Best DC characters, ranked: the greatest superheroes put to the test

published 31 January 2023

The Marvel cinematic universe may claim four of the top 10 spots on the all-time box office chart but this may well change, thanks to DC finally getting itself into gear and re-establishing its own DC Cinematic Universe, thanks to the hiring of James Gunn as co-CEO of DC Studios.

And what characters he has to play with! When it comes to a superhero sandpit, DC has an amazing array of supes - as this best DC characters guide proves.

The publisher the late Stan Lee referred to DC Comics as the “distinguished competition” and it is home to some of the most famous characters in comic book history. Indeed, in terms of household names, they don’t come much bigger than Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

While Marvel tends to specialise in ‘normal’ street-level heroes with everyday concerns, DC has always had a thing for iconic god-like figures living among us mere mortals. Many are memorable characters who’ve survived numerous reinventions, whose logos are recognisable to people who’ve never read a comic in their lives. DC is also home to a rogues’ gallery of classic villains – led by the despicable likes of the Joker and Lex Luthor – Marvel can only dream of.

So join ShortList on a trip to Metropolis, Gotham City, Central City and beyond, as we select 10 of the best DC characters in history. And don’t forget you can play a part in shaping the list by voting these heroes and villains up and down.

Get more comic recommendations in our best graphic novels shortlist

The best DC characters

Pop culture’s most famous orphan and an all-round good egg, Superman has been a legend ever since he swooped into the first issue of Action Comics in 1938. While he wasn’t the first character with superpowers, the last son of Krypton set the standard against which all subsequent heroes would be judged, from his iconic suit/cape combo to his famous other life as mild-mannered alter-ego Clark Kent.Although bad guys can exploit his soft spot for humanity and susceptibility to kryptonite, Supes’ impressive combo of super strength, flight and laser-beam eyes make sure he’s more than strong enough to defeat most evil-doers in Metropolis.

William Moulton Marston lived such an interesting life he was the subject of 2017 biopic Dr Marston and the Wonder Women. The American psychologist is widely credited as the inventor of the polygraph but – perhaps more importantly – he was also the brains behind Wonder Woman.Setting out to introduce a hero whose power came from love as much as physical strength, Marston created an icon, an immortal Amazon princess whose powers flowed directly from the Greek gods. Diana’s been saving the world since World War 2 and is still going strong.

Possessing seemingly lesser powers like breathing underwater, swimming really fast and being able to converse with fish, Arthur Curry had become a figure of fun in the DC universe – even before Entourage and Family Guy made him the butt of many a joke. But the last decade has seen an extensive campaign of character rehabilitation for the king of Atlantis. Various comic book reboots and Jason Momoa’s performances on the big screen turned Aquaman into one of the coolest members of the Justice League.

He wasn’t originally a DC character at all and, even more confusingly, used to go by the name of Captain Marvel. But, having emerged as Fawcett Comics’ answer to Superman in the early 1940s, the hero now known as Shazam eventually found his way into the DC stable.His origin story is like a mix of Superted and Bananaman, as orphaned teen Billy Batson utters a magic word and finds himself transformed into a musclebound adult with an impressive selection of magical powers – it’s not a bad way to avoid doing homework.

All image credits: DC Comics

Recommended reading

Best DC characters, ranked: the greatest superheroes put to the test

The best DC characters

Please wait...

Recommended reading

The best DC characters

Most newsletters are rubbish. Ours isn't.