How to Watch the Arrowverse: Chronological & Release Order

Pop Culture and Media Analysis Content Creators Trash Pickins share the best watch order so you don’t miss any crossover events

Co-authored by Trash Pickins and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: January 7, 2026 Fact Checked

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Best Watch Order

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Release Dates

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What is the Arrowverse?

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Where to Watch

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The Arrowverse is a universe of interconnected television shows following some of DC’s most popular superheroes. Because there are so many crossover events, it can be a bit tough to figure out what order you should watch everything in. Don’t worry—we’re here to help! In this article, we’ll explain the preferred watch order for all the shows in the Arrowverse, as suggested by Pop Culture and Media Analysis Content Creators Trash Pickins. We'll also include release dates and where you can watch them. You’ll be an Arrowverse expert in no time!

How should you watch the Arrowverse?

Pop Culture and Media Analysis Content Creators Trash Pickins suggest watching the Arrowverse in chronological order, with some shows being concurrent (events are happening at the same time across shows, so you could watch those in any order). The order is important if you want to watch all the crossover events.

Section 1 of 4:

The Best Arrowverse Watch Order

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DC recommends watching the Arrowverse in chronological order. DC released each show in the Arrowverse in the order they’re meant to be watched. This is because there are many crossover events in which the characters from different shows interact. Pop Culture and Media Analysis Content Creators Trash Pickins notes that some seasons can be watched concurrently (events are happening simultaneously across shows, so you could watch those in any order). Trash Pickins recommends the following watch order (note: seasons listed on the same row can be watched concurrently and crossovers are shown in episode watch order):^{[1]
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- Arrow Season 1
- Arrow Season 2
- Arrow Season 3 / Flash Season 1 / Vixen Season 1
- Crossover Flash vs. Arrow: Flash 1.08, Arrow 3.08
- Vixen Season 1 (animated series) takes place around Arrow 3.15
- Constantine The Complete Series (1 season)
- Arrow Season 4 / Flash Season 2 / Supergirl Season 1 / DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 1 / Vixen Season 2
- Crossover Heroes Join Forces: Flash 4.08, Arrow 2.08
- Watch Supergirl 1.18 before Flash 2.18
- Start DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 1 after Arrow 4.10, Flash 2.10 (follows release date timing)
- Vixen Season 2 (animated series) takes place around Arrow 4.18
- Arrow Season 5 / Flash Season 3 / Supergirl Season 2 / DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 2
- Crossover Invasion: Supergirl 2.08, Flash 3.08, Arrow 5.08, Legends 2.07
- Crossover Supergirl 2.16, Flash 3.17
- Arrow Season 6 / Flash Season 4 / Supergirl Season 3 / DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 3 / Black Lightning Season 1
- Crossover Crisis on Earth-X: Supergirl 3.08, Arrow 6.08, Flash 4.08, DC’s Legends 3.08
- Black Lightning 1.01 after episodes 10 (to follow release date timing)
- Arrow Season 7 / Flash Season 5 / Supergirl Season 4 / DC’s Legends Season 4 / Black Lightning Season 2
- Crossover Elseworlds: Flash 5.09, Arrow 7.09, Supergirl 4.09
- Arrow Season 8 / Flash Season 6 / Supergirl Season 5 / DC’s Legends Season 5 / Black Lightning Season 3 / Batwoman Season 1
- Crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths: Supergirl 5.09, Batwoman 1.09, Black Lightning 3.09 (not a part of the core crossover, but can still be watched here), Flash 6.09, Arrow 8.08, DC’s Legends 5.00 (special episode)
- Stargirl Season 1
- Flash Season 7 / Supergirl Season 6 / DC’s Legends Season 6 / Black Lightning Season 4 / Batwoman Season 2
- Stargirl Season 2
- Flash Season 8 / DC’s Legends Season 7 / Batwoman Season 3
- Crossover Armageddon: Flash 8.01 – Flash 8.05
- Stargirl Season 3
- Flash Season 9
- Superman & Lois Seasons 1-4 (technically not part of the Arrowverse)
- Gotham Knights Season 1 (initially going to be part of the Arrowverse, but really isn’t)^{[2]
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Meet the wikiHow Experts

Trash Pickins is a media critique YouTube channel and content studio, known for cultural commentary, deep dives, and balanced takes on pop culture. The creative minds behind Trash Pickins are Lisa, Sara, and Frank.

Section 2 of 4:

The Arrowverse Shows in Order of Release Date

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Watch each show independently, if you prefer. While chronological order is generally considered the best way to watch the Arrowverse in its entirety, it can get a bit complicated. If you want to watch each show on its own, here’s the release order:^{[3]
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- Arrow (2012-2020): October 10, 2012
- The Flash (2014-2023): October 7, 2014
- Constantine (2014-2015): October 24, 2014
- Supergirl (2015-2021): April 18, 2016
- Vixen (2015): August 25, 2015
- Legends of Tomorrow (2016-2022): May 19, 2016
- Freedom Fighters: The Ray (2017-2018): December 8, 2017
- Black Lightning (2018-2021): April 17, 2018
- Batwoman (2019-2022): October 6, 2019
- Superman & Lois (2021-2024): February 23, 2021

Section 3 of 4:

What is the Arrowverse?

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The franchise follows several interconnected TV series based on DC Comics superheroes. It’s called the Arrowverse because the franchise began with the release of Arrow in 2012. As more shows were added to the franchise, there were several crossover events in which the characters from each show interacted. The Arrowverse includes both live-action and animated series.^{[4]
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Section 4 of 4:

Where to Watch Arrowverse Shows

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The Arrowverse shows are available on different streaming services. While the shows originally aired on the CW, they are now available across different streaming platforms. These platforms are subject to change, but here’s where you can currently find the main shows in the franchise:
- Superman & Lois: HBO Max and The CW’s website
- Supergirl: Netflix
- The Flash: Netflix
- Arrow: Netflix
- Batwoman: HBO Max
- Legends of Tomorrow: Netflix
- Black Lightning: Netflix