Young Justice has had the most characters in any DC comics television show since Justice League Unlimited. Young Justice has done a good job of keeping the character roster fresh by introducing new and intelligent characters in every season, who each bring something different to the show.
However, the issue with having a massive character lineup is that several characters will not get the amount of screen time that they deserve. With the second half of the show's fourth season titled Young Justice: Phantoms premiering sometime in Spring 2022, here is a list of characters that deserve to shine more moving forwards.
Rocket
Rocket was introduced in the back half of Young Justice's first season, alongside her comic book mentor, Icon. The Dakota City native has since been a recurring character as a member of the Justice League, appearing every once in a while, usually in the background.
Rocket deserves more screen time because she is by far the most underutilized member from the original roster for, The Team. Thankfully, Rocket fans should expect to see much more of her, as she will receive her character arc when the show returns. Hopefully, it will be an arc that will truly showcase the character.
Shade
The Shade is an interesting character who can manipulate shadows and darkness however he pleases, among other powers. He first appeared in the third season of Young Justice and has since only appeared in three episodes as a minor character. In live-action Shade has made a name for himself in the CW's Stargirl as a supporting character in the second season, where he plays a similar role to his version in Young Justice.
Shade needs more screen time in Young Justice because as an independent character, he isn't associated with any hero or villain team. This neutrality and tendency to play both sides could make him a very interesting character to see in action, given the heroes and villains would need to be careful around him even when they work together.
Spoiler
Young Justice has introduced several members of the Bat-family into its lore, and Stephanie Brown's Spoiler has the least screen time out of them all. Season 3 first showed Spoiler appear fight alongside Tim Drake as a part of "Batman Inc.", but she was largely overshadowed by the show's plot and other larger characters around her.
Spoiler is a very capable superhero with enough of her history in DC Comics to earn a more respectable amount of screen time in Young Justice. In season four, Oracle recently mentioned that Spoiler along with the Bat-family are fighting in a Penguin and Two-Face turf war, so she may return in Nightwing's upcoming arc.
Bumblebee
Karen Beecher was more of an under-the-radar addition to Young Justice who after briefly appearing in the first season, became a member of The Team in the second season as, Bumblebee. Bumblebee had a good amount of screen time in the second season but has since retired from being a member of "The Team" to become a wife and mother.
Despite her being retired, she wore her super-suit one last time to shrink down into her newborn daughter to alter her DNA and give her the metagene, a storyline that hasn't been addressed since. Bumblebee was always an interesting character on the show with this storyline in particular worth exploring further. It hasn't been said whether or not she will appear again, but she is worthy of having more screen time.
Lady Shiva
Lady Shiva is one of the best villains in Young Justice, which says a lot as a great number of villains have appeared in the series. While she recently got more screentime in Young Justice: Phantoms with the comic-accurate reveal that she is the biological mother of Orphan, it's not enough. Having an absolutely brutal and deadly assassin who poses a constant threat to her daughter and her allies is an exciting angle to pursue.
Lady Shiva has often been no more than a secondary villain since her introduction in season three and only has lines in five episodes since. Given that she is someone who can go toe to toe with Batman, it would be amazing to see more fight sequences against the heroes moving forward.
Mary Bromfield
Mary Bromfield was an unexpected but welcomed addition to the Young Justice: Phantoms cast as one of Zatanna's protégés. She received a good amount of screen time in the magic arc that closed out the first half of the season, but she deserves to get much more time in the spotlight in the future.
Feeling betrayed by her mentor and giving in to the temptation of becoming Sergeant Marvel again will unlock a much darker side of her character for the show. Mary Bromfield has also had her fair share of screen time in the first Shazam film, so it will be fun to see more of her power-set in live-action and animation.
Orphan
One of the most exciting parts about Young Justice: Phantoms so far has been learning more about the mysterious Cassandra Wu-San, also known as Orphan. Just like her comic book counterpart, Orphan is one of the best fighters in Young Justice. However, what makes her deserving of screen time is her relationships, despite not being able to communicate with her voice.
Despite accidentally paralyzing her, Barbara Gordon looks at Orphan as a little sister and is willing to do anything to protect her. The show is quietly setting up Gordon passing on her former Batgirl mantle to Cassandra, which she becomes in DC Comics as well. Seeing Orphan interact with her mother, Lady Shiva and Gordon are both storylines that are fun and hopefully explored further.
Zatanna
Considering Zatanna is coming off of her arc in Young Justice: Phantoms, it can be understandable why some fans might think she doesn't need more screen time. However, Zatanna Zatara always feels like she's given the short end of the stick in Young Justice even though she is one of the most powerful characters and an original member of The Team.
In her recent character arc, Zatanna took a back seat towards the end, as her protégé, Thirteen was the one to defeat the arc's main villain, Child. While showing Zatanna as a mentor and leader was interesting to see, she still deserves to have more screen time in Young Justice where she can be the main character, instead of coming in second to her students.
Static
Static has been a widely beloved DC Comics character ever since the animated television series, Static Shock, from 2000. Despite being a member of the Outsiders in Young Justice, Static has been severely underutilized and often disrespected when it comes to his screen time. After being given a respectable amount of screen time in the show's second season, Static only appears to deliver one-liners, or have non-speaking appearances.
Static last showed up in season 3 where it was a running gag that he didn't have a girlfriend like his male teammates, often feeling like a third wheel. His time in season 3 would've been much more useful if fans got to see more scenes between him and his mentor, Black Lightning, who was much more prominently featured. Static could be a great character in the series, but only with the conscious effort to show him more.
Kid Flash (Bart Allen)
When Bart Allen was introduced as Barry Allen's grandson from the future in Young Justice's second season, he instantly stole the show with his high energy and witty catchphrases. However, when he took over the late Wally West's Kid Flash mantle his screen time was largely minimized. Wally West's Kid Flash was an instrumental character in the show's first two seasons, so to put his successor into the background has been disappointing, to say the least.
While it's understandable to prioritize other new heroes' stories given the number of characters, it's another thing to forget about the ones who made the show great in the first place. Some fans were not pleased with the Young Justice's second season when it aired in 2012, but Bart Allen was always one of the shining components of the season. With an endless amount of source material to adapt for Kid Flash from DC Comics storylines, there's still hope that eventually, the young speedster's time will come again.