The Arrowverse shows have always had the ability to leave us crying with laughter or uncontrollably sobbing and eating an unhealthy amount of comfort food. There really is no in-between. Whether it be The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman, or Supergirl, this much-loved multiverse of superheroes had become professionals at playing with our emotions by the end of their first seasons.
TV shows have a way of becoming a prominent part of our lives, so it's no surprise when we get emotionally attached to them and their characters. From devastating sacrifices by some not-so-supervillains like Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) to the heartbreak that comes with the death of a long-running character like Quentin Lance, the Arrowverse hasn't held back on the sheer devastation and emotional torment they've thrown at us over the last decade.
'Supergirl' Season 2, Episode 22 - "Still, She Persisted"
Whether you were a fan of this otherworldly couple or not, their season two finale departing moment together was undoubtedly enough to tug on your heartstrings. Mon-El (Chris Wood) made a lasting impression among fans, so saying goodbye to this lovable Daxamite who had become a favorite to many wasn't easy.
Having no choice but to leave or die, he departed Earth after a lead-lined bomb detonated, creating an atmosphere toxic to Daxamites. Between saying "I love you" in a heartbreaking bittersweet final scene to the devastation on Kara's (Melissa Benoist) face as she watches Mon-El leave, we were crying right there alongside her.
'Supergirl' Season 3, Episode 5 - "Damage"
Few things can sting the heart in a relationship as much as a couple who are deeply in love but want different things. As seen in Friends between Monica and Richard (Courteney Cox and Tom Selleck), the same thing happened between Alex and Maggie (Chyler Leigh and Floriana Lima). Whereas Alex had always dreamed of being a mom, Maggie revealed she didn't see children in their future.
What resulted was a gutwrenching end to the couple's relationship. While it may have been a mutual agreement between the two, it didn't stop the heartache we felt watching the goodbye. From an emotional heart-to-heart to Maggie telling Alex she's going to be a great mom and that final crushing shot of their wedding bands on the table as Alex's cries can be heard in the background, whatever emotional stability we had left just about up and vanished.
'Supergirl' Season 3, Episode 16 - "Of Two Minds"
As people in National City develop flu-like symptoms before succumbing to the disease, the DEO attempts to figure out what's happening before more people die. After Winn (Jeremy Jordan) becomes infected with what they believe to be the work of Pestilence, Supergirl, Alex, and the rest of the DEO race to find a cure. However, Alex soon collapses after also becoming infected.
Winn and Alex's health continues to deteriorate as the episode progresses. While it's heartbreaking to see them both so weak and vulnerable, the saddest part comes when James (Mehcad Brooks) visits Winn in the hospital bay, and the two friends have an emotional heart-to-heart. Between Winn believing it's too late to achieve anything and that he will die from the infection to James crying hearing his brother talk like that, thinking about Supergirl without the adorkable Winn Schott was something we didn't want to have to experience.
'Supergirl' Season 3, Episode 23 - "Battles Lost and Won"
We had to experience it. Whenever a long-running character of any TV show leaves, it's a sad day to say farewell. It can hit with much more a blow when it comes it's an adorkable character that we'd prefer not to imagine the show without.
In the season three finale of Supergirl, Winn takes Brainiac 5s place in the Legion, and the end of the episode sees him travel to the future with Mon-El after an emotional departure to his friends. With his heart-tugging farewell hugs to J'onn, James, Alex, and Kara leaving us an emotional wreck, that final group hug between the five friends left us completely shattered. Winn was an instant favorite, and fans were devastated to see him go.
'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 1, Episode 15 - "Destiny"
There's something so gutwrenching when a villain-turned-hero dies after sacrificing themselves for the people around them. This early episode of DCs Legends of Tomorrow saw the loss of a long-time member of the Arrowverse who had become quite the fan-favorite character.
Leonard Snart, AKA Captain Cold, started his Arrowverse journey in season one of The Flash as the partner in crime to Mick Rory, AKA Heatwave, where he eventually became somewhat of an ally to Barry in his antics as the Scarlett Speedster, before joining the Legends alongside Mick. To destroy the Oculus, someone must remain in contact with it to do so, and while Mick initially chooses to stay after knocking Ray unconscious, Snart ultimately knocks him out and sacrifices himself for the team. Leonard goes out as a true hero with some final words to send a shiver down your spine even to this day. "There are no strings on me."
