While the The CW back in 2012, it didn't take long before the network had a superhero franchise with multiple spinoffs. After almost an entire decade, the Arrowverse has gone on to become one of the most successful superhero/comic book media franchises. As the shared universe got bigger, so did its crossovers, as Crisis on Infinite Earths became a game-changer for the series going forward. But the ambitious five-part crossover also became crucial to all of Warner Bros.'s past, present, and future DC properties as they exist within the same Multiverse.

Despite some shows coming to an end, the Arrowverse is constantly launching one superhero series after another to keep the slate going. Like most comic book properties, whenever a show or movie adapts something from the books, creators take various liberties to add new layers to characters or storylines. In the case of the Arrowverse, there have been significant changes made to existing players in the DC Universe, while remaining true to the source material's essential core. One of the consistent components for The CW's DC TV franchise is creating brand new original characters that don't have established places in the comics. Some of them have even made the jump from screen to page over the years.

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The longer the Arrowverse keeps going, the more fans will get to meet new original creations in current and future shows. While some characters have taken on the mantle of established DC Comics players, it doesn't change how people began their journey in the Arrowverse as original creations. Hopefully, most of them will get incorporated into the main DC Universe, expanding their legacies outside the Arrowverse and The CW. Since there have been multiple DC shows over the years, there are quite a lot of original significant characters in the Arrowverse that are not from the comics.

Arrow

John Diggle

Since the beginning, Oliver Queen's closest ally was John Diggle, who became more than just Green Arrow's bodyguard. Diggle became his own Arrowverse superhero, Spartan, while helping set the foundation for Team Arrow throughout the eight seasons. In the Arrow series finale, the creators set Diggle up for a potential Green Lantern adventure as he received a mysterious box from outer space. Diggle's rapid popularity led to David Ramsey's character to the DC Universe in 2013 as part of the Green Arrow comics.

Tommy Merlyn

While Merlyn the Dark Archer became Arrow's first big bad, it wasn't the Arrowverse characters fans thought it would be. Before John Barrowman was revealed to be Malcolm Merlyn, a.k.a. the Dark Archer, Colin Donnell's Tommy Merlyn was who everyone believed would be Oliver's nemesis. Instead, Tommy was Oliver's best friend who died at the end of Arrow's first season, before Crisis on Infinite Earths undid his death. While Tommy was an Arrow creation, whose debut was in October 2012, DC did introduce him in the comics one month before the premiere. It's possible DC and Arrow's creators collaborated before the show premiered to introduce Tommy as a new character in both mediums.

Thea Queen

Even though recent Green Arrow comics have given Oliver a sister, that wasn't the case in 2012 when Arrow premiered, which introduced the character of Thea Queen. Portrayed by Willa Holland, Thea is loosely based on Mia Dearden, since Oliver's sister takes on the Speedy moniker later in the series. Since Thea got revealed as Malcolm's daughter, she is only Oliver's half-sister. Even though she isn't Mia, the creators did pull some inspiration from the comic counterpart throughout Arrow's run. Towards the end of the series, Thea gets engaged to Roy Harper, a.k.a. Arsenal, giving them their happy ending.

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Sara Lance

Arrow's Black Canary mythology didn't begin with Dinah Laurel Lance but with Sara Lance as The Canary. Sara's life changed when she ed Oliver on his yacht as they cheated behind Laurel's back. During her journey, Sara transformed into an assassin who has been killed and resurrected more than once. As Laurel became the Black Canary, Sara became the White Canary on Legends of Tomorrow as the Waverider's captain. While there is a DC villain named White Canary in the DC Universe, the Arrowverse reimagined the title as a heroic name for Caity Lotz's character.

Curtis Holt

While Mister Terrific exists in DC Comics, the Arrowverse didn't use the Michael Holt iteration as Arrow created their own. In Arrow season 4, Echo Kellum debuted as Curtis Holt, an openly gay engineer and IT specialist who eventually ed Team Arrow. Curtis becomes one of the who the next generation for Team Arrow after Oliver decided to train new vigilantes. The TV version gets his Mister Terrific name from Terry Sloane, who is his favorite wrestling champion. While Curtis and Michael share a few similarities, Arrowverse's Mister Terrific is mostly a new take on the character.

William Clayton

In the comic books, Oliver has a son named Connor Hawke who followed his father's footsteps. While the Arrowverse did its own take on Connor, he is not Oliver's child. Instead, Arrow created William Clayton, a son Oliver never knew he had as Samantha, a woman he hooked up with behind Laurel's back, was pressured by Moira Queen to lie about the pregnancy. Eventually, Oliver discovers William and they get closer, especially after Samantha dies in Arrow season 5. The final two seasons introduced a grown-up version of William from 2040.

Mia Queen-Smoak

In early versions of Green Arrow's mythology, Mia Dearden was Oliver's adoptive daughter, which is not the case in the current DC Universe. On the other hand, Arrow introduced the adult version of Mia Queen-Smoak, Oliver and Felicity Smoak's future daughter. While Felicity was pregnant in the present time, Arrow season 7 explored Mia's life in the future as she became a protector of Star City. In Arrow's final season, Mia and William both get to meet their father in the past. Before Oliver's death, he ed the Green Arrow mantle on to Mia. While Black Canaries, Laurel and Dinah.

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The Flash

Harrison Wells

Out of all the Arrowverse actors, Tom Cavanagh has played more characters than anyone through the original creation of Harrison Wells on The Flash. While Cavanagh is best known for playing the Reverse-Flash, the actor has played several Multiverse iterations of Harrison for seven years. Between all the Harrisons that he has played, Cavanagh's most significant ones are Reverse-Flash as Harrison, the original Earth-1 Harrison, Harry Wells from Earth-2, and Nash Wells/Pariah. As of The Flash season 7, Cavanagh portrays Earth-1 Harrison, who has been recreated and given time travel abilities.

Joe West

Even though Iris West has two different father figures in the comics, the Arrowverse created a new dad on The Flash with Jesse L. Martin playing Joe West. In the show, Joe is Iris and Wally West's biological father, while also having been Barry's guardian after taking him in. Throughout The Flash's run, Joe has been the team's connection to the Central City Police Department as the former detective became the new captain.

Eddie Thawne

While the Arrowverse's resident Thawne is always going to be Reverse-Flash, The Flash extended the family linage through Eddie Thawne. In The Flash season 1, Eddie is one of CD's top detectives who works with Joe and is dating Iris when Barry wakes up from his coma. While Eddie eventually learns Barry's secret, he also discovers that he is Eobard's ancestor, without specifying the exact connection. In a heroic sacrifice, Eddie shoots himself to prevent Reverse-Flash from ever being born. Rick Cosnett has in later seasons returned to play different versions of Eddie, while the real one is still dead.