The Trinity are DC’s most important characters without question. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman all represent exactly what it means to be a hero in DC, and stand as pillars in the superhero community. They literally shaped the entire genre around them, and their sheer presence in popular culture alone shows that they have been melded into the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Even people who don’t know anything about comics know who they are. They rightfully sit on DC’s Mount Rushmore of essential characters, but that doesn’t mean they are the only characters that have helped DC become what it is today.
Every hero in DC is important for one reason or another, but some stand as the ones who have had the largest, most important impact on DC as a whole. Today, we’re going to be looking at the ten most important DC characters besides the Trinity themselves, and talk about what makes them so special when next to their peers. To be clear, we’re looking at characters through the lens of how important they are in-universe as well as in the meta, real-world sense. Both aspects are heavily considered for every entry here. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Hawkman has always been known as a kind of joke character in pop culture, being one of the guys people insult to poke fun at some of the sillier aspects of superhero comics. He’s been the butt of the joke for DC fans a lot, too, but he only reached that level because of how popular and necessary he is. Hawkman is practically the face of the Golden Age and has been a pivotal member of both the Justice Society of America and the Justice League. He is the bridge between the old and modern generations of heroes, connecting them in a way that nobody else does.
For a long time, his origin was very messy and contradictory, but Hawkman’s presence genuinely is a cornerstone for the DC Universe’s timeline. Legitimately, if you remove Hawkman, then you lose not only the bridge between the two generations of heroes, but Thanagar and all of the cosmic implications of their existence. Hawkman has defined several decades of heroism from the background, and if you don’t believe me, just look at every major DC event before the New 52 and see what role he played. Hawkman is required for the DC Universe to have developed into what it is today.
There is no debate that Harley Quinn is one of DC’s most popular characters right now. She was a breakout star in Batman: The Animated Series, and her popularity only exploded more once she hit comic books. Her journey from supervillain sidekick to anti-hero to a genuine, if not still extremely messy, hero resonates with a lot of people, many of whom aren’t even into comics. She pushed the boundaries at DC, battling what her character should look like and even becoming half of DC’s most prominent same-sex relationship with Poison Ivy, which was revolutionary for when it actually debuted.
The people love Harley, and that is in no small part due to how different she is from the rest of the DC Universe. Harley is unique in a way that almost no other character is in DC, and she continues to force herself into various situations that she should have no part in, and makes it work. Like it or not, Harley is massively important to the direction DC wants to head.
Billy Batson is one of DC’s most underrated but important characters. Not only does he have a storied history of standing alongside some of DC’s best and brightest, but his alter ego captures a fantastic core theme of heroism. Billy’s story has always been about finding family and doing the right thing for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do. He’s a young man with all the power of the gods, but while unendingly heroic, he still has the perspective of a kid. Shazam is the perfect character to embody the whimsical, Silver Age fun that modern superhero comics are always so quick to forget are their roots.
That whimsy and hope are baked into Billy’s character. Many other superheroes face the rising darkness with terror and become more serious themselves, but that doesn’t happen to Shazam. He’s almost like a relic of a happier time, and his childlike but still deeply nuanced perspective is the perfect nostalgic atmosphere that DC has always had.
While Oliver Queen started as nothing more than a Batman knockoff, he grew into so much more than that. Oliver became the character pushing for social reform and change for the better, easily being the most openly political character DC has. Green Arrow is a radical, constantly charging forward, and is intent on dragging the whole world with him, whether it wants it or not. He is the first one to call out his fellow heroes when he thinks they’ve lost sight of why they save the day, and he’s almost always right about it.
Oliver’s history is also deeply tied to the evolution of DC. He was the first additional member added to the Justice League’s roster, and had been at the center of more conflicts than anyone can count. He’s the deeply human character that everyone turns to when things get rough, and he might just be a guy with a bow and arrow, but he means so much more than that to the other incredible heroes around him. He is also in one of DC’s best relationships with Black Canary, who was just beaten off this list herself.
The Girl of Steel might just seem like Superman’s sidekick to many who don’t know her, but Kara is one of the most influential characters DC has ever made. She was the first Kryptonian introduced beyond Superman that stuck around, making herself a permanent fixture of the world and setting the stage for the Superman Family. She showed that other Kryptonians being around could work, and primed the world for other incredible characters like General Zod. There’s also the undeniable influence she has in-universe. The Legion of Super-Heroes was actually equally inspired by both Superboy and Supergirl.
Kara’s death in Crisis on Infinite Earths was one of the most influential and emotionally potent moments in all of comics. There’s a reason that cover has become as iconic as it has. Supergirl might not be her cousin, but she’s a character that shows that the ideals and values of Superman are just as important, even if you’ve experienced endless tragedy. While she might always be in Superman’s shadow, Supergirl’s impact on changing comics for the better and her own awesome character cannot be overstated. After all, DC has tried to remove her multiple times, but Kara keeps coming back, and she always will.