'Arrow' Season 2, Episode 20 - "Seeing Red"
Talk about a nail-biting and edge-of-your-seat experience! Episode twenty of Arrow's second season saw one of the most emotional of the show's early seasons. To get revenge, Slade Wilson gives Oliver (Stephen Amell) an impossible choice, to save his mother or sister.
It's one of the most mentally tormenting scenes between the Queen family, as Slade demands Oliver choose who will live and who will die, as he had done previously with Sara and Shado in a flashback on Lian Yu. Oliver begs Slade to kill him and let his family go, but he refuses and only insists on Oliver choose who will die. In a heartbreaking, brave stand, Moira Queen stands face to face with Slade, sacrificing herself for her children. From the look of pure heartache on Oliver's face to Thea's screams as Slade kills their mom in front of them, the sheer brutality alone made this a hard one to watch.
'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 3, Episode 8 - "Crisis On Earth X, Part 4"
The fourth annual CW-Verse crossover started on a sweet note, with everyone preparing for Barry and Iris' wedding. But, from our years of experience, nothing happy lasts for very long in this multiverse. The crossover toyed with our emotions on multiple levels, from a Leonard Snart doppelganger known as Citizen Cold to a world where the Nazis won.
In a devastating twist at the end of part three, Firestorm splits so they can use their skills, but it heartbreakingly results in Martin getting shot. Stein makes the ultimate sacrifice when Jax starts to experience the fallout from getting shot due to their connection, so Martin drinks the serum so that Jax can live, succumbing to his wounds after a gut-wrenching final chat with Jax. From losing this beloved character to Jax breaking the news to his wife and daughter, we were heartbroken. We weren't ready to say farewell to the grandfather of the Arrowverse.
'Arrow' Season 6, Episode 23 - "Life Sentence"
A beloved member of the Arrowverse since the beginning, Quentin Lance appeared in over one hundred episodes during his time on Arrow, becoming a fan-favorite character very quickly, and remaining so even after his untimely death in the season six finale.
"Life Sentence" dealt us more than one emotional blow. Quentin and Oliver had one of their most emotional scenes when the latter told him that he'd had a great father figure in him, and Oliver revealed that he'd given himself up to the FBI so the rest of the team would be immune. Not only this, but the doctor broke the news that Quentin had suffered a seizure during surgery and had sadly died, leaving Team Arrow and us utterly devastated. Sara didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.
'The Flash' Season 3, Episode 23 - "Finish Line"
The Flash has broken our hearts time and time again with endless devastating goodbyes to beloved characters, Eddie Thawne and Ronnie Raymond, to name a few. But perhaps one of the saddest came with the season three finale when the show bid farewell to HR Wells. Feeling responsible for Iris' kidnapping at the hands of Savitar and Killer Frost, HR travels to Earth-2 and attempts to rescue her, but Frost catches them.
What results is a heartbreaking switcheroo in which HR takes Iris' place, unbeknownst to viewers and Team Flash. The previous episode sees "Iris" stabbed by Savitar, as the future that Barry saw in "The Present" (S03, E09) seemingly plays out. In a devastating twist, HR is stabbed and dies from his injuries. "I'm not a coward. I couldn't be a coward." Excuse us while we cry all over again.
'The Flash' Season 2, Episode 22 - "Invincible"
Barry Allen's life hasn't been smooth sailing. He lost his mom to an unknown power, and his father, wrongfully imprisoned for the murder, spent over fifteen years behind bars. And he was struck by lightning and spent nine months in a coma. Regular everyday troubles, right? Wrong. After the truth that Henry wasn't responsible for the death of his mother comes to light, Barry's father is released from prison and welcomed home.
In a cold-blooded twist, the celebrations come to a sudden halt when season two's big bad, Zoom, abruptly appears and disappears almost as fast, taking Henry hostage. In perhaps the cruelest scene of the series, Zoom kills Henry right in front of Barry, who can do nothing but go through the pain of losing his father all over again after just getting him back. Come on, CW, our emotions aren't for you to play with on this high a level!