arrowverse

Following its debut on CBS, *Supergirl* officially joins the Arrowverse in “World’s Finest.” When Barry Allen accidentally travels to Supergirl’s Earth, he asks for her help returning to his own. Before they can focus on that, though, Barry teams up with Supergirl to stop the villains Livewire and Silver Banshee.

Okay, so this episode was just a really fun watch! Seeing Grant Gustin and Melissa Benoist together felt like watching siblings, their chemistry is awesome. Nothing *huge* happens plot-wise, but it was super cool to see Barry stepping up as a mentor for Kara. It reminded me of how Oliver mentored *him* – Barry’s really helping Kara realize being a hero is about more than just superpowers, you know?

“Crisis on Infinite Earths” Brought the Arrowverse Full Circle

“Crisis on Infinite Earths” is an incredibly ambitious story, both in terms of its plot and the huge cast of characters. It centers on a group of heroes confronting a devastating threat – the destruction of all realities – something that had been foreshadowed for years. As everything falls apart, the heroes are tested to their limits, and one of them makes a final, selfless sacrifice.

The ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ event was a turning point, effectively ending a long chapter of superhero TV. While a few shows continued briefly after it finished, the central story led by ‘Arrow’ and Oliver Queen was over. Soon after, series like ‘Black Lightning’ and ‘Supergirl’ also concluded. The event was deeply moving, and deservedly so, as it brought to a close many years of superhero stories that had become iconic on television.

“Crisis on Earth X” Balanced Tragedy, Heroism, and Heart

The story brings together the most popular heroes from the Arrowverse to celebrate the wedding of Barry and Iris. However, their celebration is interrupted when Nazis from another Earth, called Earth-X, attack, bringing dangerous villains like Dark Arrow, Overgirl, and Prometheus with them. The heroes must fight with everything they have to stop these invaders and save their world.

Crossover events can sometimes feel disjointed, but “Crisis on Earth-X” avoids that pitfall. The story flows smoothly and genuinely feels like a team-up between the heroes from different shows. It doesn’t prioritize one show over another; instead, each episode contributes equally to the overall team adventure.

“It’s My Party, I’ll Die If I Want To” Honors Oliver Queen’s Legacy

“It’s My Party, I’ll Die If I Want To” marks the end of the Arrowverse crossovers and Oliver Queen’s story. Though Oliver dies, Barry is brought back to life by The Spectre, who is revealed to be Oliver himself. The Flash, Green Arrow, and Spartan then unite for one final mission: rescuing Wally and defeating the villain Bloodwork.

Oliver breaking down while talking to Diggle perfectly captures the emotional weight of this crossover event. It’s a hopeful scene, but also feels like a final farewell. Diggle was able to say goodbye to Oliver, and Barry got to spend a little more time with the man he admired. The episode also offered a satisfying conclusion to a beloved, expansive universe, giving fans a proper send-off.

2025-10-19 04:42