The Arrowverse is one of the most successful shared universes in TV history. While the DC Comics movies faltered and stumbled along, the Arrowverse mostly flowed seamlessly from one show to the next, and its fans remained satisfied along the way.
However, there were moments where the Arrowverse fans completely rejected some characters. These were mostly superheroes that showed up but fell short of the level that comic book fans expected. And at the same time, there were villains introduced to threaten the heroes that fans fell in love with and never wanted to see truly defeated.
Heroes Fans Hated: Mister Terrific From Arrow
Mister Terrific showed up in Arrow Season 5 when he joined up to help work with the new team after Team Arrow split up after defeating Damien Darhk.
Mister Terrific was actually Curtis Holt, a friend of Felicity's that had already been on the show as himself, but he wanted to become a hero. However, fans wanted him nowhere near the action when the battles came, as he was nowhere near as skilled and was just an awkward addition to the team, never really fitting in.
Villains Fans Loved: Captain Cold From Legends of Tomorrow
Fans loved Captain Cold so much that Flash ended up turning him into an antihero. Leonard Snart started as a simple criminal, a common thief with a freeze gun as a weapon. He even got a nice backstory and a sister that he cared about.
However, fans fell for him, thanks possibly to the acting of Wentworth Miller, and the Arrowverse turned both Captain Cold and Heatwave into good guys when they moved to DC's Legends of Tomorrow.
Heroes Fans Hated: Batwoman From Batwoman
When Batwoman premiered, it ended up as one of the Arrowverse's most polarizing shows. Most of the original hate ended up directed toward Ruby Rose, the actress who played Batwoman.
People hated her so much that fans began to review bomb the series, and while much of that hate had nothing to do with the show's quality, fans never warmed up to Kate Kane and Rose ended up quitting after one season, with a new Batwoman taking her place.
Villains Fans Loved: Harrison Wells / Eobard Thawne From The Flash
There have been a lot of bad guys who turned heads in the Arrowverse, but the one that really stuck out was Flash's first big bad — Reverse-Flash. Also known as Eobard Thawne, who for most of the season posed as Harrison Wells (one of Flash's greatest allies).
It was Wells that fans really started to like, and while the twist of him being a villain was great, fans wanted more. The Arrowverse gave them more, bringing in several multiverse versions of Wells for the fans' entertainment, although not all of them were hits on The Flash.
Heroes Fans Hated: Hawkgirl From Legends Of Tomorrow
Hawkgirl was never a big deal in the comics until fans fell in love with the character's interpretation in Justice League Unlimited. That character was a strong and powerful warrior and made most fans shift their focus from Hawkman to his female counterpart.
In DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Hawkgirl showed up and most people immediately wanted her gone. She didn't have the strength of her Justice League Unlimited version and spent most of her time on the show complaining, becoming one of the most annoying characters on the otherwise beloved show.
Villains Fans Loved: Deathstroke From Arrow
Deathstroke had a fascinating character arc on Arrow. He started out as an ally to Oliver Queen on the island, helped him survive, and aided his return to take the role of Arrow. However, fans knew Deathstroke was a villain and most waited for the hammer to drop.
By the time it happened, most fans had developed a huge love of Manu Bennett's portrayal of Deathstroke, whether he was an antihero or a true villain opposing Arrow.
Heroes Fans Hated: Mon-El From Supergirl
Mon-El showed up on Supergirl and he quickly developed a romance with Kara, but some fans felt that they were a really boring couple. The show itself was about female empowerment, so much so that it gave Supergirl a friend in Lex Luthor's sister and focused most of its time on fighting female adversaries.
When Mon-El showed up, it gave Supergirl a love interest that really pulled the focus away from the show's best themes. The only way to fix this problem was sending him off Earth, which thankfully, Supergirl did.
Villains Fans Loved: Lex Luthor From Supergirl
One of the best casting choices in Arrowverse history came when Supergirl cast Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor. The actor best known for his '80s coming-of-age movies and his later comedic role on Two-And-A-Half Men also portrayed Lex Luthor's nephew in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
When he got the chance to play Luthor in Supergirl, he knocked it out of the park and fans loved his turn as one of DC Comic's greatest villains.
Heroes Fans Hated: Lena Luthor From Supergirl
Lena Luthor was supposed to be the heroic Luthor family member. However, while fans fell in love with Jon Cryer's Lex Luthor, no one wanted to see Lena after she became a major player on Supergirl.
Lena Luthor was Kara Danvers' friend, and she had a chance to become a strong character, especially if she followed in her brother's footsteps. However, she became almost obsessed with her friendship with Kara and ended up more annoying than interesting.
Villains Fans Loved: Gorilla Grodd From The Flash
Taking a giant CG gorilla and making him into an actual character that fans care about isn't easy, but the Arrowverse succeeded. Gorilla Grodd is a giant gorilla with a human brain and the ability to control other's minds. However, he also has a tragic backstory, as General Wade Elling kept him locked up and tortured him while Harrison Wells experimented on him.
When he escaped, it was easy to see why he was so angry. It is possible that his backstory made him more sympathetic, but he ended up as someone fans loved to see show up to make Flash's life rough.