What is the Arrowverse? To make things clearer, here’s a simple guide to help you keep track of the airing of your favorite shows: Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl… as well as Black Lightning, Batwoman, Superman & Lois, and other more or less known series.

A brief explanation

Arrow was the first of the series to debut on The CW in October 2012. It was followed by The Flash in October 2014, then DC’s Legends of Tomorrow in January 2016, and Supergirl joined in October 2015, fully integrating into the universe’s timeline in October 2016. Since then, new series have joined the Arrowverse, including Batwoman (2019), Black Lightning (2018), and Superman & Lois (2021).

You’ll need to juggle between these shows to get the full scope of the events, but don't worry! It’s not necessary to watch them all—each show can be followed independently!

To help you get organized, here’s a simple viewing guide that covers all the series in order...

For clarity: 1x01 means “season 1 episode 01”, 4x03 means “season 4 episode 3”… Ready? Let’s go!

Let’s get started (it’s simple!)

In season 2, we begin to see characters from the future The Flash series. Barry Allen is introduced in episodes 8 “The Scientist” and 9 “Three Ghosts”, while Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow appear in episode 19 “The Man Under the Hood”.

2014-2015 Season: Crossover “Flash vs Arrow”

The Flash began airing alongside season 3 of Arrow.

This crossover event, “Flash vs Arrow,” launched the shared universe between the two series.

2015-2016 Season: Crossover “Heroes Join Forces”

During Arrow season 4 and The Flash season 2, the third series, Legends of Tomorrow, and the first season of Supergirl were introduced.

2016-2017 Season: Crossover “Invasion”

In the 2016-2017 season, Arrow began its fifth season, while The Flash entered its third! They were joined on The CW by Supergirl for its second season, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow for its second as well.

From here, we enter the crossover Invasion!, bringing together all four series:

It’s not necessary to watch all the series to understand the crossover, but being caught up on The Flash is crucial, as its plot contains major spoilers!

2017-2018 Season: Crossover “Crisis on Earth-X”

A new year means new seasons for our favorite shows! This season brought significant changes: Arrow moved away from Oliver Queen’s flashbacks, The Flash faced a powerful enemy, the Legends worked to fix the timeline, and Supergirl dealt with the departure of a loved one. The 2017-2018 season also saw the epic crossover event, Crisis on Earth-X, which aired on November 27 and 28, 2017, on The CW.

At this point, the crossover event Crisis on Earth-X begins, bringing together the four shows in an alternate Earth storyline:

2018-2019 Season: Crossover “Elseworlds”

In the 2018-2019 season, Arrow returned for its seventh season with a new showrunner, while The Flash faced an exciting development – meeting his daughter! Meanwhile, Supergirl felt more like an outsider than ever, and the Legends embarked on a magical journey! This year’s big crossover event was titled Elseworlds, beginning with the 100th episode of The Flash, continuing in Arrow, and concluding in Supergirl. Legends of Tomorrow didn’t participate in the crossover, but Ruby Rose’s Batwoman made her debut. With Batman having left Gotham for three years, Kate Kane attempts to become the symbol of hope the city needs.

A new series wasn’t enough, so a new three-part crossover event aired: Elseworlds.

2019-2020 Season: Crossover “Crisis on Infinite Earths”

This season introduces Black Lightning with three seasons. Jefferson Pierce, a retired superhero, returns as Black Lightning when his city falls under the mafia's ruthless control. He wields the power to manipulate electromagnetic fields.

2021 Season: Upcoming Series

Due to the pandemic, the Arrowverse seasons ended earlier than expected, and new seasons were delayed. This year, The CW introduced the promising new series Superman & Lois.

2021-2022 Season

As of May 26, 2022, The Flash and Superman & Lois seasons are still airing. Episodes beyond this point are not yet available, but we recommend watching them in the following order:

A Recap of the Crossovers!

You can also include the animated mini-series Vixen in your watch order. Season 1 fits between Arrow 3x14 and 3x15, and season 2 takes place between The Flash 2x09 and 2x10. These episodes feature animated versions of characters like Laurel Lance, Felicity Smoak, Barry Allen, Oliver Queen, Ray Palmer, Martin Stein, and Jefferson Jackson.

Additionally, you can watch the sole season of Constantine between The Flash season 1, episode 23 and season 2, episode 01. This includes appearances by various Arrowverse characters.

This concludes (temporarily!) our viewing guide for the Arrowverse series. Stay tuned as the universe evolves once more! Happy watching!