TV · in order
Arrowverse Watch Order
The recommended way to watch The CW's interconnected DC shows (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends and more), interleaved season by season so the annual crossovers, especially Crisis on Infinite Earths, land in the right place.
Arrowverse Watch Order: complete list
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Why this order?
The Arrowverse isn't a single show but a web of CW series that share characters, villains and one giant annual crossover. Watching each show start-to-finish on its own works, but you'll spoil yourself: a hero may "die" in a crossover you haven't reached, or a character debuts in one show before their own series exists. The recommended order fixes this by following the franchise season by season, hopping between shows roughly in broadcast sequence so the team-ups click into place.
The spine is simple. Arrow began everything in 2012 and trained the audience for grounded vigilante drama; The Flash spun out of Arrow's second season in 2014 and quickly became the connective heart of the universe; Legends of Tomorrow then pooled side characters from both into a time-travel ensemble. Supergirl premiered on CBS in 2015 on a separate Earth before moving to The CW and formally joining, while Black Lightning, Batwoman and Superman & Lois arrived later. Black Lightning stayed mostly standalone until Crisis pulled it in.
The crossovers are the whole point. Each year, Flash vs. Arrow, Invasion!, Crisis on Earth-X, Elseworlds (which introduced Batwoman), escalates until Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019 to 2020), a five-part event running Supergirl, Batwoman, The Flash, Arrow and Legends that rewrites the shared multiverse and merges everyone onto one Earth-Prime. Watch those chapters in that stated part order, right after the late-season episodes that lead into them, or the stakes won't track.
Two digital and ancillary corners round things out: the animated web series Vixen crossed into Arrow and The Flash, and NBC's Constantine was later absorbed via Arrow and Legends. If you only want the essentials, Arrow, The Flash and Legends carry the through-line; Supergirl and the later shows enrich it. For other interlocking TV universes, compare the MCU's Disney+ slate or Doctor Who's spin-offs. The Arrowverse remains the most ambitious crossover experiment on network television.
Timeline 2012-2021
Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.
- 2012 Arrow
- 2014 The Flash
- 2015 VixenSupergirl
- 2016 DC's Legends of Tomorrow
- 2018 Black Lightning
- 2019 BatwomanCrisis on Infinite Earths
- 2021 Superman & Lois
Where to play it today
Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for Arrowverse.
Cameos & crossovers
Characters from Arrowverse who also show up elsewhere. see the full character atlas →
- Batman / Bruce Wayne
The Dark Knight himself, anchors the live-action films, the Arkham games, and the DCEU's Justice League.
- Superman / Clark Kent
The original Man of Steel, DCEU centerpiece and flagship of James Gunn's rebooted DCU.
- The Flash / Barry Allen
Scarlet Speedster who headlines the Arrowverse and races through the DCEU's Justice League.
Also in DC Extended Universe
Frequently asked questions
How many shows are in the Arrowverse?
Seven core live-action series make up the franchise: Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman and Superman & Lois. All aired on The CW except Supergirl's first season, which aired on CBS (2015 to 16) before the show moved to The CW. The universe also includes annual crossover events, climaxing in Crisis on Infinite Earths, plus digital spin-offs such as the animated web series Vixen.
What order should I watch the Arrowverse in?
Start with Arrow, then add The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, weaving the shows together season by season. Supergirl, Black Lightning, Batwoman and Superman & Lois join later. Slot each annual crossover (climaxing in Crisis on Infinite Earths) right where it falls in broadcast order, after the late-season episodes that set it up.
Where does Crisis on Infinite Earths fit?
Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019 to 2020) is a five-part event across Supergirl, Batwoman, The Flash, Arrow and Legends, watched in that part order. It falls late in the timeline, after the early episodes of those shows' 2019 to 20 seasons that lead into it; it resets the multiverse and merges the heroes onto a single Earth-Prime.
Do I have to watch Arrow first?
Yes, ideally. Arrow established the universe, its tone and many recurring characters. The Flash spun directly out of Arrow's second season, so starting with Arrow gives the crossovers and cameos their full weight.
Is Black Lightning really part of the Arrowverse?
Mostly it ran as a standalone series on its own Earth. It was officially folded into the shared universe during Crisis on Infinite Earths, after which Jefferson Pierce existed on the unified Earth-Prime.
Can I skip Supergirl or the later shows?
You can. Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow carry the core through-line. Supergirl is central to several crossovers (especially Crisis, which she opens), so skipping it loses context, while Superman & Lois runs on looser continuity and works more independently.
Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, Wikidata
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