Aquaman is the king of Atlantis, one of the founding members of the Justice League, and one of their most necessary members. In nearly every incarnation and adaptation of DC’s number one superhero team, Aquaman is there. The king of the seas’ face is inherently tied to the Justice League roster, and no iteration of the team feels complete without him there. A lot of people look down on Aquaman as the guy who talks to fish, and sure, he can be pretty silly, but he can also be unbelievably cool. That dual nature is part of what’s let him stay around for so long. He’s moldable for whatever situation or era he finds himself in.
If you need a campy story, Aquaman is perfect. Need a political thriller aspect? Aquama is literally a king and deals with that sort of governmental drama daily. Need a gritty reimagining where the heroes are hardcore? We all remember the time Aquaman had a hook for a hand. Aquaman is essential to the Justice League, and he can never, ever be forgotten. He’s one of the best-known heroes ever made, even if he’s remembered as a joke. He’s so much more than comic relief, and his actions prove that.
Martian Manhunter might not be as popular as characters like Green Lantern and Aquaman, but his role in the universe cannot be understated. He serves as one of the most powerful beings around, being nearly as strong as Superman and the single greatest telepath in the known universe. Still, his true importance comes from his connection to the other heroes around him. He is the backbone and heart of the Justice League in a way that not a lot of people realize. He’s led several incarnations of the team, more than just about any other character. Even when he’s a simple member, everyone can rely on J’onn and often turns to him.
Martian Manhunter is like a stone pillar at the base of a giant structure. You rarely see it, but you always feel the impact of its existence, and should it be removed, the entire structure would crumble down around it. Martian Manhunter takes the burden of guiding his other heroes when they need advice or assistance. He’s a power alien, a world-renowned detective, and the greatest supporting castmate you could ask for. He’s like a microcosm of everything that makes DC great, showing how all of their best ideas meld and work together perfectly.
This position is a bit of a catch-all for every Green Lantern, but if you had to pick one, I’d say that Hal Jordan is the most essential of DC’s Emerald Knights. The Green Lantern Corps is DC’s most interesting and established interstellar group, and each of its Earth-based members has more than proven how important they are. The Justice League will always need at least one Green Lantern on the roster, but their real impact comes in how they helped define what the grander DC Universe looks like. The Corps has brought us to more alien worlds with strange species than any other hero or group, and we’ve seen the makeup of the universe be established through the Lanterns’ eyes.
There’s also the fact that Green Lantern is insanely popular for two big reasons. One is that the rings choosing civilians to join the Corps is the perfect platform to introduce new heroes that firmly establishes why they are here without needing to replace anyone. John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, and so many others are beloved characters that originated like this. The second reason is that the Green Power Rings are really cool. Their powers reward imagination and creativity, which naturally draws in fans because you never know what might happen. The Lanterns are just incredible, and there’s truly no one else like them.
Much like Green Lantern, this place on the list can belong to either Barry Allen or Wally West, as it’s honestly impossible to say which Flash has had a greater influence. Regardless of which speedster is in the red suit, the fact of the matter is that the Flash is not only one of DC’s best-known characters, he’s their instrument of change. Whenever DC needs something to change drastically, they use the Flash as their vehicle.
Barry becoming the Flash is the start of the Silver Age. The first two Flashes are used to introduce the idea of the multiverse to everyone. Barry sacrifices himself in Crisis on Infinite Earths in one of the most important and lasting deaths in comics. The Flash caused Flashpoint, ushering in the New 52. Wally’s return brought the Rebirth era. There are many, many other moments we could point to, but at the end of the day, no one has brought about more massive changes than the Flash, and he’s not slowing down anytime soon.
Our first place spot belongs not only to the original Robin, Dick Grayson, but the Robin identity as well. While it might seem strange to give this spot to Batman’s sidekick, the truth is that he has shaped the DC Universe more than almost anyone. Robin was the first teen superhero and sidekick, and inspired every other sidekick after him. His presence showed that superheroes do not have to work alone and can function perfectly in teams. DC has also always had a strong theme of legacy, and Robin was the first A-tier hero to turn into a legacy identity, paving the way for every other hero identity that followed suit. Every single Robin has been an essential, pivotal character in the lore of DC.
And then there’s Dick. Not only has Dick Grayson touched every single aspect of the DC Universe, and as Nightwing, grown into the greatest leader in the superhero world, but he also represents something essential. Nightwing is the ultimate combination of Batman and Superman, having literally been trained by Batman and taking the name from Superman. He is their greatest aspects combined into a single man, with none of their shortcomings. Dick is the ultimate showcase of the next generation and how they can be all of our best parts and more. He even founded the Teen Titans and Titans, two of DC’s most popular teams. He helped define what heroism is alongside Batman, Superman, and everyone else.
Who out there hasn’t heard of Batman and Robin? They’re the Dynamic Duo, their teamwork literally carving that expression into the common vocabulary to mean a good duo. Robin was and continues to be one of DC’s most popular and enduring characters, and there is no sign of that ever not being the case. Robin gives kids a chance to imagine themselves fighting crime alongside their favorite heroes, and at the end of the day, superhero comics are all about lifting people up like that.
So there we have the ten most important superheroes in DC who aren’t part of the Trinity. Do you agree with our list, or think someone else should take a place here? What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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